Sanger! Malibu! Help!

Where is Sanger in the quality of boats made. I have a 03 Malibu VLX and am getting close to getting an 08 Sanger. People are saying I'm taking a step down but I just can't affoord a new VLX. I love the Sanger wake and granted it is not as bling as Malibu but isn't it a well made boat? Any feedback would be appreciated.

You will not be disappointed in the build quality of the Sanger. They don't have a lot of bling but they are super solid, old school nautique style. I have 500 hrs on mine and it is in as new condition.

I prefer the Sanger to the Bu. My opinion only. I had a 06 VLX and although it was a good boat, the whole time I owned it, I wished I bought the Sanger instead. I really prefer the way the Sanger handles. Sold the Bu after a year and "stepped down".

Sanger makes a great boat. I never heard an owner say he doesn't like it.

Bu's are fine also, but I doubt you'll be disappointed with the Sanger.

Don't think you will find people on these boards telling you a Sanger is a "step down".

If you like the boat buy it. I've always liked Sanger, owned a malibu, and like them. I do think that Malibu is little better quality wise, but the things I might judge on, might not matter to you. I'd probably be in the same situation as you if I was buying a new ride, and I wouldn't second guess buying a new sanger.

03 malibu v 08 sanger, probably a wash quality wise.

people are saying you are taking a step down simply because a sanger costs less than a malibu. Think of it like trading a mercedes in for a fully loaded (insert domestic car). Both will do the job well, and both have good reputations, just one of them costs more. Some people buy certain boats/cars for their performance, while others buy the same boat/car to flash how much cash they have, or to portray a certain image. I would say go with what make you happy, cuz you are the one making the boat payment.

I say this acknowledging that I am a sanger owner and have been extremely pleased with my boat. I have not ridden behind a malibu, but i am sure that they are a quality boat with a great wake. If anyone ever turned their nose up at me because I bought a sanger instead of a malibu, which i couldn't afford, I would tell them to kiss my arss.

Buy what you want, go out and use it and have fun with it

FWIW, I asked a local boat shop that only repairs boats what boat was the best between Malibu, Nautique, or Mastercraft. He said that he hated all three. I asked if he had a favorite DD/VD boat, and he said his preference was Sanger. Since they do not sell boats, but rather work on them all day long, I think they provide the most unbiased opinion of all.

Put me in whatever 12 step group you think I should be in, but I too am Sanger owner. I have never owned a Malibu, but I've been in one or two, as well as a couple of Centurians, and Nautiques.

I have to say, I love my boat. My friends and family know me as someone whom will spend more money for higher quality. In this case, I feel that I have spent good/smart money, and gotten a great/touney quality boat. I personally have an '04 V-230. Click my profile if you want a visual. Did I say, "I love my boat" yet?

Sangers are manufactured in yes, Sanger California. They got their start in speed boat market. Being a west coast brand, not many people in the midwest, or east have ever seen one. I grew up in California, but I brought my Sanger with me when I recently moved to Georgia. I am constantly running into people who ask "what kind of a boat is that?"; she's naked. Or "I've heard of those, but never seen one." Whether it's at the fuel dock, or the ramp. Even when I lived on the Delta in Cali, I've always had people come over and give complements. It's to the point where I can see someone coming down the dock, and I know they will ask, "What is that, she's beautiful?"

This summer in Georgia, I pulled two advanced level riders that had never been in/or behind a Sanger before. Both said that they were impressed with the wake, the quality of the boat, it features, the way the boat drove, and how it handled rough water. Both guys have driven her as well. One called the transmission velvet smooth. Of course that is related to the Walter v-drive transmission, but the cabling and fit and finish come into play. She starts and runs like a champ every time, but that's because I keep her Black Scorpion Mercuriser in top shape. Bottom line, Sanger uses the same high quality components as the other top boats. Their hull is top notch, and the wake is awesome.

Test drive the boats, but you will not be disappointed with the Sanger. You can save the extra cash and spend it on dry stacks or a boat lift, or even a new tow vehicle.

Bottom line, if anybody told me I had a "step down" product, I would take them for a ride and a pull. I guarantee that they would not feel that way after.

Toneus

You can't go wrong with either boat!

Another Sanger owner chiming in... 550 hrs. on ours, not one problem. Quality boat throughout.
Buy what you like, go and enjoy.

In addition to all the other fine qualities of the boat and build quality the company is excellent too. They have a very family oriented business structure and seem to go out of their way to make customers happy. They have stayed on the smaller size which I believe allows them to have better quality control. I've noticed a trend with the larger companies that are mass producing boats with several different lines and that is their QC has declined from years past. More and more people are complaining about issues with Bu and MC (Nauti's are still bicks). I dont have 550 hours on my boat but I haven't had a single issue nor complaint from riders. I fill her up with 2500lbs and the wake is huge and a blast to ride. It's been said before that you'll never find an unhappy Sanger owner. I know Brian (westsiderippa) recently sold his Sanger for a Bu but even he'll tell you he loved his Sanger while he had it.

I've had both. I like the Sanger by far.

whats up everyone, sorry for the delay there. RJ, i will put it to you like this, sanger makes an awsome boat. i loved my v215, it was solid, a great boat in the chop, roomy, decent storage, my wake was dialed with stock ballest, a 1000# bag in the bow and a 750 on the floor, bling factor well its all what you want to do with it. but for me the decision to go with the vlx was based off a few different reasons. and the main reason was the out of box wake behind my vlx with bow ballest and power wedge is huge witch in turn means no extra ballest bags in my boat witch means way more storage. soon there will be another 500+ in lead and the wake will be biggg. so for me my choice is made first by wake and the rest to follow. and i fell in love with the vlx after one set behind a friends, i put the sanger for sale. they are 2 different wakes the 215 is big and rampy while the vlx is more squared off and thick. i will say the bu is more plush on the interior but fit and finish, they are both beautiful boats. 6 to some half a dozen to the other. the rest is small pittly things. i like the bu speed control better, the dash and controls better, illusion x tower, creature comforts, stock four blade prop, bow ballst built in bellow floor tanks x4, gel lines and cosmetics again thats personal preference. the vlx all in all is more roomy because its a wider beam. i like the higher free board. i will tell you one other reason i sold the sanger and im being totally honest here, i was sick and tiered of RED. that color is so hard to keep clean. sounds lame but i would spend hours under that boat. just ask the new owner, you could not find one water spot. so would i buy another sanger? absolutly. i was vary happy with it. will the price tag be smaller for you? yes but there are so many varibles with this discussion. what boat do you want? its your boat. do you have to buy brand new? is your bugget to the dime? have you been out to demo a 215 and a new vlx, v25 hull? you will be suprised how fast that 215 price goes up as you ad your options. but if your not worried about bling and you order a sanger leave the bling off that is standard with a bu. also you have an older vlx coorect? do you love that wake or want a change? have you thought about a v ride? less bling, your old hull, i believe someone correct me if im wrong there, and a smaller price tag. but if your going to order a 215 make sure you at least have pp, black scorpion, tripple ballest and for tower options well it sounds like you get a choice now, i was very happy with the pro flight chubby, great tower and great head room, very little vibration and shaking. thats all i got for ya brotha its up to you, get out and demo and here a couple pics you decide if a sanger cant bling because i know mine did. feel free to shoot me a pm if you have any questions. lates

she looks like bling to me

and my new baby, good luck, you wont go wrong either way.

Sanger, California? LOL. Try Fresno, California

they started in Sanger but moved to Fresno many many years ago. Its maybe 25 min drive.

Hey Bryan,
Thanks for your opinions. It was really helpful. I guess I'm looking for a steeper wake. I rode on a buddy;s Sanger and that wake was steep and big. I am doing my best to demo both before I decide but your input is really helping. Is the new VLX's wake steeper? My wake on my bu is thick and rampy but I prefer steeper. Let me know.

no problem RJ, here is the deal and remember this is all IMO. the stock vlx will be thicker, by that im talking about the top part of the wake, the lip. its like the vlx wake lips up and then squares off, it looks like the water level steps up and from wake to wake looks like a big table top. the wake has less of a troff and stands up quick. and when you hit it, it hits back and hard. the v215 when weighted correctly is completely different. it has a big troff and feels like you roll into the wake. then it ramps out more like a skateboard launch ramp. its smooth all the way up. the lip is well defined but as the wake grows in size from displacement from weight it tends to thin out. i does not have the backing behind the lip at larger size. it does not feel as steep. it does not punch you in the air like the vlx its more of a smooth launch. by no means does the v215 wake cave in on the lip, its solid, just different. now when you add the bow ballest and power wedge to the vlx you basically add about 4 inches of vert to the top of the lip and make it steeper and thicker. to some it up the vlx wake is extremely steeper and thicker.

i was just wondering have you thought about the v210. this will open a whole other can of wakes here but if we can get some 210 owners to chime in here you might like what they say about the wake. smaller boat, small price and all the wake to back it up. when the v210 is weighted right it throws massive steep lippy wake. i will get some wake pics up in a couple days i lost most of them transfering them from yahoo to photo bucket. if you can, ride behind all these boats i.e. v215, v210, vlx, v ride. figure out if price makes the final decision. its tuff to know the potential of the v210 without the weight but if your buying a boat tell them to sack it out

Don't mean to ruffle your feathers Bryan, but the Sanger looks slicker IMHO than the new ride. Don't get me wrong the Malibu looks great, but your Sanger looked SICK!

I bet when Bryan's done with the new ride it's gonna look way sicker than his old Sanger.

I have 500hrs experience in and behind the V210 so here is my take on it. IME the V210 has a longish tranny and builds to a steep but thin-ish lip, when you cut up it you pop high but if you try to cut through it you will punch the lip out. Its a very nice efficient wake which grows tall with relatively small amounts of weight but lacks the bulk and volume of bigger boats like the VLX or X-star. The V210 uses about 1/2 the of gas compared to a similar sized (but not thickness) VLX wake. The VLX wake can be ultimately be built bigger if you are willing to slam it down and pay the running costs associated. Don't get me wrong the V210's wake is the real deal but when you are wanting stupidly big and are willing to pay $$$ for gas you cannot beat the VLX or X-star IMO. Here are some pics of the V210 loaded up, these pics are running around 1800-2000 pounds of ballast which is all hidden and automatic. You can see in the pics that the V210 wake peaks up both inside and out and does not possess the "table top" style wake which the VLX and X-star has. It is especially visible on the side view with the back roll. For this reason it makes the wake more efficient because you are displacing less water in total but can build a much taller wake than a table top style wake of the same volume, the down side is the crest of the wake is much thinner. Maybe I have over analyzed these things but that my honest take on it.

Hey Darren,
Thanks for the pix and info. Have you ridden behind the V215 and how does it compare to yours? You look like you have a real good wake going on.

BU deff. more bling. Im v215 owner. Love the mailbu but didnt want to sponsor anybody. Malibu& Mastercraft give away a lot of boats who do you think is paying for that. Im shootin you a pic all 3 ballasts empty w/ 2 chicks on board 18mph. Im not sure how much more wake one really needs...

I like

Hi RJ, No haven't had the pleasure of the V215. I hear its a bit rampier and thicker than the V210 but I do bow weight the V210 as much as possible to mellow it out cause I prefer to cut in hard and land in the flats where possible.

I have had my 215 for 2 seasons now, and I couldn't be any happier. To me, the wake is perfect. Sure it doesn't have the bling of some other boats, but it is a very comfortable boat. I am in the process of plumbing in some sacs in addition to the rear tanks to add another 500 or so pounds quick and easy. Here is a pic of the wake with an addition 600 lbs in the boat and 3 people on board. Keep in mind I am 6'4".

darren, i think you explained it perfect. but i think we might have old rj's wheels spinning just a bit now. your description of the v210 was to the "t". great point about fuel econ just filled the vlx for the first time today and just shy of 150 bones later she was full. i dont have a great comp to the sanger in fuel yet, still breakin in you know. but i have to say my v215 with with an avg 2000+ running the black scorp might not be that different than the new vlx loaded with wedge down. the boats are similar in weight, time and my wallet will only tell. but your correct about the 210 with less displacment and burnng less fuel. nice pics btw and great looking wake. we need chas for team neptunes to chime in about his old v210 here, he has some great info and im sure hes got pics.

now you guys have me really confused!

lets try and smooth this out for ya RJ.

#1. wake is the priority, correct? so this means take your time and ride behind every boat you are intrested in.

#2. size and room? how big is your crew, ow much room do you need? smaller boat = smaller price.

#3 what options do you want? this will affect the cost greatly.

#4. try and find a closeout deal on a 07, believe it or not you can still find some 06 sangers, new out there.

#5. what is your total buget for your boat? tell us more about you, and your style and we can give you our best opinions. but remember its your choice and your boat and between the 2 or 3 boats your looking at here you will be happy no matter what.

One of the best things about the Sanger's is that when it is time to go home across a rough lake you don't need a kidney belt. My 210 was one of the best riding boats I have had.
As far as the wake goes, it does not take much to make it a solid ride. Even with a lot of weight in the boat it will still out perform most of the boats on the water.
Try and demo each boat, figure out how much room you need and if the bling factors in to what you are looking for.

Good luck

18 MPH is awfull slow. That wake would look tiny at the speed most ride at.

I am itching this close to the 215. It seems to have everything I want. Still confused but that is how i am leaning. Thanks for all you guys help.

Demo both on the same day and you'll know by the end of that day which boat. Each one is a great boat but you need to find out for yourself, we can't make that decision for you unless you are willing to leave it at our house/s so we can use it too..

Just Demo this weekend and post pics of your decision.!!

The indemar engine has a 3 year warranty but I am being told the mercruiser only has a 2 year warranty. Why is that? Just seems strange. I will demo and was leaning toward Sanger till I got this info. Might make a difference.

not sure, I believe mine came with 3 year, but I know I got the additional 5 year's (cover's everything)for just under $900 extra. But this was also 3 years ago next month..

(Message edited by ghostrider_2 on August 22, 2007)

Rj just get the extended warranty

Yeah buy an extended warranty for under a grand and your still 14k ahead. The Mercruiser is cheaper to run and maintain than the Indmar it only needs regular unleaded and has 100 hour oil change interveles with Mercruiser synthetic. I change mine more frequently, an ounce of prevention and all.

I have never rated Mercruiser before, but my Sanger experience has been great. I have one small issue with a random hesitation but the motor is so strong down low & uses such low levels of gas I am overall stoked with it. 500hrs and counting, this bad boys just gets better and better

our old boat had a mercruiser in it, and one thing i have noticed about the indemar is it runs a lot quieter.

RJ, you've got a boat thread with no bashing (very rare) so you must be looking at a couple of good boats. They sell 10 times the bu's they do Sangers so who chimed in? The people who love their boats. I'm a Sanger owner too so take my bias but I would have thought more Malibu owners would respond. Your test drives/rides will decide for you. Enjoy!

well art, i dont think you will find anyone out there that will bash on sanger. they are a great boat at a great price. now turn this into the old malibu mc thread or a cc vrs mc thread and let the bashing begin. sanger is like the younger brother even though they have been building boats longer than most. now when there price tag catches up with the rest big dawgs you might see people get defensive. "you wont go wrong with a sanger."

***THIS IS NOT BASHING OR DEGRADING TO EITHER BOAT***


BUT, I don't think a Bu VLX is a very good comparison to a Sanger. I think a V-ride or Mobius would more be on Par as a competitor to Sanger.

It is like comparing a Infiniti to a Nissan.

Both may be in the same quality wise but one goes the extra mile with better leather, more creature comforts and better bling. May be the V-Ride would be a better comparison to a Sanger?

With that being said No you are not taking a step down.

What about the dealers? This is very important because time and time again a non-working boat that is in the shop is worthless. Which one has the better reputation? Which one has been around longer? Do they service there own or Sub-out? Has anyone gotten any industry awards? If you break down how quick can you be on the water?

Remember that after the sale is just as important as before the sale. You should be treated to same too.

If you read my original post I have a WS VLX but it is 4 years old. THe V-Ride is doesn't seeem to compare to my boat I have now. The Sanger seemed like a good fit. Maybe I should just keep what I have. I don't know. I was getting a lot of good feedback earlier. Really confused and am not adding V-Riide in. Have you been in a sanger James? Or Ridden behind.
Thanks

keep your boat , why would you get a new one ? is yours broke?

RJ, james was just throughing the v ride out there as a price compairison boat, witch in turn is the same hull as your old vlx. i mentioned this early in the thread. it is the malibu version of say the mc x1. a price ponit type boat. what they did is took a great boat, hull, removed the bling and the company is able to drop the price.

but here nor there this will be a dead end thread with nothing solved if we dont get on back on track.

you have 2 boats you like, v215 and the vlx. you have heard alot of what people have to say on here. im sure you have done your homework. did you demo both boats yet? if and when you demo the boats keep price out of your mind. make that a factor after you get a feel for both boats. its hard to do but it is the only way to not be biassed with your feeling of the boat. and since where on price again and we have been talking about a vlx im sure you want a loaded boat so that puts the sanger just under the vlx price tag anyway. let us know when you have demoed these boats and tells your questions, comments and concerns.

buy the way are you planning on buying asap? just figure out what boat you like the best and work the rest out later. once you hit 50k who cares its just another couple bucks a month after that.

RJ, I have had Both Boats, Sanger and now I have the malibu VTX. Both boats are good but it depends on what you want. The sanger and the malibu have good wake.the malibu is better for wakesurf and IMO my malibu handles better in the rough. The other reason I went with malibu is when I get the Boat everything I wanted was on the Boat from malibu so if I do have a problem I only go to one place to have it repaired on my sanger I had the accessories put on, like perfect pass, depth finder, Bimini,and then my malibu came with features that I could not get with my Sanger. You can't go wrong with either Boat. Good luck

i liked how the sanger handled and loved the wake. i loved how plush the vlx felt inside, liked how it handled though it felt like the sanger did better in chop. I really liked the VLX wake. I love how they both look but the Sanger had a really nice 20 inch trailer but that doesn't really matter I guess. All in All it's a $7-10,000 difference. I guess I really just need to figure out which I really LOVED best. This would be my 3rd BU and everytime I have thought that I should have got the Sanger. I am just an idiot who can't make up his mind. Thanks to all!

Buyers discourse always happens.

Yes I have been behind/demo'd both I really got a bad vibe from the dealers and ended up with a different boat. Brian was right, I was just giving example price wise.

20 inch tires??? Remember that lowpros are cool and all buy they are NOT and never will be good trailer tires. They are made totally different than normal tires and made differently
See link: http://www.trailertires.com/

What about the dealers and their service departments?

What dealer are you looking at?

I don't want to name dealer but it is in central california. I see you are a dealer. What kind of boats do you sell? Any input on getting larger tires on the trailer?

rj, just sent you a pm.

Bryan,
Sent you one back. Thanks.

in light to having 20's on a trailer its up to you. i had them on my last trailer and before i bought the boat i had them take them off and put a standard trailer wheel and tire on and saved me almost a 1k. if you dont tow your boat long distance and want the extra bling they look sick. but if you tow your boat through the middle of california that is a difficult and exspencive spear to replace. blow out on a 20 inch wheel on the freeway and kiss the $250 rim goodbye. tell him to take the wheels off and drop the price. just look up the wheels on line and find the price then tell him how much off you want. keep us updated.

I just go locally mostly but 1 week a year will make a 3 hour trip to my favorite lake. other wise it is about 50 mile round trip to my local lake.

Go get the Sanger, the extra money you save you can bring it to our shop and let us bling it out

couldn't help myself

buluvr, sent you a pm as well

Eric,
Just sent you a pm back.

The 20's look great but it is tougher to launch the boat. Also the spare tire is expensive and the smaller spare may not work well for a long distance.

Saving 10k and you like both boats equally!? Is there any real question here? Give the Sanger a run if you have had misgivings the last couple times you bought the Bu and see if you're as happy as all the other Sanger owners. Kick the 20's I wouldn't go over 18's on a trailer so you can keep a good size side wall. Good luck RJ I know making a large purchase can be tough but have some fun with it.

My first post....

RJ, First I have to congratulate all the people that commented on this thread for not being biased but instead adding value in helping RJ's decision.
RJ, I own an 07 V-215 purchased in April with over 50hrs to date. We love the boat and could not be more pleased with it. The V-215 does everything we want and has exceeded our expectations.
Look here..http://www.wakesiderides.com/rides/index.php?page=out&id=2743

IMO - both are very nice boats, but any "benefits" over your current 4 yr old VLX are not worth the additional cost / payment / hassle. Neither are significantly better than your 4 yr old VLX in any way.

Listen to Trace.....The 2003-4 Hull was very nice. IMO, one of the best wake producing hulls weighted properly.

Save your money, get the boat professionally detailed, add a 600 pound sac for the nose and buy the wife a ring.

Keep the boat.