Malibu VS Supra
 

Hey guys I am going to look at two different boats. I would like some imput from you guys on what your experiences are with either one of these boats.

2006 Malibu Wakesetter VLX low hours
or
2006 Supra Launch 20 ssv low hours.

I guess I don't know much about these just any input would be great.

Thanks guys

I don't know much about that supra, but have spent plenty of time riding behind and driving that VLX. First off I am biased because that V25 hull on the vlx is my favorite wake. A buddy had his wake dialed, no wedge, so much fun. With that said, it would depend on the price of each. If they are similar in price, then what kind of options are on each, which one was taken care of better...

the vlx is a 21'6" boat, not sure how long exactly the 20' supra is. The vlx handles rough water well, not sure how well the 20' supra handles. The vlx wake is wide, thick, and has a mellow ramp to it, and if you drop the wedge it puts a little lip on it. (we rode with approx 3600 lbs in my buddies without the wedge, with this much weight, the wedge made the wake really steep at the lip). The supra wakes are typically steeper, again, never riden behind that year and make. wake shape is up to you what you like better.

drive both and ride behind both.

The VLX is waaaay bigger inside, plus throws a better and more consistent wake IMO.

I'm a Supra guy but if the prices were in pretty close range and both were taken care of about the same as well I would go with the Malibu for just the size alone. Unless your lake has restrictions you will always need more storage space then you originally thought.

Yeah I am a Supra guy and think you just get more for the money and they make a sweet boat. I am not sure this is really a true comparison though. The VLX is a 21'6" boat and the 20SSV is a smaller boat. A better comparison might be the 21V or even the 22SSV. Are both of these boats the same price or what is the price difference?

I'm with diggs, these two boats are not comparable IMO. I'm a supra owner too. It would be an easy choice between those two for me...Malibu. I have an 07 22SSV for sale if your interested:)

I own a Malibu VTX and it's more comprable to the 20ssv you're looking at. I'd go VLX all the way if comprably priced. The VLX, IMO, is one of the best wakeboats on the market.

Im a Supra guy also, and have ridden behind all of the boats spoken about above. Both boats are great, and you cant make a wrong decision here. The Supra wake is steeper and has a abrupt take-off, kind of scary for beginners to intermediate levels..but the wake doesn't clear up (white wash) untill you hit 21 mph and up, also very scary for most riders. The Malibu with the wedge is less rampy but has a long smooth take off and can send you out into the flats with ease, great for ALL riders. The biggest plus for me is that the Mali has a SMOOTH wake (no white wash at all) from 15-25 mph-the whole range with no white wash and very smooth. my .02 cents is 60-70% of riders are casual fun-intermidiate riders and ride from 17mph-20-mph and work there way up to 21-23 mph (yeah were not talken about you HARD CORE guys right now). to me there is NOTHING more important to a rider (any level) than smooth water or butter. Its 1st on my list, then wake size, then what kind of boat..then what girls are on the boat. lol. We all want the most narly weight and wake but the reallity is function and the Mali has it all.

It would really come down to price first before you can make acomparison, if all that is equal the VLX is the better choice if the supra is way less,t ehn you have to make the choice if you need the bigger boat with more room and choose accordingly.

personally own a supra but if i was in the same postion as you and price was close the VLX is a better choice between the two.

VLX 10 out of 10 times if you are comparing it to a 20SSV. The 06 VLX hull might be in the top 2 or 3 of wakemaking hulls of all time. The boat is roomy inside and very plush. In my opinion I would take an 06 VLX over 06 22SSV any day of the week. It is a no brainer comparing to the 20SSV if they are similar price, hours and shape.

I just sold my '08 Supra 22, and have a 2011 Malibu VLX on order. After owning a Supra, I believe they build a quality boat. After demoing a Malibu, and being in one for the day, the Supra IMO is not at the same level as the Malibu. I had a lot of little problems with my Supra, nothing crazy, but the attention to detail was lacking in quite a few areas. I had to do quite a bit of misc. repairs myself that should have been taken care of at the factory.

I can tell you from experience, the ballast fill system in that '06 Supra will be junk, the sprinkler valve setup was poorly designed and you will need to re-do it to have something reliable. This is why in '09 they went to the JABSCO pumps because of all the problems with the later systems. Not sure what system the '06 VLX has but its probably leaps and bounds ahead of the Supra in this model year. And if it has the Roswell push button board racks they were garbage as well.

I know everyone who owns or has owned a VLX that I have spoken with have nothing but good things to say about them. The VLX is Malibus top selling boat. In my experience, rarely do you run into someone with a Malibu that has anything bad to say about them. Between the two boats you listed, I believe you will get a better boat with the VLX. I have sat in a 20ssv but never been towed behind one, but they are very small and dont have much room. The VLX will give you a much better seating capacity. The VLX wake is proven, and people love it.

If it were me, I would go with the Malibu. But as others mentioned, take a close look at both of them, fit and finish, wake style, options, interior room etc.... get out on the water with both of them.

Good luck with your purchase, hopefully you get the boat that works best for you.

Tyler, interesting enough I paid very close to the same price for my VLX as a new 22 SSV. Malibu is running some great pricing this year. This was even more of a deciding factor to go with the VLX over the 22SSV. The I-pad I am getting from Malibu with the boat will go down in the record books for the most expensive I-pad purchase to date!

But I agree, still believe Supra makes a nice product.

Go with the Malibu. I am a Moomba owner, which is the same boat as the Supra. The only real thing that I really hate about the boat is the ballast bags. Biggest PITA ever. I have skied and wakeboarded behind both boats. If I had the chance to do it all over again, It will be the Malibu or the Super Air Nautique 230.

Its not even close IMPO VLX is the choice.

Ditto on what everyone else says.

I'm a "missed the quality control line Supra" owner as well.

i've wakeboarded behind both. the supra has a steeper narrower wake. the malibu too me fits my style of wakeboarding better. but only you can make the decision. just ride behind both and use the above information as a guide . then decide whats best for you. i would prefer the malibu IMPO.

Tyler, we have an 06 Malibu Wakesetter VLX. The boat is awesome, perfectly consistent wake with and without wedge. I've never had any problems at all with the boat beside blowing a sub which was my own fault. If you have any specific questions let me know.

I can't comment on the Supra but I have owned 5 Wakesetter VLX's and my last one was a 2006 with the bow ballast and the power wedge. The boat has a killer wake without having to add additional ballast. There is alot of room inside the boat and drives great!

Just stumbled on this read, and I am in the same position...Looking at a 2005 though. Is there much if any change in the malibu 05-06 model year?

Holy cow... back from the dead!

To answer the question, the 05 and 06 VLX are the same hull. That hull was used from 05 - 08 as the VLX and is now available as the V-Ride. I'm sure there were some changes between 05 and 06, but the hull was not one of them. Some of the Malibu guys might know more about the differences...

Thanks I have found out one major diff....Perfect pass is not standard.

Thanks for the response

Not standard in the malibu or supra?

It is standard in Supra....

you know...I'm not really sure. I thought it was standard.

I thought is was standard in supra and malibu has its own little cruise thingy