When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the ThunderJet Landing Craft 2011 and the ThunderJet Northern Edition Envoy 2013 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?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 320 hp, the ThunderJet Northern Edition Envoy 2013 has a 170-hp advantage over the ThunderJet Landing Craft 2011's 150-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 48 gal and 48 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The ThunderJet Landing Craft 2011 is rated for 6 passengers, while the ThunderJet Northern Edition Envoy 2013 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the ThunderJet Landing Craft 2011 could be the deciding factor.