22 vlx or 23 lsv?

[ty151]

Quick question for you guys with experience on the 22 vlx and/or 23 lsv.

in the market to upgrade from my 22 ft direct drive to a v drive boat.  My budget keeps me within the 2014-2016 range and I’ve found a couple I like.  One is a 2014 23 LSV and the other is a 2015 vlx.

My main question is regarding interior size and how much that 1 foot difference makes in the 23 LSV? We always feel extremely cramped in our direct drive boat so I want to make sure we don’t have that same feeling on a new boat.

crew size is typically 4-6 with everyone bringing a bag and typically a few coolers.  Plus a kid or two.  We mainly surf and hangout at beaches and coves.

Just wondering if we’ll regret the smaller 22 foot boat 

Thanks for any insight.

[CaptainMorgan]

If worried about space, extra foot really helps; the 22ft vs 23ft boats I've been on is noticeable.  Also should be better for surfing as your stated activity.

[Joshuntnd]

We went from a DD to an ‘08 23LSV, that said the amount of space is amazing. The extra foot all falls into the main cabin area and is indeed noticeable. 
 

Just my 2cents. I personally wouldn’t get in too big of a hurry to make a purchase limited to those years. There seems to be more and more for sale every day, and the prices are all over the place. So one might stumble upon a deal on a ‘17-19’. 

[ty151]

Yea, that’s my worry.  I feel like that 1 foot will be noticeable and I’ll regret the smaller boat.  I’ve looked at a 24mxz and it was too big…more room than I need and was just a big, cumbersome looking boat.  The 23 lsv seems to be the perfect middle ground

ive been “looking” for the last couple of years and waiting for the right deal to come around.  Most of the 18-19 im seeing right now are right about $100k and that’s out of my budget. 

[Sixer]

I would pass on the 2014 just due to the failing touchscreens.  Spring is coming, there will be deals to be had.

[CaptainMorgan]

good point on touchscreens.

From boats you mentioned, i'm inferring you are looking at the 70-80k price range.  Instead of a 10yr old Malibu, could be worth considering a ~5yr old Axis (example below).  A T23 for instance gets you same size, as good (or probably better) surf wave.  no touchscreens, but that may not be a bad thing.  but i agree with @Sixer that more options are going to start showing up in the next couple months.

https://www.onlyinboards.com/2019-Axis-T23-for-sale-Boise-Idaho-165104.aspx

[dalt1]

1 hour ago, Sixer said:

I would pass on the 2014 just due to the failing touchscreens.  Spring is coming, there will be deals to be had.

Screens still fail on 2018/2020 that I know of too.

[Sixer]

5 hours ago, dalt1 said:

Screens still fail on 2018/2020 that I know of too.

Agreed, but I don't think it's at such a high percentage that the 2014 era boats were.  I don't think I've seen a single one that hasn't either been or needed to be replaced.  Time will tell, but hopefully the current era boat screens are built a little better to stand the test of time.

[Stevo]

21 minutes ago, Sixer said:

Agreed, but I don't think it's at such a high percentage that the 2014 era boats were.  I don't think I've seen a single one that hasn't either been or needed to be replaced.  Time will tell, but hopefully the current era boat screens are built a little better to stand the test of time.

 

5 hours ago, dalt1 said:

Screens still fail on 2018/2020 that I know of too.

Yeah but on a 1 and done dash/screen design the likelihood of locating a replacement part diminishes as time progresses 

I had a 2014 23lsv and the interface of 2015+ is soooooo much better

[BLSousa]

I agree with @CaptainMorgan regarding the newer Axis vs older Malibu. As far as 22 vs 23 w/ 6 people, both will be fine but the multiple coolers thing won’t work on any size Malibu you get. There is only one under-seat  place for an ice chest and if you have a second narrow one you can fit it in the helm walkthrough. Any other place will be a hazard. 
 

[ty151]

Thanks for all the replies.

i agree about the 14 and down models with the screens that fail and it’s always worried me when looking at those models.  I’m open to the T23, a dealer close to me has a 2020 T23 in my price range which I think is a great option.

i should have clarified with the coolers.  It’s typically one hard cooler plus a few soft coolers/bags with sandwiches and stuff.  My current direct drive has no compartments wide enough to fit a cooler so it just sits on the floor, where space is already super limited.  It becomes a step to get out of the boat and just always feels super cramped 

[Slurpee]

The biggest hugest dominant difference between a 22 and 23 is the size of the gas tank. Go look at that for any boat comparison. It’s the main reason we sold our 22LSV after a few years for a bigger boat. 

[ty151]

Very true, I didn’t even think about that.  I don’t like paying the fuel prices at the dock and we typically keep the boat in a slip during our trips so a larger fuel tank pays off 

[Steve B.]

There's just no boat with the lines of an 23 LSV. 

[Slayer]

23LSV, 2015+.  It's much better than the 22VLX of those years, IMO.  The extra foot in length is a tremendous benefit.

 

[dizzygti]

LSV all the way...

[vaporbluebu]

We’ve had both…23 LSV. As mentioned above I would look for something with the new screens or go with an even newer T23.

Edited February 12 by vaporbluebu

[pauley71]

beam is 96" on VLX vs. 102" on LSV (makes a big different)

[hunter77ah]

14 minutes ago, pauley71 said:

beam is 96" on VLX vs. 102" on LSV (makes a big different)

FWIW It went to 102" in 2015. 

[klntime]

17 hours ago, ty151 said:

Thanks for all the replies.

i agree about the 14 and down models with the screens that fail and it’s always worried me when looking at those models.  I’m open to the T23, a dealer close to me has a 2020 T23 in my price range which I think is a great option.

i should have clarified with the coolers.  It’s typically one hard cooler plus a few soft coolers/bags with sandwiches and stuff.  My current direct drive has no compartments wide enough to fit a cooler so it just sits on the floor, where space is already super limited.  It becomes a step to get out of the boat and just always feels super cramped 

I'd seriously consider a 2020 T23 over a 2014 lsv if the prices are in the same ballpark.

[rennis]

https://www.onlyinboards.com/2017-Malibu-Wakesett...-for-sale-Waco-Texas-168049.aspx

[ty151]

Steve B, completely agree.  I love the lines of the 23 lsv.

 

Slayer, thanks for the info.  I tend to agree with the extra foot being a benefit 

The more I look, the newer axis seems to be a better fit compared to the older 2014 23 LSV

Rennis, that is a beautiful boat.  Exactly what I’m looking for, almost even down to the exact color scheme 

[asp13]

Even at 22 feet, the 22 vlx feels huge inside to me. I had a 2001 sunsetter lxi direct drive (21.5 feet long) and its night and day compared to my buddies 2016 22vlx. We have had crews of 12+ on it without much issue, typically its 4-6 kids on his boat and 3-4 parents and there is plenty of room to spare. 4 adults and 2 kids felt cramped on my sunsetter

 

[ty151]

Good to know.  I feel like the 22 vlx would be a huge improvement over my direct drive.  I’m just trying to make sure I don’t end up feeling like I settled for smaller boat.  
 

Do you guys know where that foot is made up in the boat? Is it the bow or main seating area? And do the 23 lsv’s have more/bigger storage over the 22 vlx? 

[ahopkins22LSV]

7 minutes ago, ty151 said:

Good to know.  I feel like the 22 vlx would be a huge improvement over my direct drive.  I’m just trying to make sure I don’t end up feeling like I settled for smaller boat.  
 

Do you guys know where that foot is made up in the boat? Is it the bow or main seating area? And do the 23 lsv’s have more/bigger storage over the 22 vlx? 

It will feel huge compared to you DD. We went from a response to a 20VTX and that was a huge improvement. Then going to a 22LSV it still feels massive over our VTX. I think the majority of the space is behind the windshield but I’m sure the bow gets added space too. Our 22LSV bow feels bigger than the VTX. Could just be the depth though. 
 

I wouldn’t rule out a 22 just because. I’d definitely go look at them. It’s a great size for us. It still fits nicely in our driveway, I feel comfortable towing it with a 1500 and the wave is great. 
 

That all said, I’ve never heard of anyone saying “I have way too much space on my boat”. Heck even on my friends 50’ sea ray we managed to feel cramped. So if you have the space for storage, in season and off season, can tow it and find a god 23, I definitely would grab it. It’s the best selling wake boat for a reason!