What's new for 2017

[shawndoggy]

never used the lights.  My dealer just "threw them on" the order.

[23LSVOwner]

14 hours ago, DarkSide said:

Does anyone know if malibu sizes thier surf pipes different based on engine size?  I know Larry at FAE will make larger pipes for the 450/575 folks.  At least he did in the GM days. These are all basically the same now 6.2L ford engines so maybe there is no need.  Just a thought. 

Same size for all.

[TexasWakeRep]

13 hours ago, ORMailbuboater said:

Yes the surf pipe on the 2016s drops down over the wedge.  Here is a shot off my 23 LSV.

This picture makes me wonder if the ladder will still work with the Surf Pipe.  It would be awful busy back there...possible clearance issues. 

Some may say, "Who needs a ladder anyway?"  Short version:  I teach wake & surf lessons.  My 15 VLX will produce a clean wake at 14mph and up for small children by using the Lift feature of the wedge and bow ballast only full.  If we have several people in the boat, I throw some lead up front to keep it clean.  As you can imagine, this throws the swim platform way up out of the water.  Hence needing a ladder for small children and older folks when bow weighted.

Anyone running PW2, surfpipe, AND ladder? 

Edited August 17, 2016 by TexasWakeRep

[oldjeep]

23 minutes ago, TexasWakeRep said:

This picture makes me wonder if the ladder will still work with the Surf Pipe.  It would be awful busy back there...possible clearance issues. 

Some may say, "Who needs a ladder anyway?"  Short version:  I teach wake & surf lessons.  My 15 VLX will produce a clean wake at 14mph and up for small children by using the Lift feature of the wedge and bow ballast only full.  If we have several people in the boat, I throw some lead up front to keep it clean.  As you can imagine, this throws the swim platform way up out of the water.  Hence needing a ladder for small children and older folks when bow weighted.

Anyone running PW2, surfpipe, AND ladder? 

Are they back to a center mount ladder?  Seems like the side mount ladder would still work fine - or don't those work with surfgate?

Edited August 17, 2016 by oldjeep

[mrnate450r]

Pretty sure they are center mount. My 2014 was anyway. 

[McMiller]

7 hours ago, TexasWakeRep said:

This picture makes me wonder if the ladder will still work with the Surf Pipe.  It would be awful busy back there...possible clearance issues. 

Some may say, "Who needs a ladder anyway?"  Short version:  I teach wake & surf lessons.  My 15 VLX will produce a clean wake at 14mph and up for small children by using the Lift feature of the wedge and bow ballast only full.  If we have several people in the boat, I throw some lead up front to keep it clean.  As you can imagine, this throws the swim platform way up out of the water.  Hence needing a ladder for small children and older folks when bow weighted.

Anyone running PW2, surfpipe, AND ladder? 

Does the surf pipe reduce the "Steam" on the 2016's?   My wife is always complaining about it when surfing.

[DarkSide]

It should as all exhaust  (steam included) will surface 30' behind the rider.  Not to mention significant noise reduction!

[Slurpee]

6 hours ago, oldjeep said:

Are they back to a center mount ladder?  Seems like the side mount ladder would still work fine - or don't those work with surfgate?

I've got the center mount ladder and surf pipe both on my 2016 VLX.  No issues at all.  Except occasionally forgetting to put the ladder back up. 

The ladies and kids love the ladder.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Slurpee

[bamaboy]

On 8/16/2016 at 1:37 PM, shawndoggy said:

That's the biggest friggin surfpipe I've ever seen.  holy macaroni!

Anyone else feel like the M235 is kind of an unnecessary boat with the redesign of the MXZ line.  They look very similar.

 

Instead of pouring a ton of money into a boat that seems to have few sales, why not make a 23 MXZ?  

 

Anyone know the numbers on these?  I guess my impression is that they aren't selling.  What are there 2 guys on this site that have one?  Compared to countless LSVs and VLXs?  But maybe they are selling like hot cakes and I just don't see them.  

[oldjeep]

Just now, bamaboy said:

Anyone know the numbers on these?  I guess my impression is that they aren't selling.  What are there 2 guys on this site that have one?  Compared to countless LSVs and VLXs?  But maybe they are selling like hot cakes and I just don't see them.  

Be curious to know the total, because MN Inboard only has 2 left in stock and unless they have been sending them back or repainting them then they have sold a few M235's

Just posted another one sold on their facebook a couple days ago

Edited August 17, 2016 by oldjeep

[teamerickson]

30 minutes ago, McMiller said:

Does the surf pipe reduce the "Steam" on the 2016's?   My wife is always complaining about it when surfing.

I thought that was only on a MC?

[DarkSide]

30 minutes ago, bamaboy said:

Anyone else feel like the M235 is kind of an unnecessary boat with the redesign of the MXZ line.  They look very similar.

 

Instead of pouring a ton of money into a boat that seems to have few sales, why not make a 23 MXZ?  

 

Anyone know the numbers on these?  I guess my impression is that they aren't selling.  What are there 2 guys on this site that have one?  Compared to countless LSVs and VLXs?  But maybe they are selling like hot cakes and I just don't see them.  

Keep in mind we are a small sampling of the ownership.  Malibu is selling 3400 boats a year we see maybe 2% on here.   So proportionally if there are 3 on here 150 were sold....same thing on 24 MXZ, there are very few of us on here.  At least that post regularly.  

The M is a different level of finish over MXZ.  Custom billet everywhere, etc.  My next boat 18-24 months from now will be either a 24MXZ pt.3 or M235.  Honestly almost everything I loved about the M is in the new MXZ.  I suspect MXZ will do VERY well this year.  So I will likely save 15-20k and get MXZ.

[ORMailbuboater]

 

2 hours ago, McMiller said:

Does the surf pipe reduce the "Steam" on the 2016's?   My wife is always complaining about it when surfing.

No steam at all!   Surf Pipe was a great last minute addition to my build.  Highly recommend it.  Quiet with no exhaust fume smells in the boat or surfing.  Love it.    Do miss the engine growl but the benefit is worth it.  

[TexasWakeRep]

3 hours ago, Slurpee said:

I've got the center mount ladder and surf pipe both on my 2016 VLX.  No issues at all.  Except occasionally forgetting to put the ladder back up. 

The ladies and kids love the ladder.

Excellent, good to hear!

[bamaboy]

4 hours ago, DarkSide said:

Honestly almost everything I loved about the M is in the new MXZ.  I suspect MXZ will do VERY well this year.  So I will likely save 15-20k and get MXZ.

Zactly my point.  Why have a different line of boats when everything good could be in a 23 mxz.  Plus 23 is the key size.  Malibu would kill it with both mxz and lsv at 23 feet.  

 

I though your next boat was a chaparral?

[IXFE]

25 minutes ago, bamaboy said:

Zactly my point.  Why have a different line of boats when everything good could be in a 23 mxz.  Plus 23 is the key size.  Malibu would kill it with both mxz and lsv at 23 feet.  

 

I though your next boat was a chaparral?

I tend to agree with Bama.  As much as I liked the M235 when I first saw and it demo'd it, from a business perspective I thought it was odd when they first launched it.  I still think it's odd, especially now considering they doubled down and spent all the money to redesign the MXZ.  Why not just pull the MXZ redesign in by one year?  Feels like a bunch of wasted R&D to me.  

If Malibu's goal was to simply build a bigger, heavier, more expensive boat than the G23, then congratulations... they did it with the M235.  

But if the goal was to actually take significant market share, I think they would have been better off just launching a 23 MXZ last year that was on par with the G in both weight and ballast (i.e. not 1,000 lbs. heavier), and maybe $10K less in price.  You don't take market share from the market leader by making a MORE expensive product.  Everybody knows this. You gotta offer more for less, otherwise people like Bama will just keep buying the G23.

Edited August 18, 2016 by IXFE

[Sixer]

Seems weird that the big release last year was their highest price boat ever with a Malibu logo on it (M235) then this year's new release is the "value" priced 21 VLX.  Seems like polar opposites in just one year.  Just trying to get all ends of the spectrum I guess.....

[bamabonners]

 

Malibu making some interesting decisions this year...

Edited August 18, 2016 by bamabonners

[mrnate450r]

I have heard the argument from my dealer, who also sells MC, that people will buy a boat simply because it costs more. Remember, we are a small sampling of boat owners who are actually enthusiasts too, there are far more who are boat owners because "they can". 

[DarkSide]

1 hour ago, bamaboy said:

Zactly my point.  Why have a different line of boats when everything good could be in a 23 mxz.  Plus 23 is the key size.  Malibu would kill it with both mxz and lsv at 23 feet.  

 

I though your next boat was a chaparral?

I can only hope they suck for a couple years.   If they nail it in 2018, my new name will be Chappie...?

I still see a spot for the M235, however I think it will sell a crap load of 22 and 24's.  Then again the  22 and 24  are  22' 5 and 24' 5 so M235 fits like a glove there.  

As for pricing it all depends on how stupid you go on the 24MXZ when ordering,  if you Bling a 24 up to baller status you will be real cloae to M235 money.  So to think you can get apples to apples and save even 10k is a little optimistic.  Start checking all the  boxes and the 24MXZ will pass 200k MSRP real fast.  

The difference is you have the ability to not check them on the MXZ, but the M235 is fully optioned.  

 

[bamaboy]

28 minutes ago, mrnate450r said:

I have heard the argument from my dealer, who also sells MC, that people will buy a boat simply because it costs more. Remember, we are a small sampling of boat owners who are actually enthusiasts too, there are far more who are boat owners because "they can". 

I think that's true for a name but not a boat.  Guys will buy a MC just because it's a MC.  

 

But if Buick came out with a 100k model no one would buy it just BC it's an expensive vehicle

[mrnate450r]

2 minutes ago, bamaboy said:

I think that's true for a name but not a boat.  Guys will buy a MC just because it's a MC.  

 

But if Buick came out with a 100k model no one would buy it just BC it's an expensive vehicle

I agree with the Buick thing, but we are talking BMW vs Mercedes here. I think Malibu was after the "I want the biggest, baddest, most expensive tow boat on the water" guy. They now have that title. Just playing devil's advocate here. I don't have any skin in this game. 

[DarkSide]

5 minutes ago, mrnate450r said:

I agree with the Buick thing, but we are talking BMW vs Mercedes here. I think Malibu was after the "I want the biggest, baddest, most expensive tow boat on the water" guy. They now have that title. Just playing devil's advocate here. I don't have any skin in this game. 

I don't think they ever got the title.  X26 launched roughly the same time.  Yeah wake boat with a BOW THRUSTER !

[bamaboy]

2 hours ago, DarkSide said:

I don't think they ever got the title.  X26 launched roughly the same time.  Yeah wake boat with a BOW THRUSTER !

I'm not sure if the x26 applies. That is a boat that is definitely targeting a specific market.  

It's the bizarro chaparral.  It has a head, bow thruster optional (although most people would probably get dockstar now), and gen2 tabs the size of Texas.  

 

It's designed to bring an I/O guy into an inboard.  It's not a "let's make the most expensive boat there is" like the m235

Edited August 18, 2016 by bamaboy

[CedarLakeSkier]

I'm curious, with the "Surfpipe" what happens to the water that is pumped through the exhaust?  I would think it would just build up in that bend in the pipe