When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Scout 175 Sportfish 2011 and the Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 are modified vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Scout 175 Sportfish 2011 at 17,4 ft versus Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 at 18,8 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Scout 175 Sportfish 2011 tips the scales at 126 lbs — 113 lbs more than the Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 at 13 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 150 hp, the Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 has a 35-hp advantage over the Scout 175 Sportfish 2011's 115-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 carries 42 gallons versus 32 gallons in the Scout 175 Sportfish 2011. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Scout 175 Sportfish 2011 is rated for 6 passengers, while the Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Scout 175 Sportfish 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Scout 175 Sportfish 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 6 passengers and at 17,4 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Scout 191 Bay Scout 2010 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.