Mobius XLV vs LSV

[kl2657]

OK Mobius owners, I need help in deciding between the XLV and LSV.

I test drove an xlv a few years ago and was really impressed. It had a monster wake with the stock ballast. I loved the size of the boat for going out with two families (mine includes a wife and three kids)...

The version of the xlv I test drove had a 325hp engine. The only negative I saw was in pulling tubers. It felt a little underpowered for tubing.

I have not been out in an LSV so I don't have the benefit of seeing its wake or squeezing a mix of 10+ adults/kids into it.

The bottom line is that I'm looking for a great all-around wakeboard boat that doesn't require all kinds of extra ballast to produce a decent wake, yet is versatile enough to keep the family comfortable and smiling for all the other usual boating activities such as tubing, etc.

Also, aside from the initial additional investment it takes to get into an XLV vs LSV, how much more per year in incremental cost does it take to operate the XLV?

If the LSV will meet my needs, then I'm perfectly content on saving the $$$$ and choosing this option. I'm looking to draw on the wisdom/experience of current XLV/LSV owners to help me make a good decision.

Thanks!

[Razzman]

If you're going out with a crew of 10+ consistantly then i would go with the XLV just for the room if nothing more. I get 10 in my LSV and it's a bit much for my liking, just feels cramped although they say 13, yeah right. If you go XLV then go with the 340 Assault at least if you can.

The LSV's wake is awesome as well and more than adequate unless you want bragging rights, then you just add bigger bags. My crew averages eight or less so it fits our needs perfectly.

[zegm]

The cost between the two will be the extra amount of fuel it takes to tow the heavier boat. Fuel in the boats will be about the same as they have the same engine and drive.
OK all that being said I got a warm and fuzzy feeling after reading your post that you need an XLV. Yep that's what I see you in!

[501]

I had the same situation a few years ago and went XLV. We had it out today for the first ride of the year today (its an 08 and this is our third year) and I was still smiling ear to ear all day. Whether you have 3 or 10 people on board, it's a great boat. I have the 340hp and with the ballast empty, in the magazine tests it was one of the fastest accelerating 23' boats and with tubers, I never have a problem.


The true extra cost comes in the extra gas required to give all the extra people on the boat a turn riding. Best way to spend money I've found. Nothing beats seeing everyone have a great time.

[mmandley]

I have an 08 LSV and we have had 11 people in the boat, other half said never again lol. To hard to maneuver, its like a well guided orchestra moving around for people to get turns, gear, refreshments and such.

If you got the room to store the XLV then its the way to go for big crowds. Takes the same style vehicle to pull it, uses almost the same amount of fuel and just has a lot more room.

Only way i would replace Fierah is to get an XLV but that requires me to buy another house with a double deep garage to fit the boat in. My deciding factor was the XLV doesn't fit in my garage and the LSV does.

[cab13367]

How old are your kids? One important thing to consider is that the smaller boat will plane out at a lower speed than a heavier boat. This is important if you have small kids that will be learning to wakeboard (or a wife that likes to get pulled slow). With a smaller boat, you can go 14, 15 mph with no ballast and they will have a clean wake to play on at 60-75' back. On a heavier boat, it will be all white wash. My brother has a Tige 24V and his three kids have never experienced a clean wake until they came up and visited us last summer. Now he is thinking of all kinds of ways to try and clean up his wake at slower speeds - adding ballast up front, a larger wakeplate, etc. But the bottom line is that his boat weighs too much and it has to go a certain speed before the wake cleans up. Not sure how much heavier the XLV is over the LSV though. It probably does not weigh as much as the 24V. My suggestion is to take the XLV out on a test ride and pull your youngest wakeboarder behind it. That's what I did when we test drove ours (pulled my then 10 year old son on his wakeboard behind it).

As far as not having enough power for tubing, I don't understand that comment. Unless you had all your ballast full and you were pulling several people at once. I have routinely pulled 7 & 8 people at once on two tubes with never an issue but I only had the ski locker bag full (400#'s). And remember that switching to a prop with less pitch should take care of any holeshot problems (see the prop testing threads on this forum).

As far as difference in costs, you might pay little more in insurance as the premium is somewhat affected by length but it's probably a negligible amount. And I think that fuel usage would be more on the XLV due to the additional weight.

Al

[Mike G]

I was in the exact predicament as you this time last year. I went with the XLV primarily for the extra room as we sometimes have 10 -12 folks on board. I have the 325hp engine and have not had any issues with any type of towing. Plenty of room, horsepower and good times.

[Ian Brantford]

These are great replies! I went through the same thing. As soon as I actually got into an XLV in a showroom (a few weeks after test-driving an LSV in December), I knew that I should skip the LSV and go for the XLV. It wasn't a huge premium on price, and I'd just want to upgrade before long anyway.

The main downside for learners is that, yes, the XLV's wake cannot be made small, it's wider than the LSV's, and it is hard to clean up below 19 MPH. However, there is usually some sweet spot with a clean crest that can be hit at come certain length of tow rope and with some trim/weight experimentation. That will be a modest challenge compared to managing an overcrowded interior of the boat all of the time.

I'd say that either MPI engine (325 or 340) would do well. I have the 340 and have driven a friend's 325. Their performance feels identical in all cases except at the top end. My 340 revs higher, which might be good to escape the occasional bogging down. It's pointless to drive for long with the extra RPM, since it only goes a little faster and drinks gas while doing so. The 340 (in 2005, at least) also comes with a stronger alternator, so it's good for running extra electrical accessories while underway, if you need that.

Garage limitations of the XLV were already mentioned. How about tow vehicle? Do you have a tow vehicle that can handle well pulling 5000 lbs with 500 lbs of tongue weight? Many mid-sized truck/SUV models are iffy there. That is, their paper specs are fine, but real-world handling is not as good. My Ridgeline does the job well, but I checked with other owners before buying. Pretty much any full-size will be fine.

[you da man]

I know I love my XLV. I've only had up to 8 in my boat and everyone still had their own area to themselves. I still love pulling up to the ramp with those 18-20' runabouts with their mouths wide open.

[Ian Brantford]

the XLV's wake cannot be made small

It now occurs to me that the modern LSV, being only about 300 lbs than the XLV, isn't going to make a small wake for you either if it's got 10+ people in it.