When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Starcraft Marine Elite 226 RE 2007 and the Starcraft Marine Limited Series 2009 are pontoon designs with aluminum 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?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 150 hp, the Starcraft Marine Limited Series 2009 has a 25-hp advantage over the Starcraft Marine Elite 226 RE 2007's 125-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Starcraft Marine Limited Series 2009 carries 24 gallons versus 3 gallons in the Starcraft Marine Elite 226 RE 2007. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

The Starcraft Marine Elite 226 RE 2007 is rated for up to 12 people. Passenger data for the Starcraft Marine Limited Series 2009 wasn't available.