Sea Ray 175 vs 180 Bow Rider

The Sea Ray 180 Bow Rider asks $500 more at the median ($6,000 against $5,500), measured across 45 listings we track. Below is every difference we can evidence, and the ones we cannot.

Side by side

Sea Ray 175 Sea Ray 180 Bow Rider
Median asking priceLower is cheaper to buy, not necessarily better value. $5,500 $6,000
Typical low (25th pct) $5,000 $5,500
Typical high (75th pct) $8,000 $7,000
Length (median listed) 17.5 ft 19.0 ft
Listings we trackMore listings means an easier boat to find and to resell. 24 21
States with listings 14 12
Engines we see most MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L) MerCruiser sterndrive (gas, 4.5L–6.2L), Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400)
Known problems on file 0 0
Federal recall campaigns (builder) 34 34
Model years traded 1995–2007 1989–2005
45 distinct boats across both models Updated October 11, 2026

Method: Both columns come from the same pipeline on the same day, so the comparison is like-for-like. Asking prices, de-duplicated, quartiles rounded to $500.

Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · USCG / CPSC recall records

Which one suits which buyer

Take the Sea Ray 175 if…

  • Budget is the binding constraint: it asks $500 less at the median.
  • You want choice: we track 24 of these against 21, so you can afford to walk away from a bad one.
  • You would rather not travel: listings in 14 states against 12.

Take the Sea Ray 180 Bow Rider if…

  • You want the bigger boat: 19.0 ft against 17.5 ft.

Every line above is derived from a number in the table, not from an opinion about the brands. What we cannot tell you from listing data is how they ride, how they are built, or which dealer network is better near you — so we do not pretend to.

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