2013 and earlier-Subaru Outback Prices Paid and Buying Experience

ladywclass

I worried when buying my Outback (2001) that a 4 cylinder wasn't enough power ... but unless you do a LOT of driving where you need to accelerate quickly on a hill ... it should be fine ...

soonbaek

ateixeira

Since you find the old interior ugly, get the new one.

Yes, the H4 makes 168hp, but 212hp isn't that much more, and remember the new ones are 180 lbs lighter. When you compare the new H4 to the old H6 I bet the weight difference is even greater.

-juice

smiller

We had a 1999 Outback wagon and loved it. My wife was driving it one day and didn't see an F350 coming. The car was total loss but my wife walked away without a scratch. We bought a new 2005 outback - atlantic blue

ateixeira

Congrats on the new purchase, let's hope this one doesn't suffer the same fate! Nice to know you're even safer now, though.

-juice

will5

I just bought a 2005 Outback XT Limited (manual tranny) with wheel locks, mats, compass dimming mirror, and security upgrade for $29045. That is $65 under invoice. I bought it from "fitgerald auto mall" in rockville maryland. I was going to wait for my IMBA membership to kick in for the at cost VIP program, as the deals i was getting were to high i felt. I found them mentioned on a board here and looked them up on the web. No B.S. at all. Honest and up front. They deliver for free to most of the country. It turns out and a friend of mine from ohio (who was with me at the dealership) is going to get a car from them in a few months. They also had many other 05 subarus at well under invoice. I talked myself into the outback though. If the seats went down in the Sedan, i would have bought a limted gt sedan; too bad they don't. Maybe subaru doesn't so that people will not downgrade to it in cost from the wagons/outbacks.

orangelebaron

I went to Gregoris in Valley Stream today and got quotes:
Legacy Limited $25903
Outback Limited $27658
Outback Turbo XT $31030

I think I can do a bit better than those numbers, though.

The salesman was nice as are most Subaru salemen... but I want to buy from the best dealer in Nassau that will have the best service after I get the best price from them.

Can someone comment on Gregoris service as well as Hasset and Grand Prix? Or tell me of a link where I can find info?

I'd rather buy from where I'm going to bring it for service.
Comments?

hypov

How about checking in on Metric Subaru in Huntington, NY?
I haven't bought from them, but their service is very good

-Dave

orangelebaron

I ended up buying in Hicksville. Great price and I haven't heard/read anything bad about them so we will see what happens on Thursday when I get delivery.

And yes, I did hear/read good things about Metric...but they didn't come close to the price I got....not that I haggled.
I have a feeling that a bit of luck may be involved in getting a good price too. maybe the dealer wants to sell a certain number of cars that month and you come in at the right time?
Now I have to decide what to do about extended warranty, alarm, etc.

63corvette

I just bought a new 2004 Outback on August 26th from McCurly (various makes) Autoplex in Pasco, Washington for $17,430. It is the base H4, 5MT Outback, but has a ton of standard features, including 3 "options": Auto dimming, rear view compass mirror, Rear "dust deflector", and "tweeter kit"???
However, it also has the standard "All weather package" including heated seats, de-icer, limited slip, and heated rear view outside mirrors.
We drove to Yellowstone Park on Labor day, averaging from 20.0mpg in Montana, to 27mpg in Idaho. Back home with 2200 miles, we have been averaging 22mpg around town. We like the car so far.
Garrett Waddell

new2

Just became a new Subaru owner. Looking forward to it. Bought my 2005 Outback 2.5 Limited in CT for $26,500 (plus tax, registration, etc.). Came with a few options too - autodimming mirror, wheel locks, all weather mats. Think I got a good deal. Any comments?

ateixeira

Yeah - I'm jealous! :-)

Congrats and don't look back, enjoy the Subie and join the Subaru Crew here on Edmunds (check under Owners Clubs).

-juice

epm

Just picked up a 2005 Outback XT Limited 5 speed in black, with taupe int.. Great car, got it for $28,697, versus MSRP of $31,706, or $390 below invoice of $29,087 from Stohlman Automotive in Vienna VA.

Prices are are posted on the website and the people are low pressure and helpful.

lumbar

Thanks for your info epm. If you don't mind, what is Stohlman up to on their "doc fees" now?

ateixeira

My friend bought his GT from them; he was also happy.

-juice

michaellno

Not sure if there is room for one more.

Wife is looking for a new car - she wants AWD and a bit of ground clearance, but doesn't want a large SUV. She's narrowed it down to three choices:

1) Subaru Outback 2.5XT Limited w/ auto - she loves the Champagne Gold Opal color

2) Saturn VUE AWD V6

3) Hyundai Santa Fe LX 3.5 AWD

Initially, I thought the Subaru was going to be much more expensive than the other two, when comparably equipped. However, from what I am reading, many people are already getting deals right around invoice on the '05 models. We're hoping to pull the trigger on a deal in the next couple of months.

As we live in Denver, Subarus are quite popular and I wonder if dealers will be willing to negotiate price as much as dealers in other parts of the country.

Feedback, thoughts and comments welcome.

ateixeira

That Vue is a wonderul V6 and 5 speed auto in search of a better wrapper. Worst seats I have ever sat in, front and rear. "Plastic fantastic" interior. Numb electric power steering. Exposed screw heads and visible mold parts. So-so handling even with the Redline package, imagine without it.

Here is my full review, I drove a Redline model with the Honda engine:

ateixeira "Town Hall Test Drive Team" Aug 19, 2004 11:13am

$25.8k with the rebates. The Outback might cost a little more but my guess is you will more than make up for it at resale.

The Santa Fe is more competitive, IMO. It's slower than both others here and also uses more fuel, but the big engine is torquey and doesn't feel lacking.

SF reliability has improved and the warranty is great, as is the price.

Cons include poor residual values, gas mileage, and it's overweight for the size of the interior.

Hyundai has the new Tucson coming out, and I think the SF will be replaced soon after, getting bigger in size.

The Outback is new and will still seem new for 5 years. It's probably the quickest of the 3, and has the nicest interior by a wide margin.

The only con is that it needs premium fuel. That's about it, really.

-juice

michaellno

Aha! That last sentence answered an outstanding question -- I was going to phone the salesrep that showed us the Outback. When you say "premium", do you mean the highest grade?

In Colorado, we have slightly lower octane ratings than the rest of the country - 85/87/89 (some places carry 91 instead of the 89). We currently use 87 in both our cars - '03 Focus and an '03 Saturn L300.

To your other points. We did a quick test drive of the Saturn and I readily agree with you regarding the interior. Just doesn't seem like it belongs in a vehicle costing north of $25K. However, the wife likes the looks of it.

Same with the Santa Fe ... some friends of ours bought an LX with the 3.5 (but FWD, for some odd reason). Very nice inside, and the length and coverage of the warranty cannot be discounted.

Will continue this thought when I have a bit more time.

ateixeira

Well, I'm not surprised, given the air is thin up there, you have a lower effective compression ratio and that makes lower octane OK.

The Outback will probably get the best effective mileage of the 3. If you use mid-grade (for CO), like you are now, my guess is the extra miles will about offset that extra cost.

But...those V6s will be wheezing and making less than the stated HP figures. Your turbo will compensate and just use its blow-off valve less, but still make full power.

So at altitude the power advantage grows.

-juice

michaellno

The EPA estimates on the VUE are 19/25, whereas on the Outback XT it is 19/24, so it's pretty much a wash mileage-wise.

The turbo felt quite powerful, but I noticed that it is quite touchy from a stand-still.

Anyway, back to my musings....

Resale value, I think, won't be much of an issue .. the wife is talking about keeping the new car "for 10 years". If it has everything on it that she wants (leather, sunroof, 6 CD changer, heated seats), I can see that happening.

If I ignore the price, this is how I would rank them:

1) Outback
2) VUE
3) Santa Fe

But, when comparably equipped, the Outback is $4600 more than the VUE and almost $5900 more than the Santa Fe (all prices MSRP). That's a lot of cabbage.

Is the Outback worth the price difference? That's the $64,000 question.

ateixeira

Well, at Saturn you pay full MSRP, Subaru discounts below invoice. So it might only come out to about $1500 more than a loaded Vue (edit: see below).

Both compare more closely to the Forester XT Premium Package, to be honest, and that is cheaper than the Outback XT.

What you get by stepping up to the Outback is the nicest interior of the bunch by far, including the Forester.

So that nice interior will cost your wife $150 per year, if you look at it that way. Less than 50 cents a day for the extra comfort seems worth it easily.

-juice

ateixeira

I know you're in Colorado, but I checked locally.

The Vue Redline V6 I drove was $25.8k, but to be honest it wasn't nearly as loaded as an Outback XT Limited.

Fitzmall.com's most loaded SF goes for $24,238. So definitely, it's the cheapest.

The OB XT Ltds at the same dealer go for $28,659. So yeah, we're talking roughly $2850 more than the Vue or $4421 more than a loaded SF.

Those numbers might sound better than 4600/5900 to your wife. And I didn't have to try very hard to find those deals.

But still, with the SF you'd be getting your 3rd choice...

-juice

natethomas

I just picked up a red Outback XT with a manual tranny yesterday from City Side Subaru in Arlington, MA. I used my IMBA membership to get the car at invoice without any hassle. My price after trade (99 Outback w/80,000 miles) was $20,000. I also got the 6 yr/60,000 warranty at cost - $933. The final price was $22,053. After putting $10,000 down my payments are around $215 a month for 60 months.
The car is really amazing. I had a chance to drive on the highway earlier today and the pickup is amazing. There is more power at passing speeds than starting from a stop because the turbo is already spooled up. I am extremely happy with my purchase and do not miss my old Outback at all. I considered getting an 04 Forester XT for about $4,000 less but the benefits of the Outback trumped the Forester. The only other car (other than the forester) that I've driven that had the same pull was a Z8. The Z8 is in a class by itself, though.

ateixeira

You get great bang for the buck with a base XT manual. Congrats!

-juice

michaellno

OK, so perhaps the numbers aren't 100% accurate. But, Saturn has $3000 on the '04 VUE (no appreciable changes that I am aware of on the '05), and Hyundai $1750 on the Santa Fe. I am aware that the Santa Fe is due for a redesign, which, I believe, will make it larger (the Tuscon is the new small SUV).

We've taken a brief look at the Forester - may do so again, depending upon how important price is in our decision making.

ebony5

What is IMBA membership?

epm

Re Stohlman - Processing fee was $185, Tags $41

lumbar

Thanks again! That's actually not too bad at all for No. Va. Did you stick with Stohlman from the start? If you had any less than satisfactory experiences at any other dealers, I'd be interested.

subearu

http://www.imba.com/tcc/subaru.html

Pay for a 1 year membership at least 6 months prior to shopping for your Subie. Get invoice pricing with no hassles. I did this for my F-XT and it seemed like I got the royal treatment. $25 for hassle free shopping = good in my book!

-Brian

subiedog

I'm the proud, and happy, owner of an 05 Outback LLBean, gold, as of last Saturday. I swung an invoice deal with a high volume dealer about 45 miles away (Portland, OR) by dealing with them on the phone. I also had what I thought was a commitment to buy my '97 Jeep at the KBB trade-in price. But when we put a pencil to it all, they started horsing me around on the trade (I wondered if they would). I played the game with them for about 30 minutes, then got frustrated at their ethics (or lack). So I told them I no longer wanted to deal with them. They followed me off the lot, inviting me to come back to the table, but I was serious. So I drove back home and called around to several used car dealers. Went to the one that had what I thought were very nice cars of about the same age and price range, and we struck the deal I was looking for in about 45 minutes. The used car dealer was one of the most honest guys I've ever met on a car lot. The next day, the high volume dealer left me a message asking me to come back to the table. Instead, I called a small town dealer about 30 miles away who I knew had the same exact vehicle on the lot. I told them I had an invoice deal but would rather buy it from them. They called back in 10 minutes and said it was a go. The transaction was a breeze. A great salesman, no horsing around on the price. They didn't even try the ad fees things. And of course, no vin etching or any of it. Just a straight up deal. The most I got was a modest pitch for Subaru's extended warranty for $790. I actually felt halfway tempted, the guy was so nice about it. But I know I can get it later if I want it. So I said no.

All in all, a great buying experience, once I got to the second dealer.

Meanwhile, I love the car. I've had an Outback before, plus a few cars in between. But this is not the Outback of days gone by. Our other car is a 2002 Volvo Cross Country, and I'm hard pressed to say which is better. If we could only have one, maybe we'd stick with the Volvo for its interior space. But I wouldn't bet money on it. The 05 Outback with the H6 is one heck of a fine driving machine.

Just thought I'd post my experience so far. Cheers.

ateixeira

michael: I factored in the $3000 Saturn rebate already. It was $28.8k MSRP.

Did you get one of those Subaru coupones for free service? A lucky few got those in the mail. I had one that was sent to my brother, but I gave mine to Ken.

subiedog: good for you for walking. I'd drive over there and let them know they lost your sale and why. Seriously, they have to change their behavior or continue to lose sales.

-juice

michaellno

Sorry, you are right. Optioned to be equivalent to the standard features of the Outback XT, the MSRP of the VUE is in the 28-29K range.

Talked with the wife more about it last night. She really likes the Outback - wants to move away from the "SUV" type vehicle. We've leased both a Ford Expedition and a Ford Explorer in the past and she wants something with decent ground clearance but is lower to the ground.

ateixeira

Cool, it's already your first choice.

I guess I'm a car guy, I can justify spending a little more to get what I like best, because it's so important to me.

-juice

michaellno

I absolutely understand .. it's a big topic of discussion. Yes, it's several thousand more dollars, but if it is exactly what she wants and will be able to live with it for many years, it's worth the extra $$$.

ateixeira

If it was Aunt Edna, who cared nothing about cars, and trying to decide between Generic Car A and Generic Car B, knowing she would not appreciate the difference, well that's a different story.

When we rent cars, I've actually changed rental companies and paid a little more to get a more desirable car. It was worth it to me.

-juice

michaellno

My wife absolutely hates it when we travel, as I am the same way about rental cars. I remember making the family wait in Boston, in the rain, at night, as I negotiated with the Avis folks to switch my reserved Regal for an Olds Intrigue.

Then, there was the time I had reserved a Lincoln Town Car, then found that the luggage wouldn't fit, so Hertz wanted to give us an Explorer. Well, that's what we drove at home, so I said no. What a nightmare....

epm

The Stohlman internet dept was curtious and just called me when they found the car I wanted. Other local dealers just didn't seem interested in trying to stay in touch. Stohlman also offered to order me the car at the same price if I didn't mind waiting.

ponyrider2

Hi
I am looking to trade my 04 Honda Civic EX Automatic w/7800 miles for a 2003 Outback LTD Sedan.
Any ideas or comments on what a fair trade would be? I am expecting that I will have to pay some $'s but don't want to fork over too many.
Asking price on the Sedan is $19,000 and the Sedan has 25350 miles on it. All highway
Please respond asap as I would like to wrap up or look elsewhere.
I am also looking at either 03 or 04 Legacy Sedan 35th Edition Model.
Thanks in advance! Ponyrider2

ateixeira

Ask Terry in the real-world trade-in values thread about the Civic's value.

The Subie's price sounds fair, those were $25 grand plus new.

-juice

ponyrider2

Hi -
well, I went ahead and bought the 03 Outback Sedan. Ended up trading in my Honda Civic Ex and forking over additional $4000.
Not sure if I won or lost the "get the best deal" game but tired of looking and driving to places where the say one price on the phone then it's different when you get there. (hundreds of miles later...)
So in the end I like the car, it's a real beauty and hopefully I'll have it for years to come. Color is Regetta Red Pearl w/Titanium bottm with Beige Leather.
Have a super Day!! Ponyrider2

ozman62

on escaping the 'Civic nation'. LOL. Hope you have a wonderful Subie experience. Hang around, check out the Subaru crew forums, and let us know how you're enjoying your Outback. Is it new or used?
Owen

ponyrider2

Hi Thanks, the Soob is a much nicer car than the Civic. This car is used, with 25,000 miles Although it looks like new. This is my third Soob, but first Sedan and everytime I look at it I like it more! Gotta little highjacked for a while but getting back into a Subaru again is like coming home from a long trip. There's just nothing like it!
I will post my opinions of it in a few weeks, I really like looking around on the forums, lots of good info here and fun to read
Thanks for all who post!
Ponyrider2

bobspivy

Finally took the plunge and purchased a 2005 Outback Sedan in Champagne Gold. I've been shopping around for about a month, and I've dealt with a few dealerships, but I ended up buying from Becker Subaru in Allentown, PA. I paid $28,599.00 and that was with the spoiler, auto-dimming mirror and alarm.

I was dealing with Subaru of Hunt Valley in MD, and they were nice to deal with, but of all the prices quoted, they were the highest. I told them they were around $2000 off, and they only took off $700 more. I think they thought I would spend $1300 more just because they were the ones that allowed me to test drive the vehicle.

Below are the prices I obtained from the following dealers, for the same car/options.

Fitzgerald Auto Mall (MD) -- $29,988
Stohlman Subaru (VA) -- $29,955
Concordville Subaru (DE) -- $29,500
Lancaster County Motors (PA) -- $29,350
Ertle Subaru (PA) -- $30,040
Faulkner Subaru (PA) -- $29,325
Hunt Valley Subaru (MD) -- $29,964
Steve Moyer Subaru (PA) -- $28,931

Hopefully it's alright to list all these dealers and the quotes I received at each. Becker was a great place to do business. It was about 60 miles farther than my local Subaru dealer, but the savings made the drive worthwhile. They also offer a money back guarantee on their extended warranties. So at the end of the warranty, if I haven't used it for any repairs, then I get all my money back. Kind of a nice option.

sapphireblue

Which level of 2005 Outback did you get (turbo, base, etc.)? Also, is Hunt Valley Subaru your closest dealer, hence where you went on a test drive?

I live in central MD and am considering the Outback 2.5i wagon, but if it's going to cost me high $20Ks, then it's out of my price range and not worth pursuing.

Thanks,
sapphireblue

lumbar

No way a base 2.5i wagon would cost you high 20s--even the Limited 2.5i (leather etc) would be no more than 26K or maybe a bit more. Are you in the Frederick-Hagerstown area?

sapphireblue

I live in the Baltimore area, but am willing to trek a little bit if the dealer offers a better deal. (But in that scenerio, could I go to my closest Subaru dealer for service or no?)

My selection right now is between Outback and one other car (not a Subaru). Price is a factor, which is why I'm wondering a realistic walk-out-the-door price for the base 2.5i Outback wagon.

-sapphireblue

lumbar

Fitzgeralds in Kensington and Gaithersburg (well known on these forums--fitzmall.com) has them (manual) starting from around 22,500. No idea if that's the absolute cheapest but it gives you a basis for comparison.

Also, if you check the dealer finder on the Subaru website, they give you links to inventories at various dealers. I have no idea how accurate these are, but a good number of them also quote "internet prices" or allow you to solicit them from the dealer.

self_mechanic

The 2005 Outback Sedan has only one trim level that is 3.0R (H6 with VTD, moon roof, leather seats and other nice accessories) according to Subaru web site.

Alland

bobspivy

The 2005 Outback Sedan only comes with a 3.0L 6 cyl. with 250 HP. So far I love it. I was looking at the Infiniti G35X, but I think the Subaru drives/handles better and is going to cost me about $4000 less.

Hunt Valley Subaru was the closest dealer with the car I wanted. They irritated me when it came to the price though, and I can't recommend them to anyone. I was set to deal with Fitzgerald, and before I went in to get the car, I decided to send some emails to other dealers and see what deals I received. Like I said in my previous post, Becker beat Fitzmall by over $1000. The drive to Allentown wasn't that bad, and I'm fine with getting the car serviced at a local Subaru dealer. Sending an email to other dealers can't hurt, and then you'll know if you can get the car you want, and stay in your price range. Good luck!

snowbelter

My wife has had two, a 00 Limited and now an 04 VDC. She has loved both and moved to the 04 as the price was right and she liked the McIntosh system.