2023 23 LSV vs 2022 Supra SL

[crispywake]

I'm having a really tough time deciding between a 2023 Malibu 23 LSV and a 2022 Supra SL.  I would have to give it to the Supra in terms of luxury, fit/finish in the cabin, as well as general features and storage.  The LSV wave looked great, and the surf gate and wedge looks really easy to setup and use.  I'm taking the Supra out tomorrow and will check out its wave, but haven't surfed either of these boats and probably won't have the opportunity to before buying.  The surf system on the Supra appears to maybe be more customizable, and I've heard good things about the AutoWake system in the newer models as well, but again have no real-world experience with either system.

Any thoughts on how these 2 boats compare?  I'm mainly curious about the surf wave/systems as well as how the boats will drive in general and handle rougher water (weekends can get a little crazy on my lake).  We also wakeboard but probably not well enough to appreciate differences there assuming they're somewhat comparable.  I'd say usage will be 50% surf, 40% cruising/chilling on water, 10% wakeboarding.    

Thanks in advance for any input or advice... I've been researching until my eyes are blurry and having a tough time making a decision here.

Edited November 14, 2023 by crispywake

[Five Cent Worth]

Are you comparing new to new?  Like, a new '22?

[crispywake]

1 hour ago, Five Cent Worth said:

Are you comparing new to new?  Like, a new '22?

Both boats have comparable hours (60-70 hrs), however the Malibu warranty would start new as those hours are from the dealership itself vs the Supra is used but has warranty through mid-2027.  Both boats essentially look brand new and are in great condition.

Edited November 14, 2023 by crispywake

[CaptainMorgan]

You didnt say crew situation, but SL probably has a bigger kid-friendly bow. 

I haven't ridden in either boat specifically, but have experience with surfgate Axis' vs tab systems (multiple friends with mastercrafts), so with that said, IMO...surfagtes are easy to setup and go with wedge just giving you small vs med vs large - for better or worse, not many variables to adjust.  The tab systems give lots of flexibility but are trickier to tune. tabs may have a higher ceiling but takes some effort to unlock the potential (lead, shifting people, experimentation with many different settings).  Tabs generally have a better lip for airs.

Last comment is dealership: this is an important factor, especially if you want them doing annual stuff.  And with a few years of warranty it's likely you will need something done eventually.  Make sure you are comfortable doing business with them.

[dizzygti]

23 minutes ago, CaptainMorgan said:

Last comment is dealership: this is an important factor, especially if you want them doing annual stuff.  And with a few years of warranty it's likely you will need something done eventually.  Make sure you are comfortable doing business with them.

This.  I debated and searched and searched and eventually bought new for the warranty.   My only interactions with the dealer/service have been for 10 hour break in service and warranty/recall issues.   Every interaction has been painful.....   If the boats are that comparable in features, fit your use, and are close in budget, the dealer's reputation and customer service would make the choice for me.   

[kstateskier1]

What engine is in the SL?  I haven't surfed it, but have been on and driven a '24.  The wave looks great (didn't surf it) but we were in a 450 and it took FOREVER to plane with how much weight those things need to get out of the water.  That was the only negative I gave the Supra, though it's a big one.  Nothing compares getting these huge boats out of the water like the Lift on the wedge.  If it's a 550 you may not need to worry as much.  Hands down the Supra was a nicer boat in about every other way.  

[mxmark4]

We regularly surf and ride 2 different SL models and the wave is fantastic. That being said I have never been behind a lav to surf it. None of the guys I ride with use autowake either. They have learned to work around it to hit the pitch and roll they want to get the wave how they like it. I dont use autowake in my boat either because with my small crew it never hits the numbers it wants to see. Fit and finish are excellent, make sure your dealer is solid as other have said. 

[Cole2001]

1 hour ago, kstateskier1 said:

What engine is in the SL?  I haven't surfed it, but have been on and driven a '24.  The wave looks great (didn't surf it) but we were in a 450 and it took FOREVER to plane with how much weight those things need to get out of the water.  That was the only negative I gave the Supra, though it's a big one.  Nothing compares getting these huge boats out of the water like the Lift on the wedge.  If it's a 550 you may not need to worry as much.  Hands down the Supra was a nicer boat in about every other way.  

The 450 is just the raptor 440 and the 550 is the raptor 575. The reason they felt slow is the way it is propped, I thought the exact same thing but at cruising speeds rpm's are substantially lower than other raptors. 

I really like the SL. Would put it ahead of a lsv any day. 

[dalt1]

Switched from LSV to a 2023 SL 450 this year. We don't surf much, out of 113 hours this year, maybe 2 were surfing. That being said, I love the Supra for it's fit and finish compared to my LSV. I use autowake every time out but not surfing. When used in the Cruise profile, it will auto level with tabs only and not have to wait for water to shift. It works great when you figure it out. Also when taking off the tabs will lower to assist launch, again it takes some time to figure out how best to use all the features in these new boats. Many items on the Supra are standard where they are options on Malibu. (power tower, Led lighting throughout etc). Curious where your prices are going to compare between the two? Storage is much greater on Supra due to all ballast under floor and no bags in rear lockers. You even have plenty of room for anchors up front where they should be. I keep a box and regular Grapple type in the forward center seat storage area.

Edited November 15, 2023 by dalt1

[Sixer]

My only experience with auto-wake was awful.  A buddy's boat has it, and the wake was horrible.  The boat kept trying to fill/drain different tanks as you were underway to keep a certain pitch, and it was a PITA.  As soon as we turned that off and just filled all the tanks manually, it was a little better trying to dial in the wave.  Overall IMO the Malibu line are way easier to dial in for surfing.  The only adjustments you need to make are with the wedge and your speed.  Makes it simple. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Sixer

[crispywake]

I just got back from taking the SL out for a spin.  Overall the boat seems great, but my initial impression of the wave out of the box was not quite as hot as the LSV.  I don't think we had it setup correctly though, and were testing it in slightly rougher waters.  I agree with the argument that the surf gate and wedge seem easier to use out of the box, and the "press one button and surf without any other knowledge" wave looked better in the LSV.  Again though, I think the SL wave could be tuned up significantly from what I saw compared to stock waves I've seen online, and with a better understanding of settings to aim for it wouldn't be significantly more difficult to setup than the LSV.  In the SL I just filled all ballast to 100% and set surf left/right, and played with the smart plate.  After getting back and looking back at some notes, I think the front ballast should have been at 80%, not 100%. 

I tried AutoWake but it kept telling us to shift weight port side and didn't seem to be able to get where it wanted to be.  It was only myself and 1 other person in the boat who unfortunately also didn't have an understanding of the systems.  I didn't have a ton of time so didn't mess with it too much, and I think I was probably changing too many settings too quickly to really get a good understanding.  Definitely more of a learning curve to the setup here, but I'm pretty confident I'd be able to dial in and dial up the wave a good bit with a little more time on the boat.

The SL has the 400 engine (LSV has the M5Di).  I was initially concerned about the 400, but not after my test drive.  Seemed to handle everything just fine without struggling (I boat at ~1000 ft elevation).  Not winning any races, but even with 100% ballasts and wakeboard speeds (which my god I would never in my life hit that wake on a wakeboard, I'd be tuning that WAY down) the boat was fine and got on plane super quick.  Even just cruising I was actually shocked at how quick the boat planed.  It's because the smart plate auto deploys and you can actually feel the boat jump up and bow lower as soon as you get some momentum, then the smart plate un-deploys (?) as soon as the boat is on plane.  I was honestly shocked at how quickly and how well that worked... its super nice.  Its features like that and the auto-leveling @dalt1 mentioned that makes me feel like the Supra has a lot more advanced features available, just might take a little bit of time to get it all figured out.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by crispywake

[shawndoggy]

I would not buy an LSV with M5. Maybe if I lived at sea level. But probably not …on principle. 

[dalt1]

10 hours ago, crispywake said:

I just got back from taking the SL out for a spin.  Overall the boat seems great, but my initial impression of the wave out of the box was not quite as hot as the LSV.  I don't think we had it setup correctly though, and were testing it in slightly rougher waters.  I agree with the argument that the surf gate and wedge seem easier to use out of the box, and the "press one button and surf without any other knowledge" wave looked better in the LSV.  Again though, I think the SL wave could be tuned up significantly from what I saw compared to stock waves I've seen online, and with a better understanding of settings to aim for it wouldn't be significantly more difficult to setup than the LSV.  In the SL I just filled all ballast to 100% and set surf left/right, and played with the smart plate.  After getting back and looking back at some notes, I think the front ballast should have been at 80%, not 100%. 

I tried AutoWake but it kept telling us to shift weight port side and didn't seem to be able to get where it wanted to be.  It was only myself and 1 other person in the boat who unfortunately also didn't have an understanding of the systems.  I didn't have a ton of time so didn't mess with it too much, and I think I was probably changing too many settings too quickly to really get a good understanding.  Definitely more of a learning curve to the setup here, but I'm pretty confident I'd be able to dial in and dial up the wave a good bit with a little more time on the boat.

The SL has the 400 engine (LSV has the M5Di).  I was initially concerned about the 400, but not after my test drive.  Seemed to handle everything just fine without struggling (I boat at ~1000 ft elevation).  Not winning any races, but even with 100% ballasts and wakeboard speeds (which my god I would never in my life hit that wake on a wakeboard, I'd be tuning that WAY down) the boat was fine and got on plane super quick.  Even just cruising I was actually shocked at how quick the boat planed.  It's because the smart plate auto deploys and you can actually feel the boat jump up and bow lower as soon as you get some momentum, then the smart plate un-deploys (?) as soon as the boat is on plane.  I was honestly shocked at how quickly and how well that worked... its super nice.  Its features like that and the auto-leveling @dalt1 mentioned that makes me feel like the Supra has a lot more advanced features available, just might take a little bit of time to get it all figured out.

 

 

AS mentioned before in this thread, most turn off autowake for surfing and set up manually. You can do that then make it a custom profile so still can be quick set up with one or two button pushes.  It does take some time to figure out all the systems but it becomes second nature after awhile. 

[kstateskier1]

Interesting that no one else had the concerns with getting it out of the water.  We were out with the dealer who seemed ultra knowledgable on everything else and just seemed to shrug on how long it took the boat to plane. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by kstateskier1

[Slayer]

43 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

I would not buy an LSV with M5. Maybe if I lived at sea level. But probably not …on principle. 

I agree with this completely.  I'm at sea level and when I ordered our old 2021 23LSV I selected the M6 to get better efficiency while surfing as well as resale.  It was a good decision and coupled with my prop selection, it served us well.