When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sweetwater SW 220 2013 and the Sweetwater SW 220 SL 2011 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 — Sweetwater SW 220 2013 at 23,7 ft versus Sweetwater SW 220 SL 2011 at 24,0 ft. At 2 801 lbs and 2 706 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 150 hp for the Sweetwater SW 220 2013 and 150 hp for the Sweetwater SW 220 SL 2011. 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 21 gal and 24 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Sweetwater SW 220 2013 is rated for 14 passengers, while the Sweetwater SW 220 SL 2011 caps at 12. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sweetwater SW 220 2013 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Sweetwater SW 220 2013 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 14 passengers and at 23,7 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Sweetwater SW 220 SL 2011 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 12 that costs less to run day-to-day.