Malibu 22 MXZ Boats For Sale

The Malibu Wakesetter 22 MXZ is a 22-foot inboard tow boat built for serious wakeboarding and wake surfing, with a 102-inch beam, 58 gallons of fuel, and a dry weight of 5,900 pounds. MXZ stands for "maximized," and the line's signature pickle fork bow carries width all the way forward, seating up to 15 people across three distinct zones: the cathedral-style square bow, the main cockpit cabin, and an opened-up transom area for staging riders or relaxing. Shoppers looking at Malibu MXZ boats for sale should know this is not an entry-level boat; it sits at the top of the lineup for riders who want pro-caliber wakes and bold styling.

Power on recent 22 MXZ builds comes from Malibu's Monsoon M5Di engine turning a 17-inch prop. Earlier hulls were offered with a 350-horsepower V8 as standard and an optional 6.0-liter L96 rated at 410 horsepower, paired with a 14.5 by 14.25 wake-specific prop designed for the Wakesetter series. With 12 people aboard and a full ballast load, the larger engine option earns its place. The hull is Malibu's Wake Plus design, engineered to throw clean, symmetrical wakes straight off the assembly line.

The wake performance is the reason this Malibu boat MXZ exists. Total ballast, including the Power Wedge III, comes to 4,168 pounds, and the patented reverse hydrofoil wedge can be set mellow for beginners or aggressive for advanced tricks. At 23 mph with the rope at 75 feet, ballast full, and the wedge at position one, the boat produces a large wake with a vertical lip for pop and a forgiving transition for landings. The Surf Gate system shapes a clean surf wave on either side and does not engage until the boat exceeds 6 mph, so low-speed steering stays unaffected while you set up. Underwater exhaust keeps fumes away from riders behind the boat.

At the helm, the redesigned Malibu Command Center uses a 12-inch central touchscreen plus a secondary 8-inch touchscreen to the right of the wheel for deeper controls, covering rider presets, water depth, speed, engine vitals, ballast monitoring, and stereo. To the left of the steering wheel sits the Sport Dash, a rotary control dial that adjusts speed, stereo, Surf Gate, and the auto wedge without looking down. The fast-fill ballast system speeds fill times, and Surf Band lets riders tweak Surf Gate, Power Wedge III, boat speed, and tower volume from the water.

Deck and cockpit details include nonskid soft-grip flooring that runs from the lounge to the swim platform, a flip-down Swimstep for easy reboarding, and transom seats for getting ready or soaking up the sun. The bow allows forward- or backward-facing seating with cup and phone holders, fold-down armrests, LED lighting, and an optional Natalie Seat that doubles as a windbreak. The lounge converts to a wake stadium with pop-up rear-facing seating, upgradable to the Max Pivot Seat. The G10+ tower carries PTM ClampForce 3.0 ratcheting board racks and Wet Sound Rev10 or Rev12 speakers, while older builds used billet aluminum G3 and G4 towers treated with an alidyne process for salt resistance.

Malibu boats MXZ models are offered with extensive customization, from gel coats and metal flake to interior accents, logo colors, soft-grip panels, RGB lighting that syncs to music, and optional wireless phone charging. Australian-built examples are produced in Albury and come standard with an e-coated saltwater engine, with fresh-water closed cooling available as an option for owners who run predominantly in salt. For buyers weighing a 22 MXZ, the main decision points are bow type by personal taste and capacity, engine choice, and which tower, audio, and seating upgrades fit how the boat will be used.