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2013 and earlier-Subaru Forester Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Congrats! Sounds nice. I was looking at the '08 Legacy Limited a couple weeks ago and it seems to be getting harder to find... phasing out to bring in the '09s soon. One nice touch I liked when I checked out the new Forester was the extra hooks higher up in the cargo area... great if you need to bring something home from the drycleaners or have one of those giant plastic shopping bags. Gotta love that roof! :shades:
  • gopher13gopher13 Member Posts: 3
    After weeks of research and shopping I finally pulled the trigger and leased a 2009 Forester L.L. Bean last night. I was fortunate enough here in Colorado to get a rare sage green Bean that wasn't loaded up with a ton of options. I went through Costco's car buying program. The dealer started out at $50 over invoice and I ended up getting it for $400 under invoice, plus a moon roof air deflector thrown in on the deal. I'm happy and I don't think I could do much better on a brand new redesigned model. I'm picking it up tonight and I can't wait to crack open the giant sunroof! :)
  • forester09forester09 Member Posts: 4
    I plan to buy 2009 Forester L.L. Bean in early May and move it back to Calgary Canada.

    The dealor told me that all 2009 Forester equips with immobilizer.Doesnt anyone know what I need to go to make sure this car meets Canada Motor Safety Standard-CMVSS114?
  • richneedsaleasrichneedsaleas Member Posts: 40
    Can you share your lease numbers? Thx! Rich
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,182
    Hi, forester09..

    We have a discussion that you might be interested in:
    Importing Car into Canada from US


    regards,
    kyfdx

    Edmunds Price Checker
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    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • reydelroblereydelroble Member Posts: 12
    Going in tomorrow to Roy Robinson in Marysville WA to sign papers and order my 2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/VDC (2.5L 4cyl 4A)

    Invoice #'s
    Dealer cost $24,341
    Regional Adjustment - - $0
    Optional Equipment
    F8L Rugged Package 1E $600
    F9J Popular Equipment Group 4B $329
    Q9W Trailer Hitch $351
    S9N Rear Spoiler Sage Green Metallic $275
    D9B Subwoofer Kit $205
    PZEV Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle $200
    O9A Luggage Compartment Cover $108
    R8D Security System Shock Sensor $83
    Q9V Moon Roof Air Deflector $64
    P9F Hood Protector Kit $48
    B8A Floor Mats, All Weather $39

    Sage Green Metallic $0
    Destination Charge $665

    Total with Options $27,308
    $195 for a hitch mounted bike rack-total invoice $27,503

    Less $400 off invoice for a total of $27,103 :)

    plus $50 doc fee, license and tax-no fluff.
    8 weeks out but the dealer will also honor any rebates or specials at the time of delivery.
  • chibiichibii Member Posts: 5
    Adding the duty of 6.1% plus GST and PST would bring the LLBean close to 30,000.00 Canadian but the Canadian MSRP is almost 34,000.00 not including the GST & PST which would be another 13% so the savings seem pretty incredible. My question really is how much of a hassle is it with the paperwork?
  • chibiichibii Member Posts: 5
    Where are you buying your forester?
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    forester09 -

    "March 13, 2008: Yes the 2009 U.S. Forester is admissable into Canada with "Presentation of the completed vehicle purchase agreement showing the vehicle identification number and indicating the presence of an electronic immobilizer OR Presentation of the vehicle window sticker (Monroney label) showing the vehicle identification number and indicating the presence of an electronic immobilizer OR A letter from the manufacturer showing the vehicle identification number and indicating the presence of an electronic immobilizer OR Other type of information present on the vehicle or on the ignition key or fob allowing the positive identification of such a system."

    from here:
    http://www.cars101.com/canada.html
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Way to go, reydelroble!
  • forester09forester09 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you so much! I do appreciate! :blush:

    Someone asked me, Where do I plan to buy it?--Washington States. I am living in Calgary. I think that is nearest place I can buy 2009 Forester...Anyone has any other recommendations?

    I also share the quotation--25,000
    --2009 Forester LL Bean
    + i-pod interface/phone tray

    + bluetooth kit

    I forgot to add---Rear Backup Sensor.

    So I will check the price on May 1st and share with you guys!

    25,000 for the above is ok? should I bargin? or how much down? :confuse:
  • reydelroblereydelroble Member Posts: 12
    Sealed the deal today with a little whining :cry: and got the final price to an even $27,000 ;) , that's $503 off their invoice (which was $18 higher than Edmonds) - I can live with that. They had no problem writing into the contract, to honor any rebates or dealer kickbacks at delivery as well.
    I told the internet gal that I was gong to post the deal on-line and she said fine, have them e-mail the internet dept. for the best price.
    Good luck all-8 weeks out. :shades:
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Hey, that's definitely the best pricing we've seen posted here so far... $500 below invoice!
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Lots of folks from Calgary buy from Seattle. I'm sure there are other dealers closer (Spokane, Idaho, Montana), but none with the sales volume of the Seattle-area dealers. That $25k price seems very good. I assume that's a PZEV emissions model if you're buying in Washington, so invoice would be $25,200 ($25,000 for non-PZEV). The iPod interface, phone holder & bluetooth kit are worth $300 at invoice, so you're either at $300 or $500 below invoice plus a free rear backup sensor. That would be a very good deal and would be surprised if you could bargain that any lower right now. (As you can see from reydelroble's recent post, he got $500 below invoice which is the best posted so far.)

    Also, rear backup sensor is not a factory option on Forester so that's why I couldn't calculate the value of it... is the dealer going to install an aftermarket setup? Have you test-driven Forester yet? The visibility is pretty good even to the rear, better than many sedans.
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    Just bought our 2009 LL Bean, Newport Blue Pearl, in the Austin, TX area. Went through Costco contact at dealer. There are only three Subaru dealers in the greater Austin area, but one of them is apparently closing and stopped responding to our phone calls and e-mails when we were getting ready to buy. Supplies of the LL Bean appear pretty tight in this part of the country -- I searched many dealer inventories and came up empty, or found very limited selection.

    We got ours for $200 over invoice (the invoice, not the dealer cost) -- amounted to less than one percent over invoice and less than four percent over dealer cost. Verified dealer invoice against Consumer Reports. Plus, we got the free 24-month scheduled maintenance plan from Subaru. No trade-in, no junk fees, very fast and pleasant experience at dealer. I am not a haggler, so I tend to settle for "fair" and not "greatest" on pricing. I have used corporate VIP pricing through my employer on my previous two cars (domestics). However, I always research extensively to make sure I am getting a good deal -- I have come out pretty well. I also keep cars for a long time. I have zero tolerance for shadiness, dealer add-ons, dealer tricks, and waiting for sales managers to "approve" a deal.

    This was my first shot at Costco buying service. I also got the 4.5 percent Subaru financing. I have great credit and even Costco/Capital One financing was gonna run 5.14 percent. Everything else was over 6 percent.

    So, all in all, we're pleased. We researched a ton of cars and chose the Forester for great visibility, safety, comfort, and value. Visibility is key for us, and almost everything new on the road today has fat pillars and blind spots big enough to hide a rhino behind. Fortunately, Subaru kept the visibility on the '09 almost as good as on the '08.
  • forester09forester09 Member Posts: 4
    25k doesnt include the backup sensor, Only LL Bean with Ipod adptor, tray and Blue tooth wireless.

    For some reasone, the dealer doesnt want to add the sensor for me from the discussion yesterday. That is an option. I am ok with it.

    I am not a big bargainer. Just want it a fair trade.

    I did test drive this car. It is great. Like you said..great visibility. It is even better than some sedan. More leg room. Very good detail.

    I first targeted at Escape. But after I see and test Forster. Awesome, I just like 2009 Forester!

    Will place order today or tomorrow.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You guys are buying them all up!

    My dealer still can't find a Silver or Blue LL Bean model (no Nav) for us.

    Sales were up 49% in April, Subaru's best April ever. :shades:
  • samirataustinsamirataustin Member Posts: 17
    Looking to buy in Austin, TX in the next month so. For some reason, the costco auto web page didn't pull up a Subaru dealer in the area. Who did you buy from? Subaru of Austin over at Huntland? And who is closing, the guys down on south I35?

    Anybody else has any pricing information around Austin? 200 over invoice seems very good- almost within a couple of hundred dollars of buying at Fitzmall and getting it shipped to Austin. I was hoping to use the Subaru VIP program (invoice minus 2%) but looks like I may not be able to make use of it. So any info on other deals around Austin is much appreciated.

    Thanks!
  • samirataustinsamirataustin Member Posts: 17
    Folks- Who are the Subaru internet dealers with online posted prices for 09 Foresters?

    Any dealer recommendations from those who made a long distance purchase over email/ phone? Care- abouts: low price, responsiveness and low hassle buying process.

    Hopefully this chain will be a handy reference point for others as well.

    Thanks!
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    The Costco Web site has you fill in information, and then you receive an e-mail or phone offer from the local dealer contact, if there is one. However, the first offer you get likely won't be the exact vehicle you end up with, but our first contact was good enough to keep us interested. We did not know which dealer would reply when we filled out Costco's online form. But yes, it was Austin Subaru on Huntland. The Internet sales rep there said he gets a good deal of Costco business, and we only bought the car this week, so that is recent information. We found them to be very professional. They are investing in a new facility next to the old one that should be open soon.

    Yes, it was the dealership on South I-35 that stopped replying to our phone calls and e-mails after we had what we thought was a good start in dealing with them -- in fact, we had assumed we would buy there, since it is close to our home. I have been given specific information that they are closing soon. I have also sent this info to the business desk of our local newspaper for verification, but have not heard back. I suggest anyone interested in dealing with them call them directly to gauge for themselves the suitability of shopping there. Their Web site is still active and they show inventory. It is part of a group of 14 dealerships, according to their Web site.

    However, given that we apparently got dropped by the sales team, we chose not to go back over there in person to find out what was going on. (One day this week our sales rep was "at a funeral"; the next, he was supposedly there but did not respond to the front-desk page, and he nor anyone else ever called us back.)

    I'm being careful here -- if the dealer is actually closing, no doubt they want to be tight-lipped about it so as not to drive away customers. At the same time, potential customers deserve to know. A colleague of mine told me about another Austin car dealer a few years back that told her they were closing down -- but not until right after she signed the papers to buy her car!

    Finally, we have a new Subaru dealer opening here, in Georgetown, just north of Austin. That is good news in terms of competition. Hope all this info helps Austin folks. I hope this discussion doesn't violate the Edmunds terms of service ...
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    I hope my $200 over invoice was good. I am confident it was. I see posts in forums about $300 and even $500 under invoice on '09s. I also see posters happy to get $400 over invoice. As we know, regional variations in supply/demand and individual dealer business needs play into those deals. Various online guides suggest anything around 4 percent over actual dealer cost (not invoice) is a fair price for both parties, and we hit just under that. Our dealer had to hunt for a couple of days just to find the blue Bean we got.

    I also have not seen much mention of the Subaru and Dealer incentive of the 24-month/24K official Subaru maintenance plan. We got that without asking. It's worth about four oil changes, two tire rotations and more. Anybody else getting those as part of the deal in other parts of the country?
  • alamocityalamocity Member Posts: 680
    The San Antonio dealership offers the 24 month/24K Subaru maintenance plan as well.
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    Now I can name names: I just got a phone call from the sales rep we had been talking to at Gillman Subaru on South I-35 in Austin. He told me he is now working at another car dealer in town because Gillman Subaru is closing in two months. So that makes it public knowledge.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Who are the Subaru internet dealers with online posted prices for 09 Foresters

    Fitzgerald Auto Malls is the only dealer I know of that lists their actual sales prices online. Even if you don't live near one, you can get a fairly good idea of what kind of price to shoot for at your local dealer.

    -Frank
  • snowbeltersnowbelter Member Posts: 288
    Also, Vanbortelsubaru. (Just add the dot com.)
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    "I hope this discussion doesn't violate the Edmunds terms of service ..."

    Discussion of specific dealers is allowed. For the most part, it's all good as long we're not giving names of salespeople.
  • ziggy13ziggy13 Member Posts: 2
    I just purchased a 2009 Forester X MT. The MSRP with including installed options and destination was $21,111.00. The invoice price is $19,869.00. I paid $19,269.00. The above price plus tax is all I paid. The dealer handling fee was waived.

    So, if you live in Colorado, you should be able to buy a 2009 Forester for invoice or below. In my case I paid $600 below invoice. If your dealer won't come down to invoice price, look around for another dealer. MSRP and invoice pricing (including option pricing) can be found at cars101.com (a Subaru research site).

    Happy Shopping

    -Ziggy
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Great deal, congrats.

    By my math the dealer lost money. Is there a hidden incentive in Colorado?
  • tkaytkay Member Posts: 99
    Hey Axman what is your money counterfeit. All these deals going down,and your still in the On Deck Circle!!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Find me a Newport Blue Pearl LL Bean sans NAV, preferably PZEV model, and we'll talk. ;)
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    Could the dealer have made it up on the trade-in? From my research the dealer holdback ranges from $636 to $834.
  • ziggy13ziggy13 Member Posts: 2
    I'm not quite sure how the dealership made their money on the deal. I did not have a trade in. Holdback should have been 3%. Maybe there is additional manufacturer to dealer support. Before I bought my Forester, I received quotes from several dealers around Denver. Not all the quotes were below invoice. However, Three of the dealers had the same price quote of $600 below invoice. I went with Flatirons Imports in Boulder, because they did not charge a dealer handling fee.
  • phdhuskyphdhusky Member Posts: 112
    Just wondering if 22,500 is good for a baseline premium with splash gaurds, read bumper cover and all weather floor mats. Think I can do better?

    Thanks
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    I don't know how many dealers there are in Denver, but from your post there clearly are more than three. In Austin, we had two dealers plus one brand-new one, now we have lost one of the older ones, so ... good ol' competition must've had something to do with it! You got a great deal.

    I have no experience with fitzmall.com, but checking their prices today, it looks like they are doing $200 over invoice on '09 Foresters.
  • samirataustinsamirataustin Member Posts: 17
    So- I have been emailing and talking to some folks over the past couple of days.

    Best offer in Austin, TX so far is $300 under invoice for an instock base X manual. I have one dealer in Houston quoting me what works out to be $510 under invoice- again, for an instock base X. No extra charges other than TT&L. No mention of trade in.

    Best "generic" quote I found in Austin is at invoice and accessories at cost.

    Main problem so far, haven't found the color I am looking for, and the ones I got quoted on have about $700- $800 of accessories which I don't much care for. Plus the dealer I would like to do business with in Austin is coming in 1% above invoice.

    Hoping to wrap this up in the next couple of weeks.

    Does anybody think Subaru might offer a rebate in June?
  • craiglcraigl Member Posts: 12
    I'm wondering about a rebate in June, too. Seems like there are a fair number of '09 X and X Premiums available (at least here in Austin), so we might see some kind of new incentive on those models if there's a glut of them regionally or nationally. Fitzgerald has dropped their prices to about 500 below invoice for those models, which is encouraging.

    Which dealership is quoting you 300 under invoice? That's a better price than I would have expected locally.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    "Find me a Newport Blue Pearl LL Bean sans NAV, preferably PZEV model, and we'll talk."

    For the heck of it, I checked the 21 nearest dealers to me in WA & OR... only 1 blue Beaner left ( :surprise: ) & it's got NAV. Most of the small dealers didn't have any Beans at all. Good luck finding one in NE, juice. Order the Limited already! :P
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    With the new Forester selling at nearly 50% greater rate April '09 vs. April '08, I'd be surprised if things cooled dramatically in May. I bet Subaru will wait 'til sales show signs of slowing.
  • leo2633leo2633 Member Posts: 589
    juice,

    I just found you one. Check the 2009 Forester thread.

    Len
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Thanks, will check...
  • samirataustinsamirataustin Member Posts: 17
    Gillman Subaru in south Austin quoted me $300 under invoice for an instock manual base X (quote of $19,793 + TTL on $21,314 MSRP). Seems they might be closing in a couple of months (saw on a thread here)- so far they have been the best deal in Austin.

    Not sure if they are getting any new stock. Let us know if you happen to talk to them and find out if they are getting more inventory in the next few weeks.
  • craiglcraigl Member Posts: 12
    Will do. They quoted me 500 under invoice for an Outback a few weeks ago. (I was leaning Outback at the time; now I'm leaning Forester.) The two salesmen I spoke with there told me that Gillman is indeed moving--in a couple of months--to San Antonio and that the dealership needed to unload all their inventory before they pulled up stakes. My guess is there won't be much new inventory, but what they have in stock will go for a nice price.

    I haven't gotten any quotes on Foresters yet, but the salesman I spoke with at Georgetown Subaru volunteered that their internet price for new Foresters was 300 over invoice. I figure that if he mentions that up front, that there might be some wiggle room.

    Best of luck in your search.
  • alamocityalamocity Member Posts: 680
    Interesting news that Gilman is moving to San Antonio as I haven't heard anything locally about that, will be good to see a second dealership in San Antonio again.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Help!
    I'm trying to decide between the 2008 vs 2009 Forester. I have a great price on the 2008 and like the visibility, and that it is a little smaller. The cup holders are too small to be useable. I thought the seats seemed a bit hard after being in it for a while. Will they "break in" at all?
    I'd like to hear any comments that 2008 or 2009 owners have pro or con about their vehicles now that they have had time to drive them.
    If anyone has driven both versions, comments comparing them would be helpful as well.

    Thanks!
  • dcwestbydcwestby Member Posts: 29
    I've owned a 08 forester in the past and I will say this about it. Its a great car, except perhaps where long trips are concerned. The seats, even with a pillow on them, get a bit hard on the back/tailbone after a couple hours of sitting. Also, imo, they should have put a 5 spd auto in the 09 instead of keeping the 4 speed.

    Look at all the options besides the forester. If you research extensively, you will be more knowledgable then the sales person on any car you look at. mpg is extremely important these days. Keep that in mind too. Keep a future with $5/gal gas in mind...
  • pgb0517pgb0517 Member Posts: 84
    Our '09 LL Bean is our first Subaru. However, we carefully compared the '08 to the '09. We liked the external styling of the '08 better, but inside, the '09 is much roomier and has better seats -- the differences in seat comfort were apparent even in a test drive. The big reasons we chose the '09: The long list of standard safety features, better interior quality, space and comfort, trip computer (of course, you could always buy a ScanGauge), peppier performance and quieter ride. We determined this via test drives as well as many reviews online.

    We were disappointed that the power seat became an LL Bean feature and not a Premium feature, though, because that was something we really wanted -- otherwise, we would not have bought the more expensive Bean. Also, the '09 has a coolant light instead of a gauge -- what's with that? And why did Subaru cripple the trip computer to not show distance till empty? And why should you have to upgrade the mirror to get a compass? Still, we like the '09 a lot. We bought one.

    (Does this thread belong in the 2009 Subaru Forester discussion?)
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Thanks pbg!

    I'll post it there as well!
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Thanks, dcwestby.

    The long drives were exactly what I was worried about. Are the 09 seats that much better for the long drives?

    I agree on the gas, but haven't been able to find a Manual Transmission vehicle with top carrying and cargo capacity I need that gets any good gas mileage. The 08 Forester was my compromise vehicle. The next closest was the Matrix/Vibe option. I had to rule that out as I can't get Thule racks on it (not for 6 months per Thule). And then the insurance cost for the Matrix/Vibe was going to be $300 more per year than the Forester..

    If you have any suggestions for other options to look at (the Subaru is maxing me out on price) I'd love to hear it.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    The dealer definitely did not lose money, they actually still made a fair bit. They just took off most of the holdback price, which the dealer gets back from Subaru anyway.
  • slateracslaterac Member Posts: 85
    Hi all,

    I went to subaru near me last night and they wanted 25,200 for their 2.5x premium. It was ridiculous. They have a package deal that was 635 with no description and the salesperson knew less about the car than I did! They had a package worth almost 900 for the crossbars on top that was ridiculous and on top of that they wanted to offer 1500 less than kbb for my fiances car. That was ridiculous because her car is fine and that was after they told me the few days before it would probably be higher than kbb. I'd like to get a subaru but the dealership there are morons.

    I'm thinking of going in there with everything I want in the car and saying give it to me for this price or I'll go somewhere else. It's more expensive than Honda and that's crazy. I would by the llbean for that price but no way I'd pay that for 2.5x.

    What do you all think?
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