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Axis vs MB


Gz2208

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Hi all 

In the market for new boat. Comparing 2019 axis T22 (vapor blue / metallic graphite ) vs 2019 B52 23 ( white w black accent).  Axis rep said MB doesn’t hold value? How big a factor is having the marina you buy from as local to your boat? Any info is appreciated. I know this is a Malibu site but just want to make good decision. 

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I wouldn't put MB and Axis in the same category, to me the MB is a nicer boat and I have always been a fan of some of the features on MB Boats but not their styling. He is probably right they do not hold their value as well as a Malibu but not sure about the resale on an Axis.  A good local dealer is also very important. Do a demo with your family and decide for yourself! 

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Most new boats come with some warranty issues.  Having a good local dealer is really important.   That is the sole reason I am now in  Malibu and left Nautique.  Every boat needs service or warranty issues eventually.  

MB boats seem to have a lot of fans, so I would not discount them.  

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Those two boats really aren't in the same class. The MB B52/23 is much larger than the T22 even though the beam of the T22 is 2" wider than the B52. The differences in the engines are also something to consider. The Ford Raptor in the MB is 350hp and 404 ft lbs torque whereas the Monsoon 409 in the T22 is 363hp/341 torque. I'm not sure what the prop/transmission gear ratio is on the MB but I believe the T22 has the same ratio as the A22 (1.72:1) ratio and is usually propped well based on your location (altitude, etc.). The Axis performs well with that setup and having ridden in a 2018 B52, it also performs very well and has a great wave/wake--it is louder, though. 

The MB is also a 1000lbs heavier (dry weight), so that is significant if you are towing regularly. MB also has a 65 gallon tank vs 48 gallons in the T22. 

I would imagine the MB is more money too. If it's not more money, I'd seriously consider choosing the MB over the T22 simply because you get a bigger boat that has very nice fit and finish and I've heard great things about MB's customer service (though I'm sure they have horror stories too). No local dealer would be potentially challenging, though.

We were in the market for an MB early on last year before ultimately deciding on an Axis A22 and the biggest obstacle for us with the MB was the higher price and some size limitations with our garage. We are also not a fan of our local MB dealer having purchased a boat from there in the past. We were also told during the process that the Raptor's are a nightmare to work on in the MB. Not sure that's true but that's what one person told us. But I have always liked the MB B52 23 and a friend of mine has the 2018 and it's a beautiful boat.

I haven't noticed anything alarming related to resale value with either boat but I'd imagine any difference is negligible. A lot depends on what features each boat has. I wouldn't consider the T22 unless it has PW3, Surf Gate and plug n play plumbing/bags.

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ahopkins22LSV

MB makes a good boat and they do a lot of good things. Their interiors are certainly nicely finished. I don’t think I’d go as far as saying their engineering is on par with Nautique or any of the big three. They are a very small operation that basically is a trial and error design process. And their new 24 tomcat might be worse looking than a heyday. They struggled for years to get a surf system that actually worked without heavily listing the boat. They finally got a good system, go surf assist. 
 

That all said my friend has a 18 B52 that I really like and it surfs quite good. I do agree that it’s not a completely fair comparison to the T22. I think I’d still choose the T as I like the wedge, surfgate system better. And I think axis will hold their value better but that’s just my gut feeling. 

I see you are in Michigan, the MB dealer in Fenton is great. Jeff is a great guy and runs a good show. I don’t know much about the west side MB dealer. Tommy’s is all over the state for Malibu/Axis and have done a great with the take over of Skiers Pier. They are still making progress but it’s night and day difference. 

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I've met Mike and he's solid.  Their open bow boats were lightyears ahead of Malibu in terms of engineering.  They are without a doubt a niche boat, but Mike's influence on the rest of the lines including Malibu is undeniable.

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ahopkins22LSV
7 minutes ago, Eagleboy99 said:

I've met Mike and he's solid.  Their open bow boats were lightyears ahead of Malibu in terms of engineering.  They are without a doubt a niche boat, but Mike's influence on the rest of the lines including Malibu is undeniable.

I don’t disagree at all. In the 90’s and early 2000’s. I was speaking to now a days which is more relevant to the OP’s question about the boat comparison. 

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4 hours ago, Eagleboy99 said:

I've met Mike and he's solid.  Their open bow boats were lightyears ahead of Malibu in terms of engineering.  They are without a doubt a niche boat, but Mike's influence on the rest of the lines including Malibu is undeniable.

Have you not seen their most recent monstrosity? Who is influencing who???

 

6A3A815B-8D63-4419-8B75-83359397D084.jpeg

9DA4EE2D-49AE-4A82-989E-ED817CB8AD1B.jpeg

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2 minutes ago, IXFE said:

Maybe the dumbest post ever on this site. Certainly top 5. 

Really? You ever talk to Mike or visit the factory?  See how much better their materials are than Malibu? MB open bows were every bit as good as what Bill Snook produced. Honestly, enough with the fan-boi stuff.

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9 minutes ago, Pnwrider said:

Have you not seen their most recent monstrosity? Who is influencing who???

Same with Pavatti, SANs etc.  They are all monstrosities.  No one is leading anymore - it's a Scottish mile.

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10 minutes ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Really? You ever talk to Mike or visit the factory?  See how much better their materials are than Malibu? MB open bows were every bit as good as what Bill Snook produced. Honestly, enough with the fan-boi stuff.

I’ve owned several MB’s 

Been to factory 

Have a personal relationship with Mike

Anything else??

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MB great boat for the $ , you will get more boat size for the same Money for sure, but resale may be harder hit as with any brand that sells less quantity. To some extent resale might have a pretty close relationship to unit sales. Malibu seems to sell the most and it fairs VERY well ..dare I say one of the best, on resale compared to any of the competition. Unit sales show actual market size and demand so pricing is only one aspect.

Of course the boats actual details and options will play into this highly. Some options are always a loss on resale, some colors don't sell well , some pricing puts people out of the market and under optioned boats may be just as bad. 

Higher $ boats take a bigger hit in$ amounts but the actual % should be calculated before judgment.

One might look at a PAVATI and say Whaaaat talk about a quick $100k depreciation, but those boats have been getting crazy more expensive every year. When they first started I think they were less or on par with a Malibu and now they are about 2.5-3x the cost and rising. Now If they had a TB i'd be sold! 

So keep in mind few year old boat was not the same purchase price as a new 2020 so look at the %. I feel sooo many ppl loose this actual % perspective. Look at a 25lsv in 16 that could have gone for say 120k, now that same boat is 150-160k. We're all quick to look online and say that 16 guy lost 60k but he didn't purchase at 150-160k!! 

I would base my decision on local dealer support, but not always for reasons I've mentioned before. Small dealers can be Great and they can be bad, big dealers can be great and they can be bad.. they are all different.. 

GO test drive and see what's important to you and more importantly get the other halfs decision, cuz if Mama ain't happy nobody is.. 

 

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7 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

MB makes a good boat and they do a lot of good things. Their interiors are certainly nicely finished. I don’t think I’d go as far as saying their engineering is on par with Nautique or any of the big three. They are a very small operation that basically is a trial and error design process. And their new 24 tomcat might be worse looking than a heyday. They struggled for years to get a surf system that actually worked without heavily listing the boat. They finally got a good system, go surf assist. 
 

That all said my friend has a 18 B52 that I really like and it surfs quite good. I do agree that it’s not a completely fair comparison to the T22. I think I’d still choose the T as I like the wedge, surfgate system better. And I think axis will hold their value better but that’s just my gut feeling. 

I see you are in Michigan, the MB dealer in Fenton is great. Jeff is a great guy and runs a good show. I don’t know much about the west side MB dealer. Tommy’s is all over the state for Malibu/Axis and have done a great with the take over of Skiers Pier. They are still making progress but it’s night and day difference. 

@Gz2208 where are you in Michigan?

@edgeski1

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12 hours ago, ahopkinsVTX said:

MB makes a good boat and they do a lot of good things. Their interiors are certainly nicely finished. I don’t think I’d go as far as saying their engineering is on par with Nautique or any of the big three. They are a very small operation that basically is a trial and error design process. And their new 24 tomcat might be worse looking than a heyday. They struggled for years to get a surf system that actually worked without heavily listing the boat. They finally got a good system, go surf assist. 
 

That all said my friend has a 18 B52 that I really like and it surfs quite good. I do agree that it’s not a completely fair comparison to the T22. I think I’d still choose the T as I like the wedge, surfgate system better. And I think axis will hold their value better but that’s just my gut feeling. 

I see you are in Michigan, the MB dealer in Fenton is great. Jeff is a great guy and runs a good show. I don’t know much about the west side MB dealer. Tommy’s is all over the state for Malibu/Axis and have done a great with the take over of Skiers Pier. They are still making progress but it’s night and day difference. 

:plus1: On Jeff in Fenton. Aqua sports Marine was one of the best boat buying experience I have had!  Nice guy and knows his stuff.  I bought my Centurion from him years ago. Gave me outstanding service after.  Just a good guy.   

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Since we have become a MB dealer, we've been tracking used sales. In Michigan, we do juuuust fine as far as resale. The MB's take about a month longer on average to resell, but dollar-wise absolutely zero problems getting the money they're worth on the used market

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MB makes a very nice boat.  I would also take one in a heartbeat over an Axis.  The fit and finish alone isn't even the same universe.  

In Michigan, we are blessed with two awesome MB dealers as well.  Zach at Edge and Jeff and Aqua are both some of the best boat dealers around.  

So in Michigan, MB is a strong brand. Awesome dealer network and used boat sales to boot.  One of these days I will own an MB.  I'm confident of that.  

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I really like the MB B52 wave, I get to surf one occasionally.  It has way more push (even further back) than my 18 23 LSV.

I would definitely demo both you are interested in to see which works best for you and your normal crew.

Pics of the MB wave:

874.jpeg

873.jpeg

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MB never again!
We had a 2012 B-52. Bought new had nothing but issues with it. Fit and finish was horrible. Stripped screws all over the boat. Rear covers always loose and very poorly aligned and ripping the lift assist rod off the bottom of port side. Water pump went bad and neither MB lot PCM would warranty. Customer service was a joke (never dealt with Mike could never get through to him) .Dustin was a total jerk.  Boat was under warranty the whole time I owned it and I paid for all repairs except 1. Local dealer was a joke and still is , but they lost the MB contract several years ago now. I couldn’t buy one again

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As a previous MB owner here is my thoughts:

The fit and finish on the boats is nice. If you're looking at surfing then yes on the new 23' the wake will be very good.

If you're like us and wakeboard over surfing then I would look at the Axis. Axis/Malibu boats are going to wakeboard/surf great from the start. MB's you have to spend time to dial in the wake.

I also am not a fan of Raptor motors so it would be hard for me to go back to one.

 

As mentioned above though the 2 boats you are comparing are not in the same class. Compare a 23' Axis to the MB

 

All boat brands have issues it all comes down to your dealer support!

 

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On 11/26/2019 at 4:31 PM, Robcam67 said:

MB never again!
We had a 2012 B-52. Bought new had nothing but issues with it. Fit and finish was horrible. Stripped screws all over the boat. Rear covers always loose and very poorly aligned and ripping the lift assist rod off the bottom of port side. Water pump went bad and neither MB lot PCM would warranty. Customer service was a joke (never dealt with Mike could never get through to him) .Dustin was a total jerk.  Boat was under warranty the whole time I owned it and I paid for all repairs except 1. Local dealer was a joke and still is , but they lost the MB contract several years ago now. I couldn’t buy one again

My understanding is that this was not a good fit for Dustin and you aren't the only one that had issues with him.  He was like a warranty gestapo for many years.   I also think the brand has improved since 2012 and as we all know, a quality dealer is very important.  

That being said, if you can find a good dealer, I still think MB is a solid buy at their price point.  

Disclaimer: I am a moderate MB shill

 

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