Is there a market for a revamped Sunsetter LXi?

[Dacon62]

So many times ballers have directed people to search out a 99-2004 SSLXi for their particular needs.

Dad wants a good slalom tug, family wants room and higher freeboard to be able to venture into public waters, a tower so the kids can be pulled on tubes or what have you and still utilize the rear seats and have a huge storage locker to keep things from under foot.

So remake this product with all the good stuff...higher freeboard, awesome hull shape for the great wakes but widen it slightly for more interior room.

Would this sell?!

[vtmecheng]

It's an interesting question. All comes down to what people are willing to spend. Do those people asking about a family ski boat want to spend $80k+ on a boat or do they usually say they want to spend $30k? It sucks because there's probably some market for a new SSLXi but it isn't the die hard private lake course skier. I don't think there are many public water boat owners who want to prioritize skiing (meaning no wake surfing) and are willing to shell out new boat prices. Man I hope that I'm wrong so I can buy a used 2022 SSLXi in 2030.

[UWSkier]

I think it would sell like hotcakes in the Midwest. Especially if they could hide a decent ballast system in there and give it surf capability without sacrificing that cavernous storage.

[Sethro]

I’ve always wanted a closed bow 99-04 SSLXi, so let’s make sure we talk them into that option too.

[Ski_Dad]

being the owner of one I can say it would sell great, i doubt you could ever get me to sell mine! I ski also behind a 05 response and there is very little difference in the wake.

 

Maybe add a ballast tank and power wedge to make the wake guys happy. Just a guess b/c we have never tried surfing ours.

 

on the same note Mastercraft should re-release the X14 DD with the new Prostar hull - that would be a good seller as well.

[UWSkier]

Folks on the Malibu forums have been pleading with Malibu since '04 to bring that boat back. Their answer is a focused effort on making the VTX the best skiing V drive on the market. They've achieved that from the looks of things this year, but it's not a Sunsetter LXi. Probably just about back to the ski wakes of the original VTX.

 

There may not be room in the market for all of the big 3 to make this boat, but I think there's probably room for one of them to do it.

[Bill22]

I think it would sell “if” the slalom wake was good. Don’t know if they would sell a lot of them but there is a market for it.

[glasslake]

Malibu dipped their toes back in the water with the Response FXi for ‘09 - ‘12, but it sure doesn’t seem like they sold many of them. I’ve never skied a Sunsetter LXi. From what I understand, it’s wake is better than my FXi’s.

[Bill22]

How many ballers just goggled Response FXi? ?‍♂️

[hemlock]

I sometimes think about selling my 03' SSLxi, you know... for the new boat smell, shiny new trailer etc. etc.

Then I slap myself.

[UWSkier]

FXi is a unicorn for sure. I don't think it got enough marketing support and customization at all. It was basically just a diamond hull VTX with direct drive rigging. Haven't really ever seen any video of anyone skiing behind one.

 

If you want to get really obscure, check out the 247RX.

[Bill22]

@UWSkier what was the first year of the VTX? Did you say the first model skied well for a V drive?

[UWSkier]

@Bill22 2008 was the first year of the VTX/Sunscape 20. There is a chap on the Malibu forums with one who says it skis as well as his SSLXI did but that may be a bit of a stretch. Still though, it's a very nice wake. About on par with the 01 Sunsetter VLX and 02-04 Sunscape 21s, which were the first of the great skiing (relative term of course but I have a ton of video behind the 01 if anyone is curious) Malibu V drives.

[Wayne]

I’ll be the devils advocate here and say it won’t make it. If there was a market for the Sunsetter LXI the Response FXI would have stuck around. The Response FXI was a fantastic evolution of the Sunsetter LXI. They took the Response LXI, widened it, increased the freeboard (even higher than the Sunsetter) and had an optional 400 pound ballast tank under the rear storage area.

 

I traded in my 2002 Sunsetter to get my 2009 Response LXI. In 2008 I test skied the Response LXI, FXI and the VTX all on the same day multiple times. We had a really exceptional, and patient, sales guy. Honestly the FXI and Sunsetter felt nearly identical from a skier perspective, the VTX had a slightly bigger wake than the FXI but was softer. We almost ordered a VTX but kept going back to the Response LXI.

 

I think the V-drive layout is more conducive to the family boat role. You can tow from the pylon with out interference with the passenger space. Ballast is well integrated and in general they have more useable storage to keep the passenger area open.

[Dacon62]

If I recall correctly the FXi was a 20’ boat with a widened running surface. The SSLXi is 21’6” and has a narrower running surface same as the response of that era. Narrower better wakes on the SSLXi.

[tobyg83]

I normally ski either LXi and FXi, there’s not a whole lot of difference until 35 off, then the FXi turns to shit

[glasslake]

@tobyg83 agreed. But I'm not - and with apologies to the Adams, probably never will be - a 35-off skier. The tower interferes at that line length anyway, so that would need to be remedied. In regards to the OP, the RFXi or a revamped SSLXi checks all of the boxes mentioned there, and more. I came from an RLX. When we had kids, the lower freeboard made me nervous when they were in the boat. At the time, I was the only one who slalomed in the family, plus I like to wakeboard. RLX with the Wedge could do it, but an extended pylon was a pain. Now, with the RFXi, my sons and I can ski through the course, wakeboard, tube, and load up the boat with people, ballast, and a suck gate for fantastic days surfing with the neighbors out on the water.

 

This summer, however, we're out of luck because our RFXi is several hours north of us in our garage across the border in Canada. It doesn't matter what boat we have. We're all staying dry this season. But that's a matter for a different discussion.

[sixball]

I would have bought a SS LXI if it was in production in 07. The 99 - 04 SS LXI skies as good as my 07 R LXI. I don't know if I could tell with boat I was behind if I were blindfolded. I also think the fit and finish was better on the SS LXI. I ski both The SS LXI may have a bit more splash spray. But it skies much better without weighting for driver only. I will go with that at least up to 35 off at 34 to 36 mph. I have been kicking around selling my boat as we won't be skiing for six more years on our lake. And I don't feel I could not replace my boat with a better tug easy. I have two friends who have 99 and 03 SS LXI's and both are hanging on to them just for the reason they don't fell they can replace them for the value of the boats. I also like the trunk on the SS.

[utahslalom]

I’m the proud owner of a 2009 FXi and I have a family of 4 kids ranging from 5 to 14 years old. I ski on public lakes and can’t imagine owning any other boat. Slalom skiing is our #1 priority, but we can lower the power wedge, fill the 400 lb ballast, and add a suction wake shaper that suddenly creates a great wake for us to surf on when water conditions aren’t ideal. And because it’s a direct drive, the slalom wake is better at 15-off and slower speeds than a V-drive (IMO).

 

I for one would LOVE to see an updated version of this boat. Imagine a new RFXi with updated technology including ZeroOff, surfgate, and power wedge 3 with ‘lift mode’! Or...like @Ski_Dad said, a new X14 with the running surface of the new ProStar!

 

I’ll continue to cross my fingers that someday this could happen and in the meantime, I’ll be grateful to own a unicorn (‘09-‘11 RFXi).