Ranger vs Crestliner

[Coastal Mountaineer]

I'm trying to decide between two new boat options.

It's between an in-stock 2020 Ranger VS1782 DC and ordering a Crestliner 1750 Fish Hawk. Both come with a Mercury 150 ProSX and are equipped the same. The Ranger is about $800 more. Both dealers are about 3 1/2 hours from home in Lexington, NC, Anglers Choice and Rock Outdoors.

My heart says Ranger and I won't have to wait forever to pull it home, but would appreciate any input on both boats about problems, dealer's service, ride, durability, etc..

[Pagregss]

I can't comment on these specific boats, but I've fished in some friends Crestliners and I notice small differences between their boats and my Ranger that apply to you. It's things like the Crestliner has plastic cleats and plastic latches that aren't compression latches. The Crestliner consoles are plastic versus fiberglass on the Ranger. My Ranger has way more storage in the same size boat. Take a look at things like that and I think you'll understand the price difference.

[MidwestBoater]

I ordered new 2020 Ranger VX1788WT without being able to look at one in person last December (took delivery in May). Before I placed my order I had looked at (in person) a Lund Crossover 1875, Tracker Targa v18, and Crestliner 1850 FishHawk.. Being totally honest, the fit and finish on the Lund and Crestliner exceeded that of my new Ranger, with the Tracker just below the Ranger. With that said, the components on the Ranger (seats, compartment latches, carpet, consoles, etc) are higher quality than those on the Lund or the Crestliner. Also, I bought this model of Ranger because it has a wider beam, steeper deadrise, deeper cockpit, and thicker aluminum than the others.

[texoma]

Go Crestliner Fish Hawk. Is a great boat you will not regret. Crestliner Hawks are welded very well.

[hauss]

Get the Ranger, $800 is nothing for being able to take the boat with you. I ordered my Lund and was told 6-8 weeks. They were ready to start on it after 5-6 weeks, then covid hit. It took 14-15 weeks for me to get it. Brunswick Corp owns Lund, Lowe, Crestliner, amongst others...Are they caught up yet?

[grandbassslayer]

Of those 2 the Ranger looks a lot nicer IMO.

[Alumicraft145]

Order the crestliner with the options you want or don't want. Colors etc. Make it more personal.

[texoma]

Get the Ranger, $800 is nothing for being able to take the boat with you. I ordered my Lund and was told 6-8 weeks. They were ready to start on it after 5-6 weeks, then covid hit. It took 14-15 weeks for me to get it. Brunswick Corp owns Lund, Lowe, Crestliner, amongst others...Are they caught up yet?

Yes for the most part. The Brunswick Boat group did Furlough with pay. Not the layoffs that allowed the drawing of unemployment. This allowed them to bring back workers as demand grew. Lowe even has hired Tracker employees about 80 of them and increased pay. Brunswick is positioned pretty good for 2021 model year. Sorry about the delay on the Lund do to covid. Its something that would have just been expected during those early months of the pandemic.

Things could most certainly change going into the flu season. But you can bet Crestliner will work as long as the state will allow for production.

[Sodaksam]

I have a Crestliner 1850 Bass Hawk with a Merc 150 4S with pedestal seats —vs bench. Deep V, plenty of storage. I had a Fish Hawk before that I really liked. Worth a look. Might speedometer died otherwise it’s been great.

[Coastal Mountaineer]

Appreciate all the comments. The deciding factor for me was I located an in-stock 2020 Ranger VS1782 DC about 3 hours away. Checked it out and did the deal. Dealer had equipped it with everything I wanted, including the Mercury 150 Pro XS, Ultrex, extra seat, Ranger cover, aluminum wheels, and a few other goodies. All the welds looked great, fit and finish good, and, I'll admit, I loved the bling.

[MidwestBoater]

Looks great. Congrats.

Appreciate all the comments. The deciding factor for me was I located an in-stock 2020 Ranger VS1782 DC about 3 hours away. Checked it out and did the deal. Dealer had equipped it with everything I wanted, including the Mercury 150 Pro XS, Ultrex, extra seat, Ranger cover, aluminum wheels, and a few other goodies. All the welds looked great, fit and finish good, and, I'll admit, I loved the bling.

[madmurph]

Congrats on the new rig. Very nice.

[ourflat]

[kcinnick]

Congrats on the rig!

I have been looking at Tin Bay boats and I liked the Crestliner but when it comes down to the finishing touches other brands had higher quality hardware and a better console. Some you have to pay for the upgraded hardware, but some come with great hardware standard.

[grandbassslayer]

Appreciate all the comments. The deciding factor for me was I located an in-stock 2020 Ranger VS1782 DC about 3 hours away. Checked it out and did the deal. Dealer had equipped it with everything I wanted, including the Mercury 150 Pro XS, Ultrex, extra seat, Ranger cover, aluminum wheels, and a few other goodies. All the welds looked great, fit and finish good, and, I'll admit, I loved the bling.

Nice!