[Stevefo]

OK, I've got the Malibu bug. I'm new to the site ( just got login name fixed! ) I've been behind an I/O my whole life, but after oogling the Malibus at the boat show for the last three or four years, I finally took an 08 for a test drive from the local dealer, and I'm hooked. Problem is I can't justify the price of a new one - even with the deal I could get on that '08. So I've been trolling for 06's and 07's with low hours in my price range, and found two. My problem is I can't decide. I don't know the intimate details of the differences between the two model years, and the options they have, so I need some help. I've been lurking here for a while looking for info, but some of it seems a bit dated.

Here's the 06:
2006 Malibu 23 LSV with 8.1Liter 450hp engine; 120 hours, 55 gallon fuel tank, Power Wedge, Stainless down turn pipes, Docking Lights, Tower lights, 4 Pop-up Cleats, 2 outlet heater, Flip-up Driver Seat, Malibu Speed Control, Depth Finder, Ballast Gauges with 1250lbs of ballast, Air/Water Temp Gauges, Retractable Ski Pylon, Bimini Top, 7 skylon tower speakers, 2 board racks and one surf rack. T/A Extreme trailer with aluminum wheels and LED lighting, 3 Rockford Phosgate amps, Two- 12" Rockford Phosgate subs, 3 marine batteries, and an upgraded 200 amp alternator.


Here's the 07:
2007 Malibu 23 LSV, Hammerhead engine, less than 50 hours, power wedge, docking lights, 2 outlet heater, shower, full MLS ballast, depth finder, Sony Explode system with 4 tower speakers, 8 cabin speakers, rear lounge remote, dual batteries, fiberglass swim step, 2 board racks, Bimini, T/A Extreme trailer.



Here's my quandry:

- the 06 is immaculate, but the stereo is overkill for me ( Ok, I"m just past 40 http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Lame.gif )
- I'm a bit scared of the 8.1 - that's a lot of engine in a little space, and it'll eat more gas
- I really like a few of the "little" features of the 07
- over-engine trays
- bigger glovebox
- welded stainless wedge
but the '07 wasn't near as well cared for. Carpet was wet, half-empty and spilled drinks still in the cooler from the summer,
damp gear in the trunks, small stain on the rear deck vinyl.
- The owners of the 07 were chain smokers, and I'm NOT - couldn't tell if it was embedded in the interior, though, because
smoke was all around me as I was looking at it
- My wife really clicked with the owner of the 06...
- how much damage could anyone really do with just some smoking and damp gear - it only have less than 50 hours!!
- what's the deal with the Hammerhead sucking down oil?

Two other general concerns
- I'm 6'1, and the Illusion towers on both of these are at 6" clearance. I thought the '08 I had clearance ( I thought ) - did they
raise it, or was I just imagining it?
- I still waterski - not on a course, or on a short rope, but I still love the thrill of a good cut. After spending my life behind
I/O boats, I'm betting the wakesetter would still be better than my Maxum, but I'm looking for some assurance that it's
not a huge wall at 32mph.

Since it's still cold up North here, I haven't taken either on the water, should I drive both?
Any insight on the questions I've posed here would be great!

Thanks,

Steve

This post has been edited by Stevefo: February 23, 2009 - 09:37 AM

[zzbutler]

I dont think you would notice the gas consumption difference on the 8.1. However, it is a couple hundred lbs heavier and could make a tiny difference in the size of your slalom wake.

Do they both have power wedge?

You will get used to the tower clearance. (this coming from someone 5'8")

Price difference?

Drive the one you think you want to buy.

[MalibuTime]

Welcolm to TMC, here is my free advice!

Bag the '07 and get the '06. Buying boat that was well taken care of is #1 when buying used, plus if you bought the '07 you'd probably be sitting in it realizing that the stench of cigarette smoke can never be eliminated, and you'll feeling like you are boating in an ash tray.

Edit - the only way you will be pleased with the wake and try it. A 23' is going to still put off a pretty large wake, you may want to consider dropping down to a VLX with a diamond hull, or if you are really serious about skiing a VTX (note, the really serious skiers use a V-Drive http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Yes.gif

This post has been edited by TheBlackPearl: February 20, 2009 - 10:51 PM

[MalibuNation]

Price will help us a lot.

Do you and your family plan on wakeboarding?

It take it those are dual axle trailers?

Sorry to hear someone would treat the one Bu so poorly.

This post has been edited by MalibuNation: February 21, 2009 - 03:06 AM

[skier92]

If there's any way to ski behind the boat prior to buying (including pruchasing a drysuit if that makes it possible) do so. As previously asked, what do you want to do behind the boat?

[Cervelo]

if the '07 is a great deal then have the boat inspected at the dealership (they should be able to tell you if the break in procedures were followed on the engine and if not, whether that would affect the warranty), it should have transferable warranty (the '06 might not have any warranty left) the smoking bothers me, i would be getting down and smelling the carpet if i was seriously considering it, if the smoke is in the carpet you will never truly get it out. And really, that your wife liked the sales guy, should not be a consideration, is that how women buy cars? At less than 50 hours i would not be concerned about the small cosmetic problems you found, if the guy had a brain, you would never have seen the wet gear or partial drinks, look at the boat as if you spent a couple of hours cleaning it up.

This post has been edited by Cervelo: February 21, 2009 - 06:49 AM

[cmorgani]

Hey Steve-

I have an '06 23 LSV with the Hammerhead 383 versus the 8.1...I would not worry to much about he gas consumption between the 2 as it will be slightly more then the Hammerhead but then again it is a boat and they love to drink... The trick is not to hammer it everywhere you go in WOT.

I ski as do a few of my friends behind our Bu as well as board of course. The wake is not like that of a direct drive by any means, but of the numerous 23's I tested, it was one of the nicest all around wakes to do both. As pointed out, the 8.1 is a little heavier then the Hammerhead, but you can compensate by moving people around in the boat, making sure the wedge is up and tanks are empty.

I have not had any major issues with my '06 and love it as much as I did when I bought new 3 years ago. There is something to be said for how someone takes care of their boat as well. There may be 50 hours on the '07 your looking at but I would be concerned how they broke it in, drove it and maintained it if they treated as you describe poorly...

My 2 cents...throw up a pic with what you decide to go with.

- Chris

[hattric73]

I agree that the big boats might not be the best choice for skiing...We have a VTX and it is very nice to ski behind...

Also, I would go with the 06 that has been taken care of...If they are trying to sell something that is gross, can you imagine the things that you can not see...I would guess they are as bad or worse than the things that you can see!

Either way, good luck!!!

[Stevefo]

Thanks all for your comments - I'll try to answer the questions in order

- both have the power wedge ( a key to me, since we'll be switching between boarding, skiing, tubing depending on
who we have in the boat ) Is there a difference in the # of settings in the 06 wedge vs. the 07?

- the 07 is listed at $2k more than the 06 but I think both are a little flexible on price

- I've had a tough time with the 21 vs 23 decision, but when we go out, we almost ALWAYS take another family/friends with
us, which means 8 to 9 people ( 4 adults ). My 21 Maxum gets pretty crowded, and with the rear sun deck on the V-drive, I
think the cockpit space on the 21 is smaller than my current boat. I'd afraid the 21 would be too cramped the way we use our
boat.

- We do wakeboarding, skiing, and tubing now. I'm just getting W2W now, so I'm still in the beginner stages, and my son
just got up and across the wake on his board this summer - he was on 2 skis or the tubes before that. My wife probably
prefers to slalom but she's on the wakeboard at least as much. Friends coming on are a mixed bag of all three.

- both have Extreme DA trailers ( the 07 has the spare mounted up on the frame )

Sounds like most of you are leaning towards the 06, but I really seem to be leaning to the 07. But the smoking thing
and the care of the boat is the only thing holding me back. Any other differences between the 06 and 07
that you know about? ( hull shape, electronics, etc )?

Thanks!

[DONTW8]

As my late father always said " There is no substitute for cubic inches".
Boats use too much gas relative to cars. It costs a ton of dough to use them. It costs even more to buy a boat and not use it on a per hour basis. All of us on this site have chosen to burn expensive gas to pursue our passion. You already have a boat so you already know how much you will use it.
I would buy the 8.1 power. If I found it used too much fuel I could consider going to a prop that had a HIGHER pitch to get better fuel mileage. There are plenty of discussions by the folks with the 5.7 litre motor to go to a LOWER pitch prop to increase hole shot. You should be able to find a used higher pitch prop quite easily from someone with a 5.7 engine.
Further, because you live 8 miles from the Mighty Columbia River you could switch to the higher pitch prop the once or twice a year you decide to take your family cruising. I love to cruise the Willamette and the Columbia and tow my boat up there every other year just to do that.
The 8.1 has a much more powerful sound than the small block. Plus the "grin factor" will make you want to get an extra day on the water each year.
To quote a famous movie: " I feel the need for speed". Just feature youself going down the river "like your hair was on fire".
The 8.1 will give you that. http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Yahoo.gif

[Badger]

I can't stand smoke smell either, but I wonder how much you'd really notice it after the boat was cleaned up and some Febreeze was applied to the carpeted surfaces.

[bigD]

Based on your description, I would choose the 06.

[Pistol Pete]

bigD, on Feb 21 2009, 09:59 AM, said:

Based on your description, I would choose the 06.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Plus1.gif

[Sixball]

If its second hand I want the feeling its been taken care of. If you are to lazy to get a boat ready to show for resale I would wonder how well it has been kept. Ridden hard and put away wet!!!! (JMHO)

[ed obermeier]

Sixball, on Feb 21 2009, 01:09 PM, said:

If its second hand I want the feeling its been taken care of. If you are to lazy to get a boat ready to show for resale I would wonder how well it has been kept. Ridden hard and put away wet!!!! (JMHO)

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Plus1.gif Which may or may not turn out to be a big deal. How much money we gamblin' with here? Gotta go with Sixball on that one.

Ed

[Cervelo]

choose the '07. you cannot tell how well a boat has been taken care of just because one guy detailed the heck out of his boat before selling and the other guy is showing how the boat really is (we are talking 50 hours on the boat).
I have seen cars before detailing that you would never consider buying and then after detailing you think "wow, nice car". The cleanliness at sale time does not mean a thing, the detailed boat could be the most abused. Maybe the smokers took better care than the non smokers as there were not any burn holes, that shows some care.
The '07 for 2k more with warranty and the improvements made to the '07, not to mention the upgraded trailer and resale value, it is a no brainer, 2007 all the way.

[Ronnie]

Cervelo, on Feb 21 2009, 02:22 PM, said:

choose the '07. you cannot tell how well a boat has been taken care of just because one guy detailed the heck out of his boat before selling and the other guy is showing how the boat really is (we are talking 50 hours on the boat).
I have seen cars before detailing that you would never consider buying and then after detailing you think "wow, nice car". The cleanliness at sale time does not mean a thing, the detailed boat could be the most abused. Maybe the smokers took better care than the non smokers as there were not any burn holes, that shows some care.
The '07 for 2k more with warranty and the improvements made to the '07, not to mention the upgraded trailer and resale value, it is a no brainer, 2007 all the way.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Plus1.gif

[Monk]

Cervelo, on Feb 21 2009, 03:22 PM, said:

choose the '07. you cannot tell how well a boat has been taken care of just because one guy detailed the heck out of his boat before selling and the other guy is showing how the boat really is (we are talking 50 hours on the boat).
I have seen cars before detailing that you would never consider buying and then after detailing you think "wow, nice car". The cleanliness at sale time does not mean a thing, the detailed boat could be the most abused. Maybe the smokers took better care than the non smokers as there were not any burn holes, that shows some care.
The '07 for 2k more with warranty and the improvements made to the '07, not to mention the upgraded trailer and resale value, it is a no brainer, 2007 all the way.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Plus1.gif My feeling has alway been if you do not have the time to clean up an item you are selling, you will incur a price reduction. I always like to find something someone else has not taken care of. Most of the time all it takes is my time and effort, a little cash and I end up with a better car, home or boat for less dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bs001]

I'd go with the 07. 50 hours is nothing. They would have had to try really, really hard to trash the boat in that time-frame. Besides, it seems like the 06 has a ton of stereo equipment that you don't want/need. If you're not using that stuff, it just gets in the way. I would make sure that the seller knows you have options, though. Try to get a better price (obviously) if you can. Use the condition of the boat as leverage. Good luck and be sure to let us know what you decide. See ya on the river.........

[MalibuTime]

Cervelo, on Feb 21 2009, 12:22 PM, said:

choose the '07. you cannot tell how well a boat has been taken care of just because one guy detailed the heck out of his boat before selling and the other guy is showing how the boat really is (we are talking 50 hours on the boat).
I have seen cars before detailing that you would never consider buying and then after detailing you think "wow, nice car". The cleanliness at sale time does not mean a thing, the detailed boat could be the most abused. Maybe the smokers took better care than the non smokers as there were not any burn holes, that shows some care.
The '07 for 2k more with warranty and the improvements made to the '07, not to mention the upgraded trailer and resale value, it is a no brainer, 2007 all the way.

The trashed state of the boat aside, my point is no matter what, you will at times get the ashtray smell if you have any sort of sensitivity of smell. You can clean, try to cover it, mask it whatever, but guarenteed you'll be sitting there one day and get that stench. If you're set on an '07, find another one that is cleaner. .02 delivered. (earlier advice was FREE!) http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/Biggrin.gif