When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012 and the Sylvan Mirage Fish 8522 F-N-C RE 2010 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 150 hp, the Sylvan Mirage Fish 8522 F-N-C RE 2010 has a 60-hp advantage over the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012's 90-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Sylvan Mirage Fish 8522 F-N-C RE 2010 carries 24 gallons versus 3 gallons in the Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012. 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 Sylvan Mirage Fish 8522 F-N-C RE 2010 is rated for 14 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 Fish 8522 F-N-C RE 2010 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Sylvan Mirage Fish 8522 F-N-C RE 2010 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 14 passengers and at 22,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Sylvan Mirage Cruise 820 CR 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 6 that costs less to run day-to-day.