Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

2013 and earlier-Subaru Forester Prices Paid and Buying Experience

1474850525371

Comments

  • carolina_guycarolina_guy Member Posts: 6
    I'm about to pull the trigger on a Premium-Automatic Forester, I don't really care which year '09 or '10, but I can't seem to find the Dealer invoice for the 2010's on cars101.com. Can anyone give me that number so I can have a launching point for negotiations with the dealer? $695 for dealer transportation fee's I know on top of that, then t.t.t.

    Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
  • tinycadontinycadon Member Posts: 287
    Try Edmunds.com, they should have the '10 prices up now.
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    Also try NADA.com They were the 1st place I found the 2010 dealer prices for the Outback & major options
  • kanyuhirminowkanyuhirminow Member Posts: 2
    BUMP

    CAN YOU GUYS PLEASE COMMENT OR ANSWER MY QUESTION ITS REALLY STR8FORWARD AND I GAVE MSRP AND EVERYTHING!! :

    What do you guys think? Are there other options or accessories I should look for in the base model that are important? Is this a good price?

    I am rounding numbers for anonymity!

    2009 Subaru Forester 2.5 X (automatic)
    * Auto-Dim Mirror Compass
    * Platinum Cargo Tray
    * Rear Bumper Cover
    * Wheel Locks (Steel Wheels)

    total MSRP ~ 22300

    Price from dealer email: ~22200.00 out the door +plate....This price includes the 6% tax, without tax ~20950 )

    Financing offered (I haven't preapproved, but I know I have excellent credit, but prob pay cash)
    0 to 60 3.9% 72 mos 4.9%

    Lease offer:

    36 by 12k
    $289.99 plus tax (6%) with 500 due plus plate

    I only need 10k miles/year...wouldn't mind purchasing, then my kid could use car after few years.

    Thanks in advance and you guys all rock.
  • uknunnuknunn Member Posts: 2
    Just got a 2010 Forester 2.5XT Limited in Phoenix for $500 below invoice. Being chipped right now and will deliver 300 Horse Power. Be strong with the dealers, if one can do that then they all can. Cash deal.
  • uknunnuknunn Member Posts: 2
    that looks about $100 over invoice. Not a bad deal. I got $500 below invoice in Phoenix but that was hard to get in Los Angeles. All I could get was invoice there. That's for a cash deal.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The wheel locks aren't necessary given you have steel wheels. I doubt anyone will steal them. Still, if they are already on the car...

    Forester lease well due to great residuals, but I'd buy simply because I tend to keep my cars for a long time, and our Subies have lasted well.

    Your price is good, but not great. No-haggle dealers like Fitzmall.com have better pricing on X automatics. I think they can come down more.
  • zhufunizhufuni Member Posts: 1
    I am also going to buy a 2010 X Forester Limited, would you please let me know if you were able to talk the price down?

    Thanks!
  • jaydhjaydh Member Posts: 16
    We were at Barber Subaru in Oxnard, California looking at Forester Limited 2.5X w/navigation. The bottom line was that we could do the deal at MSRP out the door including tax/license. The sticker MSRP was a little over $28,000. Any thoughts as to whether this is a deal to go for or should we push for a little more. Thanks for your thoughts! I figure tax/license come to around 10%.
  • carolina_guycarolina_guy Member Posts: 6
    When people say $500 below invoice, does that mean the "Dealer Invoice" or the "Factory Invoice?"

    Could someone please explain?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I would say factory.

    Careful with dealer invoice because they can tack on all sort of stuff, advertising fees, who knows.
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    We looked at the 2010 2.5X Premium Forester with All Weather Package today and LOVED it, but wondered what options were "must haves". I read that wheel locks are not terribly important if you have alloy wheels and had considered adding an auto-starter but I think it may be cheaper after market. So I have all weather mats and a cargo net on my list, or are these things that are best purchased after-market? I wondered about splash guards and wheel arm molding, etc. to protect the car, and other such options. Thoughts?
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    Opinion will vary, but options I have and enjoy -
    Luggage compartment cover
    Remote Starter
    Splash Guards
    Sports Grille (still get complements on it)
    Tail Pipe Cover
    Cargo Tray
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    All good advice - thanks! Curious... did you price the remote starter elsewhere or just prefer to have Subaru do it for you?
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    I was comparing the pricing on KBB.com to Edmunds and live in a state in which we have the PZEV engines (which costs $308 more according to KBB). Edmunds doesn't list this engine as an option nor does it do a regional adjustment for the cost of it so the two sites are ~$300 apart. Does anyone know if the cost of the PZEV engines are passed onto the consumer in low emissions states (making Edmunds price incorrect)? Thanks!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,195
    I'm pretty sure that PZEV Subes have a higher MSRP than non-PZEV.

    Are you looking at 2009 or 2010?

    Here is the link for Edmunds pricing on the 2010 Forester, and there is a $300 option for PZEV listed about halfway down the page..

    regards,
    kyfdx

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

    Edmunds Moderator

  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    Geesh - I looked at that list 50x and missed that. Much appreciated! :) NOW everything agrees! Hiho, hiho... off to buy our Forester.

    And here is a little trivia that surprised me... if you equip the Premium X with Auto and the All Weather package, you are only ~$1000 lower than the Limited X, which adds leather, climate control and fog lights. This is because the Auto and All Weather options are standard on the Limited version. I thought there would be a bigger difference but because of how the Limited is equipped, the difference is much smaller than I thought. :)

    Thanks again for pointing out the PZEV for me!
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    OH and this is a 2010. :)
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    I had Subaru install it since it was going to get much use during the winter...and boy did it. As far as price goes, I got it at invoice which was about the same price my wife paid to have an after market one installed on her 09 Sentra.
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    Good to know - I'll have to look at that again. It's easy to forget how miserable it is getting into a cold car when it's 80 degrees out but I know we will love it and use it a lot. Thanks!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Go for it, the different in invoice prices is barely over $200 and you get 5hp as a bonus, plus of course it's cleaner burning.
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    Oh Absolutely! It's one of the primary reasons I am buying a Forester. I saw quite a few posts from people trying to save the $200 and buying the car in another state to avoid the PZEV and I am baffled by this... :mad: but if I go on I might have to drag out my soapbox so I'll quit there.

    But the purchase is going well so far.. I am paying $142 over invoice OTD with a Lifetime Powertrain warranty (included at no charge) on a 2010 Limited X. But now I need to figure out if it's worth the price for these options (Fully INSTALLED) which is what I was quoted.

    remote start: $535.41
    splash guards: $179.50
    hood protector: $128.49

    Always more research to do...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    People pay $300 for aftermarket intakes to get 5hp and that's not even SAE certified horses.
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    I'm floored at the prices you were quoted. The prices you mention are more than what's listed on Subaru's website. Last year I purchased my 09 and I got everything at invoice (vehicle + 15 or so extras).

    I don't know if it depends on where you live or something else, but as you're doing research be sure to check with other local (and not so local) dealerships and see if they will email you a quote for the vehicle and accessories you are looking for.

    It's funny, I got the remote starter for the exact opposite reason. I was looking forward to getting into a warm car on a cold winter day.
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    My understanding is that the prices quoted includes installation and the prices on the Subaru site do not. I am not sure what the time and labor costs are for each item so it makes it very tricky to judge. :confuse: Alas, that deal fell through but I am fine with that... my plan B (other dealership) is wonderful.
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    You are correct about the prices. I'm assuming then that this was going to be a vehicle on the lot to which the accessories were going to be added. I suppose that would account for the inflated prices. When I selected everything I wanted they said it would be easier to place an order and have it shipped from Japan, so I had to wait about 6 weeks or so.

    But this was last year when they were having trouble keeping them on the lot. The day I went they only had 3, 1 was a base model, 1 had a 'sold' sign on it and the one I drove didn't have the extras I wanted and was not a color I like.

    If you're going with a vehicle off the lot and looking for a site to help in getting a deal on your extras, I recommend checking out SubaruPartsMall
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    Hmmm - we could easily wait 6 weeks. So were some options installed in Japan and others by the dealer, or were they ALL installed by Japan?

    We plan to get things like cargo nets online (so thanks for the link!) but the auto-start, splash guards, and hood protector are all things we want done by Subaru (either Japan or dealer). It never occurred to me that ALL of it could be pre-ordered from Japan. Thanks again!
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    Great tip on ordering the car, kaiserchieffan. I spoke with the dealer and they will be ordering it from Subaru with all the options we want with no extra installation costs! THANK YOU! :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We did the same and were able to pick and choose exactly the options, accessories, even color. Very nice.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    We look to do the same thing, but I am not sure how flexible colors are. I asked the dealer if we could get a "special combo" on the color/interior, since it was not even built yet. I would think such a combo could be done easily enough, but then again I don't know how the factory is set up. I would like to get Camellia Red with a black interior; seems very goofball to me that they mixed up their color combos so much since last year and this year most everything comes with platinum interior only. If not, my wife wants the parika red. I haven't quite warmed up to it yet, but she loves it.

    I was quoted a price of (essentially) invoice: $22,550 for 2010 Forester X Premium w/ AWP. But, I had to order the car factory-direct. The dealer was not allowed to sell an on-the-lot car for much under MSRP. Patience pays....
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Beware - I saw the Paprika Red in person and it looks VERY orange. You may or may not like it, but it's not hardly a shade of red. They should have called it Burnt Orange or something.

    Platinum is a bad name for the interior color, too. It's really just like shade of gray. Platinum might have you think of metallic shades, so it's a bizarre choice for fabric and leather colors.

    Price sounds good, those were $22.8k when I was shopping.

    Do you have a Chase Subaru card? I've earned $500 in Subaru Bucks each year for the past several years. I kick myself for not getting one sooner. We used $1600 off the price of the car and already have another $500 saved up if anything ever breaks, though I may use them for the 30k/60k services.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    I know.... I think it looks orange too!!! But, a soft orange... more of a copper color (like the color Ford uses on its Edge). That was actually the color of the one I test-drove last week (put my post in the wrong thread - 2009 Forester rather than 2010, but noticed it too late to correct), and I did not mind it, but it was just not as rich as the camellia red. They hit it spot on with that color. I also really like the sage green. My wife, though, LOVES the Paprika! I don't get it; the saleslady with whom I was working at my local dealership loves it too. *sigh*

    The platinum interior is okay, but it is just too light to wear well for our use. With a 2 and a 5-year old, we are in for it regardless, but we are going to keep this car a long, long while. We are not buying it for resale (like the '08 Outback) and have no unplanned pregnancies looming..... Heck, even if we do have an unplanned pregnancy, we'd keep it anyway. :P
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    Oh, and yes, I do have the Chase card. I actually just picked up a second one after talking with occking about his multi-card portfolio. I have $700 bucks right now, with many more on the way soon (but after we finalize the deal, most likely), so I will use those for the necessary accessories (like trailer hitch, cargo tray, blah blah).

    Including my '98 Caravan, total price on the car should be about $17,350 unless we opt for additional stuff on the car.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    All of our decisions are made on our 2010 Forester 2.5X Limited... but one. Do we get Subaru all weather mats or after-market mats? I have heard conflicting reports on both choices. What mats do you have and do you love them? And are you located where it snows? Thanks!
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    OK... you two have piqued my interest. I vaguely considered this card but now I wondered if I should give it another look. All my servicing will be done at the dealership so I will certainly have a use for some of points. Beyond that... not sure what else I would spend it on since this will be a car I keep for a LONG time and who knows what my next car will be.
  • occkingoccking Member Posts: 346
    Did someone mention my name!!! Just hit 14,000 on the vehicle and had it in for 15000 mile service (I brought it in a few times early for previous services thus 1000 miles early on this one.

    Dealer hit me for $462 as they talked me into having the cabin air filter replaced ($79 or something like that) plus "fuel injection service" for something like $175.

    I ended up using my last $400 in Subaru Bucks so out of pocket $62 or so. When I got my vehicle in March, used $1200 in Subaru bucks. Now I am cleaned out, although one coming with next statement on one of my cards. As I mentioned before I have four cards & jump around from one to the other. But, think about it, I need to spend over $16,000 per year to max just one card out! I usually do at least three per year, that's about 50 grand! I am just fortunate that many of my expenses are travel ones reimbursed by my company.

    The dealer commented he has never seen anyone with as much "bucks" as I. Now I need to save up 4 or 5 for the next major service at 30k, which should be in 5 or 6 months.

    I was not pleased with the cabin filter replacement. While I was in the showroom, the service guy (who I nicknamed the "grim reaper") convinced two other people to replace it. Heck, if I had to do that every 15,000 miles, that's an expense several hundred dollars over the life of the car. Even though I have an extended warranty if I had a major problem caused by a clogged filter it would not be honored. I don't necessarily buy that, but the guy sure "sweet talks" many people into getting it replaced. That's got to be quite a money maker for the dealership. As far as the fuel injection service, that also seems like a bit much for 14,000 miles in 5 months of predominantly highway driving.

    I suppose if those costs had to come out of pocket, I may have declined those services. Says mile mpg should improve after that service. Heck, I have averaged (both by computer and actual usage, a little over 26 mpg since I got the vehicle, how much more am I going to get after this service.

    Oh well, I saw my name mentioned so I had to write something!
  • tinycadontinycadon Member Posts: 287
    $79 for cabin air filter replacement, WOW, I popped out my glove compartment door, pulled out the air filter and took a garden hose to it, cleaned it right up, let it dry, and threw it back in, definately no $79 job!
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    The things you learn on forums... thanks for posting your servicing experience xwesx. Here is a link that might help next time http://www.ineedarad.com/sufonewcaair.html. We are not DIYs but have graduated to changing our AC filters and headlight bulbs on our RSX after suffering similar sticker shock when getting the bill.

    So do you love your new Forester? Any thoughts for a soon-to-be owner?
  • tinycadontinycadon Member Posts: 287
    Nice link, good to know I can order one without going through the dealership. Here's a link to my photo-blog showing how I removed the filter:

    http://www.carspace.com/tinycadon/Albums/InteriorAirFilter/
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    The all-weather mats that Subaru provides are pretty good, but I highly recommend WeatherTech Floor Liners. Yes, the floor liners are more expensive, but if you want good protection in the foot wells (and not just the floor), these are your mats! They are molded to the specific vehicle and, as such, are hard and thin compared to the Subaru mats, but they sure do work well. Plus, they can hold quite a bit of liquid, which is great for heavy snow melt off boots or spills.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,759
    Yeah, I would say that the fuel injectors and cabin filter both were likely unnecessary services. If you run a fuel system cleaner through your tank every 4-5,000 miles, you should never have to "service" your fuel injectors.... ever! As for the filter, I'm sure it needs periodic replacement/cleaning, so you would need that done if you do not have the time, inclination, or ability to do it yourself, but 14,000 miles seems quick early to me. If a volcano had erupted nearby or you were driving many, many miles through heavy smoke from a forest fire then it would be warranted. ;)

    Hmm... did that seem far-fetched? Not to me! Both have occurred here (Alaska) so far in 2009! :P

    As for cards, I sincerely hope I do not max out both of mine in one year, but I definitely purchase more than one card can accommodate. I have simply split my purchase types between the cards (one card has recurring auto-pays, fuel, and food while the other accumulates the other stuff... like clothing, garden/pet supplies, and auto expenses!), so they both accumulate more slowly but neither will likely be maxed out.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    Happy to help. A lot of folks here helped me (directly and indirectly) before we made our purchase, so the least I can do is give back. Enjoy your ride.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    not sure what else I would spend it on

    That's the beauty of it ... you can pay for service, parts, accessories, or your next Subaru. You don't have to buy a new car to use them.

    Heck, my dealer's BODY SHOP accepts Subaru Bucks. Insurance reimbursed us, $400 cash for me. Ka-ching!

    We bought a Forester later anyway, and used $1600 instead of $2000, but still, it's nice to have other options. You could even have it detailed just before you sell it.
  • gsidgsid Member Posts: 7
    Guys and Gals,
    What is a good price I should be targeting in Seattle area for ltd Forester? As CARS is going away and inventories start to build , I think staring end of Sept and on Dealers will be more willing to lower there prices and make a deal. Pl advise. :)
  • leontamleontam Member Posts: 5
    I just got quoted the same car from a local dealer, if take the car on the lot, invoices+500, if take it 6-8 weeks later, 400 below invoices+destination fee...sounds good? invoices is about 22K, 21.6K after $400 cut, total will be about 22.3K. not much different, but that just got u a roof case or a fog light...
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    leontam - what was the trim level, options, and OTD price without tax? Not sure I followed from your last post. Thx.
  • always2always2 Member Posts: 2
    Last week I bought 2010 Forester 2.5x limited PZEV from Bellvue Chaplin Subaru.

    MSRP was $27916(including arch molding, splash guard, auto-dimming mirror with home link and all weather mat), and I paid 25721 for the car (OTD was 28500).

    I contacted Kirkland, Shoreline and Ballad Subaru also, but they were really horrible. (Especially, Kirkland and Shoreline Subaru requested more than MSRP and after long time consuming, ended final offer with MSRP.)

    Just request online quote from several dealerships, then Bellevue Subaru and Ballad subaru will give you "real price". I mean actual number.

    Both offered me reasonable price, but Bellevue Subaru was little bit better, and when I visited them, I could go little bit lower without any time consuming.( If you want, I can give you the dealer name I worked with.)

    I think as long as you can go lower than invoice, I think it is okay because there is no company incentive currently.
  • evadooevadoo Member Posts: 40
    I am not sure how this stacks up against other deals being made since Foresters are going like hotcakes around here, but I negotiated $25,840 OTD for the 2010 Forester Ltd PZEV (no sales tax here). This price includes NO add-ons in Sage Green (since they may charge more for some colors... not sure).

    After we agreed on that price I added the following options: auto-start, splash guards, hood protector, and rear bumper cover which added $510 to the price. If I had opted to have the auto-start installed by the dealer, it would have cost ~$500 for just that option, so it was much more affordable to have it done on the assembly line. A big thank you goes to kaiserchieffan for the suggestion to order it!

    So with the add ons, it came to a final price of $26,350 OTD. Generally I start a bidding contest with all the local dealers, but this time opted to pay a bit more and just deal with our local dealer (they are smaller so not the same volume as some of the others) because of their stellar customer service. So I suspect you could shave more off this price for a Limited. Good luck gsid!
  • gsidgsid Member Posts: 7
    Thanks always2.
    I see you paid 278 below invoice. Your invoice is 25,999 per edmonds.
    If you can pm me the Internet manager name with whom you were dealing that will be nice. What I have been getting is at invoice offers(online dealing only) which I am not much happy about as I can get that thru VIP program anyhow. I have been targeting about 600-700 below invoice as this is what a dealer out in Colorado is offering right now.
    Thanks for sharing your info and advise. :D
  • gsidgsid Member Posts: 7
    Hi evadoo,
    From your post it seems you paid 25840 OTD(with no sales tax) for a base(No add ons) on 2010 Forester Ltd. Am I reading that right?
    Reason I ask is that a base 2010 forester Ltd has an invoice of 25050. That will put your price at 790 ABOVE invoice.
    I am sorry to say but I think you overpaid if that is the case. You could have bought this under invoice as always2 did above(278 below invoice).
    Pl clarify as I think I am assuming something wrong here. Are you in Oregon(no sales tax) ?
    Thanks
    gsid
Sign In or Register to comment.