Malibu Boats builds nearly half of the world’s towboats, including Axis Boats. The Axis brand was spun off Malibu Boats in 2009 with the A22 boat.
Malibu and Axis boats are all built in 3 manufacturing facilities in California, Tennessee, and Australia, which together employ over 700 people.
While the two brands share much of the core Malibu expertise, including hull characteristics, Malibu is positioned at the higher-end while Axis focuses on great value and making products accessible for a larger number of boaters. This has made Axis one of the fastest growing wakeboard and wakesurf boats worldwide.
With regards to engineering, build, hull, and more, Axis and Malibu are very similar and are built on the same production line. Both brands use the same hull construction, engines, and transmissions. The main differences between Malibu and Axis boats lie in styling, tech, and price point.
In 2022, we can safely say the Malibu LSV models are competing with Nautique in the high-end market with price points around $200K. Axis, in contrast, aims at the mid market, a segment Malibu boats used to target.
The Axis line includes:
- The A-series (picklefork bow): A20, A22, A24, A225 (2023)
- The T-series – T225, T235, T250
See also: what is the best Axis boat for wake/surfing?
The Malibu boat line includes:
- The M-series (flagship series): M220, M240
- The LSV series (luxury sports V-hull, best selling line): 22 LSV, 23 LSV, 25 LSV, 26 LSV
- The MXZ series (luxury picklefork bow): 23 MXZ, 24 MXZ
- The 21 LX (bare bones)
- Crossover ski series: 20 VTX, TXi MO and MO C8
See also: What is the best Malibu boat for wake/surfing?
Should you buy a Malibu or Axis boat?
If your main focus is performance and budget, Axis will generally be your best bet. You can easily produce a wake and surf wave of equivalent quality to Malibu. On the other hand, if your main focus is high-end interior and tech, Malibu may be your best choice if you can afford it.
These are some of the things you’ll typically find on a Malibu vs on an Axis:
- Touch screen controls with presets for many functions
- Auto ballast control and fast fill ((though now on 2022 Axis)
- Flip down swim platform
- Fancier looking and power tower
- Stern turn
- Better materials e.g. cool-touch vinyl, soft grip in storage lockers
- Power driver seat
- Walk-through transom
- Hinged seats (more of them)
- Additional wireless phone chargers
- Better color options
- Blue sea ACR system battery option
- More trailer options
Malibu owners are generally fond of the upscale features (more about this below) while Axis buyers are happy to save money on bells and whistles and focus on having a great surf/wake experience on the water.
Axis is about performance and function at the best price, offering the highest “dollar per wave” performance on the market.
When it comes to wake and wave, Axis boats offer a level of performance equal to the Malibu line resulting from the common hull design and engine options. Both brands also come with surf gate and Power Wedge features.
The wake/wave on Axis and Malibu are very similar. Some boaters feel the wake/wave on an Axis is actually better than on a Malibu – although this also depends on the setup.
Where Axis saves money is on the interior – including cheaper vinyl panels, hinges, glove box door etc, as well as simpler electronics, e.g. the use of more analog controls.
Malibu owners enjoy the plush upholstery and advanced cabin tech e.g. pre-built profiles. On the other hand, others prefer the simplicity of the Axis – seeing Malibu screens fail isn’t unheard of.
In short, buyers choose Axis for the wake, the simplicity, and the price, and Malibu for the plush interiors and bleeding-edge tech – which of course come at a cost.
See also: Malibu vs Nautique – which to choose?
Axis vs Malibu financial value
Malibu has great resale value and are easily sold after a few years.
On the other hand, the monthly payments will be higher than for an Axis, and maintenance will also be costlier. If buying a Malibu, make sure it is still in the warranty period, as replacing tech components is expensive.
Also keep in mind the warranty only transfers one time, so the person you buy from should be the original buyer.
Axis vs Malibu ease of use
Axis boats are very simple to use and show other people how to use, e.g. for setting up ballast or speed control.
Things are also extremely user-friendly on Malibu boats thanks to the Maliview and rider presets which memorize speed, ballast, and wedge settings. One-click ballast fill, automatic wedge deployment, automatic pump shut off etc.
Switching from one rider to another is a breeze using preset buttons which let you automatically fill or empty the right ballasts for a given rider.
This allows you to switch between beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders constantly without effort. All it takes is press a button to set up a wake/surf rider.
Likewise, just tapping a button at the end of the day automatically resets everything, drains the tanks, and folds the wedge.
Axis vs Malibu interior
The look and feel of Malibu’s interior is soft, rounded, with more sophisticated looking materials and visual patterns.. The vinyl feels like leather whereas the Axis has a more edgy and chiseled feel with less robust cushions and cheaper carpet.
That said, some Malibu owners complain about decreasing quality of the upholstery. 2020 models upholstery feels thinner and things like cushion beads tend to wear a lot faster compared to older model Malibu boats (e.g. 2014) .
The glove box area also feature fancier trim panels vs more plastic or bare gel on Axis boats. Malibu also has helm storage access from the bow.
The bimini on Axis is lower quality compared to Malibu. The Axis tower is functional but it angles in toward the interior of the boat. This combined with tower speaker placement makes it awkward for taller people to move around.
The lack of spring assist in the tower is also noticeable compared to Malibu’s G3 tower. Malibus also come with quad board racks, grab rails, better steering wheel, better dash layout.
On older models, Malibu seats were all on hinges unlike Axis. Axis dashes had no screens and cheaper looking design and materials. However, newer Axis models are getting a step closer to Malibu.
Axis vs Malibu cabin tech
Malibu boats come with larger and more advanced touch screens compared to Axis – although 2022 Axis boats are fitted with Garmin screen.
Some boaters complain that Axis controls don’t let you see all the information need while driving the boat in a single place. For example, engine and trans temperature are displayed on a separate screen from wedge and surf side information.
When comparing older models, however, Malibu screens tend to freeze and also require frequent software updates, while older Axis switches were largely failproof.
Axis vs Malibu Wave
The Axis and Malibu boats of comparable size are similar in terms of the wave they’re able to produce, since wave quality depends on boat size, weight, displacement, wedge, surf gate, etc which are largely similar for the 2 brands.
Most riders will not notice the difference in wake/wave between an Axis and a Malibu MXZ. More advanced riders may feel some differences but generally appreciate both.
It’s worth noting that the older MXZ hull doesn’t surf well as the A22. For the A22, boaters recommend getting the Power Wedge 3 option which creates a much better wave and has good surf pipe integration.
Axis vs Malibu: considerations on specific models
Axis T23 boat owners enjoy the simple switches and the reliability of the boat. Those who switch to a Malibu e.g. 25LSV ($200K+ new) only do so for things like the Gx tower and the higher-end fit and finish.
The Axis T22 and Malibu 22VLX handle the water in a similar way and produce comparable surf waves. Here again, the main difference lies in the touch screens and interior features.
Owners of the Axis A22 appreciate the picklefork bow, which lets people sit in the bow. The picklefork bow is the main difference between the A22 and T22, and the reasons many boaters choose the former over the latter despite the slightly higher price.
Older Malibu vs new Axis boat
A 3-4 year old Malibu can typically be found on the market for around the same price as a brand new Axis with stock engine and sound and a 5 year warranty. The Malibu might have around 80 hours on it and come with Power Edge 2 and PNP sacks.
Whether you choose the older Malibu or new Axis depends on how much you value the extra warranty years on the Axis vs the higher-end features and tech of the Malibu.
Note that the touch screens and gadgets on a second-hand Malibu may start having some issues after a few years, including once the warranty has expired.
On the other hand, the second hand Malibu should have all the new boat problems solved as most adjustments and assembly issues for a new boat are typically resolved within first 30 hours.
As mentioned, you should also make sure the person the buy the used Malibu from is the first owner as the warranty only transfers once (and this has a cost as well).
Another thing to consider when choosing between the two options is the type of Malibu you find. An LSV will have more space in the cabin but a smaller bow compared to an A22 – the VLX is one foot shorter than the LSV.
Conclusion
When comparing a Malibu to an Axis, the differences are mostly small things that are sometimes hard to pinpoint – better upholstery, better quality dash and tower, more sophisticated screens etc. It’s easiest to feel the difference if you test one right after the other.
If you’re a budget and just want a wake boat that will give you a great wake without extra fancy features, an Axis will likely be you best bet. Regardless of your choice, you should always sit in the boat, drive it, and ride behind it before jumping in.