Sapele is "comparable" to Mahogany. If you made 5 Mahogany D-15's and 5 Sapele D-15's, I would argue some of the Mahogany guitars would be better than some of the Sapeles, and vice versa.
That's why to me, auditions are critical. Regardless of price point, some guitars are better than others. Tone woods tell you what a guitar is made out of, not how good the entire package came together, and whether the guitar is average, not so much, or special.
Cherry picking let's you "know"........
. Not always easy or practical, but IMO worth the effort, even if it means a road trip!