When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sea Ray 580 Sedan Bridge 2012 and the Sea Ray 580 Sundancer 2013 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 580 Sedan Bridge 2012 measures 58,6 feet overall (2012), giving it roughly 52,6 additional feet of deck space compared to the Sea Ray 580 Sundancer 2013 at 6,0 feet (2013). At 515 lbs and 535 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 861 hp for the Sea Ray 580 Sedan Bridge 2012 and 861 hp for the Sea Ray 580 Sundancer 2013. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Sea Ray 580 Sundancer 2013 carries 825 gallons versus 7 gallons in the Sea Ray 580 Sedan Bridge 2012. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

The Sea Ray 580 Sedan Bridge 2012 is rated for up to 17 people. Passenger data for the Sea Ray 580 Sundancer 2013 wasn't available.