Go ask which is better in the Ranger forum and you'll hear everyone say Ranger. Ask the same question here and you will hear BassCat. Very few people are going to say "I spent $XX,XXX-$XXX,XXX on my boat, but I like another brand better!".
The man in the video above is Rick Pierce. Rick is the president of BassCat. His family started the company. You will often here Rick on podcasts discussing BassCat, the state of the industry, the Owners Invitational, other tournament trails, or just sharing stories. He's also been known to read and post here.
When you need a part, or an explanation of how something should work, you call the Arkansas phone number listed on BassCat's website. Someone will answer in 2-3 rings, and you'll ask for the parts department. Usually you'll be talking to Allen in less than a minute, and he's going to tell you exactly what you need to know. No waiting on hold, no being transferred to 100 people, no waiting a week for a call back.
I am not speaking badly of Ranger boats, but you will not get this level of service/communication/etc from White Water Marine (their parent company).
Let's forget the "big picture" stuff and talk about boats.
Things I like better about Ranger:
- the Ranger Ride system. I kind of like tech things and I like the Ranger Ride screen. It looks nicer than BassCat's control panel. It's powered by Lowrance, so it's probably going to be solid long term.
- the seats. I think the seats in the newer models look nicer than BassCat seats. Some people will say they don't like the plastic trim/back. We all have our own tastes.
- the big front deck of the 520
- better tool cutouts for pliers/etc than BassCat's foam slot thing
- passenger console - I think it has nicer trim and looks better than the BassCat passenger console
Things I like better about BassCat
- various models/layouts to choose from. Ranger basically gives you two options in the 20-21ft model - a 520 or 521. BassCat gives you Cougar, Puma STS, Eyra, Lynx, and Jaguar. (Caracal is real close to 20ft but I didn't include it because it only runs a 225). If you want the big front deck, the Puma STS may be perfect. If you want speed and handling, the Eyra may fit you best. There are choices!
- the Puma STS now offers a big front deck that is comparable to the Ranger 520.
- the trailer is as well-made as any manufacturer's - including the pole and steps.
- Latches are high quality and lids are snug/solid.
- Livewells are a better, deeper design in my opinion. It took me having fish flop out of a Phoenix livewell to truly understand/believe this.
- Very little, if any plastic trim used anywhere on the boat. Parts and materials are very high quality.
- Speed. A BassCat will run faster than a similarly sized Ranger.
- Carpet - if you go that route, BassCat uses a very high quality carpet in the boat.
- Reflex flooring - if you prefer it over carpet, it is an option in the entire boat and is nicer than the material in the Ranger cockpit.
- Storage under the seats - it sounds trivial, but it's a lot of extra space and I LOVE it.
- Puma STS has a better bow design for multiple graphs without the need for various after-market mounts
Everyone will chime in and say that BassCat's customer service is unrivaled. That seems to be the culture that Rick and his family have built. I'm not saying that to blow smoke up Rick's butt - I'm just giving everyone credit where its due. Besides having a top-quality boat, their customer service is one of the biggest reasons I ordered another BassCat.
Put the industry's best customer service along with one of the industry's best built boats - and the choice seems obvious - unless the visual appeal of the Ranger is your top priority. There are people who will argue that Ranger loses that battle also.