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Used boat comparison (older 23-footers)


thoekstr

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I am hoping to tap the knowledge on this site to assist me as I make a decision on a boat purchase.

Realizing that this is the MALIBU crew, I'm expecting a bias toward the the 'bu, but I'd appreciate any other constructive input that could be shared.

I can get these boats for basically the same price. The boat is mainly going to be a family machine doing some surfing, wakeboarding, and skiing all at a recreational level. (my slalom ability is limited to running the course at 15off @ 32mph)

Our lake (Minnetonka) can get pretty choppy on the weekends, so I'm also wondering how these boats would compare in the rough stuff.

None of these boats have a tower.

The three boats in question are the following:

2001 Malibu Sunscape 23LSV w/ Monsoon 325hp, 440 hours, no ballast, no wedge.

2001 Tige 23V w/ Mercruiser 315MPI, 120 hours, no ballast, TAPS

2004 Mastercraft Maristar 230VRS w/ MCX 350hp, 350 hours, factory ballast (don't know how much#)

Any constructive commentary would be great!

Edited by thoekstr
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I'm sure you'll get plenty of honest input but, you may want to do a "full edit" and change the title of the thread to used boat comparo. When I read "used V-drive" it made me think you're looking to buy just a used V-drive unit itself. That's the only reason I clicked on it, I don't get involved in discussing other brands of boats. (because Malibus are the best :innocent:)

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The three boats in question are the following:

2001 Malibu Sunscape 23LSV w/ Monsoon 325hp, 440 hours, no ballast, no wedge.

2001 Tige 23V w/ Mercruiser 315MPI, 120 hours, no ballast, TAPS

2004 Mastercraft Maristar 230VRS w/ MCX 350hp, 350 hours, factory ballast (don't know how much#)

Any constructive commentary would be great!

First off, I guess that I'm a bit surprised that a 2001 Tige and a 2001 Malibu would be in the same

price range. I'm even more surprised that a 2004 Mastercraft would be in that same price range.

A friend of mine actually had a 2001 23 Sunscape. I skied behind it, drove it, and watched his

kids wakeboard behind it. He loved that boat. So did I. Great family boat. The experience

I had with that boat was instrumental in my decision, several years later, to buy my own Sunscape.

If I were looking, and my choices were limited to these three, I'd certainly want to at least see,

and, hopefully, test-drive the Malibu to get a feel for how well it has been maintained.

It is my impression that Tige boats have a heavier hull construction. The down side to a heavier

boat is a more-compromised slalom wake, but I would guess that it would handle mid-afternoon chop

a little better. I would be reluctant, however, to purchase a 9 to 10 year old boat with only

120 hours on it! Makes me think that it spent several years, probably most, just sitting in some

driveway. People tend to ignore maintenance on boats that just sit. Gas goes bad. Oil doesn't get

changed. Impellers dry rot and then fail when the boat is eventually started up some spring or

summer day, leading to an overheat. Gel coat doesn't get regularly waxed. Upholstery gets

ignored. And so on. Plus, to be honest, I just don't think that the fit and finish of Tige

boats quite measures up with that of Malibu or Mastercraft.

The Mastercraft might be a better choice. It's a newer boat. It's been used a bit more, maybe even

annually. If it looks well-taken-care-of and has maintenance records, it'd definitely be worth a test

drive, at least to me. I've never skied behind a Mastercraft v-drive, though, so I can't comment

further. But, they are nice boats.

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The above comments are good. The slalom wake behind that boat will be pretty bad, especially if you are skiing at slower speeds (<30mph). The quality of the boat should be excellent and I would have no problems buying a 9-10 year old boat with 120 hours on it. The low hours doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't maintained, but I would want to see the maintenance records before buying.

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I think if you drive both the Malibu and the Maristar you will like the Bu way better. I would not get the Tige solely on my friend's opinion of them after looking at lots of used boats, which is they don't hold up as well. That is 2nd hand, so take it for what it is worth. I also have another friend with a 21' Maristar (maybe an 03) and it is a nice boat, but I think the Bu will handle better, but you need to test drive and see for yourself if this is so.

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I have ridden behind a Tige21v. I know its not the 23 so take this for what its worth. Honestly, I was no impressed with how it handled rough water and as far as wakeboard wake, I wasnt really impressed as well. The wakeboard wake was very flat and didnt seem to have a peak, more of just a speed bump feel to it. His had alot of issues with it though and it seemed he was always working on one thing or another. The last time I talked to him, he put in some fat sacs in the rear and it helped the wake but it couldnt ever get planed in under a minute. The interior didnt really feel even as plush as my old I/O. I know that we ran 2000lbs in my I/O and he was running between 1100-1400 and he was having issues with it. May have just been a beat engine since he bought the boat in rough shape, but it didnt ride smooth in chop. Never surfed behind it so I cant talk on that part. As far as the Mastercraft I don't have any input as well. I would think if you put some bags in the Bu it would shape up pretty well. Sorry, all I could provide was the Tige aspect and I guess it really didnt count since it was a 21v... :unsure:

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