2003 Outback vs. Malibu Response

I just returned from the Detroit Boat Show comparing the Outback against the Malibu Response. These two boats are very similar (in my mind) but the bottom line is that the Outback was offered at $4,000 less than the Malibu. Is there anyone out there experienced with both of these boats that can offer a first-time buyer like me some free advice? Money is not my main consideration in buying a ski boat, but $4,000 is a lot of coin. If these boats are similar in terms of build, quality, reliability, ski-ability, etc, then I'll be buying the Moomba. Thanks.

Dave, I went through the same mental eval about a month ago and ultimately decided on the Outback. The Response LXi was what I was looking at. Beautiful boat with all the fluff. After talking to owners and reading everything I could get my hands on, I decided the ~$8K difference in price was simply not justified. The Outback is a damn good ski boat with beautiful ski wakes and all the performance. Not quite as fluffy with the dash/carpet/trim but clearly comparable in every other way. Good luck.

Havent ridden in the response but I got a 2001 Outback at the beginning of last year (new) and put 120 hrs on it this season with no probs. We use it for both skiing and wakeboarding and it does both great (just have to sack it down for boarding). If your gonna board alot I would say get a tower for sure. Demo em both if possible.