Moving from G23 Paragon to Malibu M240

[Renegrub]

About a year ago we started to do demos of different boats knowing we would order a new one last fall. I had a 2007 Supra 24 SSV that I bought new and it was time to upgrade, but I wasn't liking the looks/style/layout of the Supra boats. I knew I wanted a top brand, and Nautique was at the top of my list of what I liked. We demoed the G23 first, then a M240, then the G23 Paragon, all 2021 models. (spoiler alert, got the Paragon and LOVE it)

I was a tiny bit disappointed in the G23 wave to be honest, I don't know what I was expecting in my head but I just thought it would be.... more? I really liked the boat overall, and some of the features I LOVED like the cooler in the floor, the trash can opening in the walkway, the ease of use for the NSS/NCRS (My supra had bags on the floor and seats to get a good wave) as well as the fully sub-floor ballast.

Next was the M240, The first thing I thought about this boat was that I liked the design/layout of the G23 better, it just "felt" better. The M240 was great, but there were just things I liked better about the G23, such as the dash, tower, trash can and cooler locations, and sea deck on the top of the rear seat as a step down as opposed to the flip down seat backs. One thing I did love about the M240 was the wave, especially after the G23, it was outstanding and honestly would have made me look past the things I preferred about the G23. It did seem pretty inefficient when it comes to fuel though, tons of power, drives great, but the wedge kills the fuel consumption. The M240 had like 10 hours on it and one of the tower speakers (Wetsounds) was already sounding blown or incorrectly tuned... it was bad. The surf select on the Malibu is far better integrated and very useful, I wish my remote was that good on the Nautique (and I don't want to have to buy a watch and fumble through the interface on it).

I also looked at the M220 that was at the dealer (no demo) but immediately ruled it out when I boarded the boat and had to watch my head on the tower/speakers/Bimini and I'm only 5'11", so if you're tall beware of that. There were other things I didn't like as much either, but that was an immediate nope for me as it just felt cramped.

Next up was the G23 Paragon, this thing took everything I liked about the G23 and turned it up to 11. The wave is about 95% as good as the M240 wave IMO, still giving the edge to the Malibu but just barely and I think it's just a personal preference thing. Both waves are outstanding right out of the box. The Paragon though has a MUCH better interior, MUCH better dash, light years better tower and bimini, and IMO is a far better looking boat from the outside especially with the gel coat patterns. The Stereo on the Paragon is also much better/cleaner/louder than the M240 with the top stereo they offer. And finally, the rear loungers, I absolutely love them and sit in them quite a bit while the kids are swimming or running down the beach where we are anchored.

Thank you for the detailed comparison. Very helpful. I am 100% with you on the sea deck on the rear transom seats. So nice. And I too love the flip out rear loungers - I usually drink my coffee sitting in one of those seats while the ballasts drain after a great morning session. It is all of the little things I love - like the pull up eyelet on the bow - I hop off the boat on the front with a rope clipped to this eyelet on the bow to pull the boat into position when I turn on my lift.

I do have a strange rattle coming from the bimini - my current guess is the flip up light/camera might be loose - going to see if tightening the torq bolt will help. Makes the boat feel unsafe/cheap when heading back to the dock after our surf session driving 30MPH.

My heart wants to stick with the G23 and keep my order for my 2022.

[bird_dog0347]

I've never tried one with the XR7, so I can't compare it to the ZZ8, but I love everything about it. The only minor issues I've been having is that occasionally the power steering will quit working but only after killing the engine while switching riders then as soon as the next guy gets up it's very difficult to steer, thus we have to reboot the boat. I've read that there's a steering calibration procedure that I'm going to try and see if it resolves it. It MUST be a software or sensor issue as a reboot fixes it. The other issue is rarely when streaming music from a bluetooth iPhone connection the stereo will switch input to AUX all on it's own. This happens more on my Cousin's phone than mine though, very strange. I have never had any issue filling it with gas (other than the $200+ bill from the marina). I did tear up the edge of my sea deck however in front of the nose lifting ring when I tied my anchor to it, now I know to put something under the rope to protect it, but would prefer a better solution there.

In your situation, I'd say go demo the M240 before it gets cold, but I bet you feel like it will be a downgrade for everything but the wave and the dealer (hopefully) compared to the P23.

[NautiqueJeff]

I did tear up the edge of my sea deck however in front of the nose lifting ring when I tied my anchor to it, now I know to put something under the rope to protect it, but would prefer a better solution there.

You should really connect your anchor to the bow eye on the front of the boat, not the lifting ring on top.

[bird_dog0347]

You should really connect your anchor to the bow eye on the front of the boat, not the lifting ring on top.

Yeah, I was being lazy and learned that the hard way.

[vision]

Demo a Supra. If you are considering Malibus and Centurions, I would at least evaluate the Supra if you have a local dealer.


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[Renegrub]

Yeah - unfortunately my lake does not have a dealer for Supra or Centurions otherwise I definitely would have! They look promising as well. I'm trying to keep my lake "anonymous" as I'm not trying to punish my dealer - just assessing the tradeoffs of so-so responsive dealer with Nautique with highly responsive other brand. I think I've determined Tige isn't going to be nice enough for my elitist tastes :-) so I'm just down to stick with Nautique or go to Malibu. Thankfully I have my 2020 G23 Paragon if I can just get them to once-and-for-all fix the display cable disconnected issue and shorten the fuel line so I can easily fill up fuel tank :-). I've been promised the next quarter G23 Paragon allocation from the dealer which should then arrive well in advance of next summer...

[bird_dog0347]

Demo a Supra. If you are considering Malibus and Centurions, I would at least evaluate the Supra if you have a local dealer.


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I know I said in my post I wasn't a fan of the current Supra boats, but that was just about styling. Performance and value I still love them, my old Supra was fantastic with VERY few problems... It's just that I don't feel the new ones compete with the Paragon, which sets a pretty high bar.

[mikenbike211]

They just need to fully seat the cable going to the two displays. It has a silver metal collar to tighten it. Not the giant connectors on the back of the screens.

[Renegrub]

Looks like most people who have been responding are all in G23 Paragons. Is there any real difference between the G23 and G25 Paragon? Is the surf wave different? Or is it just price? Just figured I would confirm!

[mooneywa]

Slightly tangential question here: I have a 230 that I love, but I'm always curious about upgrades. I know what a G has in upgrades and that most other boats won't compare. I get that a Tige and Centurion probably won't compare to a G, but will their fit and finish be better, the same, or worse than a 230?

Dealer relationships are important. I like ours even though I had to get a little pointed with a couple warranty items last winter. I didn't get the impression that when we had our first Nautique 4 years ago that the warranty wasn't so problematic as it is now. I wonder what changed.

[boomersooner]

The other issue is rarely when streaming music from a bluetooth iPhone connection the stereo will switch input to AUX all on it's own. This happens more on my Cousin's phone than mine though, very strange.

I've had this same issue as recent as yesterday on my '21 G23. It will go from bluetooth to AUX on it's own. I had to scroll through the selections multiple times yesterday to get it to stay on bluetooth and not switch to something else. I thought this was maybe a signal thing as I was streaming Apple music in an area with not so great cell coverage.

[greggmck]

Do you have a transom mounted remote? People often hit the remote control when getting into/out of the boat. When surfing it is often hit with the rope which causes the source to be changed unexpectedly.

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[bird_dog0347]

Do you have a transom mounted remote? People often hit the remote control when getting into/out of the boat. When surfing it is often hit with the rope which causes the source to be changed unexpectedly.

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Yes, but I don't think it is always the rear remote being hit, occasionally yes that is the case though. I wonder if I can get a cover to go over it like my Uncle has for the gauges/nav/stereo stuff at the helm of his sailboat.

[greggmck]

Cut a plastic cup that fits tightly over the remote. It would be interesting to see if the stereo doesn't change modes when covered.

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[XBIGPUN66]

Mooneywa. There is no way the tige or centurion are even close in fit and finish to the 210.

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