When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sea Ray 390 Sedan Bridge 2011 and the Sea Ray 540 Sundancer 2012 are semi displacement 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?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Sea Ray 540 Sundancer 2012 measures 54,8 feet overall (2012), giving it roughly 14,0 additional feet of deck space compared to the Sea Ray 390 Sedan Bridge 2011 at 40,8 feet (2011). At 22 lbs and 5 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 715 hp, the Sea Ray 540 Sundancer 2012 has a 340-hp advantage over the Sea Ray 390 Sedan Bridge 2011's 375-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 3 gal and 6 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

The Sea Ray 390 Sedan Bridge 2011 is rated for up to 12 people. Passenger data for the Sea Ray 540 Sundancer 2012 wasn't available.