FISHING BOAT BUYERS GUIDE
SEE THE
VIDEOSPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.4 5.1 0.8 5.5 6.4 264.2 304.1 1 64
1500 5.6 6.5 1.9 3.0 3.4 141.8 163.2 2 69
2000 6.5 7.5 2.7 2.4 2.8 115.1 132.5 4 75
2500 8.0 9.2 3.5 2.3 2.6 109.0 125.4 7 83
3000 28.1 32.3 5.2 5.4 6.2 257.5 296.3 1 87
3500 33.9 39.0 7.3 4.6 5.3 221.4 254.8 0 92
4000 41.2 47.4 8.9 4.6 5.3 220.8 254.0 0 99
4500 47.4 54.5 12.8 3.7 4.3 176.5 203.1 0 94
5000 54.1 62.2 17.8 3.0 3.5 144.8 166.7 0 98
5500 62.9 72.4 21.4 2.9 3.4 140.2 161.4 0 101
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEEDHigh Points
XWide new console accommodates
Lowrance HDS Carbon 16-inch
display.
XNew seats are wider, deeper and
more comfortable for a more
secure ride at speed.
XPultruded transom panel is
custom-made and fi t in the factory
to enhance stability.Specs
· LOA: 20'9" · BEAM: 8'.5" · DRY
WEIGHT: 1,850 lb. (plus power)
· SEATING/WEIGHT CAPACITY:
2/1,650 lb. · FUEL CAPACITY: 53 gal.How We Tested
ENGINE: Evinrude G2 250 HSP
DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/Raker 26"
3-blade stainless steel
GEAR RATIO: 1.85:1
FUEL LOAD: 20 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 430 lb.
Price
$72,195 (as tested)RANGER
Z520L Comanche
The running surface of the Z520L
may never be tampered with, having been
proven by the top fi shermen in professional
circuits. It’s known to step on plane in a few
seconds and then to rise up on its pad — that
narrow, fl at-planing surface carved from
the last 4 feet of keel. At 70 mph, it nearly
fl oats there, gliding over ripples and wakes
in a ride enhanced by solid composite
construction and a foam-fi lled core.
Dual livewells have redundant fi ll and
aeration pumps. A built-in battery char-
ger’s 110-volt plug is easy to access at the
transom, as is a bilge ball-cock valve for
convenience and safety.
If Ranger Boats proved anything in
the Z520L Comanche, it’s that the com-
pany knows how to help serious fi shermen
have fun.For 50 years of boatbuilding, with many
of the designers, assembly workers and
engineers holding their posts for decades,
fostering the brand through its evolution
from stick-steered, low-horsepower boats
to sleek, fi nely crafted, race-ready per-
formance machines, Ranger
Boats continues to raise
fi shermen’s expectations in
a brand that has not yet hit
its zenith.
And so, this year of
Ranger’s Jubilee, the Z520L
Comanche, has new features
on board to celebrate that
commitment. First, in style,
Ranger has sculpted its iconic
metal-fl ake stripes into the
hull in a way that enhances
its beauty and accentuates
these style elements in a
bold new look. The builder
also widened the console toaccommodate the growing size of navi-
gation and sonar displays. Our test boat
framed a 16-inch display and left room for
engine gauges and Ranger’s watertight
touch-pad digital switching system in con-
venient reach. Newly designed bucket seats
off er more comfort and support than ever.
For fi shermen, the padded foredeck is
wider and its gunwales are tapered closer
to the rub rails, aff ording the toe kick to
remind a focused angler of the edge but
without robbing him of room to chase a
fi sh or tuck a lure up under some buck-
brush. Tool holders are placed to each side
of the step to the deck, in easy reach but
tucked below the 72 mph wind stream this
rig can generate.PHOTOS: COURTESY RANGER BOATSRANGER BOATS
Flippin, Arkansas; 870-453-2222; rangerboats.comTo watch our
video review
of the Z520L
Comanche, scan
this tag or visit
boatingmag.com/
bbg18/ranger
z520lcomanche.
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CERTIFIED
TEST
RESULTSBOAT BUYERS GUIDE 2018 | 150 | BOATINGMAG.COM