Nitro? Ranger? So confused now

[East Iowa River King]

On 3/14/2018 at 1:35 PM, Dumbbass707 said:

I know this topic has been covered before, but I wanted to present my specific "dilemma." I plan on pulling the trigger on a brand new bass boat in the next month or so.

 

I live in Northern California and will be fishing Lake Sonoma, Berryessa, and Clear Lake. I have few dealerships in my area and they sell Ranger and Nitro. I want to stick with a local dealer, just incase I need to have maintenance done or have any issues, so I'm not having to drive clear across the state to get it fixed.  I've looked at, and researched, both the Ranger Z185 and the Nitro Z18. I know that Ranger is considered the "Cadillac" of bass boats, but your paying for that name and quality.

 

However, I didn't see a huge difference between Ranger and Nitro.  They will both be rigged very similar, same motor, same electronics, etc. The Z185 is about $5k more than the NItro. I'm not a hardcore tournament bass angler, but will definitely be using the boat often and year around.

 

I'd like to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Rangers are flat out the best built boat in the industry.  If you are not experienced in what exactly to look for when purchasing a new boat and you buy a nitro you will have the worse buyers remorse you've ever had.  There are things that you cant see initially that will show up in the future as you use the boat more.  If the difference is only 5k i would say the ranger is a no brainer.  Even if its 10k, the ranger will hold its value MUCH longer.  

[blanked]

Rangers have 2 different lines.  About $15,000 difference for the same boat size and motor. Is it mere bells and whistles or the boat itself 

[Jig Man]

I had the same issue.  I went for the Nitro. Big mistake.  If I had do overs I would be in a Ranger.

[clark9312]

On 6/1/2019 at 11:04 AM, Jig Man said:

I had the same issue.  I went for the Nitro. Big mistake.  If I had do overs I would be in a Ranger.

Im in the market, do you mind telling what went wrong?

[Sam]

Dumb, here is the deal.

 

Ranger is a very nice bass boat.

 

Nitro is a very nice bass boat.

 

Nitro is supported by Bass Pro Shops and you know they stand behind their products.

 

I am not a fan of their service department. Too expensive and the guys are not factory trained. I will not take my Ranger to them any more. I go to a local guy who works on boats and motors at his house.

 

So factor in who is doing the service; what you get with the warranty; and the final price and make your decision.

 

Then send us a photo of your baby!

[J Francho]

On 4/13/2018 at 9:33 PM, Dumbbass707 said:

I went with the Ranger Z185. Having Lowrance Elite TI 7" put in the console and bow. Now comes the task of filling it up with "stuff."

Why are we making recommendations on a year old thread?  The OP bought a boat.  If there are new questions, start a new thread.  Thank you.

[Zachh Nute]

I don't know if you have already purchased or not. I worked at a dealership that sold Ranger and Nitro. The Nitro boats look better than the Ranger's in my opinion, but the Rangers out perform the Nitros. It is literally night and day between the two. I can say that The Nitro has a bigger front deck. But, if you're looking at the smaller details, the Ranger is a winner. Another downfall to the Ranger is obviously the price. But, with the price tag out of the equation, Ranger should be your choice. Nitro customers ALWAYS come back to the dealer to get this fixed  in the first couple months of owning their boat, whereas Ranger owners usually don't.

 

Just to let you know, I'm a Triton guy. I wouldn't buy either of these boats, but you asked about these two manufacturers in particular so I am giving my opinion of them both! I hope this helps.

[Brent Christian]

On 3/15/2018 at 11:27 AM, fishnkamp said:

 

KVD is PAID to fish out of a Nitro!

exactly lol

For the durabilty and craftmanship standpoint Rnager all the way! Ride is way better, and handles wind awsome!