When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 and the SunChaser Cruise 8520 2013 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?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 at 20,3 ft versus SunChaser Cruise 8520 2013 at 20,8 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the SunChaser Cruise 8520 2013 tips the scales at 199 lbs — 181 lbs less than the SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 at 18 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 SunChaser Cruise 8520 2013 tops out at 115 hp. Engine specs for the SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 aren't listed — confirm with a dealer before selecting an outboard.Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 carries 24 gallons versus 3 gallons in the SunChaser Cruise 8520 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 SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 is rated for 12 passengers, while the SunChaser Cruise 8520 2013 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the SunChaser 820 4.0 2010 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 12 passengers and at 20,3 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The SunChaser Cruise 8520 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 1 that costs less to run day-to-day.