Malibu Sportster...need advice

I am having serious pre-purchase jitters on spending 40k on an X7 as my first inboard...and ran across a deal on a brand new Malibu Sportster with the wedge and standard options.

Anyway, its a six hour drive to the dealer, but he will let it go for around 22k.

So, either spend 22k and be in an inboard with cash left over for everything else or splurge and go with the X7 for twice that amount with about 60 hours on it.

Keep in mind that it will be used for typical family stuff as much as wakeboarding, and that having a ton of people in it isnt a big deal...I have a pontoon boat sitting right next to it for that.

Anyone know anything about the Sportster open bow? Is that a great deal on it (again, brand new boat).

Thanks in advance...again....

take the sportster, we had on and it was great. the wake will be a little small, but it will work. it really depends on what you are going to use it for. for the money it's a good all around boat

hey robert,
that is a pretty good price for a new sportster with wedge and "standard" options? does that include a trailer and fuel injection?
our neighbor down the street has the sportster lx and seems to be pretty happy. he is a die hard skier but has recently installed a tower and wb perfect pass for riding. however, he does complain about the open bow having no walk through, very limited storage and how the freeboard (height to waterline) is extremely low in those boats. with passengers in the front and rear the boat sits very low in the water and he tells me time and time again how interior items get soaked constantly. i know you had concerns with the kids riding in the bow, and the seat configuration for the lx is a bench that faces forward ahead of the windscreen. not easily accessible with only the windshield folding open.
for a first inboard though, it would probably be the best route price wise and for and introduction to direct drives. with some finesse and practice you will be able to drive that boat with confidence in any conditions.
that is also a really good deal for a new malibu?
there were some threads awhile back regarding the sportster and people seem to be content about the wakes when properly weighted. more of a slalom boat imo, but add a tower and some riders with the wedge down and intermediates will enjoy. sounds like what you were looking for...
good luck!

Yea, its really strange how cheap it is. Yes, that is with a trailer (Malibu brand).

To tell you the truth, I kind of like the fact that it doesn't have a walk through. I wont be putting people up front often at all, and we use our boat very often just cruising at night so the lack of wind is a very good thing.

From my research, its smaller but not inferior quality to the other Malibu's. Also, from what i have heard, its screaming fast for an inboard...top of the charts on top speed and 0-30mph. HP to weight ratio I guess.

I am sure I will buy a new boat in a year or two, but at this price I don't see how I could loose on resale. I would hate to teach all my friends, wife, and kids how to dock an inboard with a 50k boat

Oh, and I assume it is fuel injected, its the standard malibu engine...I didn't think anyone sold new boats without...do they?

actually, i have seen quite a few sportster's equipped with the 310 carb as the base engine? might double check with your dealer?
either way, that is a screaming deal and the open bow set up sounds ideal for your application. i couldn't think of a better way for you to get into a (new) direct drive for that low on the money. get it while it lasts and upgrade when you're ready. for that price, you are bound to recoup a lot of that investment within then next 2-3 years anyway. and remember, the two happiest days of your life are when you get your "new" boat and when you finally sell your "new" boat...

I have a 1996 Malibu Tantrum and it's the same hull design. I bought my boat new and since have had the interior cusomized, new tribal graphics, tower and racks, and a wakezilla ballast systems. puts up a nice steap wake. It's a great boat. We foot and wakeboard mainly. My boat is not an open bow. I wish it was, but it's a great boat. I have friends with other open bow wakeboard boats that are much bigger, but for the money, my bu is a great boat.