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Why did you choose Malibu?


Coach

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I just checked out the Malibu 23 LSV and 247 LSV and like both boats very much. I am just looking for some feedback as to why you chose a Malibu over other brands. Thanks for any input

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I bought my first Malibu back in 1995 (1996 Tantrum) as my first skiboat. I chose it over the other major brands mostly for price. Once I took delivery, I was very impressed with the quality, especially for a "low priced" skiboat. I had that boat for 4 years and never had a single problem with it. I have since bought 2 Malibu's (2000 Sunsetter VLX & 2005 Response Lxi) and have had very good experiences with both of them. I think they are extremely well designed and built.

That said, I think the other major issue is with the dealer. I bought my Tantrum from a dealer in Colombus, OH who was terrible (they are no longer a Malibu Dealer). If I had to go through them again, I probably would have gone a different brand for my second boat. Fortunitely for me, No Wake Marine opened up in the Cincinnati area and they are absolutely the best. At this point, between the Malibu quality and an outstanding dealer, I don't ever see myself in a different boat brand.

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Like many I started with a short list of high quality boats.

What set Malibu apart for me was the innovation, attention to detail and features in the boat. I also really liked the attitude of the Malibu owners as I did my pre-purchase research. Finally I was just more comfortable with the Malibu dealer than any competitors and felt like I could get good value for money.

Innovation/Features (really liked the Illusion tower, and many little touches throughout the boat)

Owner attitudes

Dealer

Good value for money

I've been thrilled with our choice. Yahoo.gif Even if you gave me a $100K and said ' go pick out any boat you want', I'd make the same choice. (OK - I'd get the 06 instead of 05)

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Performance. When I was looking for boats, I wanted an open bow family inboard that could handle everything from the slalom course to wakeboarding. There is nothing on the water in the 21-22' size that comes close to doing what my boat does.

Plus the dealer in my area is awesome. I wouldn't own another brand (begins with an "M" and ends with a "C") simply because the dealer in the area simply had poor people skills and made me feel like I was a hastle everytime I came in to look around. Not so with the Bu dealer.

If you like the boat (test drive a Bu and then the other brands) and the dealer is nice and reputable, why wait. Jump in. You won't be dissapointed with a Bu.

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1. Two friends have Bu's and they (and I) love them

2. The wedge, we couldn't afford a v-drive and the wedge was a must have for a DD

3. Size and price, it was the largest DD that we could afford

4. The color, only Malibu offers a super cool purple Crazy.gif

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For me(aka my dad):

we were choosing between 04 malibu ws lsv, and 04 mastercraft x30.

it would be worked on at the same dealer, so service argument is n/a.

over all fit and finish.

Tower

functionality

Styling

bimini didnt hit the tower speakers(good story with this one!)

I think the captin's chair did not swivel in the MC.

The MC just looked like alot of things were rushed over. the staples were very obvious on the mc, and malibu has a rubber thing that hides them. And over all the MC sales guy was a scumb bag, trying to sell the image, not the boat.

malibu ftw

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Malibu was the only boat company to give our ski team in college a boat. Roommate was a malibu dealer. Quality to price ratio, Waterski America in Dallas is one of the best dealers, just my favorite boat out there.

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The interior is sooo much more roomy than all the other boats in its class. Plus the upholstery and seating is comfortable to actually lounge in, others were just not as comfortable!

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Luck...pure luck. I was helping a buddy launch a freakin' sailboat that I had just driven to Richmond Va and back overnight to pick up and at the ramp somebody lauched a Sportster...the sound was so inspiring I went to the local Malibu dealer the next day and they had a demo (25 hours) model year old Sunsetter LXi on the lot.

I drove it, took a couple days to think about it, and then went back and bought it. Found this site a couple weeks later.

It has provided so much fun for my family and friends that I consider it one of the best things I've ever done.

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Just take a ride in something else, and then ride in Malibu... You'll be sold on bu for life. My frst boat was 1992 Malibu Mystere 215 LX. It never let me down and it was easy to do my own maintenance on it.

I Like Malibu's because of the fit and finish of their interiors. They also don't have all that bling crap like what MC is putting on their boats.

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I had always wanted Master Craft as a kid growing up. I can recall being about 10 years old and seeing a MC with the stars on the side. I alway said I would have one.

Went thru a few outboards, while a good friend had 1 malibu DD.

Luckily last fall I found a great deal on my first BU. I found this great page while looking at my boat and debating buying it. After some reading on this page I thought I better snag this boat before I miss it.

My buddys bought a MC right before I found the BU and I must admit I really like the BU over their MC after spending time in both.

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A guy I knew wanted to put a Titan tower on his tige - it was the local Malibu dealership (Waterski America) that did it for him cuz they were the only place to get the best tower available in '97.

I was so impressed with the way they treated him and went beyond what I'd ever seen from a dealership that I started looking at Malibus.

The whole line of boats was the same as the dealership - a much higher standard.

Little did they realize that an outlaw installation would win them a customer for life.

Edited by Brad B
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Real simple, I knew I wanted a Mastercraft over all other boats, until I saw the 2005 Malibu VLX, then I bought one!

Go with your gut, my gut made the right choice!

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I wouldn't hear the end of it from some of the people (Wakegirl, Slider, CarveItUp) on this site if I bought anything else! :)

Honestly, we didn't give the other manufacturers a chance and have ZERO regrets - starting with our '91 Skier and now with our '04 RLXi.

Edited by skicrazy
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I too was 10 yrs old and saw a MC do a bat turn @ the delta and I said right there "I'll own one of those .....someday!!!" Not to mention I saw the ski show a couple dozen times at Marine World Africa USA when it was in Belmont, CA. (Features MCs) It was the first year of the metal flake stars boats IIRC.

When I hit 28 (1999) our local MC dealer (actually they have the almost whole state) Cope & McPheters, had done a pretty good job of showing the snobby, arrogant side of MC style. So I went to a Malibu dealer (Harrison's Marine Max in Oakland) and had a wonderful experience. Bought my first boat, a new '99 SSLXI, from a guy not much older than me. A year later Harrisons lost or gave up the Malibu line and took on Centurian. Copes got Malibu and opened Ultimate Watersports all over the place.

So I guess you could say I was trying to avoid Copes (they WERE bad...) .... BUT GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME, and I just got lucky finding Malibu!

The '04 VLX came from Ultimate Watersports in San Jose, CA. And I'd do it again! They have been good to me! Biggrin.gif

Pat

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Just picked up our first boat last month--an '06 Wakesetter LSV. All last summer and throughout part of the winter demo'd many boats, some a few times. I researched the pros and cons of all the boats, styles, etc. and even demo'd a few of the I/O's like Cobalt and Regal. I had a wonderful deal arranged on a Tige but passed on it because we just weren't as excited about it as we should have been. My sister owns an X-30 and I wasn't very impressed with its handling on the water (especially since it was more expensive than any of the others we were considering). It came down to the Malibu WS LSV vs. Correct Craft 226 team (I don't know why we struggled over that one--now I know we made the best decision).

In the end we just felt like:

1) The Malibu was vastly more comfortable than any of the others we considered.

2) The Bu was better looking and allowed more customization (such as, having all white seats is important to me being that we live in AZ.)

3) The dealer, Paradise Watersports of Arizona, was great to work with and I have no doubts they will take good care of us (They went above-and-beyond to make our first boat buying experience a fantastic one.)

4) The Illusion X tower and extended bimini are rock solid stable and easy to use. Plus, as my wife pointed out, it is the only tower which does not block forward visibility.

5) I liked the wake-sizing and shaping possibilities available by using the combination of the wedge and hard-tank water ballast system.

6) Both the LSV and 226 handled great, but there was "tons" more room in the LSV.

7) The nicely featured LSV with the upgraded engine (HH) and extras we wanted was significantly less than the CC 226 or Mastercraft. It seemed to be a much better value for the dollar.

8) The custom wrapped dash is the best looking dash of the bunch and the Malibu instrument panel is so much more conveniently laid out. If I have to be staring at the dash/instruments all day, it might as well be nice to look at.

We are very happy with our purchase and have not had any reservations about choosing a Malibu, indeed, the fit and finish has exceeded our expectations and the dealer experience has been great.

Special thanks to the Malibu Crew for all the good info which was available during the buying process.

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Just picked up our first boat last month--an '06 Wakesetter LSV. All last summer and throughout part of the winter demo'd many boats, some a few times. I researched the pros and cons of all the boats, styles, etc. and even demo'd a few of the I/O's like Cobalt and Regal. I had a wonderful deal arranged on a Tige but passed on it because we just weren't as excited about it as we should have been. My sister owns an X-30 and I wasn't very impressed with its handling on the water (especially since it was more expensive than any of the others we were considering). It came down to the Malibu WS LSV vs. Correct Craft 226 team (I don't know why we struggled over that one--now I know we made the best decision).

In the end we just felt like:

1) The Malibu was vastly more comfortable than any of the others we considered.

2) The Bu was better looking and allowed more customization (such as, having all white seats is important to me being that we live in AZ.)

3) The dealer, Paradise Watersports of Arizona, was great to work with and I have no doubts they will take good care of us (They went above-and-beyond to make our first boat buying experience a fantastic one.)

4) The Illusion X tower and extended bimini are rock solid stable and easy to use. Plus, as my wife pointed out, it is the only tower which does not block forward visibility.

5) I liked the wake-sizing and shaping possibilities available by using the combination of the wedge and hard-tank water ballast system.

6) Both the LSV and 226 handled great, but there was "tons" more room in the LSV.

7) The nicely featured LSV with the upgraded engine (HH) and extras we wanted was significantly less than the CC 226 or Mastercraft. It seemed to be a much better value for the dollar.

8) The custom wrapped dash is the best looking dash of the bunch and the Malibu instrument panel is so much more conveniently laid out. If I have to be staring at the dash/instruments all day, it might as well be nice to look at.

We are very happy with our purchase and have not had any reservations about choosing a Malibu, indeed, the fit and finish has exceeded our expectations and the dealer experience has been great.

Special thanks to the Malibu Crew for all the good info which was available during the buying process.

Just bought our 1st BU (06 VLX). I can not agree more. Our experience so far is the same.

I did have a small warranty issue that I could not get taken care of for a month ( local shop too busy). I called Malibu as I was disappointed that I could not put the boat in the water until it was fixed ( packing nut not assembled properly from the factory=major water leak). I was shocked at how fast the company came to my rescue. With in 1 hour they had an appointment for me at another dealer.

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Just picked up our first boat last month--an '06 Wakesetter LSV. All last summer and throughout part of the winter demo'd many boats, some a few times. I researched the pros and cons of all the boats, styles, etc. and even demo'd a few of the I/O's like Cobalt and Regal. I had a wonderful deal arranged on a Tige but passed on it because we just weren't as excited about it as we should have been. My sister owns an X-30 and I wasn't very impressed with its handling on the water (especially since it was more expensive than any of the others we were considering). It came down to the Malibu WS LSV vs. Correct Craft 226 team (I don't know why we struggled over that one--now I know we made the best decision).

In the end we just felt like:

1) The Malibu was vastly more comfortable than any of the others we considered.

2) The Bu was better looking and allowed more customization (such as, having all white seats is important to me being that we live in AZ.)

3) The dealer, Paradise Watersports of Arizona, was great to work with and I have no doubts they will take good care of us (They went above-and-beyond to make our first boat buying experience a fantastic one.)

4) The Illusion X tower and extended bimini are rock solid stable and easy to use. Plus, as my wife pointed out, it is the only tower which does not block forward visibility.

5) I liked the wake-sizing and shaping possibilities available by using the combination of the wedge and hard-tank water ballast system.

6) Both the LSV and 226 handled great, but there was "tons" more room in the LSV.

7) The nicely featured LSV with the upgraded engine (HH) and extras we wanted was significantly less than the CC 226 or Mastercraft. It seemed to be a much better value for the dollar.

8) The custom wrapped dash is the best looking dash of the bunch and the Malibu instrument panel is so much more conveniently laid out. If I have to be staring at the dash/instruments all day, it might as well be nice to look at.

We are very happy with our purchase and have not had any reservations about choosing a Malibu, indeed, the fit and finish has exceeded our expectations and the dealer experience has been great.

Special thanks to the Malibu Crew for all the good info which was available during the buying process.

Just bought our 1st BU (06 VLX). I can not agree more. Our experience so far is the same.

I did have a small warranty issue that I could not get taken care of for a month ( local shop too busy). I called Malibu as I was disappointed that I could not put the boat in the water until it was fixed ( packing nut not assembled properly from the factory=major water leak). I was shocked at how fast the company came to my rescue. With in 1 hour they had an appointment for me at another dealer.

I had the same experience. Local shop, selling dealer, told me two months to fix a leaking transmission. That was unacceptable to me, as boat had 20 hours. I called California and Guy Coward called me back and set me up with another dealer,1 hr away, who put a new transmission in the boat and had it back to me in 4 days.

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The reasons we chose a bu over m.c and ski nautique are simple we drove the m.c. x-30 and the styling the performance the look and the room in the boat did not meet our needs the nautique looks good but the seeting is not as deep. BUT the main reason is every time last year on the lake when i saw a malibu i went AH that is so cool, we went to boat show here in omaha and spent lots of time with malibu rep CHRIS from dallas and he took the time to really explain the differance between all three. Chris really explained were malibu people come from and what a close family we are all. you dont see bu owners looking at other boats saying were are better than they (like alot of m.c. people i know) or you cant oford a m.c. thats why you have a malibu. in our opion we drive a malibu and if they want to compare on performance bring it on i know what my bu will do . when we test drove our sunscape our dealer has a nice lake he invitited mastercraft dealer,ski natique dealer to come over with there boats so we could compare on the lake guess what they all declined to put their boats to the test one on one my dealer said they will go to a nutural spot if they want and they still declined......... now you decide wich one you would like. OUR dealer here in valley (VALLEY MARINE) is great and so helpful jason and andy will do what they have to because they belive in and know what the malibu boat is all about.

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I think everything has been said. What I would add is VERSITALITY... You can have a performance series boat for awesome slalom and barefoot, drop the wedge and you've got a pretty decent wake for wake sports without the trouble and weight of ballasts. Rockon.gif

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I wanted my own ski boat since I was a kid. I knew exactly what I was looking for in my boat. I wanted a very clean used boat good for skiing the course and intermediate wakeboarding able to accomadate my family and friends. There were 3 boats that I felt fit the bill. MC 209, Air Nautique, and SLXi. They are all nice boats and all have +s and -s but I felt that the Bu most accurately fit my needs. I could not be happier, it exceeded my expectations. Just ask my wife, thats tough to do.

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