2013 and earlier-Subaru Forester Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • newsubifannewsubifan Member Posts: 12
    Doherty -- We had a great experience dealing with Heuberger. Just got my 09 Forester XPremium Monday. Waited just over a week to get it after purchasing for internet price, plus delivery ($800), plus tax. And we live in Florida! Salesman was up front and very trustworthy. We're very happy with the car and with the buying experience.
    I tried 3 local dealers before making this purchase (was a little nervous about buying a car sight unseen), but none had the color or options we wanted and none could match Heuberger's price. OTD was 22,883.46.
  • jason119jason119 Member Posts: 5
    Hi, newsubifan:
    Could you send me a email about the detail of your deal, like invoice price, what you get. Thanks. my email: slcqqq@gmail.com
  • bears2bears2 Member Posts: 14
    Congrats! I just picked up my XT at Heuberger today and I also had a great experience. The car was ready to go, no surprises on price (just the usual hard sell on extended warrenties) and the salesman even helped me transfer the baby seat from my old car. Price before tax was 24.3K (for the non-leather XT with the cargo tray, luggage cover package) which at least 6 dealers refused to even match. Best of all, I drove home to Golden in a downpour and was loving the AWD. I would definitely recommend Heuberger.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Congrats, Bear!

    Glad it went well for you!!!
  • bobfox3bobfox3 Member Posts: 4
    Greetings from southern Oregon where we don't have any sales tax.
    Our local dealer insisted we couldn't buy an '09 forester for less than invoice plus $100 so we started with internet shopping at cities north of us. we've currently got an offer from Carr Auto near Portland to sell us a 2.5x premium pzev automatic w/ awp, fog lights, premium sound pkg 1 (subwoofer, tweeter,amplifier), aw floor mats, cargo tray and tail pipe covers for $23,200 incl. dest. charges - the only add on should be dmv fees. that should be about $790 below invoice. i'm going to our local dealer monday with a copy of the price offer and see if they'll match or beat it. just matching it would be fine since i'd rather order it locally. i'll post information as it happens. if anyone on the west coast wants information on dealerships and prices, i'd be happy to help them out. this forum has already helped me a ton by knowing what others were paying for their new car and i thank everyone for posting their experiences. :shades: :shades:
  • newsubifannewsubifan Member Posts: 12
    Jason, sorry I don't have that information. In July Heuberger's advertised online sales price for the 2.5X Premium with MT and no options (which is what we purchased) was 20,741. This was what they charged us, plus tax and delivery. I believe their sales price was well under invoice.
  • tentoes49tentoes49 Member Posts: 4
    Hi everyone,
    I just purchased (three weeks ago) a 09 X2.4 with premium package, automatic trans, all weather package, cargo cover, mats, rear bumper cover. It was $23,111.00 otd. List was $25,435.00. The problem was finding the one I wanted. They go pretty fast. The first dealer I contacted said they do not discount them at all, as they are very hot. I did some work on the internet and got some other quotes. I am in Omaha NE. I didn't want a turbo, or L.L. Bean. So far (1000 miles) I am very impressed with the car. It went out on the hiway today for about 100 miles, and the milage went up to 26.3 with mixed hiway/city driving. I did not get the extended warranty. I was told I could get it anytime after the purchase. It was through Subaru, and they wanted $1000.00 to take the warranty out to 70,000 miles. I don't know if its a good deal on these or not. My wife will drive this 10-12 K mile per year.
    Taxes are out of sight in Nebraska. With my 7% sales tax, and motor vehicle, and wheel tax, it will be $1990.00 to get it legal. No wonder people go to South Dakota or Iowa to register their cars.
  • mquillenmquillen Member Posts: 71
    I haven't posted on this forum because I never actually took delivery of the car. It was on order but I didn't want to wait any longer. On a '09 Subaru Forester Limited X in the Columbus area we negotiated $25, 277. With accessories that's about $200 below invoice. Of course the Limited includes fogs and leather, but other included accessories were Homelink compass/mirror, cargo cover, splsh gds, bumper cover, vertical net, and all weather mats (this is a common configuration). The Premium and Limited also include that huge sun roof. Out the door, including Ohio's $250 Doc fee and 6.75% sales tax, was $27,250.

    This is a lot of car for the money when compared to an '08 CR-V, and it has a better AWD drive system. Adding the same accessories to the CR-V would add almost a grand to the price, (and Homelink isn't even available) My only reservations about the vehicle were some of the interior materials, and the 4 spd auto.
  • crv16crv16 Member Posts: 205
    Picked up an 09 Forester X MT PZEV, premium pkg, all-weather pkg, ipod interface, with msrp of $23,983 for 21,700 otd. No tax in NH. That works out to $859 under invoice.
  • iwantaforesteriwantaforester Member Posts: 1
    Hey Tentoes49,
    I am also in omaha and have been looking at the Forester since the new model came out. Can youtell me which dealer gave you that deal? Is it the one in CB?
    Any help is appreciated.
  • chicago2008chicago2008 Member Posts: 4
    Hi all,

    I am in the market for a new car and I am leaning toward the forester. I've had my car for 8.5 years and it's time for a new toy. The buying process is really scary to me and I don't want to get ripped off. I want the forester 2.5 limited, no added features unless highly recommended by one of you. I've looked at a few dealer's inventory on here and they all seem to be in the 27,500-27,900 price range where as the subaru website has the msrp quoted as 25, 995 plus destination charge.

    I don't want to pay more than 28,000 including tax and all other fees but I don't know if that is realistic. It seems that the foresters are flying out of dealers lots and I was hopping to get atleast 0% finance or some type of cash back. I've also thought about waiting until the end of the year to see if deals get better but I'm not sure that they will.

    For those that have purchased, can you please lend any advise? Should I take the plunge now or let it ride a couple months? Is it possible if sales are doing that well, that there won't be any deals for the next couple months? Should I finance through the dealer or try to get financed through my bank?

    Any advise would be greatly appriceated. Thank you in advance...
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    Hi chicago2008

    I'm just north of you in Wisconsin and I was pretty much in the same situation as you. I have had my Explorer for 8.5 yrs and was looking for something new. You will find loads of helpful advice and people on this forum. I still waiting for my 2.5x premium to arrive, but I thought I would share what I could regarding the whole buying process. What I'm going to say you will find others have said here already.

    If you haven't done so already test drive a limited, if you can find one. :) That way you know that it is the perfect fit for you and also see some of the accessories first hand. As for recommended accessories - it depends on what you need/want, but feel free to do a search here to see others' experiences with specific accessories.

    To make sure you get a good price, throw out a wide net for internet quotes. I was able to buy my Forester based on a quote from a dealer north of Milwaukee, but I had inquired of dealers as far south as Chicago. Also some have gotten great deals from a dealership in Colorado who seems to be willing to deliver to anywhere in the US. (I don't know that from experience, just what I've read)

    As far as when to take the plunge - waiting for the new model year is typically a good bet, as is purchasing towards the end or beginning of the year. Problem I think you may have is that these things are selling like hotcakes, so Subaru has no reason to offer 0% financing or cash back. I think they are currently offering 4.9% and the lowest since I've been looking was 4.5%. Ford and GM on the other hand are struggling to make sales, so they offer low, low financing and employee pricing schemes. If you have good credit you should check with a bank and/or credit union and see what interest rate you qualify for as that may or may not be better than what Subaru is offer at the time of purchase or delivery.

    It's also a good idea to check with local dealers to see if they offer incentives. For example, I bypassed my local dealer in favor of one 20 miles away because not only were they willing to honor a low internet quote, they also offer free oil changes for as long as I own my Forester.

    Hope this helps and I'm sure you'll get more advice.
  • bamadadbamadad Member Posts: 4
    I would advise checking the Fitzgerald Auto Mall site, these folks have a good reputation and offer upfront internet pricing in a clear format. They are in Maryland for the most part. This site could give you a "marker" to compare prices and I think several folks come from long distances to buy with Fitz. They offer Subaru's and many other brands. I am not connected with them and haven't bought a car since my Jeep GC in 1994. But I have been watching Subaru and Hyundai's and Honda/Toyota hybrids. Good luck.
  • bears2bears2 Member Posts: 14
    Under 28K out the door for the 2.5 Limited is definitely possible. I would not limit myself to nearby dealers because there are some dealerships out there very motivated to sell you a car to meet their sales targets...even though the Forester is selling well. Many dealerships like Heuberger Motors in Colorado Springs will deliver at a good price and I know they sell Limiteds for about a thousand dollars under invoice. Good luck.
  • mquillenmquillen Member Posts: 71
    Bears2, I agree with you that getting the vehicle under $28K should be very achievable. When you say $1K below invoice however, I think that might be hard to do on a popular model without incentives. Hold back on the Limited is only about $740, so a grand below invoice would be lower than dealer cost, which isn't going to happen on '09's. As I posted earlier, I got a Limited with about $600 in options for $27,250 out the door in Ohio, and that included the $250 doc fee. Did you mean below sticker?
  • packrfanpackrfan Member Posts: 50
    Chicago2008,
    At the end of July, I got a X w/ Premium and AWP with cargo cover, tray, mudguards, bumper cover for $500 below invoice with aero bars thrown in. I thought the Limited was very attractive as its value-for-money propostion was by far the best in its class, but ended up with the X Prem. as we wanted a MT and it wasn't available on the Limited. FWIW, it's our second Forester - we had low mileage 02 but needed to turn over the rolling stock.
    We got the 09 at Autobarn in Countryside and can recommend them as easy-to-business with. Met my price point and only had a minor issue on trade-in price (smart moves on their part - they wouldn't meet the CarMAX price as the benefit to me for lower tax base on new Forester gave them leverage).
    I'd set a target a several hundred below invoice for your vehicle (Edmunds and other sites can provide this), check inventories at dealerships starting nearby and expanding outward as necessary, contact initially via email and let them know you're serious about buying and be upfront about your target price. Tell them you want best price quote with all fees & taxes specifically called out - you can always ask for a second round of quotes if someone meets your target, or if no one does. Close the deal with whomever steps up price-wise by scheduling an appointment & advising you want to close the deal - that's your last "meet this price" conversation.
    I've seen lots of recommendations for dealerships at some distance (Colorado, eg) and I know service can be done anywhere but my preference was to buy more locally if possible - there is something to having a sales dealership contact. If it's delivered from a long distance dealership with stone chips or any problem, that presents a headache.
    Go for it - you'll love your Forester!
  • chicago2008chicago2008 Member Posts: 4
    I want to thank everyone for their wonderful advise. To be honest, all this list price, sticker price, msrp, etc. makes me so confused! I want to get a limited forester, no real add ons, out the door for under 28K. I checked with my bank today and their financing rate is between 5.9 and 10%, which I think is absolutely crazy. I'd like to contact dealers toward the end of the month but i will be out of town. I've done a lot of research and have read that buying toward the end of the month is the best time to get better rates. I'm thinking I will wait it out until the end of September or end of October to take the plunge I just hope that the financing rates don't go up or that dealers won't want to negotiate since they are flying out the car lots.
  • mquillenmquillen Member Posts: 71
    Chicago, I don't anticipate the auto market improving over the next couple months, and it will probably get worse (kids starting school etc.). Also, Limiteds should become more plentiful as time goes on. Right now they are hard to get but deals can be made. Invoice on the Limited, inclusive of destination is $25K, with no options. You probably won't find a Limited without any options, so try to either get them to take them off, or only charge you invoice price for them (configure your car on the Edmunds site to see what the typical options invoice at). Purchasing the car for between $25K and 25,300, inclusive of typical options would be considered a good price on a Limited. Add to that your doc fee and taxes, and you're well below $28K. Whatever you do, DON'T TELL the dealer you want to stay below $28k. So if you can buy it with a few options for 25,200+150 doc+2,344 tax + 150 registration = $27,844 (assuming 9.25% tax). To start, I'd tell the dealer you don't want to go over $27,500 out the door. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
  • kottermankotterman Member Posts: 5
    How does a person become a VIP member in order to automatically get a Forester below invoice? If you don't work for a company that gives you VIP status, are there organizations that you can join to get this status?
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    tentoes49 - You can buy an extended warranty after purchase, but it must be before the standard 3-yr/36k-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty runs out.
  • sub_lisasub_lisa Member Posts: 4
    I'm looking for a good deal in the Pacific Northwest area. I'm in the Seattle area and I've tried a few dealers, but they talk to me like I'm five years old and loudly(as if I'm deaf too). I'd like a no hassle deal. This is my first time buying a car and it makes me nervous. :) If you could offer any help or advice, I'd so appreciate it!
  • rengawrengaw Member Posts: 22
    I'm also considering the purchase of a new Forester in the Seattle area and several people have told me Carter Subaru was the dealer of choice. I will have to investigate them all before I pull the trigger.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    sub_lisa & rengaw -- Carter is good... I'd highly recommend buying from their internet manager rather than walking onto the lot. I've purchased 4 Subarus from Carter, always had good pricing and always been treated well. I've also referred family and friends there, and all have been pleased. If you buy online, it's a no-haggle price, take it or leave it, absolutely no pressure, and there's no harassing follow-up. Some folks are a little bothered by how hands-off they are, ironically. They're one of the country's largest volume Subaru sellers. From my experience their service dept does good work, has free loaners, has amazingly early and late hours (open 7 days/wk, too), and they've got a convenient no-appointment oil change & tire facility next door, but the trade-off is somewhat expensive service dept. I hate to sound like a commercial. :blush:

    Anyway, feel free to e-mail me for more details if you'd like, or if you have any questions. You can get my address my clicking on my name in the post title. Good luck to you both... new Forester seems great!
  • bobfox3bobfox3 Member Posts: 4
    sub lisa - i've got a ton of experience buying new cars and internet pricing has made it ten times easier. i don't know what the seattle dealerships are willing to sell the forester for but you should have a target price before contacting anyone. first, be sure of the car you want and your willingness to commit to the purchase. test drive the car locally to be sure, but don't let them force you to make an offer - especially on a car that has options you don't want - they will try to get you to buy a car off their lot rather than order the perfect car for you. if you want the forester, decide if it's the plain 2.5x, or the 2.5x premium, or the 2.5x limited, or the turbo (i don't recommend). decide on your options. figure out the invoice price of the car with all options and destination charges (about $665). then, you should be able to get that car for invoice minus about $400-800, depending on the dealership. calculate what the price would be before taxes or dmv fees. find each dealership's website and ask them to give you a price on the car - tell them you're looking to buy it for whatever the price you calculated was. e-mail back and forth telling them what the other dealerships are offering and asking if they'll beat it.
    if you're stuck for a good price, you can start dealing with Carr in Beaverton or Wentworth in Portland both of whom will (eventually) give you a great price. that's who i'm dealing with. after that, see if the Seattle dealerships will meet/beat it.
    by the way, what type of forester and options are u looking for?
    good luck
  • mtjc521mtjc521 Member Posts: 26
    I am in northern Oregon and have not dealt with Carr dealership, so no help there no whether they will jack you around. In general, the dealers here seem to ALWAYS charge a "Document Prep Fee" (amount varies) with the fee going to dealer, and dealer claims that the govt requires them to charge it. Verify that with fee with DMV, or just ball up all costs, fees, expenses, dealer shaftings, purchase price, into one big check to exchange for possession of car. Did Carr include that doc fee in quote or plainly state no add-on fees? You can check with Oregon DMV's Dealer Unit and see if any auto dealership has been disciplined or fined or their DMV permit suspended in the past. Pls keep us informed on actual price paid and/or offers made, cuz I am working over the dealers one against the other in this tight market to protect my wallet.
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a very nice day.

    Does anyone know how Heuberger Motors in Colorado Springs is able to offer the Forrester for below $1000.00 of the invoice inclusive of all dealer fees.

    I have Googled complaints about Heuberger and have found nothing negative and only great feedback.

    Dealers here in Boise are asking for $500.00 over invoice with no negotiation plus their doc fess which are $299.00.

    Are these doc fees legitimate?

    With appreciation and kind regards,

    Brandon
  • bobfox3bobfox3 Member Posts: 4
    I just ordered my new forester from Wentworth Subaru in Portland. here's our deal - '09 forester 2.5x premium automatic pzev (obsidian black) w/ all weather pkg, premium sound pkg 1, fog lights, all weather floor mats, cargo tray, custom tail pipe covers, rear bumper cover, destination and all dealer fees for a total price of $23,200 plus DMV fees. that should be at least $650 below invoice ($850 if they routinely charge $200 extra for the pzev engine which is required here in Oregon and optional in some states - i don't know for sure - maybe someone can answer that). they are ordering it so it should take 5-8 weeks (maybe less) but i'm not in a hurry. the dealerships down here in southern & central Oregon refused to even come close to their price, claiming they'd be losing a ton of $$ - as if i'd believe them). I'll take the bus one way up to Portland when the car's ready & they'll pick me up at the bus station. they're really trying to make it easy for me. (although i can't say for sure that it's all o.k. until i take possession of the car). at the moment, i'm very satisfied with the deal. let me know how you do. (by the way, the only difference between the Wentworth deal and the Carr deal is that Wentworth added in the rear bumper cover for the same $23,200 price). and by the way, did i mention that there's no sales tax here in Oregon. sweet
  • mtjc521mtjc521 Member Posts: 26
    Luck on completing the 09 2.5x purchase. From my own Wentworth Sub experience years ago and from talking to others about Carr Subaru in Oregon, I think Wentworth should be a better place to be treated politely and with less games. That is not to say don't deal with Carr. Just my opinion, without first hand negoitating with Carr. Sounds like you got a great price, and the hassle of riding the bus up to Portland should be worth it.
  • chicago2008chicago2008 Member Posts: 4
    bobfox3,

    When you say bid below invoice do you mean subaru's invoice price of say the forester 2.5x Limited which is 24,330 +the 665 delivery fee? or do you mean the invoice price that is listed on the window sticker? I've been negotiating with a couple dealers and one went pretty low but I'm not sure if it was low if it wasn't lower than subaru's invoice price... Please let me know what you mean by invoice price.

    Thank you!
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    How does a person become a VIP member in order to automatically get a Forester below invoice? are there organizations that you can join to get this status?

    There are a number of organizations that qualify you for Subaru's VIP pricing. I'm sure they're listed on SOA's web site but the International Mountain Bike Association and the International Canoe Association are two that I know of. There is a catch though, you usually have to be a member for at least 6 months in order to qualify.

    -Frank
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Are these doc fees legitimate?

    Well there are certainly some costs involved for the dealer in completing the sales paperwork and $299 isn't abnormally high. However, contrary to what the dealer will tell you, those fees are negotiable but it won't be easy to get them to budge on them.

    -Frank
  • sub_lisasub_lisa Member Posts: 4
    Thank you everyone for all of your responses/tips/advice! I really appreciate all the advice. I see that there is a lot of reference to dealer invoice. Where would I be able to get the dealer invoice price for a forester? How do I find out what the dealer invoice price is for the car and the extras. I'd like to get the 09 Forester 2.5X Limited(no Turbo), steel silver metallic, bumper corner molding kit, body side molding kit, all weather floor mats, rear bumper cover, cargo tray, EC mirror compass, luggage compartment cover, and puddle light kit. I'd like to add heated front seats, heated mirror, and the windshield wiper de-icer. What is the pzez engine? Now, I'm a lot less nervous about buying a car....thanks to all your advice. You guys give me a lot more confidence!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,627
    Click on the Edmunds.com link at the top of the page..

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

    Edmunds Moderator

  • mquillenmquillen Member Posts: 71
    Sub_lisa, the cold weather package (heated seats, mirrors, wiper de-icer) is included on the Limited, you don't have to add it.
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Brandon,

    I bought my car from Heuberger and had less than pleasant experience. I have finally (just last week) gotten all my keys/fobs/tools (and working with my car) and am just awaiting a check for reimbursement for the programming of the keys. If I get the check this week, the entire process will have taken 10 weeks. See my post at: Message #2154 and look at Message 2157 as well.

    Heuberger is able to sell the cars for a lower price as they are the largest Subaru dealer in the country... ie they sell the most. Thus, they get the cars from Subaru at a lower price than those dealers who sell a lot less... They also ship the cars not only all over the country, but to Canada as well.

    They definitely had the best prices that I found. And if I didn't have the major hassles with the keys/tools/fobs/manual/detailing, it definitely would have been worth it... As it is, I don't think it was worth the ordeal I went through for a car I paid $23k for...I expected a lot more. I think I would have tried harder to get my local dealer to come down to their price. I didn't think it would have made a difference, as the car was being delivered to me at no additional charge.

    Good luck with your car purchase. I hope you have a wonderful experience where ever you decide to buy!
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    The PZEV engine stands for "Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle". It's a lower emissions level than even some hybrids, and will be standard on any new non-turbo Forester purchased in WA or OR (or any other state which requires CA emissions standards). It's about a $200 increase over the non-PZEV engines, but you get a slight bump in horsepower (5HP, I believe) and cleaner emissions. If you buy in WA or OR, you don't have a choice of ordering one without this technology anyway... it's required by state law.
  • bobfox3bobfox3 Member Posts: 4
    chicago2008 and sub lisa,
    you both were asking about the invoice price. it has nothing to do with the sticker price on the car = don't look at the sticker price. you can find the invoice price for all trims of the '09 forester (2.5x or premium or limited, etc) plus each and every option, right here on the edmunds website. you click on new cars, search the 2009 forester, then select prices, then click on the trim you want and it will give you both msrp (sticker price) and the invoice prices. don't forget to add the destination of about $665 to invoice total before you decide how much below invoice you'll aim for.
    if you have trouble finding it, someone else on this forum can help direct you to it - i'm leaving town for a week and won't be checking the forum.
    remember to negotiate by e-mail with each dealership and use the price from one to force the others to come down.
    good luck - i'll be happy to help some more when i get back in town.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Invoice, including $665 destination, on a PZEV Forester Limited is $25,231. Like mguillen said, the all-weather package (heated seats, mirrors, front wiper de-icer) is standard. Cargo tray is also standard on Limited. Popular Equipment Group 4-A adds auto-dim mirror/compass and puddle lights for $268 invoice. Body side moldings are $155 invoice, all-weather floor mats are $39 invoice, cargo cover is $108 invoice, and rear bumper cover is $51 invoice. Can't find a price for the bumper corner moldings, but I'd expect $40-$100. Grand total (without the bumper corner moldings) would be $25,852 invoice, if my math's right.

    Some of those features are also available in packages that include other things not on your list, like splash guards, hood deflector, wheel arch moldings. Not sure how it compares to Edmunds' information, but you can also find a pretty good breakdown of option packages and individual options (including invoice & MSRP pricing) here:
    http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2009.html#option%20packages

    I'd also note that if you order a Forester rather than taking one from the lot, you could see a 10-12 week wait, so it may be worth it to take something off of the lot that has a similar group of options and add whatever is missing (if anything) from your list of desired options. If it were me, I'd pay (for example) an extra $70 for splashguards and cargo nets I didn't want rather than wait 2-3 months, but I'm sure everyone's got a different level of patience.
  • chicago2008chicago2008 Member Posts: 4
    Does anyone have any advice on financing? What type of down payment should be given on a 60 month finance deal? Has anyone found better rates than the 4.9 financing they have going on righ now?
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    If you do the subaru financing, there is no down payment required. You can even get your deposit back from the dealer, if you paid one. So, if approved, you can walk away with your car with no money down :) , but a bunch of money owed. :sick:
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    As a follow-up to previous posts re: Heuberger.

    The other thing I just happened to catch is Heuberger gave Subaru the wrong purchase date. So, my warranty would have been affected if I had had something happen close to the end of my warranty period. I would have been told that my car was out of warranty when it was really in warranty...by a couple of weeks.

    I had to call Subaru and then send them copies of my paper work to get this rectified. Subaru just called today to say they have adjusted the records.

    Just one additional item (that I have found so far), that has taken up my time and energy to bring things to where they should have been when my car was delivered. I wouldn't buy from Heuberger again after all the issues I have had to deal with...the hassles (note the plural) wasn't worth the savings as there are too many different things which went wrong. And it took/is taking a long time for them to fix the problems... None of which I could have predicted.

    The last new car I had bought had been a total non-issue. :shades:
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    Hello Sgloon and I hope that you are having a very nice day.

    Thankyou very much for taking the time to provide such valuable feedback.

    My concern was rock chips and potential damage but your feedback will influence me to go local.

    The local dealer offered me $500.00 over invoice without even negotiating.

    With appreciation and car buying cheer,

    Brandon
  • sgloonsgloon Member Posts: 323
    Cheers, Brandon,

    Let us know when you get your new car!
  • kaiserchieffankaiserchieffan Member Posts: 13
    I'm officially a Subaru owner. It came in late Friday, but I wasn't able to pick it up until last night. Financed through Subaru at 4.9% for 60 months. Price went down a bit as I included a trade in, but didn't opt for all the other frivolous stuff they try to sell at the end.

    Less than 24hrs, but I'm very happy. Thanks to all for your input and for sharing your experiences. For those in the area I have to highly recommend Don Jacobs Subaru in Milwaukee. Never felt the push for the hard sell, questions were answered honestly, and overall a very positive buying experience.
  • sub_lisasub_lisa Member Posts: 4
    jeffmc and bobfox3,

    You two are my new super heroes! Thank you thank you thank you, for taking the time out of your day and taking the effort to help me figure this out. You guys are priceless to this forum and I'm am in awe that you would take the time to put so much effort in helping me through this confusing process. You have proven to me that there are still nice people out there!

    I've contacted a few different dealerships and did exactly what you guys told me to do! I think it's working. It definitely saves a lot of hassle and haggling. I'm awaiting their responses by email and will definitely let everyone know what is being offered and what deals are out there.

    I've also been told by a few different sales people that they are interested in doing the deal as soon as possible because it helps them with their August sales quoto. How true is that? Are they just pulling my leg?

    Thanks again everyone for taking the time to write on this forum. It's been so educational to read the tips from the pros(you guys!).
  • calcarcalcar Member Posts: 2
    After reading this forum for a few months, I'm finally able to contribute.

    I just bought a 2009 Forester PZEV X Premium, auto, no All Weather Package, with the following accessories:

    HomeLink mirror
    Luggage compartment cover
    Tail pipe cover
    Rear bumper cover
    Cargo tray

    MSRP $25,042
    Invoice $23,386 (according to Edmunds)
    Paid $22,449 + $55 doc fee, TTL at Carlsen Subaru in Redwood City, CA

    Carlsen had the highest initial quote, but got within $90 of the lowest (Stevens Creek).

    Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    The dealerships do have month-end numbers to try to meet, which can affect bonuses or incentives they receive from Subaru, and the salespeople themselves typically have bonuses they can receive from their dealership. Or they may want to make the deal as soon as possible so that there's less time for you to shop around. That said, most dealers should be able to give you pretty much the same price at the beginning of the month or the end of the month. The main thing is, don't rush into a deal if you're not ready. If you're all set to go, then end of the month can be good because a dealer may be more willing to make small sacrifices to meet any quotas they're close to achieving, but it's not the only way to get a good price.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Boy, these things are flying off the lots!

    Congratulations to...

    kaiserchieffan
    bears2
    tentoes49
    mquillen
    crv16
    bobfox3

    and

    calcar.

    Whew. I had to write all those down. No wonder supply is still short, it's your fault! :D

    crv16: you have to change your name to Forester16. ;)
  • victor_pvvictor_pv Member Posts: 13
    Hi guys!!

    After a bit more than 3 months, it seems like I'll be the proud owner of a Forester within the next few days :)
    I wrote here a few months ago, when I was shopping for the forester, and kept reading this forum to see what deals other people were getting.
    I closed a deal at the end of May, for a 2.5X Limited, and was a factory order, so I have been waiting all this time for the car to arrive, but today the dealer told me the car could still take another 2 weeks or more to arrive, and offered me to take one off their lot with a couple more extras for the same price, so I went to see the car today, and I hope to close the financing with my credit union during this week, and take the car home :D

    It has been really helpful reading about all your experiences, so thanks to you all.
    I will post my price as soon as I take delivery of the car, but so far I will give some advice to the people who is still looking for prices, etc.

    First of all, read this forum, read every post since the new model came out, so you can find prices other people got for the same car, and maybe even the same area. The advices from the people in this forum are really helpful.

    Second, contact as many dealers as you can to get price quotes. I contacted dealers that were near 200 miles away, but that helped me to know what other dealers wanted for the same vehicle, and to negotiate a better deal with my local dealer, who finally offered the best deal of all I got.

    Third, be honest. Most salesmen are honest guys like you and me, it is their job and they have to make a living, so it is normal they try to sell the car with highest profit, but if you behave honestly with them, you will have more chances they will be honest with you, and finally offer you the best deal possible.

    Fourth, take your time, do not close the deal until you are sure about it. And if the dealer pull any trick at the last moment, just leave and go for the next best deal. Nobody can force you to take an extended warranty or pay crazy fee. You can get rid of all that crap if you ask them for the out the door price from the beginning. That way you will be able to compare apples to apples, and you won't have to care if this dealer charges this fee and that other charge that other fee. Just compare the final price you will have to pay to one or the other.

    Fifth, about financing, check with your local credit union before closing the deal. Mine happened to be an excellent union with excellent people, but all them use to offer a good rate, and you can always take the dealers finance if it is better.

    I am right now helping a friend to buy another car, an Acura TSX 09, and everything I learnt when shopping for my car is being applied again, and we hope to get him a sweet deal ;) so far the price came from MSRP to invoice+500.

    I hope to write again soon telling you all I got my new car!!!

    Thanks and regards!
  • sub_lisasub_lisa Member Posts: 4
    A little background, so you aren't having to go through all the original posts. I am very new to the car buying experience. I live in Washington state. I did what everyone said to do, sent out about 18 requests. Got various quotes which all were around the same deal. If you really think about it...$300 is only .012% of $25,000. I wasn't sure what types of quotes I would receive. I got quotes from around 15 dealerships. I basically broke up my post in 3 sections:
    1) First, my worst experience and higher priced.
    2) The low prices, with the name of a really nice dealership.
    3) The dealership that I was wowed by their professionalism and was also in the low price category. My opinion is that if you are within a few hundred dollars of the invoice price, you are considered in the low price category.

    The highest/most expensive quote I got was some Internet Sales price from Bruce Titus Tacoma which also had the absolute rudest sales people/managers. They do adjust their prices after wasting weeks, hours on emails, and phone calls with them, but it still wasn't even in the low 1/2 of my quotes. I felt the sales team in Tacoma(who I met) came across uneducated about their own inventory/cars, extremely agressive, and made sure you knew they were the "expert" and you know nothing about cars, car sales, the market for these cars, how much inventory there is, why you are a dummy for not buying from them. It was such a headache to be there and then I made the mistake of giving them my contact information! If you want to be solicited by their internet sales team(I told them to stop calling, but they still do) numerous times, then give them your number. :sick:

    The low quote I got from most of the other dealers was around $200/$300 above dealer invoice and Mike Scarff Subaru in Auburn were super nice. They were upfront with the prices and really do not haggle. They were by far the most organized dealership and even sent me a fancy spreadsheet with a great breakdown of all the collective and individual pricing on each feature with MSRP and dealer invoice price side by side for comparision. I just told them what I wanted in my car and they included around 8-10 different cars that had features I wanted(some had more than what I wanted) and a breakdown of all the extras and the prices. It's impressive nonetheless.

    I also sent out quote requests to Idaho and Oregon. The prices I got were really within $80-$100 difference of the low quotes. In the end, I thought I would stay closer to my own state.

    I live in the south part of Washington state, but chose to go with Renton Walker Subaru because of how professional they were, how easy they were to deal with, and on top of that the price will be very slightly(and i mean slightly!) below invoice. In the end, even though they weren't the lowest price, I was so impressed by their professionalism and quick responses. They are very respectful of your time and the negotiation process.

    So, after a month of research and decision making. I got a car!

    09 Forester Limited
    Dimming mirror/compass/puddle lights
    Luggage cover/Rear bumper cover/cargo tray
    All weather mats
    for a little under $25,800 before taxes and dmv fees.

    If you are in the NW, I would go with Walker Subaru. I couldn't believe how nice and professional the salesman was.....there were some rude and flakey sales people out there! There was no hassle or pressure at all. The two nicest and most professional I talked to were Walker Subaru and Mike Scarff Subaru.

    Good luck everyone and thanks again for all of your help!
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