WaterSki Magazine

    Malibu calls this its PERFECT family boat with outstanding performance. Their primary goal was to create a boat for water sports, but then they also wanted to make it roomy and plush for a family. They say it is the most ideal boat you can get, combining size, storage and performance.
    The Sunsetter LXI has a giant interior for an inboard. It’s 18 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the Response, but both boats ride on the same SV23 Diamond hull. The redesigned extra deck space provides seating for ten and huge storage everywhere, starting with the 18-cubic-foot locking trunk. The rear seat is a  unique angular three-cushion bench with just the right amount of recline. The driver gets a swiveling captain’s chair with air lumbar support, a custom throttle and steering wheel, big five-inch servo gauges and even a wind block for the walk-through.
    As nice as the interior is, it can’t outdo the performance of this boat. With Malibu’s Instantaneous Response Technology, three tuned tracking fins and a standard CNC machined propeller, the handling is unbelieveable for a boat with this much room. And, since it is a “Response on Steroids” it has virtually unmatched slalom performance. With the new improved Wedge, wakeboard performance is amazingly good. We’d say the Sunsetter LXI is a great compromise between space and multi-sport performance, but it doesn’t compromise at all in any area.