Used M220 v New MXZ v SL 450

January 6

Looking at three options, any feedback would be appreciated. I know probably hard to be unbiased on the SL but any experience/input would be helpful. Usually have a crew of 8-12 mixture of kids and adults. 60% surfing, 20% wakeboarding, rest of time is pulling kids on tube (I know), and hanging out. Probably put 40 hours a year on it. Priorities are ease of pulling surfers for novice drivers, kid friendly, engine reliability, and resale (in a lower interest rate environment). I know many of these things are circumstantial and preference but I love all three and don't want to be trading it in any time soon because I made a mistake. Analysis paralysis right now, hoping someone has some experience weighing these awesome rides!

Looking at three options:

2022 M220 Loaded but with 220 Hours - $130k (love the boat worried about the hours) At a dealer and has been serviced but never know, last thing I want is to be in the dealer a lot (far away) or something happens middle of lake with toddlers and a baby. I know these things can go 1000-2000 hours properly maintained but obviously risk goes up with more hours and not knowing how it's been cared for.

2023 23 MXZ - New for $30-40k more than M220.

2023 SUPRA SL - same price as MXZ. Also has the three year maintenance plan right now for boat show which could be nice to help with cost of ownership over three years.

January 6

I'd go M220, SL, MXZ in that order. As someone with toddlers I think you'll appreciate the depth of both the 220 and SL over the MXZ.

I would not be worried about 220 hours at all as long as it was maintained well and is in great condition. I'd personally rather have a flawless boat with 220 hours than a brand new one with that big of price difference. Owning a brand new boat can be a PITA, as you will make multiple trips to the dealer in the first 20 hours in almost every scenario.

I will say I think you'll like the build quality better on the SL over both Malibus, especially the MXZ, but to me the wedge makes performance better on the Malibus unless you're dealing with the largest engine in those boats. Assuming both Malibus have the M6?

January 6

Appreciate the response and your experience. Yes both the Malibus have the M6, the SL has the 450. Not sure if you've been in both but would you say the driver experience is about as easy on both? Malibu has the gates and pretty straight forward system, and Supra has the preset rider profiles which I assume are a click and go once set up for the wife and friends who don't have the experience to customize pitch/roll etc on surf boats. Thanks again.

1,997 · January 6

I haven’t been in the Supra so can’t say how that would rank. Of the two Malibu’s, M220 is the clear favorite and I wouldn’t even consider a 23 MXZ since you give up a lot on the surf wave for a relatively similar interior layout.

I would debate a 24 MXZ or 25 LSV against an M220, in which case I’d go M220, 25 LSV and 24 MXZ, in that order.

If the interior wear and tear isn’t an issue on the 200 hour boat, the hours wouldn’t bother me either. You know everything is working well since it’s been frequently used.

1,646 · January 6

At 40 hours a year that gives you 19.5 years to hit a 1000 hours. I think even in surf boats I wouldn't expect having to repower until 1500-2000 hours (I would hope if it's well maintained). I have seen plenty of 4000-5000 hour ski boats with no repower.

If I were you I would consider a higher hour boat for less money. It doesn't make too much sense to me to be concerned about this number of hours given your use case, especially if hours are factored into purchase price. By 200 to 300 hours I would also suspect they have all the kinks worked out, which isn't always the case with a 50 hour boat.

And, generally, the specific boat at issue is really what counts. People get caught up in hours--and that does impact resale--but you can beat the crap out of a low hour boat or run into boats that look showroom and are mechanically perfect with a thousand hours or more. Price in hours when negotiating, but focus more on the specific condition of the boat when making the purchase decision.

My 2 cents.

Edited January 6 by jjackkrash

January 6

+1 for the M220 (at least over the mxz IMO, never been on a Supra). saves you lots of coin up front (for gear/toys/maintenance), hours are negligible, it was used/early kinks worked out, and you won't add many so will become a relatively low hour boat in a few years. Finishes should be better than mxz, and with more freeboard should give you dryer ride in chop. all will give you rider pre-sets. Wedge is super easy for beginners to adjust from small waves to big. Supra/tabs give more ultimate tuning ability, but requires more knowledge/understanding to drift away from pre-sets.

only other items you didn't mention: First is dealership -- if distance or relationship favors one over the other, that can be an important factor. Second, if you want benefits of new, any interest/consideration of like a T250? will be in that 130k range (ish i think), throw great wave, have pre-sets, and tons of room for big crews (12 peeps + gear in the M220 will be cozy). you'll get more plastics and less creature comforts of course.

January 6

Much appreciated everyone !

January 7

6 hours ago, kstateskier1 said:

I'd go M220, SL, MXZ in that order. As someone with toddlers I think you'll appreciate the depth of both the 220 and SL over the MXZ.

I would not be worried about 220 hours at all as long as it was maintained well and is in great condition. I'd personally rather have a flawless boat with 220 hours than a brand new one with that big of price difference. Owning a brand new boat can be a PITA, as you will make multiple trips to the dealer in the first 20 hours in almost every scenario.

I will say I think you'll like the build quality better on the SL over both Malibus, especially the MXZ, but to me the wedge makes performance better on the Malibus unless you're dealing with the largest engine in those boats. Assuming both Malibus have the M6?

What are you talking about depth?!! You talking freeboard? Yes freeboard is a little better with the M220. Have you ever had a new boat? I have had several, all of the Malibus have been 98% trouble free.

What are you talking about when you say build quality? All the Malibus have the same build quality just different add ons. All my Malibus have had the same build quality!! I have had two MXZ's both have been rad and throw a great wake. I have had two 23 LSVs, I cant tell the difference between the two. Before you start spewing about build quality being bad on different models please do you research. Simply not true.

Ive ridden behind an M220 not much different when it comes to the surf wave.

To answer the original posters question, 220 hours is nothing on a well kept boat. With that said, M220 is a full one foot shorter then the 23 MXZ. A foot is a lot to give up. Yes the wave is a little better with the M220. Has a little more push and handles rough water a little better due to higher freeboard.

And the Supras do have better build quality then the Malibu's. Been in and behind several Supras.

1,534 · January 7

He ask so here it goes!

Had Malibu 2006 VLX, 2012VLX and 2018 LSV23' Averaged 110 hrs per year. Switched to Supra SL450 last year. I have to preface this by saying we don't surf much, maybe 5 hours out of 113 last year. But She can throw a good wave. Most add 500 to 1000 extra lead as do most Malibu owners. I don't have lead. We ride Airchair/Skyski 90% of the towing done. That being said, After one year here are some of my likes over my previous boats.

Overall Gelcoat quality was much better than my last LSV. Absolutely no defects needing repair from new. LSV had repairs.

Interior setup I prefer Supra over My last LSV. Rounded more comfortable rear corner seats like BU used to have. Supra still uses GatorStep flooring which from reports I see here is holding up better than the in house Malibu flooring. Much more Storage under all seats as all Ballast (4,000LB) is sub floor. Even front seats have full storage under them with room for a Box anchor and regular anchor under front center cushion. Malibu has no storage under front seats, anchor must be dragged through boat to anchor up front. Supra can be set up as playpen or walk all the way up to bow on floor (Do have to step over wind block) as it too is open. I do playpen and can use center walkway as storage too. The wind block is mounted permanent and used as either wind block/3rd backrest for bow riders or laid flat for access to bow. No Plastic dividers to have to store somewhere else.

Example of Quality shows in the engine divider panels. Supra panels are 1"thick and would never bow against ballast bag pressure but there is no bags ever in there. That rear engine storage on both sides is dedicated and never have to move stuff because of ballast bags needing to be there. Again, that adds a large amount of storage over my LSV as I had to mind the ballast bags if I wanted to use them.

Power tower is standard and over the folded tower cover is easier to install as there are no tower legs to have to wrap around and have water leak through. Lower profile towing on the road and no bugs on tower/speakers. Even if I don't cover, I lower tower for the bug issues. Bimini is easier to set up and take down.

Supra is still on Boatmate trailer which is Larger frame tubing and higher capacity winch and jack compared to the Malibu trailer under the 2020 Malibu MXZ 24 parked next to mine in my garage.

One of the features I love with tabs instead gates is it automatically levels boat underway even if passengers move side to tide. Granted it takes awhile to figure out all the functions but that is going to be the same on any of these high end machines.

All lighting is RGB standard on mine and that includes every speaker. All extra on my LSV.

Dealer was the reason my eyes started wandering but once I got to looking , I felt there were better options for me. This dealer has been great and is more like a friend than just a business owner.

Still more if you are interested PM me and we can talk.

Edited January 8 by dalt1

1,098 · January 7

Sounds and sure looks like a great ride dalt1.

1,307 · January 7

I am going to call a spade a spade. If you are the type of owner who goes through his boat with a critical eye then you will notice a difference between the same manufacturers boats and the boat manufacturers build processes and quality. I won’t go mental about this because I am sure I have a couple of rants on a couple other threads. But, case in point, my best friend has a 2020 SL 400 and the build quality is better than my 2019 LSV. How do I know? When you start needing to pull panels to find rattles or where a missing nut or bolt goes then you start putting checks in the “build quality needs improvement” box. I saw the builds on my 2010 LSV and my 2019 LSV both were built with the same build techniques and the same build quality and in my mind the same short comings. Having spent a number of hours in my friends SL and having to winterize it for him I can honestly say that the finished product has a nicer fit and finish. There are some quirky things I find odd and maybe seem like styling after thoughts, but I think there is also a bit more thought to practicality and user friendliness. Did I do a deep dive on his like I have on my previous boats no, and if I did I could probably find some of the same build issues on both as they probably swap employees yearly just being down the street from each other. Is it necessarily a better boat, depends on what you want in a boat and no just a better finish IMO. Still a Malibu fan, especially for the surf wave. But we all know when our wives or girlfriends have hairy legs.

January 8

On 1/6/2024 at 8:20 PM, dwc032 said:

What are you talking about depth?!! You talking freeboard? Yes freeboard is a little better with the M220. Have you ever had a new boat? I have had several, all of the Malibus have been 98% trouble free.

What are you talking about when you say build quality? All the Malibus have the same build quality just different add ons. All my Malibus have had the same build quality!! I have had two MXZ's both have been rad and throw a great wake. I have had two 23 LSVs, I cant tell the difference between the two. Before you start spewing about build quality being bad on different models please do you research. Simply not true.

Ive ridden behind an M220 not much different when it comes to the surf wave.

To answer the original posters question, 220 hours is nothing on a well kept boat. With that said, M220 is a full one foot shorter then the 23 MXZ. A foot is a lot to give up. Yes the wave is a little better with the M220. Has a little more push and handles rough water a little better due to higher freeboard.

And the Supras do have better build quality then the Malibu's. Been in and behind several Supras.

Whoa there, didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. I will say that my last sentence probably rambled together two different thoughts. IMO, Supra build quality is better as you agree and I was meaning more the fit/finish of interior materials may be slightly better on the 220 over the MXZ, but didn't mean anything by it other than it is supposed to be marketed as an up market option.

Good for you if you have had multiple boats that didn't have to go back to the dealership or get tweaked in the first 20+ hours, that is a good thing. These are all hand crafted machines and a lot of them need little things fixed that weren't right from the factory. No different from any brand, just saying that a lot of times the boat that has had the kinks worked out will be more trouble free. We used to promo ski boats and there were a ton of things that would pop up early on. Some had more gremlins than others.

To the OP, another thought with the higher hour boat is usually the ones that are used often and owned by experienced boaters who often take care of their boats like their children. Especially with Covid, some of these newer, low hour boats, were first time boaters that you're trading hours for dock rash and other issues that come up with the less experienced person.

2,818 · January 8

32 minutes ago, kstateskier1 said:

To the OP, another thought with the higher hour boat is usually the ones that are used often and owned by experienced boaters who often take care of their boats like their children. Especially with Covid, some of these newer, low hour boats, were first time boaters that you're trading hours for dock rash and other issues that come up with the less experienced person.

This! I know there are others on this forum who burn lots of hours. My 2022 has 240 hours on it after 2 seasons. It performs exactly like it should and I'm one of the people @kstateskier1 mentioned. I wouldn't be afraid of a 220 hour boat at all, particularly if it checks all your boxes. JMHO.

January 8

What about the model/hull on the MXZ this year. Isn’t it a much deeper freeboard and redesigned. I’ve heard similar to the M series hulls. Seems like most comments are about the older style hull.

January 9

16 hours ago, Bagar20 said:

What about the model/hull on the MXZ this year. Isn’t it a much deeper freeboard and redesigned. I’ve heard similar to the M series hulls. Seems like most comments are about the older style hull.

OP said he was looking at a 2023. Additional freeboard came in '24.

13,578 · January 9

17 hours ago, Bagar20 said:

What about the model/hull on the MXZ this year. Isn’t it a much deeper freeboard and redesigned. I’ve heard similar to the M series hulls. Seems like most comments are about the older style hull.

44 minutes ago, Five Cent Worth said:

OP said he was looking at a 2023. Additional freeboard came in '24.

And that is only in the 23MXZ. The 24 has not been renewed since 2020 or 2021. I don’t remember exactly.

1,534 · January 9

If you are a do it yourself maintenance guy, my Supra SL is the easiest I have had compared to the 3 Malibu's for access to impellers, oil filters and winterization plugs. You can even get both hands in to the reach Impeller. That big open trunk in the rear is handy. Remove 6 screws to pull the inside cover from trunk for the easy access.

January 9

The surf trunk is super nice, but is it really easier to winterize than an M5/M6? I can do mine in about 5 minutes, but yes, have to climb into the starboard rear locker to get that lowest drain plug.

13,578 · January 9

8 minutes ago, dizzygti said:

The surf trunk is super nice, but is it really easier to winterize than an M5/M6? I can do mine in about 5 minutes, but yes, have to climb into the starboard rear locker to get that lowest drain plug.

Agreed. The M series engines are 100x better to winterize and complete standard maintenance on than any of the Indmar, pcm, or Raptor engines I had in the past. All manufactures definitely focused on this.

January 9

3 hours ago, ahopkins22LSV said:

And that is only in the 23MXZ. The 24 has not been renewed since 2020 or 2021. I don’t remember exactly.

Yeah, surprised me that the 24mxz didnt get a refresh with the A245. Seems like 24mxz is now suspiciously lacking in freeboard compared to competitors and rest of Malibu lineup.

1,534 · January 10

7 hours ago, dizzygti said:

The surf trunk is super nice, but is it really easier to winterize than an M5/M6? I can do mine in about 5 minutes, but yes, have to climb into the starboard rear locker to get that lowest drain plug.

It's the clearance to do impeller swap/drain that is so much easier on this over my Malibu's. How is the clearance on the M5 M6? The 3 blue plugs are still a reach for 2 of them but still easier then my LSV was. I have not had the new model M5 M6 to play with. The 2020 MXZ in my garage next to my boat has the Raptor in it.

13,578 · January 10

11 minutes ago, dalt1 said:

It's the clearance to do impeller swap/drain that is so much easier on this over my Malibu's. How is the clearance on the M5 M6? The 3 blue plugs are still a reach for 2 of them but still easier then my LSV was. I have not had the new model M5 M6 to play with. The 2020 MXZ in my garage next to my boat has the Raptor in it.

Impeller is on top of the engine now facing forward. Is it perfect? No but it is 100x better than the older drive engine setups.

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Used M220 v New MXZ v SL 450

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