When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 818 CR 2013 and the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012 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 90 hp, the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012 has a 85-hp advantage over the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 818 CR 2013's 5-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Sylvan Mirage Cruise 818 CR 2013 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 818 CR 2013 could be the deciding factor.