I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with a Ranger, but I personally have been running Rangers for 30 years now. Of course, over that same time span I've only had 2 boats. That said, were I to buy a new boat, I would look at Rangers, Cats, Champions, Skeeters, and Chargers before I bought. When I bought my 1st Ranger it was an easy comparison, Attention to detail and quality of construction stood out, from the foam flotation to the hinges, to the top cap installation, it was quite clear who made the best boat. Now, the others have caught up, and in some cases appear to have overtaken Ranger. It's hard to argue with JD Powers...But then, I won't be buying a new one for awhile...My Ranger takes a lickin and keeps on tickin...

i think rangers are over priced, someone has to pick up the tab for all that sponsorship, and ive had 2 ,i had 3 skeeters and fit and finish always seemed to be a issue not to mention i never had one that didnt get a lot of stress cracking, i also dont like how they do a two tone hull ,the white is sprayed over the lower color so when you scratch it the white shows through

In my case "Ranger and quality can be put into the same sentence" I have a 1984 373 that has the original carpet,seats,livewell pumps etc.......gelcoat is in great shape also,,,,I am the 2nd owner since 2000,factory support has been good also,,,,I was able to get an owners manual and even rubber grommets and screws that I replaced on the windshields ...that seems like pretty good support considering this was at the time a 16 year old boat .........I dont think quality is an issue at least not in my boat......

Have you ever actually shopped a Ranger, or you just saying that because everyone tells you it's over priced? Most folks that say Rangers are over priced just flat haven't even shopped them. If you are buying new, comparibly equipped, there are only a few hundred dollars separating all the good ones. Most folks don't compare apples and apples. In fact, as I mentioned in a previous post, I had two skeeters before I got my first Ranger. I shopped the two with the exact same equipment, the only difference being the Skeeter would have had a Merc (before Yamaha bought them out) and the Ranger had a Rude. I bought the Ranger because it was $500 cheaper, equipped the exact same way, except for the motor. The Ranger was a Bassmaster Classic, and the Skeeter was a Dual Console Starfire 150.

15 - 20 years ago the answer would have been Ranger all the way. I owned 3 different boats before I bought my Ranger. At the time Champions were really the only other choice. My 20 year Ranger is going strong today. When I bought it sidewalls were breaking on Skeeters,transoms falling off of Procraft, & floors were coming apart on Tidecrafts. These are not issues that I think you face today. As someone else suggested if you want the most durable longest lasting boat talk to a fiberglass man. Otherwise make a choice based on ride, storage, & style. Rangers have been rumored to be over priced but if you keep the boat a while you will get it back.

I love my 11 year old Skeeter...and it isnt my first Skeeter. It's in great shape and looks like a new one, still today. ( If I wash it) I HATE the cheapie trailer they put under it, though. I wont buy another Skeeter because of that trailer, either. But then again, I wont buy another bass boat at all. It'll be a center console and Skeeter's CC models are not what I want.

I priced a Ranger, Skeeter, Champion, Stratos, Bass Cat, and Nitro. I wasn't looking at the fancy iClass and Z series, etc. I was looking for the most boat for the least money, and Skeeter beat Ranger hands down on that. I liked features of the Ranger, but I really liked the layout and fishability of the Skeeter. I weigh over 200# and my fihing partner does too. When we are boat on the Skeeter fishing, you can't feel the other person move from one side to the other. It is a rougher riding boat than I remember the Ranger being, but being young and dumb, I am not that worried about a smooth ride. The Rangers that I have been in fishing the Weekend Series as a non-boater, seem to always get passed by the other boats, and I have been told by several Ranger owners that they are not fast boats, and if they weren't fishing FLW, they would be back in other boats, 2 of which would pick Skeeter.

Hey my 16ft Skeeter Wrangler was faster with a 140 looper on it than my Ranger 373 with a 150 XP. Also a lot squirrelier.
That said, no one will ever hear me talk down a Skeeter. They are good boats. One just needs to decide what is most appealing to them. For some it's price, others fit and finish, others fishability. If there was one perfect boat, there would only be one boat made....(Ranger...Just kidding) There are lots of good boats out there. If I didn't own about about 2 dozen Ranger hats, Ranger luggage, Ranger clothing, etc., I might consider something else, but alas, I do, so I won't.....

That is probably because the 373 should be rated for a 175. I was thinking that because the boat was a Bsss Master Classic that they only but 150s on them. Boats always run best with max hp.

Thanks for the info. guys!

I looked at each extensively along with Bass Cats, Champions and Tritons when I purchased mine. I ended up going with the Skeeter because of the larger front deck space and I typically fish with one or 2 others. I opted for the zx 250 and have really enjoyed the ride. Faster than the Ranger and handles rough water well. I see it as a combination of a lot of the other boats. I really don;t think you can go wrong these days. Pick a good dealer and make a deal on the largest boat you can afford... You will be happy with it.

Yep, silliest thing I ever saw. All of the 370 Series Hulls were rated for a 175 and the 373 was rated for a 150. My current boat, a 92 372V, has a 150 Mariner Mag III on it, and I think it is a shade faster than my XP150 was. This motor has been a good motor so far, but if it gives up the ghost, I'm gonna do some serious shopping. Heck next time I might even go for a 4 stroke.