Well, we just missed the cutoff for ordering a 2002, so our dealer sold us a 2003 for the same price and threw in the cover. We were going to wait til spring, but got a real tempting deal....We got and '03 Outback LS with CD, pop-up cleats, stainless steel rub rail, cover, and depthfinder for 24,500.

I tried to research inboards intensely, and Moomba was clearly the best choice for our budget. I watched this message board for weeks and read of several small problems, but overall satisfaction. Electric/dash problems were among the most mentioned it seemed. There is a change with the electrical which I will describe in a moment; an apparent remedy attempt.

We are coming out of a 4 cyl runabout, so we obviously have a lot of learning to do, but are anxious to get our boat on the water. New this year (that I know of so far)....a larger, more functional CIPA mirror, a widened armrest in the cockpit, a thicker band at the top of the windshield, brand new graphics for the side and back, and an integrated dash with circles for the d/f rather than being just stuck on the side above the throttle.

As I mentioned earlier, my dealer noticed a new electrical hookup for the dash. There is actually a separate set of battery cables which mount onto the top-mount screws on the battery. The cables power the dash and radio, and even have their own breaker.

Feel free to contact me with other questions......

Wish me luck on our first voyage in a couple of days!