The New 24 Ve'

[wrangler]

Cool...enjoy your shopping!

[Dan]

Just got back from Tige and checking the 24Ve again.

First off, it's sucks it's Nov and not April, I'm ready for summer after sitting in the boats.

A little back ground on me, I have a 98 Tige 22i that has been a great boat. I am buying a new boat this winter. I thought I was a done deal on a 24V or 24Ve, however I checked out the "competition" and did a bit more homework. I have narrowed it down to Tige and Malibu( sound familiar?) . I was very impressed by the Malibu, the interior in particular. I am looking at the 23 LSV. My main concern is the ride in chop, I am usually at Havasu or Mead and those who have been there when it's bad know why this is a concern. Have any of you driven the 23 LSV in real chop? Not crossing a few wakes chop but wind blown, high boat count on the lake type chop.

I have been following the posts on the comparison of the two brands and you all have made great points and brought up things I did not consider.

[johnbandrews]

Dan,

I know what you're going through! We're looking at the 24V and Malibu 247 LSV. I too, like the fit and finish of the Malibu, and I think the new ones are better in chop than the old ones, but I also know that in 2001, my Tige 23V was WAY better than my friend's 2001 Malibu 23LSV when the big winds and chop came up at Mead.

I really don't want to make a 60K - 70K mistake on this, as we're at Mead more than anywhere else. I'm also not too impressed with the bimini option on the Illusion X tower.

Have you test driven each boat yet? What are your thoughts on the Malibu bimini?

- John

[johnbandrews]

Oh yeah, and it sucks that it's November and not April. Counting the days ....

[wrangler]

Been there...

Dan...you are in the same spot I was a matter of months ago. I had the race narrowed down to the MB 23 footer, the Malibu 23 LSV and the Tige 24Ve. The day we did our demos on Lake Elsinore, it was wind blown and not as bad as Havasu on a bad day, but it was substantial chop. The ride was one of the substantial determining factors. The 24Ve cuts through the chop differently and much more comfortably than the Malibu. The deeper feel and freeboard in the Tige also made much more sense for taking my family out at Havasu as I do through out the season...

When the Malibu turns and crosses the wake akin to picking up a downed rider, there is that huge smash when you hit your own wake. My buddie's Malibu 21 footer does it and the new 23 that we demo'd felt the same way. It's better on the larger boat...but still hammers you... I hit the large wake from every angle I could think of to try and replicate the feel in the Tige and couldn't. The design of the v in the Tige does truly make it a more comfortable ride.

There is lots on the Malibu that we frankly liked better than the Tige...the way the seats hit you, the dash etc... But when you really get down to the very small details that make a difference...the Tige won out for us. We were altogether ready to go for the Malibu as our good friends have one and that is what our kids have been boarding behind other than our deck boat for the last several years.

The other huge issue for us was storage... The Tige has much more because you give up the entire bow storage areas in the Malibu for the ballast tank. If you go with the sunsetter package instead to get the storage back, then you are getting the other hull design and you are in for a rougher ride than in the wakesetter edition.

Dollar for dollar, the Tige seemed for us to be a better value. I am getting a very tricked out boat...cool stereo, tower etc...all the goodies that I wanted in a tow boat with a great wake and all the creature comforts that my family wanted. The MB and the Malibu both throw a little better wake than the Tige...not substantially better...but a little. Then you have to think about the ballast tanks, the storage you loose and the pumps you will ultimately replace etc... None of it a huge issue by itself...but worth thinking through in the broader landscape of your purchase.

One of the things we never liked about our friends boat was the lack of storage which constantly makes the boat full of stuff when the family is aboard. Towels, boards, soap, cooler...you name it and it's crammed in the boat and not in the storage areas... That was a huge seller for us in the Tige...lots and lots of storage. I confess that I am a recent convert with lots of brand loyalty going on right now...but I really tried to do my homework and make an objective decission based on good logic. Ultimately, it comes down to preferences and what makes sense for your family... Check out the posts from about page 16 on within the New 2006 Tige discussion and you will get more info on our purchasing process... We even measured the width of the seats...(one thing that we liked in the Malibu better...the seats are a little wider...).

Good luck on your shopping... I really enjoyed going through the process... And remember, we are in SoCal...the kids can throw on the wet suits and it's always summer on the inside! Just be sure to order a heater in your boat!!! wrangler

[wrangler]

Since John mentioned the Bimini...remember that you can get a 10 foot bimini on the 24Ve and I never even got the Malibu guys to consider such a thing... Just another .25 worth of thinking...

[Dan]

I agree, I do not like the bimini top on the Illusion X tower. IMO, it looks like an afterthought. Not too big of a deal for me however as I am leaning more toward the 23 LSV vs the 24 and I can get the TitanIII tower on the 23. I like the visibility of the Illusion but still have not warmed up to the looks yet. Guess I like the "traditional" tower look.

I will be driving the Tige 24 on Saturday with Tom (he sold me the 22i in 98). I was thinking of calling Chris at Malibu and having them bring their boats as well. Figured I could compare while both were fresh in my mind.

A few other observations after really looking at both boats that haven't been brought up.

Padding on the rear deck:

Malibu- Awesome! I know my girlfriend and her friends will love tanning on it. It has a ton of padding and I like the fact that it's flat. Great for sitting on while wake surfing or "coaching" newbies in the water.

Tige- Too thin and not big enough to lay out on comfortably. Also has an angle on it. The back step is great for getting ready to ride and I also could envision sitting in the transom step conversing with those on the step or in the water while having plenty of cold ones within reach.

Speaking of the swim step. I am a young(er) guy but come from the old school and for me, teak is the way to go. TIMELESS LOOK!

Malibu- With the Wedge, it seems that you would almost have to go with fiberglass or get underneath the step to engage it. Or spend the additional $1,000ish and get the power option. And the boat is already getting up there as it sits.

Tige- No problem with the teak. Looks great with any color combination or model.

One question I do have, has anyone had any experience or heard any feadback on Malibu's service dept? I have always been happy with Tige, in fact that is one of the main reasons I am looking at them again.

John, I am in the same boat(no pun intended) as you. Based on my last boat , I keep them for a while and don't want to make a mistake as well. Although, when you really look at it, they both are truly beautiful boats that I am sure no one would object to owning.

[wrangler]

You are going through the exact same thinking that we did...different needs and issues...but the same thinking...

The best thing in the world you can do is to do a head to head demo... Get the Malibu and the Tige out there one right after the other...they are used to doing it and sounded to us like they really like going head to head...same water conditions, same weather etc... You will have both rides fresh in your head...Schedule them right against one another so you hop out of one and into the other... We really learned a ton by doing this...

Enjoy!

[Dan]

Wrangler- I share your opinion of the seats 100% I too liked the way the seats "hit" you and how much wider the seats were. That was the first thing I compared when I went to Tige today.

As mentioned in previous posts, I like the positioning of the cupholders in the Malibu over the Tige.

Thanks for mentioning the rider down scenario, I will be sure to put both boats through this. I don't like this slapping you speak of!

Did either of you experience any water coming over the bow while idling or returning to a rider? I have dealt with this on my 22i forever, and although I have it down pat, novice drivers invariably will get a roller or two in the boat.

[wrangler]

Dan...we didn't get any water over the bow in either boat to speak of...just spray as a result of the wind etc... Nothing in the way of the rollers or wakes coming in... Both turn hard...despite one of the sales people telling me that the other wouldn't turn nearly as hard as the other... Try it for yourself...but I can tell you that both of these boats will spin like a bull and not slide or wash out the back. Both also drive very nice... Great pick-up and power bands... Unless you significantly upgrade the engine, the 340 hp motor in both boats does a pretty admirable job of getting up and going... Enjoy the demo and be sure to post a full report with pix!!! wrangler

[zeda]

"When the Malibu turns and crosses the wake akin to picking up a downed rider, there is that huge smash when you hit your own wake"

Sorry to chime in on such a silly issue, but this is one reason (not the only one) that lakes get choppy.....when the rider falls, whip around and slam through your wake, sending waves down your line and in all directions.

Proper way....rider falls, stop, turn around slowly inside your wake, and idle back to the rider....no more throwing waves about, creating choppy conditions. However, if your lake is really crowded, you may be forced to whip around to get the downed rider as quickly as possible for safety reasons.

Good luck with your decisions and I think you will be happy either way.

[CessnaCaptain]

Decision Made

I hated to do it. But I finally did. I went to MB and checked it out. The 247. Fit, finish, quality, and most of all it seams they actually thought about their boat. The kind of thought that comes from spending entire days on the lake using them. I am sold and plan on ordering my new boat on Jan 01, 2006. Sorry Tige this is goodbye as I felt your boat was built too cheaply and with little thought. As a reply to an earlier post, I don't want them to build a special boat just for me, I feel like we are all doing the same things and have the same issues. I love Tige' innovation but I expected more quality and more thought. Hope to see you in 10 yrs....expected time with new boat... Thanks everyone for all your help and ideas..... parties over...

[Zacky]

MB doesn't build the 247, Malibu does. Just though I would throw that out there for you...

[CessnaCaptain]

Sry.. I used MB as short for MB.

[wrangler]

Well...congrats...I know you will enjoy the 247...it's a very nice boat with lots of great features... Bon voyage...