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B52V Team Widebody vs. Malibu VTX


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I am posting this review here for any future prospective MB Boat buyers (and to make sure it doesn\'t get lost/deleted)

 

This is a review done by IXFE on WakeWorld.com. He was a first time boat buyer and did a extremely thorough comparison of the MB Sports B52V Team Widebody and the Malibu VTX. Here is the results....

 

MB B52 TWB

 

INTRO: Prior to today, I had only seen this boat at the show. In the real world, it was every bit as stunning. This is the exact one I saw at the show. I\'ve always thought that white boats are boring... not this one! When I walked up to the dealer this morning and saw it ready to go, I almost melted with excitement. It even has a white, powedercoated tower!

 

SIZE: This boat feels soooo much bigger than it actually is. Some boats make the cockpit big by shrinking the bow (e.g. Calabria). This boat has both a HUGE cockpit and a HUGE bow. And it\'s only a 21\' 0\" foot boat. This was done by shrinking the sun pad. I think this is a good trade off. The 100\" beam is well used... narrow gunnels and the top deck comes straight up from the rub rail so almost all of that wide beam is usable on the inside. This boat is bigger inside that the B52 23\' boat. It also very tall. You sit high above of the water, and it feels deep inside.

 

INTERIOR: The fit an finish is superb. I really like the simple, clean design... not near as fussy looking as a Malibu or Supra with all their extra trim pieces and swooping lines. Stainless is used tastefully throughout (dash, speaker grills, cup holder, etc.). This interior is very understated, yet the materials used are all very thick and heavy. It\'s just a very simple, elegant design.

 

FEATURES: The list of standard features is amazing: Zero Off, Two batteries on a switch, Clarion marine head unit with four cabin speakers, sub, and two amps... there is enough power to run tower speakers w/out more amps. Also heater, tower mounted mirror, LED lights everywhere inside the boat, tandem axle trailer with integrated straps, brakes, LED brake lights, and fully boxed rails. The tower raises and lowers easily with one person. And how could I forget PCM 343hp motor... that\'s the base engine. This is a lot more than you get standard on a Bu.

 

DRIVE: What can I say, it drives great... as expected. Lots of power. It launches and plains quickly. The throttle is drive-by-wire. Zero Off is a very slick system... easy to use and GPS.

 

WAKE: I am a bit of rookie, but it looked HUGE. I have pics to prove it. It will take me years to grow into that wake.

 

FAVORITES: I like a lot about this boat, but my favorite features are the cut out transom step/seat and the rear facing seat back just behind the drivers seat. These make the boat feel special as not many v-drives have this and those that do are several feet longer or lots more money.

 

DISLIKES: About the only thing I can find wrong is that I don\'t like how the rear locker doors do not have a hydrolic shock to keep them from slamming closed. This is because those doors are hinged to the engine cover. Still it\'s only a matter of time before somebody\'s fingers get slammed in there. size=768http://mbboatowners.com/images/fbfiles/images/1-4b05110a16adbd26ba054aa023b71761.jpg[/img]

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Here is his review on the VTX

 

Malibu Wakesetter VTX

 

INTRO: I walked up to this boat just moments after leaving the MB. Like all Malibus, it\'s a great looking boat. This particular boat is not one of the new leftovers I\'ve been contemplating (those are out of state). This is a local used \'07 with Wake hull and 65 hours. Unlike the leftovers, this one has bow ballast.

 

SIZE: Everybody says this boat is BIG for a 20\' boat. That may be so, but it felt small after being in the MB... both the cockpit and the bow. This boat is a foot shorter, but felt like 3\' shorter. Also, the 98\" beam is not as well used... the VTX felt more than just 2\" narrower. With that said, It would be fine for my young family. It feels deep inside, but closer to the water, if that makes sense.

 

INTERIOR: You\'ve all been in a Bu, so you know what they are like... soft, deep seats. Lots of chrome, etc. The look is much busier than the MB. I did not like the LED display in the dash. I kept pushing buttons trying to figure out how to find the depth meter, but nothing happened. I couldn\'t figure it out. I\'m sure I\'d get the hang of it, but I don\'t like how you can only see one thing at a time on that screen. When I did find depth, that\'s all I got. What if I want to monitor more than one thing at a time... more pushing buttons that don\'t like me.

 

FEATURES: This particular boat has Monsoon, Star Gazer, bow ballast, heater, and basic factory stereo. But no dual batteries, no amps, no sub, tower mirror, etc.

 

DRIVE: This is where the VTX shines. It drives GREAT! Very quick and responsive. I think it held a very slight edge here over the MB... it\'s a smaller boat so that might be expected. It also plains almost immediately.

 

WAKE: Looked very nice, and for sure plenty for me and my young crew. But for you hard core folks, it was not as big as the MB, even with all tanks full and wedge down. Even a newbie like me could see that. Also, I didn\'t think the wake at 32mph was all that flat, but this did have the Wake hull, not Cut Diamond.

 

FAVORITES: Quick acceleration and tight handling.

 

DISLIKES: Ballast took a long time to fill, but I started the day with Pure Vert, so I had been spoiled. Also, don\'t flame me, but the wedge is a pain. It feels like just one more thing to remember and fuss with. size=768http://mbboatowners.com/images/fbfiles/images/1-9b128923e3689da9f90d5701f6c42743.jpg[/img]

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Now let\'s compare the wakes.

 

Each picture has a tag indicating the speed, ballast, etc.

 

Also, I have mixed B52 TWB and VTX pics together so it\'s easier to compare. Each set of pics will have one from each boat (MB listed first).

 

Finally, I won\'t make comments. That\'s for you guys!

 

Slalom Ski Wake

 

B52V Team Widebody size=768http://mbboatowners.com/images/fbfiles/images/1-22a1a09b3b8e7f7fd9439b4f16bae072.jpg[/img]

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