2012 Malibu Ride vs MB B52

What do you think between a Malibu Ride and MB 52 for an all around boat with stock setup? Boat will be used for Surfing, some wake boarding, and general toy use for younger kids as well. I looked at Sanger 215 but wanted more room and trying to stay to 21.5 or shorter in hopes of one day being able to park alongside my wifes "boat", a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible.

I assume you mean a 2012 21WB for the MB. Since your first activity listed is surfing, there is no question that you should go with the MB. Its surf wake blows away the Ride.

Depends on how you option out the Malibu. With MB, you pretty much know what you're getting, as most of the things that they offer are standard (1800lbs ballast, Zero Off, pop up cleats, ss cupholders, ss rub rail etc.. ). None of that is standard in the Ride, however they're options (except the ballast. Only 1000lbs optional ballast). If you option out the Ride to the same options as the MB, and the cost is still the same, then it's a tough call. The MB is wider (102" to 98"), but the Malibu is longer (21'6" to 21'). The MB wins the ballast category, hands down. The Malibu wins the tower IMO, however, I guess some may disagree. I've always like Malibu best when it comes to exterior style, and the Ride is no different. The MB is going to be the better wake out of the box though IMO. If the money is the same, I think it's a tough call, but I dont think you will get a ride with the same kind of options as a 21 WB or TC, and be at the same price (though I could be wrong). MB is probably the way to go, but as always, DEMO!

One small correction, the MB is 100" beam, not 102".

You are correct. No idea why I put 102

Ride is a couple thousand more at this point. Can't remember total ballast in it, but it had the wedge as well which was said to be the equivalent of 1000 lbs of ballast or something like that. I defintely was light inthe ballast included though. I like the width of the MB, but the 2 inches didn't make a huge difference. Quality of the boats interiors seemed about the same to me, but I am new to this.

I hope to get out in both for a demo, but I am not sure how much that is going to help me since I have no experience with this stuff. Last boat I was behind was a 21" mini day cruiser. At the time we all hated the wake because it was huge for slalom skiiing. One of the dealers in Norcal is haing a demo day on Malibus on the 28th and 29th so hopefully I can make that work to drive a VLX and Ride. Loved the VLX interior but price is a little more than I want to spend for first boat.

Thanks for the replies. Kind of confirming my thoughts from my research to this point.

Originally Posted by KevinC

Last boat I was behind was a 21" mini day cruiser. At the time we all hated the wake because it was huge for slalom skiiing. One of the dealers in Norcal is haing a demo day on Malibus on the 28th and 29th so hopefully I can make that work to drive a VLX and Ride. Loved the VLX interior but price is a little more than I want to spend for first boat.

I don't think it is a good idea for anyone to buy a new boat as their first one. You are learning to boat, and WILL do some minor ding or damage to it in the learning process. Would you rather ding up a brand new boat, or one that's a few years old? If you are in the financial position to buy a new boat, I'd suggest something 3-5 years old. Keep it for a couple of years, figure out what you like/don't like about it, then make an even more informed 2nd purchase. The way the used market is going, you likely will loose little to any money on resale if you get a good purchase price.

As much as the MB is coveted on this forum, the are relaitively unknown to most "averag" users compared to malibu. I believe that when it comes time for resale, you would do much better with the malibu. Of course it only takes one buyer at the right price.

Both are very nice boats with great wakes.

I know you did not ask about other boats and I hate to be the guy to bring one up but if surfing is going to be your primary sport you owe it to yourself to look at the centurion 211 Enzo.It is 20'8" long and has a beam of 102". The interior feels huge and it has the same hull as the bigger Enzo just in a shorter package.It comes standard with quick fill ballast and a secondary plug and play ballast system is available as an option.Centurion has really stepped it up and the fit and finish ranks right up there with the top three.

Check out the 211as well. I had an older vride it was a great boat, the new ride uses the 06 to 08 vlx sv25 hull. It will not be the best surf wave. Just ok. There is no mb in my market so I really can't say, but the new centurions are nice especially if u want to surf. I would also look at tige. They too do not have any presence in my area but they are growing and have a killer wave.

Questions: what is the hull of the vride? Is it an old VLX hull? I used to own a 2000 BU VLX -- is that the hull used on today's Vride?

No the 2000 vlx is the sv23 hull They made 2 hulls a Diamond hull or wake hull. in 07 the vide got the sv25 wake hull which is the 06 to 08 vlx hull. The sv25 hull performs better for a surf wake than the sv23 hull. I had an 06 vide and it was a poor surf boat but we boarded then more than now. You almost have to sink the boat to great a baby sized wake. I would guess the mb will still have a better surf wake than the vide. There is no doubt that you will have better resale with the bu. It has a larger market share. Good luck

OK. But, my experiece was a bit different. With my 2000 VLX (non diamond), I thought I had a great surf wave and an OK wakeboarding wake. The surf wave required a lot of weight in the rear corner & rear side. This would make it awesome. The wake boarding wake required a lot of weight to overcome the rampiness. However, added weight in the rear would perk the wake up and also make the boat porpoise. There was a fine line.

IMO, the latest Vride having the "newer" VLX hull is a very good thing. I understand that hull to be very good but have no experience on it.

Originally Posted by nitrousbird

I don't think it is a good idea for anyone to buy a new boat as their first one. You are learning to boat, and WILL do some minor ding or damage to it in the learning process. Would you rather ding up a brand new boat, or one that's a few years old? If you are in the financial position to buy a new boat, I'd suggest something 3-5 years old. Keep it for a couple of years, figure out what you like/don't like about it, then make an even more informed 2nd purchase. The way the used market is going, you likely will loose little to any money on resale if you get a good purchase price.

This is great advice, that is exactly what I did and would 100 percent recommend this strategy to a new to the wakeboard/surf boats boater.

There are just so many things on these boats that come down to preferences that you develop over time. As you have seen on this forum everyone has THEIR favorites.

If you have the money to buy a new boat, and don't want somebody else's old boat, I say get a new boat. Boats get dinged up, that's just the way it is. New or used. Even an experienced boater will likely get a scratch or 2 on their boat. If you're afraid of getting a few marks on your boat, leave it in the garage. Nothing wrong with getting a brand new boat if you have the funds. As long as you have a good dealer, they'll take care of you when you bring it back and upgrade in those couple of years, if you decide you want something different.

Nothing wrong with buying new. I bought my first boat (BU VLX) in 2000 having wakeboarded three times on someone else's board that had sandals. I did my research and I loved it for 10 years. I paid $42K for my 2000 BU VLX loaded up and I dumped it for $17K on a trade for my new MB which cost me around $50K all loaded up. Note, I still shake my head about how much boat I got per dollar in 2012 compared to what I got in 2000. These days, almost all of the boats have decent wakes and decent features so I think it's much harder to make a "bad" decision. Go out and buy what you want (or think you want) is my advice.

Originally Posted by dougr

No the 2000 vlx is the sv23 hull They made 2 hulls a Diamond hull or wake hull. in 07 the vide got the sv25 wake hull which is the 06 to 08 vlx hull. The sv25 hull performs better for a surf wake than the sv23 hull. I had an 06 vide and it was a poor surf boat but we boarded then more than now. You almost have to sink the boat to great a baby sized wake. I would guess the mb will still have a better surf wake than the vide. There is no doubt that you will have better resale with the bu. It has a larger market share. Good luck

The hull change on the ride happened in 09.

To recap:

2000-2004 VLX hull = 2005-2008 vride hull
2005-2008 VLX hull = 2009+ vride hull

Originally Posted by h20king

I know you did not ask about other boats and I hate to be the guy to bring one up but if surfing is going to be your primary sport you owe it to yourself to look at the centurion 211 Enzo.It is 20'8" long and has a beam of 102". The interior feels huge and it has the same hull as the bigger Enzo just in a shorter package.It comes standard with quick fill ballast and a secondary plug and play ballast system is available as an option.Centurion has really stepped it up and the fit and finish ranks right up there with the top three.

I am still open to pretty much anything, including used boats so appreciate your comments on Centuarian. My only reasonn for not including them is their is only one dealership nearby and they only show 3 or 4 larger boats in their inventory. THe next closest dealership I found carrying Centurain is about 2.5 hours away. Trying to keep to something within an hour of home.

As for the used market since several suggest this is a good strategy, I agree but the used boat market is so strong I keep coming back to new. There is nothing 3 or 4 years old in California that I have seen that seems reasonable. If I were buying a BMW I know I could find a 2008 or 2009 model with low miles and in great shape at a nice discount versus new. I also like the idea of haivng a warranty on my first boat instead of making a mistake and buying something that is constantly needing work. New seems to be the safer way to go when considering the present market situation. That being said I keep watching for used boats within 500 miles of home just in case something pops up. I would love to find a 2008 or 2009 VLX with low hours and great condition for around 30 to 35K. Who wouldn't,

these 2 boats are completely different... go drive and ride.

vride hull is my all time favorite wake boarding wake. With stock ballast and wedge, the wake is great and big enough for most. (if you order one, make them put int the 300 bow ballast, not normally and option on the v rides). no wedge, really ramps wake, with wedge, rampy wake with a lip.

mb wake with stock ballast will be more than most will ever need as well, surf wave will be better on MB i have heard. mb has more storage. steeper wake than the bu.

interior layout is the same in both, the interior space is the same, both are cab forward designs.

mb is magnetic carpet over fiberglass which is really cool. bu is carpet floor and seat bases... each has their pros and cons... if you go with the bu, get the optional carpet saver.

mb has added a fin and changed the configuration... mb owners can chime in on exactly what the changes were. I haven't driven one with the new fin, but have heard it helped a lot with turning. I drove one with the single fin and it turned poorly in comparison to the malibus. the vride is a malibu, and drives and turns like a malibu, buttery smooth.

once you option out the vride to be similarly equipped as the MB, it will be 5k more at least..... but you will have a malibu.

great boats, very different, demo and you will see for yourself which one you prefer

Originally Posted by dougr

No the 2000 vlx is the sv23 hull They made 2 hulls a Diamond hull or wake hull. in 07 the vide got the sv25 wake hull which is the 06 to 08 vlx hull. The sv25 hull performs better for a surf wake than the sv23 hull. I had an 06 vide and it was a poor surf boat but we boarded then more than now. You almost have to sink the boat to great a baby sized wake. I would guess the mb will still have a better surf wake than the vide. There is no doubt that you will have better resale with the bu. It has a larger market share. Good luck

That is mostly incorrect in terms of years and hulls. Just speaking of V-drives:

- SV23 Wake hull was on the Sunsetter VLX from 1996 (year it came out) through 2000.
- SV23 Diamond hull was the hull for the 2001 Sunsetter VLX (last year for the SS VLX) and the 02-04 Sunscape 21LSV.
- SV23 Wake Hull was on the 1999 - 2004 Wakesetter VLX and 2005 - 2008 V-ride
- V25 Wake (no such thing as a SV25) came out in 05 on the VLX. V-ride didn't get that until 2009.

Kevin, since you are in Norcal you should check out the wakesurf boat demo at the West Coast Wakesurf Open. You can try out the best wakesurf boats back to back. There will be a lot of brands there. All the inboard brands were given the opportunity to participate for free to put their wakesurf wake to the test.
There is a lot more info here: http://wakesurfopen.com/

The 21ft MB has a great wakesurf wake but you HAVE to have the trim tab. You can not clean up the lip without it. And you need a 1100lbs sac in the back locker. I ride behind this boat a lot and like it.

I have an older Malibu LSV and it took us a while to finally dial in the wakesurf wake. And we cant do it without bags on the seats.

Mitch....
Just read your last post and I just purchased a 21' MB Widebody. (coming in 2 days) Anyway, I was told I only needed 750 in the surf side and maybe 250 in nose.

I have seen and heard that out of the box it has a great surf wave but adding weight creates a great wave. Can you PM me with your thoughts? (so as not to turn this into a different thread)

Kevin, better than a demo would be to be a third on the boat(s) you are interested in. For example, once the water warms up a bit more, you could tag along with us for a day on the delta if you wanted.

With my 2012 MB 21WB that I don't trailer, my wake/wave plans are...
WAKE: stock ballast plus 400 lb led in the nose or sides plus a couple of 50 lb lead bag to move on the floor for fine tuning.
WAVE: 1/2 stock ballast plus led above plus a 750 lb bag in the rear locker.

Scott, the wave had very litle push without the extra ballast. you can get away with a 750, but you might as well put a 1100 in there since you have the room and it isnt that much more money.
The best wave I have gotten was with the stock ballast full on one side, a 1100lbs in the locker, 500 under the side seat, and 500 under the bow on the surf side. It was AMAZING. I couldnt fall out the back on 360s, it was awesome.

But with just one 1100lb bag it is a really good wake. Super solid with a lot of push.

sorry if my hull info was not totally correct, i had a vride and generally remember shopping older vlx's, vrides etc etc when i purchased mine, i have not had it for some time now, so again just trying to help. good luck

Fyi, the sv23 wake hull on my old vride was a killer wakeboard wake, very popular for the time it was built, i just did not think the surf wake was good. I have had many knee opperations and dont wakeboard much anymore and reverted to surfing so i can get out of bed for work.lol they are all great boats.

Originally Posted by diamonddad

Kevin, better than a demo would be to be a third on the boat(s) you are interested in. For example, once the water warms up a bit more, you could tag along with us for a day on the delta if you wanted.

With my 2012 MB 21WB that I don't trailer, my wake/wave plans are...
WAKE: stock ballast plus 400 lb led in the nose or sides plus a couple of 50 lb lead bag to move on the floor for fine tuning.
WAVE: 1/2 stock ballast plus led above plus a 750 lb bag in the rear locker.

That would be awesome. Congratulations on the new boat.

Originally Posted by wakemitch

Kevin, since you are in Norcal you should check out the wakesurf boat demo at the West Coast Wakesurf Open. You can try out the best wakesurf boats back to back. There will be a lot of brands there. All the inboard brands were given the opportunity to participate for free to put their wakesurf wake to the test.
There is a lot more info here: http://wakesurfopen.com/

The 21ft MB has a great wakesurf wake but you HAVE to have the trim tab. You can not clean up the lip without it. And you need a 1100lbs sac in the back locker. I ride behind this boat a lot and like it.

I have an older Malibu LSV and it took us a while to finally dial in the wakesurf wake. And we cant do it without bags on the seats.

Mitch, Thanks for the heads up on the event and comments on setup. The Wake Surf open is probably a 2 hour drive but I am sure it will be worth it for both me and a great chance to see how excited my kids will get watching some of the competition.

Kevin.

Originally Posted by KevinC

That would be awesome. Congratulations on the new boat.

Doug, I am with you on the knee problems. I had ACL replacement about 14 years ago so probably not much wakeboarding for me either. Plus I need to lose about 30 pounds. My 12 year old tore his ACL a few months ago as well and surgery is not recommended since he still has a lot of growing to do. So he is really limited to surfing and tubing at this point. This is the reason I mentioned I want something that will be good for surfing. One daughter is gung ho and the other wants to know if she can fish from the boat. She is only 10.