When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Supra Sunsport 21V 2013 and the Supra Sunsport 242 2012 are modified 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 — Supra Sunsport 21V 2013 at 21,3 ft versus Supra Sunsport 242 2012 at 24,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Supra Sunsport 242 2012 tips the scales at 445 lbs — 410 lbs less than the Supra Sunsport 21V 2013 at 35 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 345 hp for the Supra Sunsport 21V 2013 and 325 hp for the Supra Sunsport 242 2012. 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 Supra Sunsport 242 2012 carries 68 gallons versus 5 gallons in the Supra Sunsport 21V 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 Supra Sunsport 242 2012 is rated for 17 passengers, while the Supra Sunsport 21V 2013 caps at 12. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Supra Sunsport 242 2012 could be the deciding factor.