2013 and earlier-Subaru Outback Prices Paid and Buying Experience

ateixeira

nine: it's a shame and that's why I like no-haggle policies.

My salesman is someone I consider my friend, he's very helpful and informative even when he knows I'm not car shopping.

The deal sounds too good to be true. They'll lose money even after the holdback. There must be a catch, some hidden fee.

Congrats, Bryan.

sb: tough call. If I had to guess I don't think the deal would change much within this month, though. Prices are already discounted a lot.

-juice

sapphireblue

juice,

Is at- or below-invoice a realistic possibility for Outbacks right now (I'm in Balt/DC) or no?

Also, any advice re: accessories (bought thru Subaru vs. aftermarket)?

Thanks,
Deb

ateixeira

Yes, try fitzmall.com for instance.

If you want e-mail me and I'll put you in touch with my salesman.

After the sale I got a 10% off certificate, if you prefer to buy in person. Otherwise you can mail order from any number of dealers.

I got my last order from parts@libertysubaru.com, they had the best price quote.

-juice

sapphireblue

juice,

Well, I've submitted requests for quotes thru Subaru's website to Fitzmall Gaithersburg and White Flint. I'm waiting to hear back. If no dice, I'll email you for that contact. Thanks!

-sb

ateixeira

Cool, I live right down the street from White Flint.

You can get quotes from their web site, though, because prices are all published.

-juice

beansly1

We bought our 05 OB L.L.Bean about a month ago from John & Phils in Corvallis Oregon.I researched extensively on the net and got a great price by phone from a dealer about 50 miles away.I told a wonderful salesperson at the corvallis dealership that I Got a phone qoute for 30,800($2,400.00 below MSRP)and he said no prob. the easiest buy I ever made! we also get 15% off all accesories through them.
The atlantic blue/silver two tone is sharp and I really cant believe what a wonderful car it is.What really sold me though was how solid the door sounded when I closed it and the 5-star crash rating it recieved. The sub woofer that was extra on the car was thrown in on the deal also. I love that pounding musical beat on my leather heated seat!

ateixeira

Congrats.

Come join the Subaru Crew, we chat every Thursday night.

-juice

sapphireblue

Good to know. I haven't heard back from my Subaru.com inquiry, so I'll scout the website.

Fitzmall add descriptors after "(Legacy) Outback 2.5i". Can you translate:

-2.5I-4eat (4-speed automatic?)
-2.5i-mt5 (5-speed manual?)
-2.5 MEAT (?)

Thanks,
sb

xwesx

All of the accessories you mentioned are purely 'aesthetic' in regard to the functioning of the vehicle, so they should not affect warranty even if added after the vehicle purchase.

If you ever plan to, or think you might, haul something that can spill (either dry or liquid... or animals!), I would highly recommend you get the cargo tray. Also, the floor mats are almost critical if you have a lot of snow/ice (especially if the car lives outside). I just put a set in mine after years of dealing with ice on the floor mats that was so slick I could scarce keep my foot on the accelerator. I can knock the ice off the rubber mats in a flash. If you garage your car every night, it probably isn't that big of a deal unless you are concerned about stains on the carpeted mats.

Good luck with your purchase!

ncseba

Hello everyone,

I'm a longtime lurker from central NC and longtime fan of most of the Subie groups (of course I look for postings from juice in all forums!), and I'm finally coming out to ask some advice since everyone is always so helpful. The deal: I've seen a 1997 Outback, AT, CD cassette, airbags, heated front seats, mileage 66,515 for $7750 or best offer (private party sale). It looks like it is in very nice condition, although a mechanic's inspection would be the final word on that. My question is, is this a "run don't walk to buy" or a "run far away" or something in between? My SO thinks the mileage is too high and would rather wait until we could afford a new(er) vehicle. I can see his point, but my thinking is that, *if* it checked out with a mechanic, it might be a nice budget level car. Right now I don't need a car for long work commutes (easy bus to work), but it's also not unthinkable that a poobah might factor into the equation within the next year. Right now I'm driving a 2WD 1988 S-10 Blazer with a bit over 275K on its second engine (don't laugh, I'm very fond of it :-). There is no immediate rush for me to get another car; I'm just wondering if I would regret passing this deal up considering the price and features it offers. Thanks for listening, and any advice or insight would be most appreciated indeed.

Cheers, and thanks again,
SebaNC

ateixeira

MEAT is the new model with a built-in BBQ so you can cook meat in the hatch.

Just kidding, that's a typo. ;-)

Price for that used Outback sounds good. '97 is a sweet spot because it was bumped up to 165hp that year and ran on regular octane.

-juice

ncseba

Thanks for answering! I think it's a pretty good price too. Guess I'm still wondering, should I hold out for something newer if I don't *have* to buy now? Or is this too good to pass up? Just trying to adjust my personal balance scales :-).
Thanks again,
sebaNC

ateixeira

I would wait. The 2000 and later models are bigger, the 2005s are real sweet if you can afford new.

One thing is Subies do not depreciate much, so a 2 year old model is only a couple grand less than a new one.

-juice

xwesx

66K and change for a '97? That is low mileage in my book. I also much prefer the '96 - '99 appearance over the '00-'04, though '05 has it beat.

It seems like a decent deal to me, maybe try to talk them down a bit (what can it hurt?). You are, or course, going to have a few more maintenance dollars in it early on versus a newer car, but as juice says, depreciation is slow on them so spend your money now or later.....

The more you know about a vehicle's history, the better of you will be as its owner. ($.02)

ncseba

Thanks again. My SO (Robert) will be happy to hear you agree with him :-).
SebaNC

ncseba

Thanks for answering. Yeah, I actually like that look too. If we did go for it, I know my SO (sig other) Robert would want to bargain (well, he'd not want the bargaining *process*, just a cheaper price). No matter what, if a mechanic didn't give it a clean bill of health, I'd back away fast! It's licensed from New York, so I'm not sure if being from the north would be a(nother) red flag. We may hold back, but I think I'll keep watching it--this is a college town, who knows, by semester's end it may be even more negotiable a bargain that I really couldn't walk away from.
SebaNC

Kirstie_H

ncseba, are you from the Raleigh-Durham area?

kirstie_H
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

ncseba

Why yes, how did you guess :-)?
ncseba

nmbrnine

picked up a 2005 2.5I OB Ltd,
700 below invoice. Great dealer.

eric102

Wow! 1st Bryan gets one for $600 under, and now nmbrnine gets one for $700 under. Are these straight deals with no trade-ins or junk fees? If so there must be some factory to dealer incentives going on.

Eric

nmbrnine

In technical terms, I should probably call it $500 instead of $700 under invoice.
I offered $500 under invoice, but the dealer also agreed to go an extra $200 on my trade (well beyond kelley trade-in value), to match the highest trade offer I received from other dealers. (I should have asked for a thousand under invoice!!??!?)

Anyway, the paperwork on the sale will reflect $700 below invoice.

Truthfully, I couldn't be more pleased. The Subaru dealer I dealt with was kind, accomodating, and also a new father. He correctly ascertained that my wife and I were serious buyers, with good credit. His calculations matched mine to the penny.

In the end, I believe I got a great car at a good price, and he made a modest profit...all as it should be. Here's hoping everyone's buying experience is as pleasant.

aeg

I assume below invoice is simply that not manufacturers list what have others experience been with the VDC. They are in short supply so wonder if there is less to negotiate with. do others think the vdc is not necessary on the outback given its design. read consumer reports and seem to be referring to pushing car to extreme limits when turning.Has anyone in new york area had good experience with dealers. (westchester,rockland.conn

sapphireblue

During the price quote process, I've been told by two dealers that Subaru had a $300 price increase on the Outback since the current Consumer Reports numbers were calculated. But the increase seems to be applying sporatically. For ex., it's been applied to Atlantic Blue cars with it being a new color, but some "older" colors don't seem affected. The AB is pretty, but I'm not sure it's worth an extra $300+ when there are alternatives.

Btw, I recently ran the CR report for my info. on the Outback 2.5i. Showed no current rebates, just the 1.9% financing deal. I want to buy soon, but I'd rather have a rebate option vs. just financing. But I dunno if they'd do such a thing in December given colder weather and people getting annual bonus checks...?

-sb

ateixeira

Congrats, nine!

What color? Tranny? Options?

sb: tough call. You've seen that discounting is very good now, the next step to get prices any lower would be rebates.

But they just had a solid October, so they might decide they're not needed.

I'm sure if you buy, rebates will appear, and if you wait they won't. Murphy's Law. ;-)

-juice

bac4uw

Hi Eric,
This was a straight deal, I didn't have any trade-in and am not aware of any rebates. (I did finance with them at 2.9% for 63mo though) I questioned Carter's $23,485 offer as well - my first impression was that the guy was quoting a 2.5i OB with a manual transmission. I called to confirm that he was quoting on an automatic.

I received three other quotes via email in the Seattle area: $24,171, $24,350, and $24,270.00... all on the same 2.5i OB with auto tranny... these work out to within a few hundred dollars over invoice on this particular model. I did note that Carter had about 80-90 OB's (all 05 models) on their inventory while other dealers generally had fewer than half that many. Additionally, I was dealing with the fleet manager... though I'm not sure this matters much.
-Bryan

ttenrag

First of all, if you believe everything you read in a consumer reports magazine than this reply is pointless. How can you question toyota reliability. There is a reason more toyota has more repeat buyers than any other car. I have a V6 4runner and have had absolutely 0 problems with the engine. I actually questioned many people about that consumer reports statement on the V6 an have come to find that it is probably inaccurate.

In reference to Subaru resale value, I would not consider it in the same ballpark as toyota. Sorry, wish I could.

I do think the outback is a great car, but I paid $28,000 for a 2004 4runner with third row seating. comes standard with roof rack, tow package, traction control, VSC, running boards, auto climate, and a 260 hp V6. And I promise after 5 years the 4runner will probably hold its value better and have fewer interior noises....

ateixeira

CR usually loves Toyota, so I don't see why they'd lie about their reliability data. They're just gathering data given to them by subscribers.

Small sample, perhaps? Could be that. Baja was rated poor and is now Better than Average now that they have a bigger sample. The 4Runner could make the same jump, we'll see.

For $28k the Outback would have heated leather and a moonroof. Different strokes...

-juice

saedave

About that 4Runner: Great truck! Poor car! For those who want a good station wagon, the Subaru easily wins on handling and ride and safety. I'm now driving a Passat W8 wagon and the VDC or Bean will be the replacement. I would never even consider the 4Runner at any price. I do feel that Subaru may now be stretching the pricing envelope....like VW did with the W8 Passat which was not successful because of a price deemed too high for a VW. The VDC and Bean are great cars, BUT if they are not heavily discounted are not a great value. Note the discounting already necessary on the 05's.

ateixeira

The Beans dip below $30k with discounts.

-juice

saedave

juice

The VDC seems to be more of a problem; there were none ordered by my next to nearest dealer (Evanston Subaru) AFAIK. The nearest dealer on the north side of Chicago has almost NO Subarus in stock, a tiny showroom and I wonder why SoA lets him keep the franchise. I would like to inspect the VDC interior before I would consider ordering one!

sara1

We are just staring to look for a new Subaru here in the greater sacto area and I am wondering if anyone could advice us on what the average price would be, are there any discounts out there, or anything else you may have to say about the Bean vs other models. We like the extra oomph of the 6cyl (our previous 4 Subies were all 4s) but is it worth the extra $$$? I have researched the usual websites but none of them mentioned the discounts I've seen discussed here. Travelling to the Bay area is a possibility too if the price is right. Also does anyone have an opinion on using the web connections on Cars.com or autobytel etc vs going directly to a dealers website and emailing them for a price quote? I've never negotiated on line only in person so I'm VERY interested in saving money AND the hassle of the showroom. I have to agree with the posts that said that $30,000 is just about pushing the limits for a Subaru even for diehard fans like us. We've driven nothing but since 1986 but at that price we may look at what else is out there. Sara

eric102

I use carsdirect.com to get an idea of what prices should be for my zip code. You should then be able to get 300-500$ below that if you do your own negotiations with a dealer in that zip code.

Carsdirect is usually pretty up to date with rebates and dealer incentives.

Eric

saedave

I have a $300 below invoice quote for the VDC and will see it and drive it tomorrow. The trade-in allowance is yet to be negotiated so the transaction may not take place.

I suspect the VDC's price could be higher than most are willing to spend on a Subaru...hence the reluctance of some dealers to order any for stock.

turnert

I just got an '05 Outback Limited w/manual tranny, short shift, dimming mirror, and a few extra goodies. I underestimated the dealer holdback by $300 when I prepared my numbers before I went to the dealer to haggle (holdback over $1,000 on this car). Still, I got an okay deal -- $29,100. I think a fairer price would have been about $28,700. This would have been about $500 below 'invoice' but still would have given the dealer several hundred in profit.

Boy am I glad there's no sales tax here in Oregon!

I took a few snaps of my new baby this morning:
http://www.pbase.com/turnert/05_outback

gf2020

What do you think a decent price would be for a "new" 2005 Outback L.L. Bean wagon that has about 5000 miles? There are several of these cars now hitting local dealers, they were driven by Subaru execs and still qualify for the full warranty and the new car financing.

If you can get a new L.L. Bean wagon for around $29,500, what would you pay for one with 5000 miles? $27,500 maybe?

ateixeira

The higher end cars do get up there in price, but generally speaking Outbacks are very well equipped. Even the base model has heated seats, something that costs extra on most luxury cars.

Noone "needs" an H6, you get it because you want it. The H4 is perfectly adequate, more efficient, and costs less.

Therefore I think you should get the H6. And be happy. ;-)

-juice

ttenrag

I am begining to purchase an outback, and a local dealer has an ad in the paper offering 5% below invoice. Does this seem right? What would be a reasonable deal right now?

Thanks

sapphireblue

How much a dealer is willing to go below invoice may depend on the demand for the vehicle in your area/region. 5% below invoice is great if you can get it, but check the details.

-sb (who may buy an Outback 2.5i wagon later today [Tues.])

ttenrag

Well, I almost bought a 2005 2.5i limited tonight in the rain, but the deal went south when they wouldn't give me a good value on my trade. Anyway, the price was great! I got a quote of $1275.00 (5%) below dealer invoice.

Invoice $25,500
   less $1275

Price $24,225 with 2.9% for 63 months

Hope this helps....I live in Pittsburgh, PA

sapphireblue

Not sure what they were trying to do with the trade ... but that's an excellent price on the car (for ex., here in MD/DC, some Outback 2.5i Ltds. are listed around $26,735 Internet price. Maybe keep the items separate, and sell your car privately or thru a 3rd party, and buy the car solo?

-sb (who DID buy her Outback 2.5i tonight! Yea!)

ateixeira

I wonder if they'll even honor that price if you don't trade your car in.

Really they gave it to you for about $800 less than I'd expect. If you add $800 to the trade-in, and the value seems fair, I'd reconsider.

-juice

ttenrag

Yes the ad was in the paper and it advertised the vehicle at 5% under invoice regardless of a trade or not. They were pretty close to my trade value...its just that I can get more selling it on my own. The price was solid though...the salesman said I could come back once I sell my car and then buy it at that price.

pkl123

Good Price , Not sure how they do it in PA , but in my state you pay the tax on the "deal", trade in included, rather than just the sale price of the car. If the same in PA , dont forget to do that calculation, as well as the extra work involved in selling it yourself.
Good Luck

dmbst68

I'm also in Western PA. Which dealership offered the below-invoice quote?

Also, do you think this dealership would offer similar discounts on other models? I'm considering the Legacy sedan, the Outback sedan, etc.

Besides this dealership, have you had any positive or negative experiences with other western PA dealerships?

Thanks!

goghred

Just inked a deal on an Outback 2.5i Limited Wagon in Madison, Wisconsin for $125 over Invoice. This price compared favorably with Internet quotes from the Milwaukee market. Two dealers there quoted prices at Invoice, then tacked on a documentation fee of $75 to $95. I was quoted a price of $200 under Invoice in Chicagoland, but the salesperson I dealt with over the phone was very aggressive and I felt that I would not enjoy the overall buying experience.

In all cases, I was told that the $275 advertising fee was part of Subaru's invoice price. Based on this, it seems that Edmunds' reference to Invoice price is understated by that amount. However, the price I paid is below TMV.

Overall, I feel my buying experience was very positive. This website proved quite useful in helping me get to a purchase price that I could be comfortable with. Could I have gotten a better price? Maybe, but I didn't feel driven to endure the heartburn associated with scrapping for a couple hundred bucks down the stretch.

This is our family's 6th Subie, so I know I got a great price on a great car. Can't wait for the first big snowfall!

ateixeira

Congrats!

-juice

hilbert

Congrats Goghred. You are a veteran as far as subie is concerned.

dcsteve

I live in the Washington, D.C. area and a dealer has offered me the price of $30,600 for a VDC wagon, including freight, but not taxes, etc.. This seems to be a good price. Agree?

 

Thanks!

 

DCSteve

rsholland

What dealer Steve? Fitzgerald? MileOne?

 

Bob

dcsteve

Bob,

 

The dealer is Stohlman. The price is based on the best price I could find for a Bean, which is about $29,500. The VDC is about $1,100 more. I'm trying to find out if anyone has a better price.

 

Steve