When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013 and the Sessa Marine S 26 2012 are deep 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 — Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013 at 28,1 ft versus Sessa Marine S 26 2012 at 25,1 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013 tips the scales at 6 173 lbs — 1 176 lbs more than the Sessa Marine S 26 2012 at 4 997 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 190 hp, the Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013 has a 182-hp advantage over the Sessa Marine S 26 2012's 8-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Sessa Marine S 26 2012 carries 78 gallons versus 33 gallons in the Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013. 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 Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Sessa Marine S 26 2012 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sessa Marine Dorado 26 2013 could be the deciding factor.