07 Malibu VLX vs 08 MC X2 please advise

My sons and I are learning to wakeboard, my wife and daughter are recreational skiers. Which boat will provide the best ski wake?

Secondly, please comment on quality, reliability and reliability of manufacture for both boats. Both boats are new with full warranty.

Thanks in advance for your input,

Craig

What are you trying to start, a war?

Go MasterCraft for quality, reliability and sanity

Neither boat is considered a crossover boat, ie; good ski & wakeboard wakes.
MC has the 215 that might be better suited for both disciplines. And Malbu has the VTX.

Both manufacturers are top notch. I'd expect your decision to come down to styling & the dealer in your area.

I'm new to this. Seems people are passionate about their boats.

I can't comment on the X-2 or VLX but both manufactures make great boats and you couldn't go wrong with either However we just bought a MasterCraft X-15 (see profile) and it is a pretty nice crossover boat with a nice ski wake and a killer wakeboard wake definitely look at it if you can

The X-2 has a better ski wake, the vlx a better wakeboarding wake. Both have great quality although I personally think the MasterCraft is built a little better. Both use Indmar engines. Demo both boats to see for yourself about how they drive, wakes, comfort, etc. Make sure you are very comfortable with the Dealer. This can be just as important as the boat you choose. Pick the one and your family like better. Both are great boats.

I am not trying to start anything but here is my two cents. I have ridden behind both boats and neither one is good for skiing. If you are just getting started wakeboarding and recreational skiers, Malibu has a diamond hull which is great for a crossover. The 215 would be a good choice also. I think that Malibu, in my area is way better than MC. I think it comes down to what is in your area. Good luck.

Craig- what makes you want to go with Malibu and Mastercraft. a good friend of mine has a 06 VLX that i ride on probably more than i ride on my Tige RZ2(just because him and his dad are out at the club lake pretty much everyday so why take mine out there too). i don't have a lot of experience with the X-2. the VLX has an amazing wakebaording wake that you don't have to load up with too much extra weight to get an expert size wake. i know that with the X-2 it take a little more weight than the VLX to get a comparable wake. my friends VLX has only let us down once at the lake. something with the power wedge got messed up and we had to load up and go home. besides that its never had any issues and it is pretty much on the water every day of the week with 2 thousand lbs of ballast hitting double ups. If i had to choose between those 2 boats i would go with the Malibu. The X-2 may suit you better. or maybe a new Tige would suit your family better with being able to change from a wakebaord wake to a ski wake within 4 seconds . you might want to check those out too. hell look at them all demo them all. theres nothing worse than buying a boat and then going out on another one and relizing that you like the other boat better.

i recently purchased a Malibu VLX and honestly I couldnt be happier with the performance and quality. I dont really think that the VLX is what your looking for as far as a skiing wake but its definatly the cats a@# for wakeboarding. I feel the quality is second to none

You can look for a 2007 Wakesetter VLX with a Diamond Hull. Please email me with questions about the VLX. Just click on my name on this post and you will see my email address.

I LOVE MY MALIBU but I have driven both boats so I can be partial... as opposed to others.

(Message edited by cavlxenvy on March 05, 2008)

Go with the X-2. Better riding, more room, the pickle fork front end is great. The biggest 20 footer, I have ever been in.

X2, way to many VLX's out there as it is.

Like everyone else said, both boats are not the best for skiing. However, if it's just recreational skiing, either boat will be fine. As far as wakeboarding goes, the VLX is exponentially better than the X2. The X2 has a very small and rampy wake. The VLX wake is just huge, peakier, and can be dialed in more with the power wedge.

Also, the X2 is a bit of a gas hog (inefficient hull).

I'm not biased either way. This is just my experience and 2 cents.

OOOh tuneman you're gonna piss the snork off with that post

X2 needs more ballast to get as big of a wake as a VLX and thus taking up much of the space of the biggest 20 footer on the market.

I would consider MC X15 before the X2.

(Message edited by johnsvt on March 05, 2008)

I would stay away from the Malibu, they have weak floors.

I know they sure do, here's the proof of how thin they are.

You didn't have to go and cut a hole in your boat. It was a joke.

Anything to prove a point

Thats the spirit!

Nu Bu- please tell me that was from a past install and you didn't really cut a hole in your boat hahahaha.

No I didn't cut a hole in my boat, that's a different boat.

are you people kidding me?{blinded by ownership gogles?} the vlx wake is sweet and the x2 is a washed over mess!

I have looked at both with intent to buy. I think they are both nice and will do just fine. This is what I think.

Malibu:

pros: Wake-facotry ballast with wedge was great, I liked it alot.

Faster-It is a faster boat to get around the lake

Tower-Sturdy and super easy and fast to fold

Pad on the platform was smooshy and nice.

CONS:

I felt the build quality was not as nice for close to the same money, I could push on the side and watch it give a bit.

FOR ME----Dealer was far away(This should be a huge thing when buying any boat)


X2


Pros-

Room room room room

took chop much better

very good build quality and tastefull bling

picklefork is great

Resale is better

Swiveling racks are sweet.

CONS:

$$$$$$$$

Wake needs weight far beyond factory

drive em, explore your dealer. Dont rule out a good used boat, often times you can save big and get some neat extras. My 07 x2 is indeed for sale, I am moving to an X-star. Good luck!!

We'll see about that re-sale comment when you sell it, get back to us and see if that's still the case.

sweet color scheme on that Mari!! I am partial to the MC, if you aren't a pro wakeboarder, the X2 wake will be fine for you, and without ballast, should throw a small enough wake at 32 mph to do some recreational skiing, not saying I'd run the course with it!! Despite what others say, the X2 wake is not a washed over mess.

On the other end of things, the Malibu could make life a whole lot easier for you. For recreational sking, you could simply raise the power wedge, and if you don't have your ballast full, in theory be ready to ski. I don't have any experience with Bu's, but if what I hear about the VLX is true then you can ride with the wedge down, and have a plenty big wake. Only thing about Malibu, I agree with Matt, is the build quality is a little less. you can push on the side and it gives which isn't very comforting, but unless you're beating your boat to $#1t it shouldn't be a big problem. explore your options, Malibu's got the new XTi which is a DD, that I hear throws a mean wake, might look into that as well.

Might also want to look into the X-14 another DD crossover boat that throws a good wake!!

"Go with the X-2. Better riding, more room, the pickle fork front end is great. The biggest 20 footer, I have ever been in."

More room? Are you on something? My VLX seats just as good if not better than an X-Star.

The Xstar has less room in the cockpit than the X-2.

Gosh these threads crack me up. Am I seriously the only one that has been in, driven and been behind both?

Craig, here's your best bet. Go to the dealer, test drive them both and any other boats in the area you are interested in and make your own decision. Everyone has their own agenda, be it from a boat they already bought, one they sell or one they've had. Not saying i'm immune to this myself either fyi. But the only one who can make the right choice for you and your family.. is you.

It's funny how all the opinions differ so much.

I thought the X2 wake was tiny & the tower was a POS that bounced & creaked the whole way up the lake.

And the wake on anything with a Wedge has a ton of propwash in it which is weird to ride a foil in..... like a bicycle in deep gravel. But weight the VLX down & the wake is awesome. And the tower..... well, didn't notice it because it wasn't moving or making any noise at all.

Wow, my first experience on this board. I love the passion everyone has for this sport. Can't wait to land my first backroll. I agree with Onlyinboards, the best thing I can do is test the boats. The only problem is my base line is a deck boat. Sad but true. I am off to test drive the VLX tomorrow. Thanks for the "unbiased" input and laughs.

If you need a good comparison to the VLX go test drive the MasterCraft X1 Its far better cross over boat than the X2. MasterCraft has the best design, superior craftsmanship and second to no one. Thats a 25 year educated opinion

Craig at least you got a laugh out of it because non of these opinions mean crap, especially these guys that will fall on the sword for their brand ^^^, it's rediculous.

NU BU, you didn't appreciate my Malibu love in my post??

It was great don't worry, I showed you how crappy they were built and how thin the floors were constructed

(Message edited by 05mobiuslsv on March 05, 2008)

Go with the X2 youll have no complaints, verify with Nu he'll tell ya

Here's another one, like I was saying.

Nu was that the cutout from your last MC?

I would choose the X-2.... When you and your kids wakeboard skills improve down the rode you can always add more ballast... Dont worry, the overall construction of the mc will be able to handle it. Here is another pro on the mc.... Timers on the ballast pump's incase you forget to turn them off you wont have to worry about burning them out and paying $200 to replace. I guess if you went with bu you would only be paying to replace those cheap attwood pump's they were using in 07.

i would go with the X-2 i love my boat. only thing about that is for skiing its SUCKS, you have a double wake thing to cross. get the wakeplate, i dont have one.

rG yes it was but it was such a piece of crap I had to get rid of it.

both boats are good
By recreational skiers i don,t think you mean running a slalom course at comp levels but more like a free slalom kind of ride.Your sons will make progress soon,and if they get addicted with the wakeboarding virus your new boat will be having fatsacks all over the place.You will get stoked too seeing your kids sticking their first inverts.
Although i,m a MC fan i think the vlx will have the better wakes out of the box because of the 4 ballast tanks and the wedge.(i,ve owned 4)
The wedge is fuel consuming but it makes the wake a little steeper.
If those boys will ever make it to mobe kind of tricks(high enders)the wedge will be in its up position and the boat is totally filled with sacks.This made me swich to MC (X-star)in a MC the bags fit under the seats.(no i can,t do mobes but my students do)
The Vlx has more interior room,X2 has a bigger bow.

the X2 might have a slightly better skiwake,but to set it up for wakeboarding (compared to a out of the box vlx wake)you,ll need extra bags on top of the X2 factory ballast.It is time consuming unless you install a fly high ballast kit.
}

Nu, sorry to hear you didnt like it, thats a rare commit form fellow mc owners, are you biased?

Very, silly rabbit you know there's no carpet in MC. Gotta look at the details rG, the details....