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!

Noob - Need help with a buying decision.


Cyrusjt

Recommended Posts

Let me first say thank you for your responses. Im sure you guys and gals get these types of questions all the time.

I will be a new Malibu owner but not necessarily new to boats. I'm currently torn on a decision and I figured I could reach out to the folks that own them for some guidance.

Currently I have 2 boats that I am considering.

Option 1: 2015 (Used) 23 LSV. It has the LS3 corvette engine upgrade with 75 hrs. G3 tower. It has all the pertinent options except heater (not really necessary down here in the south). It would be a person to person sale so I would not have to pay sales tax on it. Purchase price of 85K. Color is Green flake with some silver flake and black bottom. Looks to be in great condition.

Option 2: 2015 22VLX (new, left over stock). 5.7L monsoon with 10hrs. G4 tower. Again, it has all the pertinent options and includes heater. The dealer is also include two extra sacks with the purchase. I would have to pay sales tax on the boat since it is new. Mostly green flake color with black gel coat accents. New condition. tax rate here is 6.5%. Purchase price is 84,500 with sales tax paid and they throw in 2 extra sacks.

My struggle:
Both are in my budget. Is having the LSV with motor upgrade and G3 tower but 70hrs used worth more than getting a 22ft boat with G4 tower at a cheaper price?... My head is spinning. I plan to keep this particular boat until end of the year and sale it so that I can custom order a 2017 in Feb.
I guess my questions would be:

Is the LS3 engine a sought after upgrade? What about the 22 vs 23 ft length? G3 tower vs G4 tower? Is the green color a resale color?

ANY feedback or guidance would be appreciated. Again, I am just getting acquainted with the market for these boats. So please go easy on me.

There is also a 3rd less appealing option for a 2016 22 VLX in black and orange for 89K. But again, I would have to pay 6.5% in taxes.

Link to comment

Well right off the top if you plan on selling it at the end of the year I would go with the boat you don't have to pay tax on.  Us in CA don't have that luxury, we have to pay tax on private or dealer sales. It is also easier to negotiate with a PP as well.  I'd be willing to bet if you are a good negotiator you can get it for around $80k.  Is the VLX ready for the PnP ballast or does the dealer have to install it?  If they are just throwing in sacs and the boat is already plumbed for the PnP then that is really not that much of a woohoo.  You can hop on bakes or wakemakers and order yourself a set and still come out way ahead.

The LSV is a big boat that can fit a lot of people.  If you plan on having a lot of people on the boat I think you will love the extra space over the VLX. 

Link to comment

Roush611 - Thanks for the reply.

The vlx does have PnP plumbing. The LSV is actually listed for 93K. Ive negotiated him down to 85K already. Ive held at 82,500 for 2 days now and he has not budged. Im not sure if they will move any more.

The price of the vlx is including the tax being paid (84,500). Or I guess i could buy it for about 78K and pay my tax out of pocket.

Link to comment
Just now, Cyrusjt said:

Roush611 - Thanks for the reply.

The vlx does have PnP plumbing. The LSV is actually listed for 93K. Ive negotiated him down to 85K already. Ive held at 82,500 for 2 days now and he has not budged. Im not sure if they will move any more.

The price of the vlx is including the tax being paid (84,500). Or I guess i could buy it for about 78K and pay my tax out of pocket.

Oh sorry, I misunderstood.  One way or the other factor in the inability to more than likely recoup the sales tax when you turn around and sell it.  I will let the other members weigh in on the options as I have a 2001 and am not hip to the newer options and desirability of said options. 

 

Link to comment
Just now, Roush611 said:

Oh sorry, I misunderstood.  One way or the other factor in the inability to more than likely recoup the sales tax when you turn around and sell it.  I will let the other members weigh in on the options as I have a 2001 and am not hip to the newer options and desirability of said options. 

 

Deep down in my soul I have already accepted that. LOL The sales side of me says "oh you can get some of it back im sure". We will see who wins I guess. I think what I am needing to know more on is which options, given the two boat options I have, are more sought after than the others.

Link to comment

If you are selling at end of year, which one are you getting a better return on investment when you resale (NADA)? that would be my choice :) 

Just now, Cyrusjt said:

Deep down in my soul I have already accepted that. LOL The sales side of me says "oh you can get some of it back im sure". We will see who wins I guess. I think what I am needing to know more on is which options, given the two boat options I have, are more sought after than the others.

With that stated... The LSV 23 is the most sold wake boat period... so I would assume that it would be easier to resale

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Just now, kerpluxal said:

If you are selling at end of year, which one are you getting a better return on investment when you resale (NADA)? that would be my choice :) 

And that's why I jumped on here. I would have never guessed that there was a NADA valuation on these boats. :)

I will go look now. I would still be curious as to which options are typically frowned upon when buying.

Link to comment
Just now, oldjeep said:

Nada is pretty useless on low volume boats, and even more useless on option prices.

Good point.

Nada shows 88k for the used LSV with that motor upgrade.

81K for new vlx...

  • Like 1
Link to comment

First, welcome !  Good problem to have.  For me, they sound so close I wouldn't let it be a money decision. I'd go with whichever I think looks cooler and will suit your needs best. I think I'd take everything else out of the equation.

I'm sure you're gonna get a sweet ride whichever direction you head.

Steve B.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

First question, maybe I missed it but what are you buying the boat for?  Surf, Wakeboard, Ski?  Will you be out on it all day long or keeing it in your backyard lake and only using for little bits at a time? How many people do you want to comfortably accommodate.  

IMHO, the base 5.7 engine would be a big downer at least it was for me, in a boat of that caliber buyers can be pickey, I know I was and immediatly ruled out any thing that wasent LS3 or LSA.   I think the bigger engine is very desirable.

Personally I think the G4 is pretty awesome but I have a G3 and for my needs I really have no complaints if you will need to fold it down all the time then there are major advantages to the G4, otherwise its mainly just the cool factor, a little stiffer and has some extras lights built in. 

  I recently considered similar options as you... My wife and I decided the 22 was way too small for us... We sought out to buy a 23LSV but, I ended up buying a 2013 24 MXZ with 38 hrs on its LSA supercharged and absolutly LOVE it!

Edited by APoko
Link to comment

Also, the 23LSV is the best selling boat in the industry, so suffice it to say they are very popular and sought after.   However I know when I was shopping there were lots of VLX boats for sale and very few LSVs so either people are hanging on to the LSVs or they are selling very fast. 

 

Link to comment
4 hours ago, Cyrusjt said:

Let me first say thank you for your responses. Im sure you guys and gals get these types of questions all the time.

I will be a new Malibu owner but not necessarily new to boats. I'm currently torn on a decision and I figured I could reach out to the folks that own them for some guidance.

Currently I have 2 boats that I am considering.

Option 1: 2015 (Used) 23 LSV. It has the LS3 corvette engine upgrade with 75 hrs. G3 tower. It has all the pertinent options except heater (not really necessary down here in the south). It would be a person to person sale so I would not have to pay sales tax on it. Purchase price of 85K. Color is Green flake with some silver flake and black bottom. Looks to be in great condition.

Option 2: 2015 22VLX (new, left over stock). 5.7L monsoon with 10hrs. G4 tower. Again, it has all the pertinent options and includes heater. The dealer is also include two extra sacks with the purchase. I would have to pay sales tax on the boat since it is new. Mostly green flake color with black gel coat accents. New condition. tax rate here is 6.5%. Purchase price is 84,500 with sales tax paid and they throw in 2 extra sacks.

My struggle:
Both are in my budget. Is having the LSV with motor upgrade and G3 tower but 70hrs used worth more than getting a 22ft boat with G4 tower at a cheaper price?... My head is spinning. I plan to keep this particular boat until end of the year and sale it so that I can custom order a 2017 in Feb.
I guess my questions would be:

Is the LS3 engine a sought after upgrade? What about the 22 vs 23 ft length? G3 tower vs G4 tower? Is the green color a resale color?

ANY feedback or guidance would be appreciated. Again, I am just getting acquainted with the market for these boats. So please go easy on me.

There is also a 3rd less appealing option for a 2016 22 VLX in black and orange for 89K. But again, I would have to pay 6.5% in taxes.

You will have to pay taxes when you register no matter what. Now, I have a 15 23LSV and I feel that I may THE BEST WAKE BOAT on my lake. The 22VLX is a great boat as well. If you have more than 4 people regularly the 23 LSV would be my choice. Good luck and post pics after purchase!

Edited by ConnollyCrew
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Just now, ConnollyCrew said:

You will have to pay taxes when you register no matter what. Now, I have a 15 23LSV and I feel that I may THE BEAT WAKE BOAT on my lake. The 22VLX is a great boat as well. If you have more than 4 people regularly the 23 LSV would be my choice. Good luck and post pics after purchase!

In AR we dont pay taxes on private party transactions.

I will post pics for sure.

  • Like 2
Link to comment

As others have said I think for most, the 450 motor trumps the G4 especially being in the LSV.  I have a 22vlx with G4 and 350 that I love everything about ( not at elevation and with 2419 prop pushing around all the weight I want).  If I were selling though, I don't the the G4 would have as much an impact on resale unless you find the person that needs to constantly fold tower down.

Link to comment
3 hours ago, Pnwrider said:

@IXFE  notice a difference in roi between a g3 and g4 when it came to resell? 

 

My .02, I would go lsv. 

 

If resale is your primary consideration, I would go LSV over VLX.  Like others have said, the LSV is the most popular boat in the industry... the gold standard when it comes to resale.  As you've already noticed, they don't cost much more than the VLX but in the resale market there is a perception that it's worth a bunch more because it's a "big boat."  At least that's been my experience (and I'm on my 3rd LSV after 2 VLX's).  

Here's a story for ya...  My dealer sold my '15 LSV in September.  By the end of the summer they had no LSV's left in stock, but they had 4 VLX's still on the lot.  I think a few spilled over into this year as leftovers.  If I'd have had a VLX instead of that LSV, my boat would NOT have sold so easily as it would have been one of 5 on the lot.  I'd likely have had to wait until the Spring.  This is obviously anecdotal information, but for a boat flipper, the LSV reigns supreme.  

That said, I'm a BIG fan of the G4 tower.  And I do believe they command a premium in resale.  There are a few things that give a customer the visual perception that a boat is laoded... G4, flake, and 18's on the trailer.  That combo says, "no corners were cut here" and the average buyer is more likely to get emotional about a boat like this.  My data says it's true... I sold my '15 LSV G4 L96 for $6k more than my '14 LSV G3 LS3.  Both had 60ish hours.  Both had almost identical colors, wheels, stereo, etc.  But the '15 had one less engine upgrade (410 vs. 450) but it added the G4 tower and clamping racks.  So yeah, I do think it counts or I wouldn't have bought another G4 this year.  And I expect I get value from it again.  

That said, I'd still get the LSV with the G3 if I was you.  Just because of what I said in my first two paragraphs... you're essentially getting an LSV for the price of a VLX.  And the engine upgrade will make you stand out from the other boats on www.onlyinboards.com.  

As for color... does it really matter?  They are both green flake.  That has been a really popular color the past couple of years.  But I believe it is waning.  I don't see nearly as my green '16's as I did in '13, '14, and '15.  I wouldn't worry too much about it though, unless you have another option.  Red sells really well ya' know?  :biggrin:

20140814_095602_zpsq31wsjbr.jpg

20150501_155344_zpsgup2t82j.jpg

Link to comment

Thanks guys! Yall are awesome.

I think I will go with the LSV. The more i have read from you guys and the more my wife and I talk about it the bigger boat will probably be best.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
13 minutes ago, Cyrusjt said:

Thanks guys! Yall are awesome.

I think I will go with the LSV. The more i have read from you guys and the more my wife and I talk about it the bigger boat will probably be best.

Good Choice!! Post Pics!  I really like the Metallic Green, and my 4 yo son is obsessed with it.  

We almost bought a Metallic Green/Black 23 LSV but we went for our Charcoal Metallic 24 MXZ instead... 

 

Link to comment
34 minutes ago, APoko said:

Good Choice!! Post Pics!  I really like the Metallic Green, and my 4 yo son is obsessed with it.  

We almost bought a Metallic Green/Black 23 LSV but we went for our Charcoal Metallic 24 MXZ instead... 

 

If I had my choice I would do charcoal metallic and the bright blue. Love that combo. May do that on the 2017 I order.

Link to comment
18 hours ago, oldjeep said:

Nada is pretty useless on low volume boats, and even more useless on option prices.

I agree, but when it came to get an appraisal on mine from USAA, they used NADA. USAA also used NADA on my purchase of my Sunsetter. I believe (thats my opinion :P) that it is a good base line to start at. Then if you want to get more exact to worth, then collect the data yourself for what the boats are going for in your area. Last boat I bought, I drove up to Ohio to get because the resale market was significantly lower than my area (and it was extremely hard to find a boat in the South Texas area :()

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...