When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sunsation 32 SS Dominator Mid-Cabin Open Bow 2012 and the Sunsation 36 XRT 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?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 430 hp, the Sunsation 36 XRT 2012 has a 110-hp advantage over the Sunsation 32 SS Dominator Mid-Cabin Open Bow 2012's 320-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 145 gal and 145 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Sunsation 36 XRT 2012 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Sunsation 32 SS Dominator Mid-Cabin Open Bow 2012 caps at 9. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sunsation 36 XRT 2012 could be the deciding factor.