I'd appreciate any opinions about Sage Xi 2 and Xi 3 rods....and any others

My son has recently borrowed a Xi 2 and compared to an older Sage that I was using there was a significant difference. He's ready to commit to something but I think price is an issue. The 2's are going for about half price on ebay.

We'd be interested in the comparison and any other opinions.

We're talking steelhead and salmon here...rivers....personally I'd probably prefer a 10 footer for the mending advantage.....