'14 Redesigned Malibu 23LSV!
 

http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps5b820e5e.jpg
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http://www.waterskiamerica.com/pre_o...h=3393254&nv=y

The more things change the more things stay the same.......

Also why not use a 2piece instead of 3?

An amazing boat that just got better. Anxiously awaiting...

Here's a couple shots from our Regional meeting.

they finally ditched that hideous steering wheel, congrats!

but they went screen only on the dash which looks hideous so +1 -1 = 0

I like the new dash, but will miss the other steering wheel. I know a lot of people didn't like the aesthetics of it, but the feel of it was great. The new one certainly looks better.

I have always commended Malibu on their aesethics, but I feel the went backwards on this one. Dash is HUGE and right in your face. The first pic of the lean back seats the port side looks crooked. The arm rests look like an after thought. I do like Malibu's guys so please don't take this with a grain of salt and purely my opionion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder right.

Thank god they stayed with the 3 piece. One of the things I hate about mxz is the 2 piece. It's so much louder in the cabin than the 3 piece

Aesthetically it is nice. Was kind of expecting more though. Malibu has always had one of the nicest, plushest, most car like interiors. The dash, the stitching and the gauges always were top notch. It is a very nice boat, but would have expected more in appearance. Also finally they stole some ideas from Supra with the flip up rear view seats. Don't get me wrong, it is a very nice boat and I would own one, but just expected a little more...

Lots of good things going on there - the rear facing seats, the place for a hard side cooler, the surf seats on the back. HOWEVER, it is all cancelled out by that fugly dash and glovebox and the horrible new logo on the side.

I don't care how it performs, if I can't stand looking at the dash while driving or if the graphic looks misspelled or doesn't fit the lines of the boat, then I won't buy it....and I won't.

My next boat will either be a x10 or VLX (maybe change to last year's graphic).

Did they increase or decrease storage on the new design? Looks like a pain to get under that observers seat and with the rear facing seats I'm guessing there is no way to store boards under there? I do like the new rear facing seats. The bow looks a little small to have arm rests, but I'm sure they are a nice addition too.

They started putting the flip up seats in the 247 and the 24mxz in 2013

They increased the depth of storage, and put the batteries under the observer seat. That pad has always been a pain.

The 2014 23lsv I saw still had the batteries in the dry storage. They didnt move the batteries...

sick boat! i did like the gauges along with the screen..... more of my information right in front of me. drove a boat this weekend that didnt have it and it was so annoying searching for info.

love how deep it is! liked the old wheel..... im sure the new one will be so nice as well. flip seating and arm rests arent something i will use on my 2014 but im sure there are customers that will. new racks are rad.

cant wait to color one up.

When I get back to my computer I'll pull up the picture I have from the silver and blue boat. One battery is completely under the observer seat the other is a little less than half is. Just like it is in the 24mxz

What are you guys referring to here? 2 piece and 3 piece what? :confused:

Deck builds, tige is a 2 piece build, molded seat bases in the fiberglass, Malibu is a 3 pie ex with the seat bases being attached onto the fiberglass base and made from something other than fiberglass

Thats weird... The 23 I saw had the batteries in the original position. Would rather have them where they are in this pic, though, since it clears up some room in the dry storage area.

In my opinion, they were very careful to make too many changes with this boat - it being their number one seller for many, many years I think they made some subtle changes that do make sense. I can say that the pictures just don't do the boat justice as far as the new depth goes - it feels much larger than last years 23. Since 2009, I've had a VLX (08), 22MXZ, and 3 23's and the 23 is by far my favorite boat for so many reasons. My 2014 will be here in October ( I hope to get it out at least a couple times to put it through it's paces) and I'm eager to see if it lives up to it's predecessor, which I have no doubt that it will.

Me too, I was hoping for this. I hate my batteries in dry storage

LSV used to be one of the sweetest looking ships on the water, this is a step back. The Wakesetter logo on the side looks misspelled, the huge protruding glovebox looks like an afterthought, and that dash is why so many 2011 MC owners sold their boats. The bow looks small and really, do we still build 3-piece boats with all that exposed carpet? I hate all that carpet! What's under that carpet? Plywood?

Thanks for the clarification. Doesn't make sense to me that it would be louder with a 2 piece but I will take your word for it.

Those batteries look like an after thought!

Fiber glass resonates sound more than the plastic and carpet that is used for the seat bases. The mxz is significantly louder than the lsv

what do you guys mean by 2 and 3 piece?

Having been able to ride in the blue/silver boat, I can say I was impressed all around. For those who don't like the dash in photos, I can say it functions well and works from the driver's seat. It appears they have moved the touch command to the right to make it easier to use. The new wheel is what I prefer & like better but I know the old wheel has some fans. The flip up seats use a hinge and locking mechanism that is very familiar looking from the manual wedge which is very stout.

This boat has slight improvements all around without making a drastic change from a classic. If it's not broke, don't fix it, the changes on the new 23 LSV are subtle. Seeing the surf wave switch as fast as it did was something amazing. My phone was about dead, but I grabbed a couple quick videos similar to what you see at the end of the youtube video above which we posted last week on our facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/boulderboats?fref=ts

Same steering wheel as the new prostar?

http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/...8&d=1375892611

That is definitely the same steering wheel! They must use the same wheel mfr.

The dash and arm rests look like total after thoughts. Not digging those features at all.

That new glovebox and helm will cost some sales. What kind of finish is that on that door and around the guages - playdoh?

All I give a crap about is does it have a great wake and does it hold speed perfectly? The LSV has had the best hull in the industry since 04.

I really like the new windshield. I got a chance to talk with danny gasper a few weeks back. He was in the new 23,so i got a pretty good look at it and the best part was talking to him about the design. Super knowledgeable and nice guy to talk boats with. I liked everything i saw. Take something thats already great and keep making it better. Refinement at its finest.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Qv-yMDbcVHA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I hope the Dash and Glovebox come in black...

spoken like someone that doesn't have a wife and family that goes on the boat. For me and my family, if I am going to spend 85k on a boat, it better not have an interior that looks like a 1985 Yugo. It better look good, be comfortable, AND it needs to perform.

If just performance is all we really wanted then we would have only one seat, no carpet, no cooler, and no pretty vinyl.

For reference, here is a pic of x30 - one of the best looking interiors on the market, IN MY OPINION:


http://images.passionperformance.ca/...eressantes.jpg

You don't think that it's the carpet that acts as a sound deadener? My guess is that if they put the ugly carpet that is on the seat bases of the LSV in the MXZ, that it would act as a sound deadener. :D

Doesn't the carpet just hide all the plywood Malibu uses in their construction process? I doubt it's even pressure treated...

Ah well, Malibu's construction is still miilleeeesssss ahead of MB.

I'm sure it would help to some degree, but I think the composite plastic they use for the base does quite a bit more. I like the carpet, think it looks far more plush than just bare fiberglass.

All in all love this boat. There are a few things I really don't like, ie the dash and the arm rests, but all in all I think Malibu did a great job. It's 300lbs heavier than their 247, they increased the fuel capacity, the wake is now said to be comparable to the axis( IMO there isn't a boat outside the G and Star that have a better wakeboard wake), they in creased the freeboard by 3", batteries are out of the way now, and I really like the gel scheme. Stoked to take one out this month on a demo.

Looks roomy and i like the Blue gel and interior. Don't really care for the dash or the steering wheel.Also throttle and side gauges look like they were added after the boat was styled.

I 2nd that the X30 interior is one of the best on the market. That thing is a beauty!

I spy some Protomet clamping racks ala Tige...
Not really a fan of the interior, My $0.02 is they wanted to keep the overall theme of the 23 LSV, which is fine for their fans...

This isn't a new dash design for 2014, it is a new dash for the 23 LSV for 2014. That dash and wheel are on the 2013 VTX. I wish they stuck with the old style dash though.

I don't understand why anyone cares about the 3 piece design with carpet. Fiberglass gets scratched up over years of use on non-carpeted seat bases...ones with carpet still look new. The verticle carpet doesn't really get dirty like the floor does (and easily cleaned with a power washer if necessary). Carpet also gives a softer feel to the interior.

Carpet also retains moisture that leads to mildew when covering your boat after pressure washing it. That doesn't pertain to just Malibu, but any boat with carpet for that matter

Not if you pressure wash it correctly and vacuum the water out of the carpet after with a wet dry vac, this also does a much better job of cleaning it. Both have their pluses and minuses, but I prefer a carpeted base due to the sound deadening aspect over a fiberglass one.

why is the video set to private?

Would be nice if they made it an option!

then they'd have to change how they build the boat and make it a 2 piece deck. It's a three piece deck which has given the boat a quieter ride, deeper storage and, IMO, a better look. It is what it is, does tige have an option for carpeted seat bases?

I completely agree Chris. Unfortunately I don't know too many boat owners willing to spend hours pressure washing and vacuuming their boats after a full day of use. When you don't have carpet, it's just simply easier to maintain and keep clean. Plus all the minor scuffs on the 2 piece deck (seat bases) could easily be buffed out once a year for a small cost. I haven't seen too many boats (irrelevant of brand) that had fiberglass seat bases that were completely scratched up. Also, on the Malibu seat bases, how are they secured to the floor? Brackets and screws (I'm honestly asking)? If so, I don't feel a fit and finish like that would be very durable and "sound deadening" after a few years of use. Just my .02 and even at that still love the looks of the Malibu, just not this one.

I probably pressure wash and vacuum my boat three times a year, I tend to do it when I buff and wax it.

Seat bases are bracketed, and they have had zero issues with this construction method. My boat is 7 years old, every bit as sturdy and quiet as it was day one.

Pretty decent looking boat. I see they are coping Nautique with the rear facing seats, great addition. If they would add a sliding full reversible seat they would really have something then!

I'm not a fan of the steering wheel either. Dash seems kinda like what all the others are doing now.

As for carpet on the sides of the boat I guess I don't mind that. As others have pointed out it does give a softer warmer feel and I would think makes the boat a tiny bit quieter as well. I've always thought the Wakesetters are fairly blingy good looking boats.

I do think they are missing the mark not making a full walkthrough transom though. My next boat will for sure have that feature!

I guess part of the issue is that the carpet (other than the floor) has a shag sort of feel to it, which I always found odd. Better for sound deadening I suppose, but has that sort of 70's van feel to it.

Bothered me a bit at first, but like anything you just get used to it and don't even notice anymore.

Thankfully, Tige does NOT have an option for carpeted seat bases! :D I've had my boat for 6 years and don't have any scuffs on the seat bases either. I'm not sure what would be down there to scuff them to be honest.

To each their own, if you like it then enjoy! Other's must like it too or Malibu wouldn't continue making it that way.

Well you guys saying gel is better might want to preface that it is only applicable to white. I know a guy that went with bright red as his interior gel color on a 2013 x-25 and it is already showing all kinda little scratch and swirl marks! Yes could prob be buffed out but what a major pain! Red carpet would like like new still I would guess.

Chris I truly do not want to get in a battle over this and that's awesome you've had such luck. We had a 2011 LSV we sold a few months back and I can honestly say it was not the same story. Screw heads were already recessed and appeared to be driven sideways into the bracket. Very small gel coat cracks next to the tower base and I could go on but won't because my intent is not to bash malibu, rather express a 2 piece construction is better than 3 in my semi knowledgable experience.

Looks like someone forgot to take the Frog Tape off the boat before it left the factory . . .

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DGtylXBbL.jpg

I've had two Malibus so far (23 LSV and 247) and I for one love the carpeted seat bases. Not to knock the X30 interior but all that white feels to much like any other boat. I always felt the carpeted seat bases made it feel a little warmer and luxurious. I never had a problem cleaning my carpets (one was a snap in, one wasnt). Yes Id have to take a little more caution covering it up if it was wet, but to me an extra day in the sun to dry out was never to much of a hassle for me. Its still great to see how blessed we all are that we actually have the means to argue about how our boats are constructed and what parts have carpet. Kinda funny...

Still not a big fan of the dash, but I hear all models are headed that way after 14. Ill miss actual gagues. I really do hope it comes in black and not only that gray color.

I have had a 2011 VLX, a 2012 LSV, and now a 2013 MC X2. I don't think I can tell a difference in sound in the boat. You people trying to say carpeted seat bases makes that much difference are just fooling yourselves.

Yea I doubt it makes an sound difference.... But looks damn good! haha

you know what would make cleaning the Malibu carpet and interior easier?

A drain in the floor.

The MXZ has it, but the other models rely on the gap around the access panel in the floor. I wonder if they addressed that with the redesign.