What are peoples thoughts on these to boats?? <BR> <BR>what wake is better?? <BR> <BR>which has more room?? <BR> <BR>which handles better?? <BR> <BR>what looks better??

Why do you care what everyone else thinks? What do you think is better for you? demo demo demo <BR> <BR>The only question that I will answer is... <BR> <BR>which has more room?? VLX

I thinks that the X2 has more room that the VLX. <BR>X2 <BR>Beam (Inches) 100 <BR>Seating Capacity: 11 <BR> <BR>VLX <BR>Beam: 98 in. <BR>Seating capacity: 11 <BR> <BR>That my two cents. <BR> <BR>

oh wow here we go again...demo and decide for yourself. The boat has to work for YOU not anyone here.

Also factor in the dealer, who treats you well? who has a good rep for being fair with customers. Go to the shops or the boat show, go sit in them, go ride behind them, no one knows what you want but you.

i have tested them both <BR> <BR>but i just thought i would get other people opinion.

So what do you think?

Lol finally a thread like this with people giving the correct answer. Both boats are very nice and will throw great wakes when weighted. SO its all about options, price and what you like.

Everyone will show some bias towards what they own so in essence it is all what you like the best and what dealer treats you the best. I just got a new boat (comes in friday) and chose a Malibu wakesetter 23. My last boat was a vlx, and I had the old x-2. I looked closely at the new x-2 when I was shopping and found that I did not like the room in the bow (i could not put my legs out) and that for how I use a boat it would not work as well. When I settled down on a size I came down to the 24ssv supra, bu 23, and x-30 (i like the bow more than the picklefork and liked it's handling more), but when all was said and done I liked the dealer and boat the most. I have owned both brands and they are both great boats in many ways, it just comes down to what works for you the best.

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1><b>quote:</b></font><p>When I settled down on a size I came down to the 24ssv supra, bu 23, and x-30 (i like the bow more than the picklefork and liked it's handling more)<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote> <BR> <BR>X-30 doesn't have a picklefork....

i don't think he said the x-30 has a picklefork. <BR> <BR>both are damn good boats, but if i were to base it on wakes, i'd get the vlx. granted, i only took two 5-minute runs behind the x-2.

Ed, he is saying he only considered boats without the picklefork. <BR> <BR>I think they might have about the same room now. X2 is wider with an enlarged cockpit. The VLX is longer. The room is in different places. <BR> <BR>The VLX wake is proven. Is the X2? Does anyone know yet?

yea, i am not a fan of the pickleforks... <BR> <BR>Wake wise i think the vlx is the best, even better than the 23's, i just wanted more room.

John, in the interest of keeping things factual (and not to push my pro-malibu agenda, of course <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/biggrin.gif" border=0>), the actual dimensions of the 06's are: <BR> <BR>vlx - 21'6" (beam - 98) <BR>x-2 - 20'0" (beam - 96) <BR> <BR>it just depends on how much you value the ability to face backwards in the bow. personally, i love the look of the picklefork, but i rarely sit up in the bow--it's designated as the bikini-tanning/awkward-flirting zone in my boat--so cockpit room was a bigger factor for me. to each his own. actually, i'm trying to talk a friend out of buying a vlx in favor of a new x-2 to add a little more diversity to the group <BR> <BR>(Message edited by JcV on February 01, 2006) <BR> <BR>(Message edited by JcV on February 01, 2006)

What is the beam width of the X2? 98", 96" or 94". On the Mastercraft website it is listed at 96", however in their catalog and in the Waterski Magazine boat buyers guide it's listed at 94". So what is the correct measurement? <BR> <BR>I agree with a lot of the posts above. Demo, demo but it sounds like you already have, so give us your opinion, too. I have a MC mainly b/c we have a great dealer. To give you my opinion on your questions (granted I haven't driven the new X2 yet): 1) The VLX wake is better unless you weight down the X2 2) Both have tons of room. 3)My guess is the X2 will handle better. The VLX showed signs of rudder lock with full ballast and 8 people in the boat when I drove it? 4)Looks are a toss up. The VLX looks awesome, but I love the picklefork, too. Some hate it. I like the X2 interior better than the VLX. The illusion X tower is the strongest on the market. <BR> <BR>If I were to compare the VLX to a Mastercraft it would probably be the X15 since it is similar in size. Maybe not price, tho. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by lionel on February 01, 2006)

X-2 is nice, but very different from the VLX. You've got to try both and see if you're a X-2 guy or a VLX guy. Since you have tried both, try to compare price and dealer service if the boats are equal in your mind. Sounds like a win/win. <BR> <BR>As far as the X-2 wake being unproven, well I see the hook, line, and sinker and I refuse to bite (this time)!<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/proud.gif" border=0> <BR> <BR>Interiorly speaking the X-2 though smaller feels about the same size inside.

If you are buying an X2 be sure it fits in your garage. It apparenly is somewhat tall for a "conventional" garage door opening. It only takes about 10 minutes to completely remove the tower, but what genious desings a 20 foot boat, that most people would want to park in their garage and makes the tower too high when folded.

Its still too tall when it is folded? Shouldnt these kind of Specs be listed on the manafacturers websites?

I have been looking long and hard at these two boats because I am hopefully buying one in the spring. I personally lean towards the VLX because of the wake. The new X2 is a sweet ride but I have been told that the wake does not touch the VLX. This is coming from a dealer that sells both mastercract and malibu. Love the interior of the MC though!

<i>a dealer that sells both mastercract and malibu</i> <BR> <BR>THOSE EXIST??!?!?!?!?!?!! did hell freeze over? <BR> <BR>LOL!

When folded down with the board racks turned half way the X-star measured 7'10", is the X-2 taller when broken down? I've been on the fence for about 3 weeks as to whether or not get rid of my LSV for the 2. (The idea of a little smaller boat to maybe be able to multi sport a little behind has lured me a bit, although I love my big LSV, but still haven't been able to coordinate a day of workable weather with my work schedule to truly test the new 2. Been home since the 27th of January, but the weather has truly sucked everyday.)Was out in the 2 a few weeks ago but current of river was a problem, wind was going and I didn't come away impressed at all. Dealer has assured me the boat will perform as to what I want, but I won't go through with it until a good water test.

Your average door height here is about 7 feet nothing. So yeah, too tall by about 6 inches actually. Too much for removing a leaf and letting the air out of the tires. I agree that the information about height and clearances should be an item on the web and in the brochure. I can't tell you how many times I have asked about folded height to hear "let me measure and get back to you". FOr my money that is a make or break issue for buying a boat. I can't get more height, but fortunately my bro can if he decides to go down that road.

@brian facchini (lionel) <BR> <BR>The correct measurement is 96". I had the problem to ship my new x-2 to europe in a container and asked for the right measurements at the mc factory. (p.s. it was to large for a regular container...)

Jake, The VLX and the X-2 are great boats and either way you will not go wrong. I just think most people haven't ridden behind the new X-2 so the opinions you're getting might be based off of specs rather than first-hand information. In my opinion, the VLX has a better interior than the X-2, ie, carpet, vinyl, and more space. I have no idea about the wake. My wife and I just bought an 06 X-30 after debating long and hard between the VLX and the X-30. We actually ended up making a spreadsheet of all the things that were important to us (e.g., seating space, overall looks, handling, wake, ease of getting into our garage, ease of taking down tower, price, etc.) and then we scored each area. Sounds kind of lame but it was the only thing that helped us make the final decision. We've had our X-30 for a little over 2 months and are very happy. I'm sure you'll make the right choice for you.

Love both, but the illusion tower for 06 on the VLX is money. You can fold it down with one hand in about a minute if garage storage is an issue. I love the pickle fork though, so I'm in a quandry. I guess it will depend on who buys me more beer at the boat show next week...

The pickle fork is nice. There is quite a bit of storage that way too. Both nice boats though. It would be a tough decision to be sure. Bottom line though, is be sure you can be happy with the dealership and maintenance department.

Mad Child, for your information there is a dealer that sells both mastercraft &amp; malibu. The dealer is up here in ontario canada called sun &amp; ski marine. <BR>So LOL all you want!!!!!! <BR>So when you have a dealer selling both you know you are getting the right info when they say the VLX wake is alot better.

I would take the dealer's opinion as a single data point, not a definitive conclusion. Maybe they get better margins or otherwise have some internal bias towards Malibu? Maybe not, but the best way to answer is to demo them yourself back to back.

Mid-Ohio sold Nautique, Mastercraft, and Malibu. <BR> <BR>Eric

copes sells malibu and mastercraft... just a thought but could they have said that because they are working on % of profit commission and there is more profit in the bu i have no idea if there is more profit im just saying that is a possibility... the vlx wake is nice but the x2 definitely has not had the amount of time to prove itself... personally i wouldnt buy something brand new in its first year they always find something to change to make it better the next year.

Just a note, If you go with the Malibu and get the power Wedge. Keep this in mind it doesn't break down completely like the manual wedge does. I know someone that wanted the power wedge but couldn't because it wouldn't fit in his garage with it. Good luck and go with your gut instinct. Remember it's your ride get what you want not what your friends want. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by nvboarder on February 03, 2006)

The dealer could definitely push you towards one make vs the other based solely on what he's being incentivized to do. He may need one more MC or BU to reach certain quotas or sales multipliers, etc. The only credibility you should give is to yourself and what wake or ride you prefer. How does the Power Wedge make a difference in fitting into garage? Does it hang past the platform when its up or something?

Mad Child, Yes as Eric points out, they exist. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.midohionautiques.com/" target="_blank">http://www.midohionautiques.com/</a> <BR> <BR>The funny part is they no longer carry CC but the web site name still has nautiques in the name text.

Yes, we had a dealer several years back in St. Louis that dealt MC and Malibu. They literally had the boats side-by-side on the floor, seemed kind of odd! I actually bought my first X-Star from this dealer and he talked me out of a Malibu. The boats were side by side and he was showing me how the MC had such a better finish than the Malibu, and it did. Not to say that is now the case, but at the time you could see a substancial difference in the overall finish of the gel coat. The MC just had a "wet" look to it and the Malibu looked like a car that had been overbuffed. The moral of the story is that he was almost using Malibu as a prop to sell MC, at least so it seemed. If they are going to sell multiple high end inboards, they need to stay away from carrying the same of the top brands and throw in Supra, Moomba or Centurion, etc. I see a lot of dealers doing this and it offers a good diveristy between a low-end budget boat to the high-end take out a second mortgage boat...

The local Mastercraft dealer in Houston sells both MC's and Malibu's but from what I've heard sells far more Malibu's.

hammers here has cc, centurion, and sanger