MB Sports vs Nautique

[ericchile]

I am in the market for a slightly used wakeboarding boat. I have been looking for a while at a 2007,2008 210 but recently became more interested in the MB SPorts line. They both use PCM line of motors.

Has anyone owned or used both? Can someone contrast?

I spend around 60% surf, 30% wakeboard...10% other

[swc5150]

You'll save real money on a used MB. My advice would be to avoid going in a Nautique then, to avoid yourself some serious buyer's remorse. There is so much that goes into a Nautique that one would never see, or even be aware of. For example, the motor box on a 200 is stitched together so precisely that it takes 13 hours to complete. The thread is a Gore-Tex material, so you don't end up with yellow stitching in a few years too. All components are simply top notch. You can be sure your Nautique will not be a rattle trap in a decade. One can wrap anything around a nice engine.

[ccs]

It's all a question of are you looking to buy something cheap (less money) or buy something that is a good value.......
Because there is a difference.

If you are detail oriented, like things that are of quality and last, then the easy and clear answer is buy a Nautique.
If you are just looking for something to buy and save a buck, regardless of details- then there are plenty of other choices than a Nautique.

It's truly like needing a car...just need something to drive and get point A to point B - then theres no need for a Nautique I'd you're looking to save money ----- BUT - if the $$ is doable for you - I'd sure recommend a Nautique!!!

[gride]

Mb is built by the brendel family,. which has made boats for a while. i am not familiar with their build process, but it does appear to be quality work. i hear they have great wakes and they have the ballast under the floor w/ no pumps. either way the nautique will hold its value longer. go over to wakeworld. alot of folks have mb's on there and love them.

[Nautiquehunter]

I own a 08 210 SANTE without a doubt the best boat I have ever owned. I have never seen an MB but everything I have read about them has been positive. I would definitely check out both if they are available in your area. They are less expensive so there may be some areas of less quality so make sure you check all hidden areas for build quality. Also go to the MB forum and CorrectCraftFan.

[Miljack]

I'll put my $0.02 in here, MB have really stepped up their game with the introduction of their "wide body" series of 21' and 23' boats. Take a look at some of their materials (vinyl is much heavier than CC uses) and some of the details in their gelcoat work. One of the guys who was a Nautique guy, switched to MB's and began selling them. He was quite impressed with how they compared to the build quality of Nautiques, and thought the MB's stock wakes were better. The MB TWB21 comes stock with 1800 #'s of ballast. If any of you know Alan S, you can find him on MBboatowners.com and wakeworld. I believe he's now out west somewhere selling another brand, maybe Malibu?

I have seen a few MB's in person, never have ridden in one, and my impression is that they were well built, but you could definitely tell they are low volume boats. The dash is bad, and the driver's seat is kind of goofy, but their wiring is well done, and the engine compartment is clean and well laid out.

My sense of it is, you will save at least $10k on a 21' boat from MB that would be slightly better spec'd out than the comparable 210. MB's now come with Wetsounds stereo equipment, and snap out carpet, 2x the ballast, same engines/trans, 50% more fuel capacity.
Style is another question as is the longevity of the build quality.

Main question is, do you want a new boat for the price of a 3 year old CC?

[gride]

They are known for having the nicest quality gel coat in the industry; whether or not you like the scheme is up to you. They are not nmma certified, but that really means nothing. They are coast guard certified. I agree the dash is weak, but they do offer zero off.

[BroncoSki]

Never heard of MB before so I had to check them out. those are some ugly boats

[ericchile]

Good input guys! I may have to find someone local to give me a ride. May be hard this late in the season. I like buying value at the absolute best price so if I find a current 210 hull at a great price I will jump. Until then I will keep looking both over.

[Miljack]

One more thing on choosing a brand of boat, what's your mechanical skill level, and will you service/maintain the boat yourself? If yes, then you're wide open with regards to what brand you choose. If you need the service and support of a dealer, then do some homework on who the dealers are in your area, and determine their reputation and competency of their service department.

Since you're out west, finding a MB dealer should be easier, I think there's a pretty good CC dealer in SLC...

[swc5150]

To be fair, my MB experience is limited to a couple of early 2000 year 190's. They performed well, and would make decent slalom tractors, but the build quality was no where near CC. The materials seemed cheap in comparison, which is why the boats were less money (stands to reason). Just another thought, I've never had to wait more than a month to sell a CC or MC. I think resale on an MB may be a little more difficult, unless you're in an area where they are commonplace? Of course, we have a ton of Moomba's in my area, and I know a dude who can't give his away. I sold my last 196 within 4 hours of posting it - for asking BTW.

[DanielC]

A good friend of mine on our ski team has a 1996 MB 190. We have tried to do some stuff with it on our show ski team.

He had to have a new pylon mount put in the boat.

When I take him slalom skiing, with the boat, it is very hard to hold in a straight line. It does not track very well. When we tried to do around the boat maneuvers with the boat, it was difficult to turn.

But like it was said, the gelcoat work is very good. But I honestly do not think the quality is as good below the skin of the boat.

Before you buy any boat, do an extensive test drive.

[NautiUT]

Thanks for the Prop Miljack! We are on the out skirts of SLC. Located in Draper, UT.

[xrichard]

My impression is that MB has stepped up its game in the last several years.

A buddy of mine just took delivery of a 2012 21' Team Wide Body. If I were buying new today, it certainly would be at the top of my list and would provide much better value/bang-for-the-buck/whatever-you-want-to-call-it than a new SAN210. If I were buying used, I'd focus on Nautique as the value-proposition gets quite a bit better with a 2-4 year old Nautique.

Bottom line: I much prefer the SAN210 for a variety of reasons. I spent a day on my friend's MB...my most memorable impressions:

Pros: interior fit and finish was great (superior to my boat in quality of materials and quality of build), great comfort, excellent eye-appeal (at least in the seats--not so crazy about the dash). Exterior graphics options are now excellent after years of fugly and my friend's boat, with simple graphics, looks fantastic. Driving was very good--the hull has been tweaked a bit and it tracks easily without porpoising (...nevertheless, the SAN210 tracks better when pulling a boarder). Wake (wakeboard) was very good with very little effort, though the SAN210 is significantly better with the same weight.

Cons: noticeable noise/vibration/harshness (relative to most newer boats I've been in, but especially noticeable compared to Nautique as my experience is Nautiques tend toward the low-side of the NVH scale); not as "stiff" as I'd like crossing large wakes, in chop, etc. (As a point of reference, two years ago I test drove a SAN210, VLX, and MB B52TWB back-to-back. When running in chop, the SAN210 was the smoothest/stiffest/nicest, then the MB B52, then the VLX); quirky engine hatch/storage hatch configuration that is a major hazard to fingers, especially for kids; super stiff and short-throw throttle--enough to make smooth adjustments difficult when driving "manually" after the ZeroOff died.

Overall it is a very very nice boat and huge value. At the same price, I'd take the SAN210 without hesitation. New, the price difference is now enough that I'd lean toward MB.

[ericchile]

Very nice post xrichard, thanks