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MC 197 OR MB RESPONSE LXI OR SN 206 OR SN 216?


Micky
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Hi guys. I am planning to buy a boat which must be top in ski performance and yet have space, therefore it must have an open bow. As I cannot spend in a new or fairly new SN 200 or new MC PROSTAR or Malibu TXI, I am considering the MC 197, Malibu Response LXI and SN 206 & 216. I am 56 years and ski at 22 off and 30-32 MPH. Also this boat would only be used on an open lake and occasionally passing through a portable slalom course. Which of these boats would you suggest considering all these facts and considering the best wake? Thanks for your opinions. Micky
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At that speed and rope length I would drop 216 off the list right now. If not worried about buoy scores regardless of which boat you select would also shorten to 28 off for your free skiing to get ahead of the dreaded bump at 22 off. For most inboards 22 off one of the worst spots for wake.

 

A free skiing buddy of mine about your age has a sport nautique and was complaining about the wake. Had him go 28 off instead of 22 and he loves it.

 

My .02 is you would be best off among the boats mentioned in a Lxi or a SN 206 and personally I would go 206...I believe Nautique has an edge in build quality. Before anyone gets bent outta shape...both are quality boats I just believe there is an edge there on quality materials used throughout the entire boat. Might depend upon the used examples available considering price/hours/location/colors. Either way you would be happy. Nautique bow is a little higher for the bigger water you mention...can put the front of the Lxi and the 197 under waves especially if passengers up there weighing it down. If 206 would want the rear facing observers seat extension that folds down rather than the shorter seat with walk thru to open bow...but that's a personal preference.

 

Good luck...exciting to bring home a new (to you) boat.

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Thanks very much 6Balls for your comments. I appreciate very much your suggestion of skiing at 28 off. I can also increase speed up to 34 after training a bit more. Also my sons can ski at 36 and go beyond 28 off. I agree with you on your comments on the observers seat, but this would depend on what is available in the second hand market. What's your opinion on the MC 197 and their Indmar engines used until a few years ago? Also have you skied behind the Moomba Outback?
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I love my 08 LXi. I started at 28 mph last year and the wake was never the reason I missed a pass, up to 34 now. Others in my club ski from 26-30 and mine is one of the favorites. There's space when I need it, at least as much as the others you're considering so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

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I am a Nautique owner, but in this instance I would go with the LXi over the 206. I occasionally ski behind a 206 that a ski buddy owns and the wake is hard and very tall @ -15 and -22 @ 34 mph. Not often that I would say choose a boat other than Nautique. Have you considered getting a Nautique 196? Then you would have the best slalom wake!
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I'd go with the Lxi. Find one with Zero Off if possible. There is a nautique 196 open bow. They're a bit rare but the can be found. The LXI has more room and walk through to bow. I have no experience with 206 or 216. I have an open bow response LX that I really like. We take it to the lake on family outings and its fine. One of my buddys has a 93 MC PS 205 which might be the best overall ski/lake boat ever. Its throttle body injected with Stargazer and skies great.

 

The 03-06 lxi has a super nice wake and low spray, no ZO though.

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I ski between your level and your sons level. 34 @ 22' is my best.

 

I would stay away from a 216 and 206. My wife skis at 30 mph and is scared out of her wits hitting that wake. Behind my friends 206 my best ski run is 12 buoys less than my personal best. This boat tracks like a freight train in the course.

 

My friends 197 is a great boat, especially when there is 2 or 3 people aboard. With more people the wake gets a bit larger, and the bow becomes very easy to swamp.

 

I haven't skied an R LXI, but have sat as and observer for a few sets. The wake seems to be large but quite soft and wide at 15' & 30 mph. It seems to get a lot better at 34 mph. I feel the R LXI also has the most amount of room among the three.

 

If it were me I would go with the R LXI (03-06) or 197.

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The SN206 is every bit as hardcore a slalom boat as the LXI. The wake is a bit firmer but not higher than a SN196's and tracks extremely well. If the LXI has the wedge it would fit a tiny bit better with all other facets (wakeboarding etc.) of skiing than a 206.
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The last 2 - 3 years of INT tournaments here in Kansas we used two boats - that years promo MC 197 and my '05 LXI. Hands down all the lower level skiers preferred the wake behind the LXI as opposed to the 197. Higher level skiers didn't seem to matter as much. Bow room wise it's no contest, the LXI has way more usable lounge room.
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Out of those I would go with the LXI. I am not part of the crowd that believes the 197 is crap to slalom behind but I do agree the wake is a little bigger. My big reason for the LXI is that it is a little bit bigger boat than the 197 with a better slalom wake then the 197. If you have a trick skier the 197 is better but the LXI isn't bad for tricks either.
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206 hands down. If you test drive/ski all 3 boats being the same year/hours, you will feel the difference in quality. The 3 boats will ski the same but the 206 will track the best.

If you were talking about today's 3 OB boats, it would be the TXI.

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Instead of letting getting into the mental-trap of feeling you HAVE to make the right choice or you'll regret it (stress)... you might find it more helpful to realize (with the possible exception of the 216) that there is NO WRONG ANSWER. They're all great. When you find the one that feels good and is the right price, go for it.

Me personally, my bias is towards the LXI.

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If you have any inkling to remove the ski and barefoot, the LXi, particularly 03-06 is an excellent choice. From your list, the LXi appears to be the best slalom wake and versatility choice. There are other items to consider: dealership, general boat condition among the units you find, price, value and perhaps what the local favorite brand is (indicates a good dealership). Good luck on your search.
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Thanks to all of you who have kindly given your opinions. Clearly the SN206, MC197 & MB LXI are all great boats as AndJules says, however most of you favor the LXI and in YouTube you can see the LXI has the lowest and softest wake among these 3 boats. What cannot be denied, is that SN might have better build quality.
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The SN also (most likely) has a higher selling price. Have to determine where the point-of-diminishing-returns is between the two. I.e. you can get a nice, well kept '03 - '06 LXI in the $23 - 26K range. Not sure about the SN but Nautique's generally sell higher. I know of a lot of 15+ year old Malibu's around that are still in great condition and still going strong. Same for Nautique's as well. Point is neither are junk. Depends on your budget and how important "bang for the buck" is to you.

 

When I bought my 'Bu I could have bought any boat I wanted. If I thought the build quality of the Malibu was at all questionable I would never have bought one, and believe me I do my homework before I spend the money. Wake quality and tracking, build quality, and value sealed the deal for me personally. As always your own mileage may vary...

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@Mickey: to further assist your research, I would look up which boats are AWSA tournament approved for the year you are interested to gain an insight on wake focus by the manufacturer and go to the various brand dedicated forums to see what issues and concerns various owners are discussing.
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@Mickey For what it's worth, another good option (if you can find one) is the '99 - '04 Sunsetter LXI. A bit bigger than the Response LXIs but still a very good slalom wake. In fact, I'd say that my '01 SSLXI has a "better" 22-off wake than that of the '03 - '06 Response LXI. It is a touch bigger but softer. '04 SSLXI is the best (with Indmar Monsoon "340") if you can find one.
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From a build quality perspective I have an 11 year old Response LX and it has been great. I have replaced two of the skins because I didn't stay on my kids about climbing on them when getting into the open bow but other than that I have had no issues. My boat still is tight and runs great. I wouldn't worry about the build quality of an LXI.
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@Mickey I don't where you are located but here is one in TN....a really clean looking 2000 SSLXI with low hours and only asking $21,750. The Monsoon 325 is a good motor. That's the one I have. You can put a 11.5 inch pitch prop on it to make it have more hole shot if that is needed.

 

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/boa/4142043719.html

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If you are looking into a new boat, consider the new MasterCraft Prostar. The new boat was designed with 22 off slow speed skiers in mind. It probably has the best long line slow speed wake available. and You can order it with a tonneau cover on the bow to convert from closed to open bow.
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