Can anyone help me decide which boat to purchase?

My wife have been looking to buy a boat for the family. She wants a boat that is for wakeboarding as well as enough room to have great days at the lake. We have been going around to different dealers and our heads are spinning. We have looked at the Centurion Avalanche, Enzo, Malibu LSV23, Calabria Pro-V and Nautique. The Nautique was nice but more than I want to spend as we would have to get the 226 to get some room as the 210 and 211 were too small. Each dealer bad mouths the other dealers so we are at a loss. Hopefully we can get some answers here.

thanks,

Michael

Look at everything, narrow down the list to the one's with the features you like, test drive those. If you don't know much about boats, take someone that does with you on the test drive. Drive with and without boarders behind, with and without weight, and board behind it as well. Always take what dealers say with a grain of salt. Some of them are tools. IMO, Nautique, Malibu, MC in that order. Tighter budget, Calabria prov, Sanger, maybe the supras and Moombas (late model only). Simply my opinion, you may find otherwise. I would check out as many diffrent boats as possible. I have driven bad boats by all these builders, other than Nautique and I have owned a Malibu (7 awesome, flawless years).

I own none of these brands. I would HIGHLY recommend my brand, but no dealers out west anymore (because most of them were tools).

Jeff,

thanks. We loved the Enzo when we took it out but it seems as if all dealers and some of my neihbors seem to trash them. Saw the Mailbu LSV and loved that. My son liked the ride and it seemed to not be as load as the Enzo. The dealer said it was because of how MU's are made vs the Centurion but I really don't know. The Calabria is our least favorite (looks wise) but we don't want to judge just on looks if it really is a solid boat but we don't know anyone who own's one.

thanks,

Michael

Don't forget to consider resale value and the quality of your dealer service department. If your favorite boat means working with a •••••• dealer, you won't have a good experience.

I owened an LSV. 760 hours, not one single problem. Now I own a MC X2, and so far it's been flawless also.

J-Rod,

thanks. I think that is why I keep leaning toward the Malibu (resale) as they seem to hold it better than the Centurion. The Exzo was a great boat though. Just wanted some thoughts of more experienced boaters on these boats.

Let me throw my opinion at you. I have an 05 Supra SSV and I love it. I haven't had any problems what so ever, lots of room to hang, and a great wake to ride. Priced very well too, with a great option list. My good friend has an 05 VLX and it is also a great boat. We spend about half our riding time behind my boat and his. Tons of room and lots of storage if you need it. Probably one of the best wakes that I have been on, including Super Air, X-Star, LSV, and just about anything else out there.

Dealers also play a big part in which boat to buy. I personally wouldn't purchase from someone that bad mouthed any other brand, competitor or not. Just not good business practice. Go with your feeling.

Jeff is absolutely right about driving, riding, weighting, everything. Take your time with it, and bring someone along that knows about boats and ask for thier opinion. Good luck.

The only reason I did not mention the Centurion is because I know 3 people with late model Centurions who have had nothing but problems. None of them have had any luck with the local dealer on warranty issues, and all three have ended up selling at a big loss in less then two years. Nearly every boat manufacture can have stories like this. Although never heard a bad issue with Sesson, although i'm a little biased (and they only sold 40 boats on the west coast in two years!) A very close friend has an MC 205V, late model. Hates it, bitches and complains about his boat everytime he drives anyone elses boat, and had issues that MC has not helped too much on. I do know people that have Centurions that love them.

Never listen to what other boat salesmen about other brands. Of course they are gonna tell you what it takes to make a sale. When I was shopping earlier in the summer, i was amazed at how the dealers bashed each other. Do your own research, make your own judgements.

I frankly think the malibu LSV and VLX are awesome. That was what i was gonna buy back in may, before I found an impossible deal on my boat (well below DEALER cost). Based on my last Malibu, it was really the only boat I was considering (looked hard at the X10 and X2, and the Super air). When I say 7 years no problems, it was absolutely nothing. Boat drove like the day I bought it, 7 years later. Resale was good, sold for about 6K less than what I paid. 7 years of use, 6,ooo bucks, well worth the cost

On a somewhat budget scale, I really like the Calabria. I drove a few late 90's Calabrias, and thought they were absolute garbage boats. My friend bought a Pro V last year, and I jumped up and down when he did, based on the garbage I had driven a few years prior. Well I went out a few times on his, and really liked it.

I would wait for the 06 MC's to show up. The X2 should be hot, and the x1 will be a screaming deal. Most people I know that have x2s really like them. I never met J Rod, but he's on the board alot, and loves his. Big Shizzle/ed went out for a few hours on my boat a few weeks back, and ed raved about his x2. My neighbor loves his x10.

I'm about 50-50 rec boating - wakeboard. Not the best judge of boats on a pure boarding. Injuries and excess weight last season and the year before have brought my boarding down to a pretty low level. A new baby, weekdays off, and moving cuts into time this year. (funny live about a mile from Orwood, but hardly ever get out) But I have owned a few boats, and have been skiing since I was 3, running shortline by 12, and logged many other hours in many boats. Best advise, drive everything, maybe numerous times. Don't listen to blow hard dealers. Like JRod said, look at resale and the service departments. In resale, Nautique, MC, and Malibu all do very well.

And remember to invite the guys that helped you out for a ride when you get your new boat! (Hint,hint,hint,hint) Most of us love breaking in a new ride. J Rod and I are somewhat local, and I think Brandon is west coast. I'd love to come check out Folsom. I rarely get out anywhere else being I'm so close to Orwood.

thanks. Hard to go by dealers as I live near Sac and they all bad mouth each other. The best dealer I have found was in Petaluma (Centurion). Jeff I think our family would be like yours. 50-50 wake and just haning out at the lake. We have a 2 year old and a 10 month old. Both liked the boats when we tested and my family is large and that was the reason for the bigger boat. My buddy tells me to wait until Jan at the boat shows as there is only a month or so in the season and then it's storage fee's for something I can't use. He says during the winter I could get a screaming deal, who knows.

I had to upgrade to a bigger boat when my daughter arrived, she's 10 months now like your youngest. Ski world down here in Pleasanton is a classy dealer, IMO much better than the MC dealer near you. Delta sport boat in Antioch is good if you wanna look at Sangers or Supra/moomba, I'd ask for Jody. He's been in the business a while, and has always seemed to be a pretty good guy. Barry Paulson up your way handled the deal on my Session. He's the only Regal dealer out this way, and handled a few of the Session closeouts before what was left of the two local dealers was trucked back to Florida. I dealt with Barry Jr., he seemed OK. He does Tige. He may also have a few Session's also, I know he has a new 03 XI. I highly recommend the session, but the 22XI is a completely impratical set up for your needs, you'd need an 22SI. I love mine.

Screaming deals can be had anytime of the year. Search, research, and be patient. My 97 Malibu, I paid almost 10K below list and bought in april 98. My Session, awesome deal and it was this last May. It was an 04, bought new in 05. Boat shows can be good also, I go every year just because I love boats.

Let me know if I can help in anyway.

my uncle just bought an air nautique SV211. Its a really nice boat with an awesome wake. It is a good size - 23 ft. and it would be a good choice for a big family.

everyone thanks. I found a screaming deal on the Malibu LSV 23 (05) loaded with every option but the speakers. It is $15K under MSRP. What do you all think?

I'm not sure what MSRP is, so... When I looked at the an 05 LSV, I was looking mid to high 40s with tandum trailer, tower, wedge, standard stereo. Pretty stripped, no MLS ballast, no perfect pass, racks, bimini. The only options I needed on top of that was perfect pass, board racks, and bimini. Ballast can be added pretty easy. Those are all absolutes in my book (the bimini is a must with small kids in my book).

I got the guy to the mid 40's with heater, hot/cold shower, bimini, perfect pass, ballast. Every option but tower speakers for a new 05 LSV.