2013 and earlier-Subaru Forester Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jeffmc

Way to go! Sounds like you did a super job and everything worked out great. Isn't it wonderful when you get a good experience and a good deal at the same time. :shades: Did you take from inventory, or have to order? What color?

And a shout out to ALL NEW FORESTER OWNERS to check out Edmunds' Subaru Crew Meet the Members II forum, where you can introduce yourself and "hang" with fellow Subie nuts. It's a friendly group.
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ee99548?displayRecent

mquillen

Sub_lisa, nice job. $300 is actually about 1.2% of $25k, but the real point is it's our money, so let's not give it away if we don't have to--the higher payment for that is worth a couple Starbucks a month, and my Starbucks budget isn't what it used to be.

You are right, though. How much time do we want to expend to save that marginal $300 or so? And that does frustrate car salespeople. I think it's great that you rewarded the dealer that was easiest to work with, and not just go after the lowest price. A good dealer can make the car buying experience enjoyable, and isn't that what it's supposed to be? If we all reward the good dealers, will the bad dealers become extinct, or are they like cockroaches? Before everyone answers, that's just a rhetorical question.

ateixeira

Good luck with that process. I hope the dealer doesn't present any "surprises" when you're ready to settle the deal.

mquillen

Ateixeira, thanks for the acknowledgment. I think the Subaru is a very worthy vehicle and anyone who's in the market for a CR-V or any other small crossover is doing themselves a real disservice if they don't cross shop. I'd be driving one now if I could have waited longer.

deejay17

Bought my 2009 2.5X Limited on 8/28. After reading this forum, I was hoping for a deal below invoice, but in SE Penna, such a deal was not to be found, must be territorial. I feel as if I rcvd a good deal, my Forester just happened to arrive on their lot while I was looking...destiny perhaps

2.5X Limited w/ PZEV (factor package: utility package + wheel locks). Sage Green Metallic color:

- aero cross bars
- splash guards
- wheel arch molding
- bumper cover
- wheel locks

additional accessories: all weather mats & cargo tray

Sticker price: $27,597
My price (with additional throw in!): $26, 244
This was about $500 over invoice
with tax, tags etc, worked out to be around $27.5K, under my target of $28

First 50 miles have been wonderful!

This forum provided great insight as to what I can expect while buying a Forester, thanks to all!

ateixeira

Congrats! :shades:

We have a PZEV Limited also.

I did really like the green, but my wife's previous 2 cars were both green and she definitely wanted a change.

What color is your interior?

deejay17

Ateixeira, interior color choice was easy; depending on the exterior color, your interior color is already chosen (at least that's the case on the Limited models). Sage Green Limited has the platinum leather. I was looking for beige leather in other cars, but the idea was the same; something light colored, not dark.

This is my first Subaru and I hope she'll treat me well!

ateixeira

Interior is the same as ours, then. It's nice. With the moonroof open the cabin feels VERY airy, nice and bright.

Wear seems OK so far, she always carts kids around in the back.

kkrtrek

Congratulations sublisa. Hope your Subie turns out to be great. I am going to go through the process myself for the same model sometime this fall. I wanted to commend you for going with the most courteous and professional dealer. I fully subscribe to that approach, assuming the price is competitive, of course. Maybe if we all patronize the good dealers, the lousy, discourteous, rude, pushy ones will go out of business. Well, I can dream, anyway.

victor_pv

I finally picked up my car today as expected , so here is what I got:

09 Forester Limited, dark grey with grey interior.
-Spash guards
-Round cross bars
-Puddle lights
-Auto dimming mirror w/ compass
-Bumper cover
-Front bumper underguard
-Security system shock sensor
-All weather mats
-Luggage comp. cover
-Body side moldings.
-Oil changes for life

Price before TTL: 24724 (I think about $1600 below edmunds invoice)
Out the door: 26500 (Texas taxes)

What mostly influenced my deal was that me and another 2 friends wanted to buy foresters, at the same time, so when we talked and found we wanted the same car, we decided to deal all 3 together, so that pushed the price down quite a lot. At the end one of us didn't like the final price and didn't buy the car, but the dealer kept its offer for 2 cars. Also I didn't order 2 of the extras, but they gave them to me for free because were already installed.

I think the dealer was the best we could ever find, Georgetown Subaru, north to Austin. They were clear and friendly from the beginning, didn't ask for stupid fees, didn't play any games, and they even left us a loaner car for free during 3 months, since we ordered the cars until they arrived. I think that alone was amazing as we were driving almost new cars while waiting for ours, and then the price unbeatable.

I suppose we were very lucky, or they really wanted to sell those 2 cars to reach a target, but still another dealer in the Austin area came to a similar price, though we preferred this one because of the human factor, they way they treated us since we went there to test drive the cars.
The person I dealt with left the dealer a few weeks ago, but the sales manager was equally a great person to deal with. The perfect deal from the start to the end.

By the way I am Spanish, only been here for 4 months, so at first I was really scared because of some bad experiences I had read in this and other forums, but my experience has been really easy, simple, and positive in every sense. And the price you guys pay here are a fraction of what we use to pay in Europe a car loaded like that would sell for about $45000 in Spain.

Thanks to everybody and I hope this info is useful for somebody else.

By the way congratulations to Deejay, Sublisa, and all the other new owners! :shades:

cleocat

I wanted to thank all the posters here for the great information I was able to use in buying my new Forester. I've been lurking here for several weeks but this is my first post. I absolutely HATE buying cars but this was the most fun I've ever had in the purchase process. You guys gave me the confidence to e-mail a handful of dealers for quotes. I started with the dealer in the Costco car program and quickly added others as far away as Austin. Picked up my Forester 2.5 X Limited in Satin White Pearl this afternoon.
It has aero crossbars
dimming mirror w/ compass
splash guards
body side molding
luggage cover
cargo mat and net
and rear bumper cover
$25,500 plus TTL which I felt was a pretty good price.

Can't say enough nice things about my dealer, Gillman North, in Houston. No surprises (extra costs) when I picked up the car. This is my 2nd Forester; the '99 S came from Gillman SW. The sales and the service facilities operated by Gillman are top notch.
Thanks again guys
c

pyewackett

Yesterday my husband and I drove home our new '09 2.5x Limited - our first new car since 1994. We're very excited but a bit overwhelmed by all the new bells/whistles.

This has been a very hot car here in central N.J. We went to 4 lots (2 in N.J. and 2 in Pa.) and went online to another 5-6 before we could get what we wanted. Even with all our invoice research, I'm sure we left money on the table. But we actually walked out of 2 dealerships (and I'm on crutches w/broken ankle) who wouldn't work with our price info. So we feel that we did the best we could, considering the car's popularity.

The final dealer quoted $500 over invoice and didn't ask about trade-ins or how'd we pay. (One rejected dealer actually had said, "Of course whether or not you finance makes a difference in the vehicle's price!" Riiiiiight.)

So our final rundown was:
Camellia red pearl (hard to find around here, but my husband really wanted a red car)
Pzev
Utility package
Popular equipment group 3 (4 cargo nets, spotlight)
Trailer hitch, installed (for a bike carrier we'll get later)
Bumper corner moldings, installed
Ipod interface kit, installed
All-weather floor mats
Luggage compartment cover
Ipod tray

Pricing ended up:
$24,541 - invoice
500 - over invoice
665 - destination
485 - Utility pkg.
$928 - Pzev + all other options, installed where indicated

$27,119 before TTL and trade-in of very shaky '94 Taurus ($300)

And there were no weird miscellaneous dealer charges, like advertising or security etching. After seeing how far other dealers would/wouldn't negotiate, and how hard it was to find our desired color, we were content not to haggle for a piece of the holdback or other discounts.

Our dealer was straightforward and low pressure - only asked cursorily if we wanted an extended warranty (no, d'accordo) and didn't mind us putting all our invoice price info all over their desks. A very decent experience.

Now if only that red security light would stop flashing 24/7 . . .

victor_pv

Congratulations for your new car!!

I got curious... what red security light is flashing 24/7? I just picked up my car yesterday and didn't see any flashing light. I know though that the alarm light start flashing like 1 minutes after you close the car, but should stop flashing as soon as you open the doors with the remote (or when you turn on the key, I don't remember now) but definitely is not flashing while I drive.
Is yours something different?

pyewackett

Thanks, victor, and congrats to you as well!

The security indicator light has been flashing constantly when the car is turned off. It doesn't flash when we drive, but the car is in the garage and this red light flashes once about every 3 seconds. It doesn't matter if we leave the car locked or unlocked or if we've used the remote or the doorlocks. It just keeps flashing.

It may have something to do with the valet mode. I may have tripped this when yesterday morning I sat in the car and turned it on to set the radio presets and work with the iPod interface. A couple of times I turned the car off and on. And the couple of times I got out of the car, I used either the doorlocks or the remote to lock/unlock.

I just can't figure out how to make the flashing light stop. I'm getting paranoid it will drain the battery.

red927

Could you say the name of the dealer? It sounds very much like the dealer I have been using for the past 16 years. No hassles, no BS, just straightforward dealings.

I am located at exit 8!

victor_pv

I think the light is running normally. It is suposed to indicate the alarm is engaged. If you disable the alarm, then the light will go off. The valet parking mode is the same as alarm disable mode. Maybe when you used the valet key you enabled the alarm for the first time. I actually didn't check if mine is turning on after I close the car, but I suposed the alarm came activated by default.

I just had a look to the manual (I got a pdf from my.subaru.com) and when it blinks every 3 seconds, is in valet mode (or disabled, is the same). If it blinks every 2, then it is activated. Have a look at the section 2-14 in the manual. What I didn't see if it is possible to disable the light at all... but I supose it is not possible, as in the section 2-4 says that in case it doesn'blink, the inmovilizer may be faulty...
But don't worry about draining the battery, would need probably months to do so, I know from my previous car that was stopped for months in a row several times, and only once drained the battery, and had one of those lights blinking 24/7.

pyewackett

Hi, Red - sorry for the late reply.

Exit 8, eh? We're in Lawrenceville, so we swing by that way often.

We went to Nitti's Subaru on Route 33 in Hamilton. Is that your place? A very satisfactory buying experience. And even after they had our check, they wouldn't let us leave the lot until they showed us the car's critical bells and whistles - even got a service fellow to help us with the iPod interface. We look forward now to using their service department.

pyewackett

Hi, victor, and thanks for your advice. It does indeed appear to be in valet mode. You could be on to something - your new car may have been activated at the dealer. If your car's light doesn't flash every 3 seconds when the car's not in use, then there's hope for us!

I read the manual; when it's in valet mode, the alarm system is deactivated. It took me a few reads to distinguish between deactivated and disarmed. After reading the manual, I doubt that I accidently changed the setting, 'cuz to do so seems to take a bit of effort (holding the unlock button down for 10 seconds, etc.).

This afternoon we'll try to go back to activation mode (pg. 2-14). I don't know if this also will cause the system to be armed (pg. 2-15). If that's the case, then the security indicator light will actually flash more! I would just like to be able to have it flash-free when it's in our own garage. We'll see what happens. I'll report back.

outpost05

I just got a Forester-Premium with All Weather Package. I also noticed the blinking security light. My manual says it will come on after the key is pulled out and will flash every 3 seconds, "The security indicator light deters potential thieves by indicating that the vehicle is equipped with an immobilizer system".
It appears it will always be flashing. I know some alarm equipped cars also have this "feature". An LCD light will have negligible drain on a battery.

Did anyone else find the forward slanting headrests hard to get used to?

kkrtrek

"Did anyone else find the forward slanting headrests hard to get used to?

You bet! I sold my last new car after a year because I could not adjust to the headrest. It seems headrests these days are much more "aggressive" (forward slanting). I suppose it is a safety feature, but it is very uncomfortable for me. I think it is worse if you are tall, and I know it is worse if you sit fairly upright. I have not bought a new Forester yet, but this is my primary issue to resolve.

Can you take out the headrest and reverse the direction? I know you lose much of the benefit of having the headrest, but........Anyone else have any solutions for this vexing problem? :confuse:

outpost05

Yes, you can take out the headrest and turn it around although it will not 'lock' in place. It just slides in all the way down. Of course then it is slanted away from your head and offers no support.
I have to admit that driving around town it doesn't matter so much since you are sitting up and and leaning forward a lot watching all the traffic, but I wonder on long trips just how uncomfortable it will be pushing your head forward as you recline the seats somewhat.
To get back on topic I got my Forester for invoice + $300. (the cheapest quote I got from 3 Utah dealerships). I don't think we have the volume of sales out here to get some of those deep discounts I've read about in past posts.

p0926

Can you take out the headrest and reverse the direction?

You do realize that current headrest designs offer superior whiplash protection?

-Frank

kkrtrek

"You do realize that current headrest designs offer superior whiplash protection?

I sure do, but in some cars they are physically uncomfortable for me. That is why I sold my last car--which I otherwise loved--after just 12 months. Headrests are just not a case where one-size-fits-all works--at least for me.

red927

Yes, the same dealer. I have gotten 7 cars from them since 1992 and will be getting another Legacy for my wife after her lease expires in November. Although the service department is small they usually take care of eveything the first time.

victor_pv

I just checked my car and a bit after I take the key out the light starts blinking, so seems to be active by default, probably from the factory or from the dealer.
Good luck and let me know if you manage to disable just the light.

pyewackett

No luck yet, victor - the light's still flashing.

Current status: when the car's off but unlocked, we are apparently in valet mode, with the light flashing once every 3 seconds. When the car's off but locked, the security system appears to be activated and the light flashes twice every 2 seconds (after that 30-second psycho-flash when we first lock the door with the remote).

Last night we tried the whole "deactivate to activate" procedure per the manual:
- we disarmed the system (2 successive pressings of the unlock button on the remote)
- then put the key in the ignition's "lock" position, immediately pressed the driver door unlock button, opened the door while holding down the button and kept holding the button for another 10 seconds
- we then heard the single beep indicated the system was activated

But that just increased the frequency of the flashes, to twice every 2 seconds.

You know, reading the manual doesn't help much. Each procedure is explained thoroughly and yet we can't connect the dots. I wish there was a simple paragraph explaining, "here's your normal status - when it's X you'll get Y, etc." My husband's an electrical engineer who works on satellites, and even he couldn't figure out what is the normal state is supposed to be, let alone how to achieve it!

So now it's back to once every 3 seconds. I'll let you know if/when that changes.

Thanks again for all your input -

- pye

pyewackett

My apologies to all who use this thread for its intended topic! I didn't intend to run this tangent as long as this.

So HUZZAH to all of us new Forester owners! Let's read about your labor/delivery experiences!

[And if YOUR security light doesn't flash, couldya let me know??? thaaank you]

rich505

We took delivery of a 2009 2.5X satin pearl white, Premium, last week. It had the All Weather Package. Sticker was $25,211, sale price was $23,638. We traded in a 7-year old 4WD pickup truck. I would have preferred no sunroof but no choice with Premium package.

The whole purchase experience was hassle-free. I didn't have to haggle over the purchase price and I got what I considered an excellent trade in value for the 4WD pickup. I paid only $1,100 more than what a local Toyota dealer wanted for a pre-owned Toyota-certified 2008 RAV4 similarly equipped with ~17,000 miles on the clock that had been a Hertz rental car.

Other than the steering wheel off center about 5 deg (alignment/tracking is dead on though) this Forester is as close to a zero defect delivery new car as any I have every purchased. Dealer will take care of steering wheel/alignment when in for service. They recommend waiting 1000 miles before fixing any non-critical items. No squeaks or rattles.

I don't understand why some owners are so worried about the red flashing security light. Car owners used to pay thousands for add-on security systems that had a flashing light on the dash.

The head rests are exactly where they need to be to protect from whiplash.

Someone else was worried about the cold engine blue warning light. What's the difference between the light and having a real temperature gauge? The light goes out after about 1-2 minutes at 70 deg outside temperature.

sgloon

"But don't worry about draining the battery, would need probably months to do so,"

You DO need to worry about the light wearing down the battery!!! It has already done so in my car. (Not security light, I hadn't read through all the threads yet...)

I went camping, unloaded my stuff, and parked the car for 4 days. Somehow, while taking stuff out of the car, the rear light switch was unknowingly hit. (The switch sticks out rather than being recessed like in every other car I have had.) No battery at all when I went to go get the car less than 4 full days later....

The worse part was I had to jump the car no less than 4 times as I am packing the car because everytime you open the door, the front set light is on with any door being open, including the hatch. This sucked out whatever charge I had put on the car by driving it a bit. Then, you can't open the hatch if you shut it without going through major convolutions of taking the stuff back out of your car and pulling out a piece of plastic near the lower part of the hatch and pushing on it. The electronic only hatch opening is a bad design for those of us who actually fill up the car and go off in the woods.

The only good thing is I was camping where there were other people and that I had thrown my battery cables in with the spare tire, so I could get a jump. I had to leave the car running for more than a half hour to get enough juice to be able to finish packing the car. Generally a bad experience.

It is a major design flaw in my opinion that you can't turn the front seat lights off and that they come on so often.

sgloon

Also had front overhead lights flashing regularly and annoyingly. Eventually found out it was cause by a door being ajar or not closed tightly.

The weird thing was the symbol on the dash (door open) did not come on for about 20 minutes. When it finally did come on it was just for a pretty short period of time, then went out. The overhead lights continued to flash in the front seat area until I finally figured out it was the door issue. Couldn't tell by pulling on door that it was ajar.

ateixeira

Funny thing is I like the new ones.

I had a 1998 Forester and I actually swapped the front headrests with the rear ones, because they could be tilted forward, closer to my head for support and whiplash protection.

We're all shaped differently, but I actually like them this way.

Congrats to another week's worth of new owners, demand still seems to be very strong:

* victor_pv - group buy, neat idea
* cleocat
* pyewackett
* outpost05
* rich505

Amazing that even in late August these are still selling.

outpost05

The battery on my old Duster once died because the dome light was on for a week while I was on vacation.

The small blinking security light on the Forester is a different situation. It is supposed to be blinking when the vehicle is not in use. It won't drain your battery.

I also was surprised to find that I couldn't manually turn off the front seat lights. After turning off the engine they come on then slowly dim and go off over several seconds , but there is no just plain on-off switch.

sgloon

I read further in the manual and found out that the dealer is able to change the settings for the front overhead lights. As I have an appointment on Friday, I will be asking them what are my choices for settings on the overhead light and probably change it, as I don't like that it is on all the time any time any of the doors or the hatch is open.

When packing/unpacking or camping in general, doors/hatch can be open for a long time....don't want to risk the chance of loosing the battery just because an unnecessary light is on... seems rather odd that the dealer has to set this rather than have a switch.

I wish Subaru would put out a list of items that are "dealer only adjustable" so that we could make just one appointment to get them all taken care of, rather than having to go in several times for these dealer only issues as they come up as we realize they are problems and that we can't change them ourselves...

p0926

I agree that it doesn't make any sense why they would eliminate the maunal off switch. Although... on several occasions, the overhead light switch has been inadvertently moved to the off position by my dog's head when she's riding in the back (yes she's a big dog)

When packing/unpacking or camping in general, doors/hatch can be open for a long time....don't want to risk the chance of loosing the battery just because an unnecessary light is on

Assuming your battery is properly charged, it should last for many hours so I don't see that as an issue.

There's been a time or two when I failed to completely close the back hatch (when it was daylight) and didn't notice that the cargo light was still on. The next morning it fired up no problem. Your's was a special situation where you left a light on for 4 days so of course the battery got drained. Also, I'm pretty sure you need to drive (not idle) for at least 20 minutes after jumping starting before your battery is close to being fully charged.

-Frank

sgloon

Frank,

I love those big dogs! Gotta have 'em.

The missing manual light switch I was talking about is for the lights in the front seat area. But the ones in the back used to be recessed (at least in my old subaru), so your dogs wouldn't have been able to inadvertently hit them.

I sometimes don't drive my car for a few days when it is parked in the garage (I use the bicycle whenever I can for transport.) So, I may not notice the light on if it is inadvertently moved to the on position for a few days (sometimes more). So Unfortunatley, this could happen on a regular basis. I'm going to have to watch it carefully. Right now, I have all dome lights turned to the OFF position so hopefully it won't be an issue again.

Unfortunately, I had to drive only about a mile or so from where the car was parked to where the camp was before I had to pack, so I wasn't going to be driving for 20 minutes before having the door light issue affect the low charge on the battery. If the light switch in the hatch area had been recessed, it would not have been an issue to start with. I don't know why they aren't recessed. And they are very easy to move, no real click to know it is moving, feels more like a slider type switch.

At this point, just something to be aware of so it won't happen to someone else.

weverhat

I am in the market for an '09 XT Limited, no nav. I started the process of getting quotes over the weekend. I've narrowed it down to three dealers. Dealer #1 is the lowest price, at $800 under invoice, but does not have the vehicle on their lot, they said they would obtain it from another dealer. Dealer #2 is at $600 under invoice and has the vehicle on their lot. Dealer #3 does not have the vehicle on their lot, but said they could definitely beat the low price of Dealer #1 on a factory order, if I am willing to wait the 60 days that would take. However they said they could not give me an exact quote until the vehicle is built.

Are there any advantages to one or the other? I am willing to wait 60 days on a factory order. But since they said they cannot give me an exact quote until the vehicle is built, what assurance do I have (other than their word) that the final price will beat the low offer I already have? Is there any advantage to buying from the dealer who actually has the car on their lot? One of the dealers I contacted (it wasn't any of the three) said that the dealers who have the model on their lot aren't going to trade with other dealers because they want the deal with me. Does that mean that Dealer #1 might not be able to obtain the vehicle or was this other dealer not telling me the truth? All three of the dealers I have narrowed my choices down to have been straightforward and easy to deal with.

bears2

Dealers get cars from other dealers all the time. It's a reciprocal arrangement that dealers have, So I would definitely have dealer 1 get the car from the other dealer. I did the same thing...the dealership near me wouldn't sell me the car but another dealer 70 miles away went and got the car from the same dealer and sold it to me for less. Why wait 8-9 weeks for a car you can get for less today!?

weverhat

Yeah, it sounded like BS to me that dealers won't trade their cars. The same dealer who told me that also told me that they could guarantee that they could beat any other dealer's quote. When I got back to them with the lowest offer I had, they wouldn't provide me a quote.

Just to be clear, dealer #3, who proposed doing a factory order, said they could beat dealer #1's offer. How are they able to do that? I thought there was less negotiating room on factory orders than cars which are in stock.

sgloon

If dealer #3 says they will beat dealer #1, they need to tell you by exactly how much. Also, whoever heard of ordering a car, with you telling them exactly what you want, and the dealer not being able to give you a written quote for that exact car before they order it. Sounds a bit bogus.

Some dealers do not play well together, due in part I guess to their past history together. Many dealers however do play well together and often trade cars with one another. So, while it is possible that dealer #2 may not be able to get the car from dealer #1, don't believe it until dealer #2 tells you that they can't get the car. Having dealer #3 tell you that dealer #2 can't get a car from dealer #1 sounds very bogus to me... Besides, they may have other sources that you don't know about to get another of the exact car that you are looking for.

My one thought is to verify with them (in writing of course), if you haven't already, the exact options that are coming with the quoted price. Sounds like you probably do have that covered though...

Good luck!

weverhat

It wasn't dealer#3 who told me that dealers won't trade cars, it was another dealer other than the final three who told me that (I contacted about 14 dealers initially).

All the quotes I have received are for the exact same configuration (including options/accessories).

There are actually three cars in my area which match what I am looking for, so dealer #1 has a couple other dealers it could be obtaining the car from, other than dealer #2.

I replied to dealer #3 asking them when exactly they would provide me with a quote on the factory order. I'll see what they say. I guess one benefit of the factory order, other than getting a car straight from the factory, is that if better incentives are in place when it is finished (such as rebates or lower interest rates), I will get those. Any idea how likely it is that the incentives will get better in the next few months?

sgloon

OH, sounds like you are in the drivers seat then, with regard to your deal! Yeah!

Re: change in incentives...it is really anyone's guess. Mortgage rates will go down some because of the Fanny May rescue. ...at least temporarily. Stock market jumped up yesterday with that news, which usually means interest rates go down some...but things are really shaky economically, and that won't get any better in the next few months. I only see, if anything, the economy getting worse in that time period...

Who knows how Subaru will react to the news/ecomony???

weverhat

I'm with you on your thoughts on the economy. That's why I kind of think incentives might get better despite the Forester's popularity. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind getting into my new Forester sooner rather than later.

bigfrank3

One advantage dealer #2 has is that they have the vehicle. The dealer listed on the sticker is the one that gets the hold-back, so if it is "their" car they not only get the sale they also get the hold-back without waiting for someone else to sell the vehicle they otherwise would have had to trade another dealer for.

I would try to work with them to see if they can do a bit better for you, although $600 under invoice is a very good price, and there is always the bird in the hand thing.

ateixeira

Don't hold your breath for incentives, August Forester sales were up 73%. They cannot meet demand for certain popular models.

The only catch with the dealer trade is the vehicle might have a few miles on it when it is delivered, because most likely someone will just drive it over to the other dealer.

Is it worth $200 to have less than 10 miles on the odo vs. maybe 100 or so? Only you can make that call.

We did a factory order and got it in 5-6 weeks or so, but lately it's been taking longer. We did negotiate a price when we ordered it, and the dealer even told me we would get any new incentives that appeared (they didn't, of course).

kyfdx

Assuming the location of any of these three dealers is acceptable, the only solid offer you have is dealer#2, because they have the car and are ready to make the deal...

If they have the car you want, and the dealership is acceptable to you, just go in and offer a couple hundred less and see if they go for it.

Dealership # 3? "Come on in, and we'll beat any deal".. Please... that isn't an offer..

sgloon

Weverhat,

Ya know, if it was me, and I wanted the Forester sooner rather than later...I'd just go ahead and get it. There are no guarantees about the economy and you may wait for nothing. Or you might get a bit better deal.

Which would you rather, to be enjoying your new car now? Or wait for a bit better deal that may or may not come?

Food for thought. Either way, consider yourself to be one of the lucky ones who is able to purchase one now! See ya on the road. :shades:

weverhat

Well, I got an offer from another dealer. I'll call this dealer #4. They were able to give me an exact quote on a factory order. They quoted me about the same price as dealer #1 ($800 below invoice), but because the sales tax in dealer #4's county is 1% lower, dealer #4's out-the-door price ended up about $300 lower. This is looking pretty attractive to me. The only concern I have is what if the 4.9% financing currently available goes up by when I take delivery?

It will probably come down to either this latest offer (dealer #4) if I want to do a factory order, or the dealer who currently has the car (dealer #2) if I want the car right away.

weverhat

One last update from tonight's negotiations. After several email exchanges with dealer #3 (the one who said they could beat the price on a factory order if I came in), I still could not get an exact quote out of them. So I told them that I had an exact quote from dealer #4 on a factory order, and would likely go with dealer #4 since dealer #3 still hadn't given me a quote. After sending that email I finally got a quote from dealer #3 on the factory order - it was only a few dollars less than dealer #4's price.

Dealer #4 gave me a quote right away, whereas it took over 10 emails to get a quote out of dealer #3. Also, dealer #3 was requiring a $1,000 deposit on the factory order whereas dealer #4 was requiring only a $500 deposit. So I thanked dealer #3 for their time but told them I was inclined to go with dealer #4 since their offers were only a few dollars apart.

weverhat

One last thing. I find it kind of curious that the two dealers who are quoting me on a factory order are both $500 to $1000 below the lowest prices of the three dealers who have the vehicle in their inventory. I thought there would be less negotiating room on a factory order than a car in stock. Is it because the dealers pay interest on the cars on their lot, so the three who have the car in stock have a higher cost? Still, you would think that would be added incentive for them to lower their price rather than continue to pay interest until the car sells. The X limiteds are the most popular model it seems, whereas the XTs I have been tracking have been sitting for awhile.

sgloon

The money that the dealer is charged by Subaru to have the car on it's lot to sell is paid back to them after it is sold. This allows the dealers to mark up the invoice price on the car with it looking ligit.

Good choice on saying goodbye to dealer #3. They might be hard to deal with in the future, given what it took to get a quote out of them.

You might ask dealer #4 if they would be able to honor the 4.9% when you get your car (or take a better deal if it is offered at the time?). Or you could check with a bank? To see what they are offering. Their rates tend to change more often...

Otherwise, as the exact car you want is available, you can weight the difference in total cost with the difference in what you might pay if the interest rates go up...or down. FYI, the Subaru interest rate was 4.5% in May and June. It has stayed steady at the 4.9% since July.

Good work checking things out.