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2013 and earlier-Subaru Outback Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • kiltedfoolkiltedfool Member Posts: 18
    Twilight Blue Limited 2.5i PZEV with dark grey interior, moonroof package, rear seat back protector, splash guards, cargo net and rear bumper cover for $29,688, I was seeking 1.9% for 60 months and ended up getting 1.84% for 60 months.

    Added the 7/100/0 Gold warranty for 1475.

    How'd I do? The dealership is close enough I can see it out my office window, so service and coordination is pretty easy.
  • gilangilan Member Posts: 5
    Hi Kiltedfool:

    Is $29,688 out the door (Including tax + fees)?

    O+
  • easypareasypar Member Posts: 191
    Kiltedfool, that's withing a few hundred of what we paid for the identical car, except I forgot to ask for rear seat protector so now I'll be buying it. Love the midnight blue. None of the sales force at our local dealership had seen it until ours came in from Denver. They ordered one for the lot and last week I saw it, or at least another midnite blue with their dealer plates when at the library.

    Congratlations

    easypar
  • benthedogbenthedog Member Posts: 1
    Just purchased a 3.6 Outback with the special appearance package. It also had wheel moldings, all weather mats, cargo nets. It did not have the eyesight package, but rather package 23. It was close to 38 on the window. I traded a 2005 Chevy Cobalt with only 36k miles. I got it for 32, 6% sales tax and plates included (2k). I bought it over the internet and the salesperson was a good guy to deal with. Usually I go round and round with a salesperson and have done a ton of research. On this car I just went in cold and after rejecting their first offer after they rejected 31 (tax included) we settled on 32.
  • jordanosujordanosu Member Posts: 1
    I live in Dallas and am looking for a 2013 Subaru Outback, Premium with All-weather package. I was quoted for $25,400, but according to many of the posts on here, you all are getting quotes for quite a bit less than that (10%-13% off MSRP). Other posts I've seen says over $25,000 for this car is too much, so I want to know some more opinions. Thanks!
  • easypareasypar Member Posts: 191
    Not sure how competitive the Dallas Subaru market is. Here in CO and the NE and NW the dealers know they have to get their hearts right. IIRC Sewell is one of the big Subie stores in the metroplex so that might be keeping the prices higher than in other markets. Try checking with Ed Wallace this Saturday over on KLIF, although much as I like him he does seem to think that we're doing god's work by paying more for cars.

    easypar
  • pjkopppjkopp Member Posts: 6
    So according to these posts there was a manufacturer to dealer incentive in September that allowed below invoice pricing and I saw numbers between 10 and 13.5% below MSRP plus TTL.

    Does anyone know if this incentive still exists? Despite having several dealers to work with, I have only been able to get 9% off of MSRP and all the dealers are clumped between 7.5% and 9% for the same car. 2013 Outback limited, 2.5 with moonroof,wheel moldings, splash guards, Homelink mirror. In addition the fluff accessories were priced higher by the dealer than listed on the website

    Any recent experiences or suggestions to lower the price into these unpublished incentives is appreciated
  • pokeypenguinpokeypenguin Member Posts: 1
    are you in Michigan by any chance? If so would love to know dealer/salesperson.
  • subymandsubymand Member Posts: 3
    Just picked up a 2013 2.5 limited with appearance package, all weather mats, trailer hitch, side moldings, 110v power outlet, cargo net, splash guards, seat back protector, and puddle lights. MSRP is $34891. I bought the car for $31,500 plus ttl., over $500 under invoice. 9.7% off MSRP. Pretty happy with price.
  • lolli1lolli1 Member Posts: 1
    Yesterday I bought "2013 2.5 Limited w/moonroof pkg" + bumper cover + rear seat protector + splash guards for $30,000 drive out. $1600+ below invoice. In central texas. Several dealers offered in the same range, but chose local. 2012 one was just $500 less, so went for 2013.
    Good Luck!
  • winter2winter2 Member Posts: 1,801
    My wife and I purchased a new 2013 2.5 Premium this past Saturday. Has the weather package and one other package. Drives nicely but I am still learning of about some of the quirks the car has. Finally use to the steering. Discovered my cellphone is not compatible with the BT system but I have a Garmin GPS so I am able to use it as my hands free device.

    Purchased this over a 2.5i as the dealer made it worth my while. The other car I seriously considered was a Honda CR-V. It was a close call but several thing pushed me to the Subaru. First, better seats. I know this can be subjective but the Subaru seats just feel better. Second, fit and finish. The Subaru has tighter tolerances than the CR-V and the materials, especially the fabric on the seats is more substantial. Third, NVH. The Subaru has a much quieter interior than the CR-V (less road noise) and the ride and handling are better too. Fourth, fuel economy. In my research, the Subaru generally got better fuel economy than the CR-V. Lastly, a comment made by a Honda dealer salesperson. He stated that the Subaru was more stoutly built than the CR-V in most every respect. I kept that statement in mind.

    I have about 300 miles on the car, mostly highway. Getting about 25 mpg on a new engine.
  • kevinohiokevinohio Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2012
    What do you guys think about a 2013 2.5i Limited Graphite Gray (w/out moon roof package) - basically pretty basic with a few options like car mats, splash guards for $27,220. Is the 60 month 1.9% financing a good deal? This seems to be the lowest price I've been quoted in the state.

    I got a good deal from a Chicago dealer - $25,800 however the sales tax is much higher there from what I hear - 9.5% versus 5.5% here in Ohio.

    I tried to use that price as negotiating factor, however I wonder if dealers know this tax difference already, probably leading to more attractive pricing to compete.
  • ksdjwdksdjwd Member Posts: 8
    I live in Duluth and contacted Troncalli based on your review. Their price is not close to the $1500 under invoice you were able to negotiate. Any suggestions?
  • ksdjwdksdjwd Member Posts: 8
    Kevin, I'm looking for the exact car you purchased. Can you give any advice on dealers you contacted for best pricing?
  • kevinohiokevinohio Member Posts: 4
    Hi ksdjwd - it was difficult to find, however most dealers were willing to order or do a dealer trade for it. Best pricing I found was from Chicago dealers, however it wasn't enough difference for me to travel there from Columbus- I may have saved about a grand by going there for it. However I was hesitant something could go wrong, or there weren't destination fees or something included. Plus I heard the tax rate is higher, although I thnk you pay tax based on your actual state. Gerard Subaru in Chicago had the best price at $25,700 something, but it expired and went up. Grand Subaru in IL was another one with really good pricing - like $26 something with a few extras I was not getting with the other models.

    I ended up buying at Busam Subaru in Fairfield - near Cincinnati. They were the only ones I could find with the car in stock and gave me a fair price - not as good as the Chicago ones but a little lower than Columbus and other Ohio dealers. Plus it wasn't too far of a drive for me - like an hour and a half.

    If you go "no moon roof", you can save a few grand, if that's not important to you. I didn't even know they made them w/out, as most dealers don't advertise or promote them on their lots.
    We paid $27,220 and got the 1.9% financing promotion going on for 63 months. Not sure if this was a great deal or not, but most dealers I talked to were not budging in their price.

    Hope that helps! Keep me posted on what you find or do!
  • ksdjwdksdjwd Member Posts: 8
    Kevin, thanks for your insights. I agree it's risky to drive too far from home...never sure what surprises await even when you think you have an understanding. One dealer offered a good price but turns out the car had 2000 miles on it. Glad I asked about mileage before I drove 2 hours. Was your price for a OB Limited without the moonroof? Was that an out the door price or were there dealer fees/taxes on top? I'll keep you posted on what I do.
  • dannysadannysa Member Posts: 1
    I’ve driven a 1997 legacy outback for 7 years and loved it, barely no issues, but recently lost it to flood. In the market to buy a new Outback, but have gotten stuck on whether I should buy a $6000 2001 model @123,000 miles, or if it’s worth paying $12,000 for a newer 2007 model @ 104,000 miles.

    I can afford the 2007 model only if it will save me repair costs down the line, but seeing that the mileage is almost the same I wonder if I will?

    Here are some other factors to consider:
    2001 LL bean model:
    2 owners
    had a 2008 rear/side impact accident, back bumper and back/right side replaced. Some rust there.
    6 cylinder, super quiet motor. Runs really smooth. Super clean car, looks well taken care of. Dealership have put in new tires, tire rods, breaks, water pump, and anything else to make it “like new”

    2007 model:
    4 cylinder, 30 day warranty,
    only one owner, but looking over the carfax report it has had a lot of repairs such as
    Engine/powertrain computer/module replaced
    Drive belt(s) replaced
    Oil and filter changed
    Battery replaced
    Drive belts replaced
    Light bulb(s) replaced
    Front brake pads replaced and rotors resurfaced
    And failed emission inspection at 70000 miles
    Failed safety inspection at 50000 miles

    Any advice would be great. Thanks!
  • jacksan1jacksan1 Member Posts: 504
    Tomorrow (November 10) we will be picking up our Venetian Red Pearl 2013 Outback 2.5i Premium (CVT). Pre-installed options are the All Weather Package, all-weather mats, and the rear bumper guard.

    We were going through online inventories of the different Twin Cities Subaru dealerships when we came across this car. Walser Subaru had it offered at $24,598 (not including tax/license fee. etc.), which frankly stunned us. We called the dealership to make sure that the number was not an error, which they assured was not. We drove it, and decided to buy.

    It appears that Walser Subaru is making significant markdowns for the Subarus, except for the Impreza/Crosstrek and BRZ. I wonder whether or not other area dealers are doing the same.

    Subaru HAS to be giving dealerships major incentives to do this. TrueCar shows $26,301 as the estimated cost for the identically-configured Outback.
  • kevinohiokevinohio Member Posts: 4
    It was 27220 before tax and title. I went without the moonroof package. It was a base limited with floor mats, body side molding, and something else but I am forgetting at the moment. We went with graphite gray. It was tough to find one without a moonroof. With moonroof the best price was like 28,600. Yah let me know what you do! We are loving the car so far.
  • jacksan1jacksan1 Member Posts: 504
    Today we picked up our Outback as per stated above.

    We were pre-approved at our credit union at a super low rate (1.24% for 60 months), but the dealership (Walser Subaru in Burnsville) tried to match it. They did not succeed, as their best offer was 1.79% for 60 months.

    However, this seems to indicate that the current 1.9% financing deal is not necessarily carved in stone. In your negotiation with the dealership of your choice, after everything has been negotiated, it may be worth asking for a better interest rate than 1.9% that is advertised. Subaru of America's offer may not get lower than 1.9%, but the dealership's own financial arm might be able to shave another 10 basis points or so, as our experience indicates. The worst that can happen is that they will say no.
  • ksdjwdksdjwd Member Posts: 8
    I'm trying to understand the pricing of accessories used in calculating the Edmund's TMV. Does the invoice price/MSRP on the accessories include labor or just parts? A dealer gave me a price sheet on accessories and the retail is significantly higher than the MSRP shown on Edmunds.

    I'm trying to find out the true invoice price on a 2013 OB with a number of accessories/options and I'm unclear if the Edmunds numbers accurately portray both parts/labor for those options.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,761
    edited November 2012
    These are tough ones on which to offer reasonable advice!

    I'm actually surprised that some of that stuff on the '07 even popped up on a Carfax (bulb replacements... really?). Drive belts, battery, light bulbs, brake pads.... that's all good stuff to have replaced. Really, though, the only "repair" is the computer replacement. That might be a concern, as well as failed emissions inspections... but both of those depend on what the issue actually was. In some areas, worn drive belts (or bulbs out) can cause a failed inspection. In others, those things aren't even checked. For the computer, when was it replaced and why?

    Again depending on the area, the price on the '07 might be high. If you decide to go that route, make good use of your thirty days... they go quick! Also, make sure the car's timing belt was replaced, as those are due at 105K. If there is no paperwork to back up whether the belt was replaced, assume it wasn't (if the timing belt breaks, your engine is toast). If not, reduce your offer price accordingly.

    For the '01, the H6 is a reliable engine. You shouldn't have to worry about the head gaskets, at the very least! You'll need to feed it premium fuel, plus it will return lower fuel economy, but you should be able to more than make up for that in purchase price and (possibly) insurance rates.

    Also, I'm sure there are more fish in the sea if neither of these look like the best bet. Good luck with your decision!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • jacksan1jacksan1 Member Posts: 504
    My understanding is that those part prices are virtually always parts only, exclusive of labor. In addition, each dealership can and does set its own pricing for the parts and accessories.
  • fmayberryfmayberry Member Posts: 33
    The prices listed on Edmunds and other websites are for accessories installed at the Subaru factory or port. Websites don't reflect prices a dealer will charge for accessories installation at the dealership and the prices will almost always be higher. The dealer charges for the part and shop labor to install. Depending on the accessory, the labor component can be significant. Accessories are always cheaper to have install at the factory. The downside is one has to do a factory order and wait for the vehicle.
  • winter2winter2 Member Posts: 1,801
    The Limited has a few more things/items over the Premium and I did look at one. I did not want much of what the Limited offered and tghe Premium fit the bill.

    The 1.9% financing is a good deal and my wife and I took that. That rate beat most banks and credit unions.

    If you are an Ohio resident, then you should pay Ohio tax only. I lib=ve in Maryland and have purchased cars in Virginia. I paid Maryland sales tax only. Not every state works the same way so may want to investigate.
  • subymandsubymand Member Posts: 3
    Actually, the MSRP and Invoice pricing were $300 higher since I got the PZEV version. Liberty Auto Subaru in the Chicago burbs.
  • superduesuperdue Member Posts: 5
    edited November 2012
    Posting my purchase experience as I am in the process of buying from Wentworth Subaru in the Great Northwest-where there must be the highest concentration of Suburus on the planet. We don't call them dealerships up here; we call them breeders.

    Vehicle: White, Limited, SAP with pud lights, seatback protectors, splashguards, 110 outlet, rear bumper protector, all weather mats: MSRP 34,701, Invoice 31,983, Price 31,483. - about 1.5 under invoice. They offered 1.9%, 60 month financing with this quote

    Deposit, appraisal and dealer trade to secure the vehicle was all done online and via phone. They also offered $500 more for my 2010 outback trade than the other breeders. I secured the trade-in value prior to getting new vehicle quote. Tomorrow I travel to Portland from Sequim, Wa to trade cars. Will post again after transaction is complete. Hope all goes as it should . . .
  • tripeltripel Member Posts: 12
    and I love it.
    Got the 3.6 with all the goodies -- moonroof, nav, side molding, bumper, special dark brown interior leather, which is really sharp. The only things I didnt get were the entertainment system and the camera vision thingy. Paid a bit more than I should've I think at a bit more than $36K out-the-door (got $2K off sticker), but still consider this a great deal. It's loaded with great accessories: touch-button start and keyless entry, heated power seats w memory, dual temp, bluetooth, killer stereo with ipod connectivity. Really love the dark brown - wasn't sold at first, but it has really grown on me. Mostly it's very unique, you just dont see that color out there, and also the interior brown leather has the feel of a much higher-end car (much moreso I think than the white leather, certainly.) I've put over 1500 miles on it so far and all good -- it has lots of power and it averages around 24.5 mpg on the highway, which is pretty good, I think. With the bad weather approaching we'll see how the awd is, but I'm expecting great things. Bought it at Curry Subaru in Courtland Manor, NY (and hour north of NYC.) The salesman Peter was excellent -- no hassles and no slick selling, I tested it on Sunday then bought it Thurs, took the train up and he picked me up at the station; drove it away an hour later. Highly reccomended experience all-around. The only annoying thing is that the dealership keeps sending me a barrage of surveys and promotional junk I don't want ... but a minor issue. In all, big thumbs up!
  • carteachcarteach Member Posts: 179
    I'd like more information about how you secured the trade-in value without having the dealership see the vehicle. I'm trying to sell my '06 Acura privately and have never done a trade-in. But would love to avoid the hassle, waiting etc. So looking for tips.

    Thanks.
  • new2013outbknew2013outbk Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2013 Outback last Friday from a dealer in Rockford IL. for $3600 below MSRP. I used truecar.com to get quotes from other dealers and used those as negotiating info. I had 3 other dealers all in this range. I bought from the one closest to home.

    I now have 760 miles on the car and I am entirely happy with this decision. My first Subaru. I considered the Escape, CRV, Rav4 and Mazda CX5.
  • superduesuperdue Member Posts: 5
    I am not sure if Subaru dealers (breeders) will appraise other brands of vehicles than Subarus over the phone. I explained that I was not interested in making an unnecessary trip (200 mi) without knowing my 2010 limited outback's trade-in value. He than said he would make an exception realizing how far I was from the dealership He asked me several condition related to tires glass door dings service history, all geared I suspect to insure the vehicle could be sold as a Certified Used Subaru. I believe I was dealing with the sales Manager rather than a sales person. We will see how it all goes tomorrow.
  • superduesuperdue Member Posts: 5
    I am quite excited about my selection (Spec App Pack) and noticed right off that the quality of the interior leather was quite a bit better and thicker than that in my 2010 limited. I decided I just would not be happy without all that Subaru could offer in luxury and quality. love the push button start and the memory seat function. the blue tooth hands free is awsome (have it in my current trade-in car).
  • tripeltripel Member Posts: 12
    yeah, ive ridden in volvo xc and the acura mdx, and i feel this SAP compares nicely in the luxury feel ...the brown leather really sold me, i liked it so much more than black or white
  • superduesuperdue Member Posts: 5
    Made it home safely. All went as well as could be. I was quite pleased with how quick and painless it all was. . . . except when I got home four hours later I was greated with an email from Wentworth Subura sent to their customer base stating that they have just received a new shipment of SUBIES and had so many on their lot they were reducing their prices beginning emmediately on all existing stock . . . to a price lower than what i paid . . . What an insult! Just a few hundred dollars but still. Took a little polish of the whole deal.

    As for the vehicle I am tickled. Tighter stearing and ride than my 2010. Got 29.4 mpg (about 1 mpg less than the 2010) I have hours of late \night educational material to read regarding the NAV /audio Sys. The car is quiter than the 2010 sippier at low rpm and a much firmer luxury feel. A joy to drive. If you are in the Northwest I would check out Wentworth in portland as their current sales prices arereally low.
  • savegassavegas Member Posts: 26
    Congratulation to your new 2013 Outback.
    $3,600 below MSRP which is under invoice price, good work.

    Question: i don't think there is cash incentive (rebate) from Subaru right now.

    Any reason for dealer to sell under invoice which will reduce the 3% hold back?
  • ksdjwdksdjwd Member Posts: 8
    edited November 2012
    I thought I negotiated a good price (thanks to help from many of you) but after I added in several upgrades, I'm not sure if I did that well. The dealer would not budge on the price for the hitch, bike rack, and wheel arch moldings.

    I paid $30,000 (before taxes and license fees) for a 2013 OB Limited with moonroof package, all weather mats, rear seat back protector, wheel locks, splash guards, side moldings, rear bumper cover, wheel arch moldings, hitch, bike rack, It also included puddle lamps which I don't particularly want. Was this a good price?

    Also, any recommendations on whether to take the gold plus SAS warranty? LOVE the car!
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    I'm interested in a 2.5i Limited w/SAP in the the brown color because it sounds like it would be very unique. I can't find one in any of the local dealers and was wondering how many of you have actually seen one and what your think. Looking at the brochure and pictures it looks almost black and if it looks the same in the sunlight I might have to go with the white. Thanks!
  • superduesuperdue Member Posts: 5
    In what region are you located? I have seen several in Brilliant Brown Pearl in th northwest. I almost settled on it because it is quite nice and unusual. The brochure shows it well. I decided on white because it is easier to care for, shows imperfections less and no swirls.
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    I'm in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. Obviously we don't have the volume of Subaru's that you have in the Northwest. I used to live in the Western North Carolina mountains and there were lots there, too. The big question for me - is it different enough from black to look unique?
  • easypareasypar Member Posts: 191
    I'm not sure what the puddle lights, wheel arch moldings, hitch and bike rack go for but it sounds pretty good to me. We paid $29,200 for ours, which except for those items was the same as yours.

    Our negotiation took two emails and done.

    So, I'd say you did pretty well. Congratulations.

    easypar
  • easypareasypar Member Posts: 191
    We were very interested in new brown too, until we saw one in a row with a black and grey in a nearby dealer. We liked the seats and the power seat preset buttons but looking at the saddle leather color against all the black on the dashboard and door panels turned us off.

    At that same dealership we saw the new Blue color and decided on it instead of white. We bought the Blue color instead and our local dealer ordered it from a Denver dealership. It was the first one that the sales force at our local dealership had seen and they decided then to order another one in Limited and one in Premium trim to have on the lot.

    Naturally since we bought ours (early September) I've seen several more in our little (55,000) town.

    easypar
  • radiowave3radiowave3 Member Posts: 2
    Hello all.....great comments and advice.

    I have a deposit on a 2013 Subaru 3.6R Limited with Special Appearance Package and few other floor maps and cargo nets. The vehicle is a demonstrator driven by the sales manager. It has 2600 miles on it, never titled, will have first oil change, detailed, etc. The list is $36,948 and the deal is $32,500 plus taxes, etc. The dealer is located in Maryland.

    I feel that is a fair price but would appreciate any comments.
  • vtkahnsvtkahns Member Posts: 10
    I thought I had done adequate research when going to the dealer today to try to get some #s but clearly I had not. Using truecar via my (or my wife's) employer, it showed an MSRP around 28200 after "regional fees" of $300 . .destination + all weather + pkg 1B (all weather mats, bumper protector, mud guards, homelink mirror) . It matches edmunds but they don't show this $300 regional adder. Truecar shows their Estimated price of 25800 (from some dealer 150 miles away ) . The dealer showed me a # like that but then showed their $536 holdback and $536 advertising fee. In the end... best price to me after the sales manager dance was $536 over what I thought was real invoice.. This is 7% off msrp.

    Before I went, I had exercised the "costco deal" thru a dealer about 100 miles away ( only local participating one) and I thought I was getting $425 under invoice from him but the invoice price he quoted me is about $500 over what I was expecting so their bottom lines come out pretty much the same.

    So I conclude that I can't assume the edmunds invoice prices are the #s the dealers care to use when talking x under invoice. They want to tack on their holdback and advertising and then take something off of that.

    I admit I have not bought a car in 15 years (others just keep going and going).

    I see deals people are getting here 10-15% under invoice (which invoice # to trust I don't know) . Many of those appear to be Limiteds so perhaps they deal more there.. Not sure.. My wife refuses to go leather so I'm sunk there. It seems I am way off in my thinking of what kind of good deal I could get.

    I was expecting for this 2.5i Premium All Weather with a few accessories.. I would be in the low 25s . Right now I'm at 26256 .. or 27398 if I go for the moonroof/backup camera (which I was going to install myself (camera that is ) while upgrading the stereo I hear stinks ) and all weather mats, bumper protector cargo net, puddle lights & mud guards) .. That is 7.6% off of msrp.

    We had not gotten to talk about warranties ( i've never taken an extended one before) or anything other than their 1.9% financing.

    I could try to get quotes far away but that does seem like a lot of work.. I am asking a relative in PA to see if he can secure something more attractive as a comparison. Not sure if PA would be PZEV as they all are here so I have to be careful about that $300 delta.

    Appreciate any advice.
  • ksdjwdksdjwd Member Posts: 8
    Thanks Easypar. Did you decide to do the Subaru SAS extended warranty? I'm still debating. I don't usually do extended warranties but this is my first Subaru.
  • carteachcarteach Member Posts: 179
    I'm ready to buy the Outback Ltd. I'd like to have it before the end of the month. Some people have mentioned that negotiations by email take some days. Am I better off doing this by phone? internet? Not sure how I should proceed to take advantage of the end of the month days.
  • easypareasypar Member Posts: 191
    No, I passed on the extended warranty. When you subtract the factory warranty from the time and miles on the extended one you see that you're not buying very much protection. And you're paying a pretty high price for it. With as reliable as cars are today I consider extended warranties a really bad thing to spend money on.
    I spent most of my working life in sales, usually covering very large georgraphical territories. I never owned a new car until I retired. I used to buy mid or full size sedans from people who were upside down on year old cars. I would then run them until they had 200,000-300,000 miles on them. Over the years I saw cars getting progressively better, particularly the drivetrains.

    Speaking for myself and a couple of guys that worked for me the only major expenses we had on cars from the mid-1990's onward were; igniters on GM cars at 130K miles (a couple of us), full A/C replace on GM cars (lots of aluminum in the compressor which would disintegrate with heavy use-I think this has been remedied for years), microscopic cracks in intake manifolds on first generation fuel injection on Fords. Other than that we've done the usual replacement of batteries (always replaced at 4 years, regardless of mileage, water pumps and a couple of power steering pumps.

    The only other drive train problem we've had was on my wife's '98 Forester, but Subaru has long since remedied that problem.

    I'd pass on that warranty and invest instead in what I always considered the best warranty, REGULAR OIL CHANGES. When I was selling I did my oil religiously at 5,000 miles and tranny fluid at 35,000. That meant that there were times that I had two oil changes in one month sometimes.

    BTW, our dealer offered and extended "service" package of 12 oil/filter changes for about $280. Since the Outback has synthetic oil now I bought that!

    good luck
    easypar
  • easypareasypar Member Posts: 191
    I found on both my '10 Legacy and my '13 Outback that emails were answered promptly, usually in a few hours. Anyone who takes days to answer emails isn't serious about business or they think it's still 1996!

    easypar
  • vtkahnsvtkahns Member Posts: 10
    Followup to my (sorry) long post before.. My local dealer won't budge yet from 2.5i pzev premium , moonroof pkg, all weather
    $27350 ... with these port installed things: all weather mats, rear bumper protector, cargo net, puddle lights & mud guards ... 7.6% off of msrp but pretty much at edmunds invoice.

    I was expecting to be under invoice by say $500 or more.. They claim to be losing $ if we go any lower (they do include free state inspections for life of car.. free loaners for service.. etc .. but still )


    Invoice MSRP
    24782 26295
    1620 1945 Moon/Camera
    795 795 deswt
    283 438 Stuff
    ------ --------------
    27480 29473
  • fendertweedfendertweed Member Posts: 98
    I think that generally the extended service contracts are only worth it on vehicles with known trouble areas that are costly, or with complex electronic systems (above & beyond the normal complexity of modern cars), and then only if you can get a good price.

    I got a super price on a factory contract and since my OB has the automatic climate control and fancy sound system, etc., it was not a tough decision. I usually pass but over the past 20 yrs. on those ESCs I did buy, I've come out ahead on more than not (I "made money" (more repairs paid for than the contract cost) on the '01 Audi A6 Avant; '98 VW Passat; '05 Toyota Matrix XRS, and '89 SAAB 900... didn't pay off on the '05 Toyota Tacoma or the '90 Acura Integra).
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,761
    "as good as it gets" varies by area. Invoice in the northeast isn't a bad thing at all!

    You had asked previously about a $300 discrepancy from what you were seeing on a website. That might be the regional distributor fee in the northeast, which other regions don't have to pay, but is a real cost to dealers in that region. Other things, like the dealer holdback and advertising, is built into the standard invoice price. So, when you take invoice, what you see on the websites is generally correct, then add the $300 on top for the NE dealers, and you should be right. Holdback, etc., is profit for the dealership.

    Based on the numbers you're showing, I don't think you are getting a bad deal. It might not be the best one anyone has managed this year, but, if that's your goal, you need to expand your search radius dramatically.

    Good luck!
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
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