2019 txi or pro Star?

[drbach]

Looking for new ski boat.  I am a slalom and barefooter.  Have a 2007 21LSV now.  Really great all around boat.

Was told the 2019 SN is a terrible barefoot boat. 

Anyone ski the 2019 Pro Star?  Not sure 19 is out yet, but I heard MC did not change from the 18.  I did ski the 18 txi, not super impressed.  All he new boats seem to be loud with the aluminum blocks.  I know a larger motor or prop change can change top speed and hole punch.  Top speed seems slow on most of the new boats.  They have slowed down all the hulls for some reason. 

I am looking at skiing the Pro Star before I make a final decision. 

Any opinions appreciated.   Maybe I find a 2016 txi, heard that is the last year before they changed the hull design, talked to a guy that likes his a lot. 

FYI, we did pull 3 barefooters behind my LSV, step off of slalom, top speed at 42 mph, 2 guys in boat. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by drbach
Spelling

[Sixball]

I ski a 2018 Pro Star some.  At 36mph 35 off. Its a nice boat. I like the quality I did not see anything that needed attention. Its not quiet but some nice space and I like the ski racks. I did not drive the boat. It has a trough after the second wake not bad but noticeable. If you are skiing hard its not bad. One of my ski partners had polio as a kid and it is bad for him. He does not like the boat. His boat is a CC196 and yes it ski's very nice. Might be my favorite of our boats. The P S does have a very flat wake. I did not foot the boat. 

[Chaabo]

Been a Malibu guy all my life and I hate to say it, but the new TXI didn’t impress me much. It’s super loud inside, lacks power and has issues getting on speed in time. Especially problematic if you have a short setup. (See the “Ball of Spray” forum for more info on that issue.) The wake is nothing to brag about and the inside looks just sparse. The outside has too many weird edges and angles and the shape of the bow looks stupid, but that’s just my humble opinion.

I skied a couple sets this summer behind a 2018 Prostar and was blown away by the ski wake and it’s overall performance! (Had skied a 2016 a couple years back and wasn’t impressed at all, so something must have changed there.)

The Prostar is also very loud inside (probably because of the lack of carpet), but not as bad as the 2017 TXI I skied and driven. I don’t like the pickle fork bow of the Prostar, but again, that is just my opinion. The fiberglass bow cover is a nice feature tho.

[UWSkier]

Do you use your boat with family or with a crew of more than 3 people ever, or is it always just a small crew going out?

Agree with everyone else here.  The looks of the new TXi have not grown on me at all, and its performance is definitely an issue with the Crusader 6.0L.  If new is the only way to go, I'd go with the ProStar for sure over the new TXi.  It looks WAAAY better, has better power, and skis at least as well if not better.

While there used to be a number of boats in their lineup that would satisfy you, I don't believe Malibu makes a boat for you these days unless you live in Australia.

[Woodski]

@drbach:  The Prostar is an excellent slalom machine, hard to beat it for soft, flat wakes, great layout and design features for the hard core slalom gang.  The Malibu hull, specifically the earlier SV23 hulls are really hard to beat for both a slalom and barefoot combo, neither the MC or CC come close.  As for slalom behind the new TXI, probably not quite at the level of the Prostar and that depends on your line length and speed.  The other issue seems to be power level on both the PS and the TXI, you can scroll through comments on Ball of Spray to digest several peoples experiences and both note issues.  Realistically for your needs, I suggest you ski both to determine your favorite.  I would recommend a trip to Florida, pre plan to ensure you can slalom and barefoot behind a sample of each before you make your final decision, a ski school will most likely be willing go provide both as they do represent the boats they use.