When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the ThunderJet Havasu 2008 and the ThunderJet Rio Classic 2011 are modified vee 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?

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 425 hp for the ThunderJet Havasu 2008 and 425 hp for the ThunderJet Rio Classic 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 — 5 gal and 8 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The ThunderJet Havasu 2008 is rated for 8 passengers, while the ThunderJet Rio Classic 2011 caps at 6. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the ThunderJet Havasu 2008 could be the deciding factor.