Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

VLX vs. VTX


PilotDBJ

Recommended Posts

Hey guys - Old guy in the market for a new boat. The last time I bought a Malibu they only made one model. Can anybody give me a clear idea of the difference between the VLX and the VTX. All I can tell is one foot and few dollars. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Link to comment

Actually it's 18" (20' vx. 21.5'), FWIW. What you need to ask yourself is how many people you usually take with you for the day. If your total crew (including you) is no more than 4-5, the VTX would work fine. If any more than that, the VLX will be more comfortable. All of that 18" difference is in the cabin, & the VTX gets pretty tight beyond 4-5 people.

Link to comment

I think the actual difference is 1.5 feet. VLX offers more room, but the VTX has a better crossover potential with its slalom wake which I believe is AWSA certified. What do you want to do with the boat ie, slalom, surfing, wakeboarding, etc. The VTX isn't going to be the towboat for any wakeboarding tournaments any time soon, it's more for crossover and small lakes with a 20' maximum boating rule.

Link to comment

I think the actual difference is 1.5 feet. VLX offers more room, but the VTX has a better crossover potential with its slalom wake which I believe is AWSA certified. What do you want to do with the boat ie, slalom, surfing, wakeboarding, etc. The VTX isn't going to be the towboat for any wakeboarding tournaments any time soon, it's more for crossover and small lakes with a 20' maximum boating rule.

The VTX in stock form, no. It comes on the wake hull. If you get the diamond hull option, that's a different story.

Link to comment

The VTX in stock form, no. It comes on the wake hull. If you get the diamond hull option, that's a different story.

Yes, thanks for clarifying that. As I was typing my response I was wondering what the main reason for the VTX was. It seems to me that it is for is crossover potential. Is that accurate or is there really that big of a demand for a 20 foot wakeboat? I know there are a lot out there who probably don't ski behind them.

Link to comment

Yes, thanks for clarifying that. As I was typing my response I was wondering what the main reason for the VTX was. It seems to me that it is for is crossover potential. Is that accurate or is there really that big of a demand for a 20 foot wakeboat? I know there are a lot out there who probably don't ski behind them.

It fits in more garages, I think was the #1 driver.

Another is that many peope want a V-drive that doesn't have ski wake like, well, like a VLX!

I think most people on TMC ski behind their VTX.

Link to comment

I think the actual difference is 1.5 feet. VLX offers more room, but the VTX has a better crossover potential with its slalom wake which I believe is AWSA certified. What do you want to do with the boat ie, slalom, surfing, wakeboarding, etc. The VTX isn't going to be the towboat for any wakeboarding tournaments any time soon, it's more for crossover and small lakes with a 20' maximum boating rule.

i think the actual, actual difference is 45.72 cm :^)

I agree that what you want to do with the boat is the bottom line. If slalom skiing, then the vtx...if surfing, i have to believe the vlx will better suit your needs.

Link to comment

There are more than a few lakes out there that have a 20' length restriction. This would give people that want a vdrive on those lakes their vdrive. That was also a driving factor for the development of the RFXi.

Not sure if this would be a factor...but what about resale, Would A VLX be more popular and have a better resale value?

Link to comment

There are more than a few lakes out there that have a 20' length restriction. This would give people that want a vdrive on those lakes their vdrive. That was also a driving factor for the development of the RFXi.

What is that???

Link to comment

I've been behind both these three boats quite a bit. Here's my opinion for what its worth.

VTX with Diamond Hull

Sunscape (same boat as VLX) with Diamond Hull which would be like a VLX with a Diamond Hull.

VLX with Wake Hull

Size:

The VLX is a noticably bigger boat. We carry a pretty big load at times, 8+, in our VTX, and its fine for us, but there is definately a difference in room to the VLX.

Ski:

The VTX with the diamond is a GREAT ski boat. The VLX with a diamond would be a good choice as well if you can find one. The Sunscape skiied well with the diamond, not quite the VTX, but close. The VLX with the wake hull is for very recreational skiing only. Pretty big bump.

Wake:

VLX with the wake hull is the winner here. Its a really nice wakeboard boat equipped with ballast and wedge. The VTX is good too, we have been very pleased with ours, it has all the bags and wedge. The VLX with the wake hull is good here as well, you'd have to be pretty advanced to tell the difference in wakes on a diamond vs wake hull VLX IMO.

Surf:

Size wins here, VLX is tops. The VTX needs a load to be a good surf boat.

Other:

We tow and store and VTX and the size is a huge advantage. Its a really easy boat to tow, back and store in a garage. The VLX is much bigger on a trailer and needs more tow vehicle.

We went VTX because we needed a "do everything" boat that we could tow and store easily. If towing wasn't a consideration, I would probably go VLX with diamond for the extra space. If I didn't ski at all, I'd do VLX with wake because its a better surf and wake boat. Maybe that helps.

Link to comment

I love our VTX. We boat on a restricted lake, so size was a driving factor. I like to board, so the Vdrive was what I wanted. It is also a nicer boat for just hanging with a crowd, compared to a direct drive. We've had about 6 on the boat at a time and it is comfortable for that. plenty of storage.

Link to comment

Not sure if this would be a factor...but what about resale, Would A VLX be more popular and have a better resale value?

I doubt that it has any factor at all in that. HVLXs are much, much easier to find on the used market. VTXs, not so much. Simple supply vs. demand.

Link to comment

We got our VTX (with Wake Hull) this spring and we are really happy with it. Unfortunately i cannot compare with the VLX...

Wakeboarding for intermediate level riders works perfectly fine with center ballast, wedge and 4 persons in the boat!

For wakesurfing you really need to add some ballast, at least center and port/steerboard tanks and at least 4 persons!

We never did skiing behind the boat so i cannot judge the ski characteristics of the VTX.

We live in Switzerland and store the boat at home. The VTX is the perfect size to tow and store. I would buy exactly the

same boat again... big value for money...

:rockon:

cheers

Link to comment

I just have to say that with our '07 VLX we have been able to do everything. We are not about to ski through a slalom course with it but we have been able to ski behind it and still have plenty of fun. Besides, if you want to hit the course, it's much easier to find someone with a nice ski boat to run the course with than it is someone to board or surf with.

Link to comment

I can't imagine skiing behind a wake hull VLX with any kind of crowd and any kind of speed across the wake. Its a pretty good bump back there. When we looked at wake hull VLX's and took em out I thought I would end up giving up skiing if i had to bounce around back there. For really recreational skiing its ok, but if you're hitting the wake with any kind of speed, watch out. Or maybe if you always had a light boat it might be ok... I don't know, I just can't imagine skiing reguarly behind one, maybe I'm spoiled coming from direct drives to a VTX Diamond.

Link to comment
  • 10 years later...

Can anyone help me with this, I love to ski, I surf as well but not great at it. My kids love to surf and wakeboard. We have a 08 Vtx and want to upgrade to a boat with surfgates. Our kids are getting bigger, would love more space but don’t want to give up my ski wake. We are looking at a 2016  22 Malibu VLX diamond hull. Do you think I’ll be disappointed?

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...