Does Tigé measure up?
 

I know that you get quality with Nautique, Supra, Malibu & Marercraft. But how does Tigé measure up to the competition? Mostly in regards to affordability & dependability of a wakeboard boat in the 30k range.

Flame on

If you are looking for a old hull, and I am assuming wakesurf? Since that is usually why people look for an old tige, they are solid. My favorite older hulls for wakesurfing are

tige 22v or ve
tige 24v ro ve

Malibu 237

Nautique SAN 230

You will have to go back to mid 2000s or so to keep it under 30k.

An interesting thing I noticed on Tige this year at the boat show- They have also now dumped medallion and switched to Murphy electronics. Smart move for them, and that switch will make a huge difference on reliability and function of the touchscreen and electronics. I believe that only leaves Malibu as the last holdout for Medallion. Every single other wakeboat company has made the switch to Murphy now.

Not that it makes a difference for the OP on the older ones......

You will have to go back to mid 2000s or so to keep it under 30k.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, that helps. I've noticed a lot of 02-06 Supra & Moomba for the price in looking to pay & only a few Tigé. While I do prefer certain brands over others, I'd rather get the best wake for my money.

Simply not true. Both suppliers have their share of issues. Both are considered equally reliable. Medallion's system is much more intuitive. No comparison between Malibu and a CC or MC or Tige in terms of ease of use. I've had a new Malibu every year since 2013 without a screen issue.

If the Supra or Moomba catch your eye look at 2006 or newer. In that price range I would rather have a Supra.

Well, lets look at the evidence as I know it-

1- While you might be one of the lucky ones, screen failure is the #1 failure complaint on TMC. And this isn't even just by a little bit. It is a Major problem, and has been for years. I had huge issues, and both of my friends with Bu's have replaced their screens multiple times. (one is a '15, and one is a '16)

2- MC used medallion up to 2012, and had so many issues, that they ended up buying a lot of boats back (my 2012 X25 included), and immediately switched to Murphy for 2013. They have not had an issue since.

3- According to the Tige factory rep that was sent to all NE shows, they were also tired of the high failure rate, and decided to switch.

4- Undisputable Fact- EVERY other company has ditched them. And they all used to use them.

5- I owned a 23 LSV, and after the third screen replacement, and still having issues, I had to sell the boat with a big asterisk on a statement about how the touchscreen system didn't function appropriately. Malibu just let it slide, and didn't offer any help. At least MC owned up to their issue, and replaced my boat with a Murphy equipped unit.

6- When you have companies, and dealers, building an add on system, so that you can start your boat and drive it back to the dock when your screen fails......... don't you think that suggests something. Luckily, Malibu has started putting that system in from the factory now, as a back up. How long has Nautique been using a keyless ignition??? And how many people on PN complaining that their boat wont start?? Im not sure I have ever seen a mention of the system failing and leaving someone stranded.



Yes, there are still some failures on Murphy screens once in a while. But check TT, PN, Supra forums, etc., and see how many complaints there are......

There are lots of things that are great about a Malibu, and there are designs and components on Malibu's that are better than some of the designs/components on the competition. The touchscreen system is NOT one of them. Not even close. It is a well known weak spot in their reliability, and a constant issue among owners. There are threads upon threads upon threads relating to this on TMC....... Just like there used to be on TT before the switch.

As of right now, half of the electronics in a Bu are now Murphy. (Every engine manufacturer has also switched to murphy for engine control. So the Indmar and PCM ECU's in Malibu and Axis, as well as Zero Off system, is already Murphy.......Im betting rest will be very soon.... Heck, the new TXi is the first in line, and already has a Murphy screen.


As for the intuitiveness- That is purely the design and layout from the boat company. I'll definitely admit that Malibu did a great job with that. I was not impressed at all with the earlier LINC II System in my G's, and even the newer ones are not quite as good.

How would you answer the OPs 30k question?

To the OPs opening point. Given the MSRP spread at the time of initial retail, There is still going to be some price difference in the secondary market. So, if you are looking at boats in the 30K range, odds are the tige is going to be the newer of the 3, maybe the largest, lesser of hour or maybe the better optioned, compared to the "big 3". Is this good or bad? its neither IMO, you're just seeing the price difference thats been there from the beginning.

Funny thing about boats, is how much they are all alike. Many use the same materials, similar build processes, same engines, v-drives and transmissions. Same helm system, stereos, pumps, etc.

I would not hesitate to own a used 30K range boats from any of those brand you mentioned. Ignore the brand name and look at each boat for what it is. You'll know if that individual boat is worth the asking/agree upon sales price. Regardless of brand, they can all be well taken care of as well as they can all be abused. Brand name does not make one immune to neglect.

Fair question. I don't know enough about older Tige's to comment.

my apologies to the OP.

a few more boats to include on the list, but with some caveats. I am assuming you are looking for a boat for wakesurfing at least half the time, and honestly, that is all I am good for as far as knowledge. ;-)

1. The MB B-52. I just forgot this one, but this boat was a great surf boat.
2. Sangers, like the 215 or 230. I don't usually include these because they don't have a lot of freeboard, but def in that price range.
3. Centurion Avalanche, same as 2, great wave, not much freeboard.
4. Centurion Enzos, may be harder to find in that price and I don't usually include because they favor one side.

$100 Asymmetrical Wakeplate mod makes the goofy side surf as good (better on mine) as the natural side.

A agree with Ragboy. Aside from Tige they are the best older boats for surfing. I'd put the Enzo and the Tige 22V at the tippy top of that list.

@Eric...Tige switched to the Murphy based system in 2015, so they are 4 model years into it by now. I'm not sure on other brands, but in Tige the Murphy system has been way better from what I have seen and read.

^ oh, gotcha. I’m not very up to date on Tige, but checked them out and chatted with the factory rep a little at the boat show this year. Either way, Good move on their part.

All it takes is a little boat driving skill to keep a Sanger dry. I run an ass load of weight in my 230 and stay dry all day. Say no to power turns!

This video gives a fair representation of the boat buying process and what brand you should pick...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjQb...ature=youtu.be

@Eric & OP, take a look ^^. The video should explain everything. Some owners love the Tige so much, they get the logo tattooed on them.

Yup...

Well, what did I just watch? I think that was the marketing version of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Thats hilarious. Heaven forbid someone does a spoof or something silly. Humor lost on most people these days.

That was really good

Like the video says Tige is the only way! I love that video, made my day the first time I watched it.

But seriously it’s gonba be hard to find s better surfing boat than a 22v or ve

So I have a 2001 2100 V That I have owned from new. I put 600 LBS in the rear locker and 600 in the walk to surf and the surf wake is incredible for a boat of this generation. it's got a good ramp, it's long and very easy to surf. We ride with the taps at 5 and perfect pass at 12.2.
Wake boarding, we run 500 in each rear locker and 600 in the walk- solid wave, ramp is good and I pull some very good riders. 23-24.5 MPH all is good.

I can speak on the mid-2000's Tige's. I own a 2005 Tige 24V and paid a price that is right at the top of your range. Back then ballast was an option because wakesurfing wasn't a thing yet and Tige was all about their taps system, marketing it as a ballast alternative. But in reality the ballast systems in the early 200's sucked anyway so you are better off plumbing in your own system. That is what I did at a cost of around $1,000 and a couple of weekends.

The 24V or VE is a surf monster! Lots of freeboard and handles weight very well. I load the boat with 3,000 lbs and as many as 6 people and the boat can still handle some chop on Lake Havasu AZ on weekends. As with any boat the wake takes some time to dial in but once you get the weighting, taps, and people situated the waves are massive and very clean.

The wakeboard wakes are okay but the wakeboard wake tens to wash out with a lot or rear weight. I run 500lbs in the bow and no rear weight. The wakes are clean and big with plenty of pop but are a little on the steep side. If one is looking to primarily wakeboard I wouldn't recommend the 24V.

Fit and finish on the Tige's are good overall but I can say that my friends Nautique from the same time period does seem a bit tighter. That being said, to pay $30k for a v-drive boat with Perfect pass, 380HP, and that can seat 16 people - it can't beat it IMO. The only draw back I have is the interior on my 05 wasn't in the greatest shape. I am the third owner of the boat so perhaps the interior wasn't well taken care of or perhaps the Vinyl is not as good of quality as a comparable year Nautique or Malibu. I have heard from some people that Tige vinyl from this time period isn't as good of quality as other manufactures.

The other thing I will say about Tige, not related to boat quality, is that Tige owners are a very tight community nationwide, with excellent dealer support and manufacture support. This has proved to be very valuable to me. As with any boat over 10 years old there are bound to be a few mechanical issues. I have had nothing but success in dealing with mechanical problems, purchasing all of my ballast equipment from a fellow TO owner, DIY installing my ballast system, etc. by using the forums on Tigeowners.com and we actually have our west coast regatta coming up soon. We also get Tige owners form the east coast and other part of the country that attend. In 2016 one of the owners of Tige boats from TX also attended.

Hope this helps,
Kyle

Tige Tramp stamp? Awesome!

would love vh1 to do a "where are they now?" story on this guy