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Comparing Malibu, Nautique and Mastercraft


elkfever

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I would like unbiased opinions on the following boats. Fell for the Sunsetter lxi early, but finding one is not easy, especially at this time of year. But, who is to say that I would find a quality one in the spring. Needs - Must have an open bow since I have three little ones. My seven and five year old can already ski and my 3 old will be skiing next summer. We are on a large inland lake that gets rough during the day but we do have two ski courses on it which will be used in morning and evening. My wife and I slalom (free and course) and have tinkered with wakeboarding. We will go for rides during the day but also have a pontoon for cruising if it gets very rough.

Boats -

1 - 1999 Sunsetter lxi with 400 hours and tower. 3 owners. Ugly color - green and pink. Monsoon EFI engine. Replaced the gas filter because it was bogging down at times. New stereo. Average condtion . NO perfect pass or wedge. asking $19,000.

2 - 2004 MC Prostar 197 with 400 hours with tower, boom, barefoot chair, clarion 6 speaker stero, perfect pass, excellent condition, MCX 350 engine, 1 owner and all maintenance done at local MC dealer which would be 10 miles from our place. Super anal retentive owner. Asking $29,000.

3 - 2004 Nautique 206 Limited with 200 hours. Excellent condition with bimini top and perfect pass. 1 owner - asking $30,000.

What are your thoughts about these boats for a family on a large wake that will be primarily skiing while learning wake boarding?????????

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I have a Malibu but I'd like to think I'm pretty unbiased. I looked across all the brands when I was shopping, and down the road if I'm ever shopping again I'll still look across them all for the best fit. I have a friends who have a a 197 & 206.

If a 197 & 206 are in your list, don't rule out a Response LXi too. My LXi has more room than a 197 and also feels bigger than my friend's 206. It will be smaller than the Sunsetter, but still at least as big as the other two. Size wise they're all "small" as direct drive ski boats tend to be but mine feels the roomiest. My bow is the biggest I think but might be the shallowest. For smaller kids sometimes I feel they really need to be facing forward so they're in the deeper section of the bow, or if we're under way just in the main cabin and use the bow for lounging around.

From a ski wake perspective, I haven't been behind a sunsetter but I don't think you'll find many bad descriptions of it. I ski at 15 off and in the course, 28-30 mph so far. I prefer my LXi, but my friend's 197 seems just as fine for me. Another friend has a 206 and honestly the bump there is quite a bit bigger as well as harder. I'm sure there are people out there who love their 206's and I could probably get used to it, but I'd rather have something else for kids or wives who may not be all that into it and just want to enjoy a nice ride.

If you think you or the kids are going to be boarding, initially it probably won't matter but as they get a bit better the versatility of the wedge on the Bu's is also a nice to have. You can drop that for boarding and pick it up for skiing without having to mess with ballast for a good while or ever depending on how into it they are.

That being said, I'd be pretty happy with a 197 I think, especially if I already saw it and was happy with it. There's a lot to be said for having a good dealer close by and having a good relationship with them. Of the three boats you listed I'd think that 197 is a pretty clear winner if you're happy with it.

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I think they are all three totally different boat but the MC and Nautique lines are similar in features. I prefer the Classic seating style of the Malibu's - complete unobstructed wrap around seating.

I will most likely always own Malibu and part of that is b/c of the Malibu dealer that I deal with - we actually find ourselves just going over the the dealership to stop by and say hi!. We even took out 4 week old son over there yesterday....it is like being part of a large family.

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1 - 1999 Sunsetter lxi with 400 hours and tower. 3 owners. Ugly color - green and pink. Monsoon EFI engine. Replaced the gas filter because it was bogging down at times. New stereo. Average condition . NO perfect pass or wedge. asking $19,000.

PP is easy to retro fit but an ugly color is something you have to live with, pass.

2 - 2004 MC Prostar 197 with 400 hours with tower, boom, barefoot chair, clarion 6 speaker stereo, perfect pass, excellent condition, MCX 350 engine, 1 owner and all maintenance done at local MC dealer which would be 10 miles from our place. Super anal retentive owner. Asking $29,000.

Nice boat but if it was used as a barefoot boat, then all those hours are at the top of the RPM range, not sure that's a good thing.

3 - 2004 Nautique 206 Limited with 200 hours. Excellent condition with bimini top and perfect pass. 1 owner - asking $30,000.

Ski it before you buy it, I personally don't like the 206 wake for slalom. For that money, it better have a tower.

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IMO. Im a newly converted malibu owner. But I've always been a fan of correct craft. They've never designed a bad hull or boat in general. But im also a wakeboarder and have no idea about anything in the skiing community so i doubt my opinion helps at all just thought is throw in my 2 cents.

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Check out the Response line. I slalom ski and can wakeboard, but use that only when the lake is rough. Wake on the TXi is the best I have ever been behind (Nautique, Supra, MC, Chapparal, Tahoe, and Glastron- been boating a long time with lots of family/friends...). My wife just learned to slalom this year and she too likes the wake. Tower and wedge are a must. They allow us to W/B with reasonable wake, although nothing fancy like a Wakesetter. We also like to start new skiers on the tower to help get them out of the water a bit faster.

We have had 4 adults and 4 kids on the boat comfortably. Zero off is a favorite of the wife. She loves being able to focus on the lake and other boats, not the speed and gauges. Highly recommend that or a similar option.

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Sounds like all three of those are priced about right, and probably in fine condition for their age. If price doesn't matter I think I would get one of the two newer boats over the older 'Bu, but if $10K makes a difference (as it does to most people) I think I would take the 'Bu and add a perfect pass and clean up a few things. Can't change that color though. To be honest, I'd look for a similar vintage 'Bu within that same price range, but with the colors that you want.....

Good luck!

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I may get kicked off the island for this but Malibu has the Diamond Hull. So I would consider a Vdrive with the diamond hull. Twice the room kids are little they may want to wakeboard and surf later. Many people have said the Vdrive with the diamond hull is good for skiing and slaloming. Not great but good. I do both with out the diamond and I'm ok with it don't get me wrong it's not a DD but I would at least try it before I say no the room would be nice for the kids. I had a 91 Sport Nautique DD open bow and my friend had a VLX when I had the kids in his boat it was a must for me. Sold the Nautique the next year. I loved the Nautique besides that and it road bad real bad in rough water. I think the Mastercraft is a little smaller in the inside at least it fills the way. No matter what stay with the Diamond hull and you can't go wrong. You can see all the Malibu boats with the Diamond hull by looking under the resources tab up top and then go to specs. Look up Diamond under search and you will find many topics on this subject. I think with the diamond you have to be going like 28 to 32mph for it to really clean up. Just my 2 cent. Hope, I don't get kicked off the island. LOL

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I think you are comparing apples and oranges. Neither the 197 nor the 206 is going to perform as a family boat as well as the SLXi. The RLXi is more of an apples to apples to the 197 and 206. My first boat was an SLXi and I occasionally miss the extra room. The slower speed wake on that boat was better than the 197. I've never skied a 206, so I can't comment on that boat. In my opinion, the SLXi is the best family ski boat ever (only on SV23 Diamond, so pre-2005).

Edited by billb
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The 206 and 197 slalom wakes at slower speed, <34mph are a lot more harsh at lengths longer than 32 off. For future growth, I would stick to your guns and find that SSLxi, or find a RLXi. The Malibu's seem to provide the most versatility of the the three brands while doing a great job of slalom skiing and then wakeboarding. they also use the least amount of gas. All three brands will hold up well if cared for and maintained. I think the 197 and 206 sound overpriced and I've never priced a SSlxi.

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I think you are comparing apples and oranges. Neither the 197 nor the 206 is going to perform as a family boat as well as the SLXi. The RLXi is more of an apples to apples to the 197 and 206. My first boat was an SLXi and I occasionally miss the extra room. The slower speed wake on that boat was better than the 197. I've never skied a 206, so I can't comment on that boat. In my opinion, the SLXi is the best family ski boat ever.

I would agree with this. I have skied quite a bit behind the 206 and liked it a lot. It is a bigger boat and so the wake is going to be bigger, but still very good. It has quite a bit of room in it. It can also be weighted for boarding and even surfing. The SSLxi is going to have more storage space and a deeper bow seating area, which might be important when it comes to having kids on board.

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Being I own a 99 Sunsetter I am partial to that boat. The one you are looking at has 2 major strikes against it:

1- the color is horrible!

2- without the wedge you'll never have a wake anywhere near what you need for wake boarding.

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Since you are the owner of a 99 Sunsetter then maybe you can answer another issue. I have heard that the Monsoon from these years (1999-2004) had some issues with fuel pumps, caps, and other efi problems. What is the general diagnosis on these and what is the cost to get these fixed? Would hate to find a boat I like and then have it bog down on me and have to drop another couple grand. Any help or direction would be appreicated.

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I've had monsoons from 98, 99, 00, 01 and 04 (just from the era you're asking about). Not one has had an issue, ever. If a fuel pump goes bad on a boat, it is almost assured that the pump ran out of gas which is the number one fuel pump killer on a boat and has nothing to do with the engine its mounted on.

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Since you are the owner of a 99 Sunsetter then maybe you can answer another issue. I have heard that the Monsoon from these years (1999-2004) had some issues with fuel pumps, caps, and other efi problems. What is the general diagnosis on these and what is the cost to get these fixed? Would hate to find a boat I like and then have it bog down on me and have to drop another couple grand. Any help or direction would be appreicated.

The fuel issues that some of us has had would be a surge issue. If you gave that issue there are easy fairly reasonable fixes, not thousands of dollars. First you check the fuel pressure with a gauge to see what direction to go with a fix.

Fixes:

1) Fuel pump - around $300

2) Fuel Pressure Regulator -$55-60 maybe more if you buy from dealer

3) Fuel Crossover Lines - rubber instead of factory metal ones - $100-200

The boat you are looking at may not even have this issue and you will definitly know it on a test drive, search fuel surge or fuel hammer on here and you will see symptoms.

My 99 VLX w/325 Monsoon needed a new fuel pressure regulator (easy fix).

My old 01 SSLXi didn't have an issue.

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I think all three of those are overpriced. Keep shopping.

I agree.

By the way, I have a 99 response LX. Monsoon. >800hrs. Never had any problems.

I'd think you could find a DD sunsetter for around $15K this time of year. That makes the decision easier... pay 1/2 as much for the Malibu vs. the other two you are considering. Don't buy an ugly boat. The nice thing about that vintage Sunsetter is that they don't look much different than a brand new Response (if extremely well maintained).

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Just noticed a vtx for sale in my area. What is the ski wake like? I know it is a V drive, but rumors have it that it is a very good crossover boat. It does not have the diamond hull, but will the wake compare to a SSLXI?

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Just noticed a vtx for sale in my area. What is the ski wake like? I know it is a V drive, but rumors have it that it is a very good crossover boat. It does not have the diamond hull, but will the wake compare to a SSLXI?

The wake isn't going to compare to the SSLXI (especially without the diamond hull). Should still be decent. If you want a great V-drive ski wake in your budget, consider the '01 Sunsetter VLX or the '02 - '04 Sunscape 21LSV. Both are on the SV23 Diamond hull and are considered one of the best V-drive ski wakes ever, which still throwing out a great wakeboard wake. Unless you are a competition slalom skier, you would be well served with one of these boats.

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I just finished looking at all three boat builders, primarily the response, 200, and 197. One thing is for certain, The interior layout and looks of the Malibu are by far my favorite.

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