Subaru Crew: Official SOA Presence (aka Patti)

hypov

Looks fine for me.

-Dave

jfl

I take it to be Fri, 6/18 or Mon, 6/21. Should work for me.

So what else is nearby?

Jim

p0926

Should be doable. Besides, an SIA plant tour would be an excellent Father's Day present for some crew members :-)

-Frank P.

bat1161

That weekend works. Just a matter of which day (Fri or Mon) to take off, if not both.

Mark

paisan

I'll be racing that weekend at Pocono.

First 2 weekends work better for me.

-mike

ateixeira

Gotta check the calendar (i.e. wife's calendar) of summer events, but I'll try to make it.

-juice

leo2633

Len

rangerron7

Just wanted to say what a great job Samir did in following up on my situation with a chronic pinging and rotten egg exhaust on our 2002 Forester.
Time will tell whether the problem is really fixed.
Samir is a real credit to your organization. Please pass along my Thanks!
Ron

paisan

Good friend of mine from way back on Nabisco.

-mike

subaru_team

I'm sure they'll both appreciate it. I really value his attitude and skills. He's genuine in his concern for customers and he's a great guy to work with.

Thanks for the feedback. It'll go a long way to brighten his day!

Patti

ladywclass

I could "probably" do either the Friday or the Monday but the Friday would definitely be better for us
Brenda

p0926

You'll be busy Friday thru Monday since you're hosting the crew :-)

-Frank P.

fibber2

It looks like June 18-21 will work for me.

Steve

kens

Patti,

If I went to SIA, could I hand pick my Legacy GT Ltd Wagon, a la Subaru Factory Delivery program?

I'm kind of serious since I'm looking to buy one in the June/July timeframe.

Ken

subaru_team

but I don't think they have a set up for that. Even folks that work there can't take delivery there - I think for some contractual reasons, but I'm not sure what all would be involved. I wonder if they've ever been asked that before?

I can always ask and see what I'm told anyway....

Patti

paisan

Or is it still up for debate?

-mike

kens

Ah, well I thought it would be a long shot anyway. But it would be cool to actually see your vehicle roll off the assembly line!

I'll just check with my local dealer on June deliveries!

Ken

p0926

Patti- I think it would be great if you asked around. Might not hurt to mention it to the sales/marketing division either. There's always the possibility they could seize on it as a good marketing idea. I can envision a beaming Ken being handed the keys and taking delivery of his fresh-off-the-line Subaru (SIA plant and proud workers in the background) and then driving off into the sunset. It would make a great photo op!

-Frank P.

ldbricker

and did/does well for Mercedes and Volvo. Maybe designate one day a month as buyer delivery day and schedule special orders for that production day. Have a group of excited new owners with their cars. Pretty much guaranteed to be written about in the car magazines so it gets some good publicity. Subaru works out a deal with a local steak house to buy everyone dinner and a local inn to put everyone up for one night. For about $100 (1 room, 2 steaks) per car delivered it's a good p.r. thing. Maybe the local community would donate the dinners and room to encourage the extra spending elsewhere while people are in town picking up their car. I'd be in on it when it's time for a purchase.

volkov

For a guy like me, driving the car across the country would let me break it in without having to wait a month. 1200km and STILL counting, can't wait to start running it at 4-6k rpms. Or at least to allay the guilt and anxiety which occurs now with my sporadic momentary transgressions into revdom.

Nicholas

nygreg

I can see it now. Ken driving off in his new Legacy and 20 Subaru Crew OCDers fighting to get into the car for the first drive.

Greg

kens

LOL, Greg!

Although Indiana doesn't have the name draw as a European location, it could be a win-win for Subaru enthusiasts and SOA.

The buyer would place the order through their local dealership at some pre-negotiated factory pick-up price. That price would include travel and lodging to the plant for two. At the plant, the buyer is given a tour along with the opportunity to drive some other models. At the end of the day, the driver is presented with their vehicle that has been properly PDI'ed by a factory technician. The buyer then gets the option to drive the new vehicle home or to have it shipped to their local dealer for pick up.

Benefits to the buyer:
- Gets to see how their vehicle is being manufactured
- Gives piece of mind to the OCDers that don't want any test-driven models

Benefits to SOA:
- Builds customer loyalty with the product evangelists
- Reduces stress caused by dealers that keep getting asked "is my car here yet!".

:-)

Ken

ateixeira

I don't think there are the tax benefits of OSD (over seas delivery), so I doubt it would ever happen. Most european delivery programs carry a price advantage, especially for people with certain visa types (like me).

-juice

ldbricker

but within the reach of far more people. Car sells for sticker price with no stress or haggling on dealer or buyers part, buyer gets a great trip and memories as well as a great car, everyone wins. Subaru dedicates one day per month to it so their plant disruption is minimized. Plant employees get the boost of seeing real people who appreciate their work and product. I'd be in on it.

ateixeira

I would also, don't get me wrong, but would there be enough interest for a sustainable demand? Long-term?

We're planning a visit to SIA and even us die-hards are only managing a handful of people to get out to Indy for the event.

They might get a temporary sales increase in that region, though.

-juice

ldbricker

and I have no idea. I would expect it to be small but consistent with some first time buyers who are making the decision because of the trip and with repeat buyers enjoying another benefit of Subaru ownership. I doubt it would be so large as to require more than one day per month allocated to the program.

I suspect it would build upon itself over time. Your neighbors know how sold you are on the car already so it's on their radar screen. Now you show them the new one and tell them about the fantastic trip and experiences. Their interest and curiosity is piqued further. Multiply that by several contacts for each factory delivery. Somewhere in those contacts are a few more sales that otherwise never would have happened to add to the batch like us that already would be in it. Those few extra reach several extra sets of contacts and so on. Within a few years the entire driving population of the U.S. is on the list waiting for their trip and their Subaru!!!

OK, maybe not quite that big an influence, but definitely an influence and something else for a new batch of Lance commercials.

ateixeira

I haven't been to Lafayette, Indiana, but I don't think it has the draw that Germany or Sweden do. ;-)

-juice

ldbricker

but I don't need a significant four digit $xxxx bankroll to make the trip back home from there. I pay sticker for my car and that includes 2 coach tickets to get there as well as one night in the local inn. My payment is maybe $3x more per month than if I'd haggled the price down. I can make the trip home whatever I want it to be and spend as much as I want. I can also make it say a 4 day return even if it's to San Diego or Seattle. That's not a rough trip over 4 days and I have time to enjoy the drive and see some of the country. Costs me $xxx to make the trip home or about 1/4 or less of the cost of Europe.

If I could afford it I'd go to Gothenburg and pick up a new Volvo and tour for a month. As an aside, where do they build the Saabaru? If it's over there I'd get it instead of a Volvo.

ateixeira

Gunma, Japan. FHI builds it for them.

I wonder if there is a precedent for this. Do M-B or BMW allow you to pick up cars at the factory in the US?

-juice

paisan

I know people who go down to SC to pickup their cars. I think they get a day on the test track and then they pickup their car (the test track uses BMW Staff cars)

-mike

ldbricker

shows the least expensive package to be the 3 day quick trip including 2 nights hotel, 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts and car park fees for $500 per person based on double occupancy, so $1000 for a couple. If you made your drive home from Indiana with 2 nights Holiday Inn along the way and 4 meals you'd probably spend about $200 per person max. For a 5 day Volvo trip it's $835 and up, per person, depending on which package one chooses or $1670 per couple. It would be a great trip and I'd love to do it but I could afford it from Indiana much sooner.

I really have no desire to go to Europe either, considering the way they think about America and Americans. I'd enjoy Sweden and Denmark and don't believe they are like the Continental Europeans in their disdain for us. In any event, it sounds like a fun idea.

ateixeira

Is that for M customers only? I think those get driving school.

-juice

paisan

I believe anyone doing the pickup thing attends the driving school before getting their car.

-mike

p0926

volkov

I'd have to go to Japan to pick up my Rex. Now that would be really cool too. :-)

Nicholas

p0926

You'd have a hard time driving it back home :P

-Frank P.

blane

Years ago, people used to travel to Detroit to pick up their new vehicles. The incentive was to save the "destination" charge. U.S. automakers cut that out and now everyone pays. Also, buyers of Detroit iron used to be able to tour the factories, seeing their vehicles come off the assembly line, until the liability insurance cost became a major factor.

dcm61

Picked up my '86 VW Jetta GLI at the factory in Wolfsburg. Broke it in on the autobahns

DaveM

cptplt

Friday is better, have to work Monday but may be able to change that

bat1161

If we do this Friday tour, that would logically mean we have to get there Thursday night. Out of curiousity, who would be driving out there? MAybe make a central meeting spot?

Mark

lark6

I beg to differ. Upstate SC has a lot of nice scenery and some good twisty backroads. I grew up in the SC Lowcountry (flat as a pool table) but went to college in Athens, GA. Most of my high school friends went to Clemson so I got to know lots of different roads between the two towns. I was also accepted to Furman and thought about going there briefly, so I got to know Greenville pretty well.

The whole area has built up quite a bit since I was younger, for good and ill. Ill in that a lot of the rural charm is gone but good for the local economy - not everyone has to work in agriculture or in a textile mill anymore. Still many of those jobs are gone and replacement jobs that allow people to make a decent living aren't always available.

I can't vouch for Indiana because I've only been there once; however I do need to make a trip to South Bend if only to visit the Studebaker National Museum once it's completed.

Ed

rwitte

Well, I live here in central Indiana, probably about 2-3 hours southeast of Lafayette. Unless you're really into vast flat stretches and corn/soybean fields, don't expect to get too excited over the scenery. Decent people in general, and we have our gems (Brown County, Hoosier National Forest, few others) but otherwise, you generally wouldn't come here just for the landscape. Unfortunately for you folks making the trip, the northern half of the state is the worst, with the southern half much better. The drive up I65 from Indy to Lafayette, and even all the way up to Chicago is, well......YUCK!
Lurker mode back on....

Randy

p0926

Ed- I didn't mean to imply that the Upstate wasn't scenic at all and it's certainly far more scenic than the Lowcountry. I will have to admit to a bias since I grew up in Asheville, NC (only a 10-minute drive from the Blue Ridge Parkway). I've always viewed the Greenville-Spartanburg area as just a place you had to drive thru to get to the real scenic places :-)

-Frank P.

subearu

add me to the list, I *should* be able to make the trip on the 18th (or the 11th). I would likely drive down in the morning and head back after. It's a 3 hour drive for me according to maps.msn.com

I had just been overlooking the tour posts, not even bothering to look at the details since I thought I wouldn't be available that month. But, it looks as though I should be able to make it.

Can anyone summarize the details - like what time people are meeting and where, etc.?

-Brian
(who really would be just using this as an excuse to get some miles on his F-XT... :-)

rsholland

and to my surprise, she showed some interest in this trip! We may be doing some other traveling just before that date, so we'll see. I'd definitely like to go, just can't commit just yet.

Bob

ldbricker

but it's more challenging working out to come from Texas. I wish it was just a 3 hour drive and it would be a done deal. Then there's the no Subaru anymore to contend with although if I parked at the perimeter and walked in maybe no one would notice.

bat1161

Mapquest shows it to be approx a 12 hour/765 mile drive to Lafayette. No problem, just need a little rest once there before heading on the tour:-).

Mark

rsholland

I did a MapQuest too, and it showed ~ 650 miles, and 10 hours from my place, IIRC. It's mostly I-70, and I live 3 miles from I-70.

Bob

ldbricker

miles from home, give or take a dozen or two depending on which side of town the plant is on. As much as I want to go I don't think I can arrange 2 full days up and 2 back plus 1 there. Then again, I could win the lotto between now and then and be retired before the trip. Yeah, right.

bat1161

Bob,

I've made the trip out to my friends just outside of Cincinatti in about 10 hours, that's only a couple of hours away from Lafayette. All of this would depend upon when we were doing the tour. With all the driving involved, it would be easier to do it on Friday, this way we can hang out Friday & Saturday, then head home Sunday. Either way, it sounds like it will be interesting. Now to see if I can talk any of my friends into joing us. If not -I do the 48hrs run with jsut myself driving, so no big deal.

Mark