Subaru Tribeca Prices Paid and Buying Experience

newtosubie

The experience could not have gone better thanks to the up front research from these Forums. Here's the skinny:

7 Seat LTD Tribeca - Champagne Beige (No Nav, No DVD)
Puddle Lights
Compass Mirror
Aero Crossbar
Splash guards
Wheel Locks
Weather Mats
Luggage Cover

MSRP: $35,569
After looking at Carsdirect.com and Edmunds.com, came up with a target price of $31,900.
After looking at NADA and KBB, came up with $8K for my '99 Passat to trade.

Bottom line after the salesman made 3 trips to the manager:
They agreed to go invoice ($32,885 per the sheet they showed me), then I said take off the $1,000 dealer rebate you're getting from Subaru, and it became $31,855. They accepted. SCORE! Their first offer for my trade was $5500, but I held firm and got $7800. I figured the $200 Subaru Bucks I gave them made up for the $200 short of my target price on the trade.

The sales guy and F&I guy will get all the best marks when I get my survey from Subaru. Went with 48 mo. at 3.9% as the 24 mo. 0 interest was a bit steep on the payment.

Whoo hoo! Thanks for all the valuable info on these forums - priceless.

jeffmc

Sounds like you're a good negotiator. Nice job holding firm on your targets. $32k for a 7-pass Ltd. is sweet! That's gotta be one of the best prices we've seen here. You may make some folks here jealous.

Who was your dealership? (Might as well give 'em a little free PR if you're happy with 'em!)

osyabender1

Hello newtosubie.

Congrats on your new Tribeca.
Please tell me where did you learn of $1,000 dealer rebate?
Is it regional? I'm in NYC and considering leasing the Tribeca - 7-pass LTD with DVD and several other options. Don't know if this rebate exists here. If it does, don't know if it's already included in their current $299 lease offer or wether it can be applied to a lease.
If anyone knows, please chime in.

Best regards,
O.Bender

raybear

It's not a rebate, it's dealer cash, which is nice because you don't tax it. In New England the dealers have an added incentive up to another $1000.

newtosubie

Raybear is right - it's dealer cash from Subaru. It's posted on Edmunds, under incentives and rebates. They call it "marketing support".

I'm out West - Salt Lake City, Utah.
(Mark Miller Subaru)

raybear

Hey Marcy, did you get a stair-step program on top of the dealer cash?

newtosubie

Ray,
No stair-step, just the dealer cash. I think I bummed out DH when I left him out of the negotiation process, but I had my price and got it so I'm happy.

justlookin3

Hi all. I am just starting the car buying process after having driven my Volvo S70 for many miles. Anyway . . . I have 3 quotes for a 5 passenger Tribeca. All are for the LTD version; all are grey in color. Quote 1 has a navigation system. This is a demo model with approximately 5000 miles on it. Distance to dealership is approx. 2 1/2 hours. The second quote is for new 5 passenger with no navigation system for invoice price at $31+/-. Distance to dealership is 1 hour. Final quote is for 5 passenger with navigation system/ no miles for $34,000. The final quote is from a local dealer. All other options are very similar . . . puddle lights, equipment group and cargo area net. I'm thinking that the demo is the way to go. Please note that all quotes are the first quotes I have received. Any thoughts?

raybear

What are the quotes? You are looking at vehicles that differ a good bit...location is a factor also.

justlookin3

At this point I do not have written quotes. The biggest difference between the demo and the new Tribeca (both with navigation systems) is the mileage. Demo has 5000 miles, while other does not. The salesman at the dealership with demo has offered "no more than $32K", in his words "under invoice" for that one. It is still considered new and would have full factory warranty. The other dealership started the negotiating at approximately $34,500, which I believe is over invoice for the Tribeca with navigation and no miles. I guess my real question is whether the fact that one of the vehicles has 5000 miles on it is relevant. All 3 dealers are in the central IL/IA area. I'll see if I can get detailed quotes on all 3 and post then.

cacman

Take the money - if the full warranty is in effect, I would definitely take the cash - good luck

ajfitzer

Having just gone through this, I can tell you that the incentives are MUCH better on the 7Pass Limited. Subaru produced more of these, and are offering better incentives on it BECAUSE they have more inventory, and as a result, Subaru is offering more DEALER CASH on this model (I have heard as much as 3-4K off MSRP). The 7 Passenger limited, has a list price of $34,500 without Nav or DVS, and I have seen as much as $2,400 held back from the dealer from incentives and dealer cash (you might even do better). This would bring the invoice to a number closer to $31,000 for the 7 Passenger Limited Tribeca, with the residual value currently at 56%, and the Money Factor .00032. The weird part is that the money factor was actually HIGHER if you were to lease the Truck for 39 months (.00150) or 42 months (.00190). To buy it, you could probably get them down to under $30K based upon all the dealer cash out there on this truck. I e-mailed with about 15 dealers and had two quotes to my liking before even stepping in a dealership (outside of a test drive). One dealer had about 30 on the lot. Go to Subaru.com and look at your local dealers. Then when you get to the local dealer website, search the inventory. I noticed that MANY of the dealers had a large number of Tribecas (mostly 7 Pass limiteds) sitting on their lots. Those are the ones you want to hit first. It is a numbers game. Keep going until you get closer to the numbers I have mentioned. You will see them,

Now, the numbers on the 5 passenger make no sense, even though they are advertising the $299/month lease with 2K down nationally. The Residual is the same for the 5 Passenger, but the Money Factor was .00070. I was able to lease a 7 Pass Limited WITH Navigation for $367/month with 0 down and 2 months left on my old lease, so you do the math. I had a subaru dealer with 30 years experience tell me that they simply cannot do as well on the 5 passenger as on the 7.

subienewbie2

location is a factor also

Location should not be factor, unless the selling dealer offers free loaners or something of value that is not part the SOA program.

You can buy a car from one dealer and take to any dealer for warranty repair. The warranty is from SOA not the dealer.

justlookin3

thanks for the advice. I had only briefly considered the 7 passenger because I really don't need the extra seating. However, if the numbers are truly that much better, then it certainly warrants a look.

ateixeira

SoNE has some fees that are higher than other regions.

Also, demand in Alaska is high enough, and I think there's only one dealer, so prices there tend to be a lot higher. Some people even go to Seattle to pick up their Subie.

-juice

raybear

Location is a factor in that different regions have different incentives. For example, SNE has a stair-step program for the Tribeca that gives dealers up to $1000 per unit sold in March; this is on top of the current $1000 for the 7-seater offered by SOA.

subienewbie2

Maybe you were trying to say the same thing.

You buy where you get the best deal.

occking

In today's paper, Somerset Subaru (SE Mass) has Subaru's advertised for 1000 less than invoice. For a B9 LE with a list price of approx 34,500, I was quoted a price of approc $31,500. That still seems a bit high. Anchor Subaru in Smithfield, RI seems to have several of the same modesl they are selling for approx $30,000. I e mailed them offering $28,000 for one of them, let's see what kind of response they have.

Any real world figures out there on gas mileage? I am concerned I will only average in the high teens...

subienewbie2

If you do mainly city or around town driving - mid to high teens is about right. Highway 20 to 23 depends on speed and roads.

jeffykrum

Where did you find the deal for the 7 Pas loaded for the 367/m w/0 down? I shopped today and got $5k off invoice but looked at a $419/m payment? any advise?

b9bingo

5K off of invoice or MSRP?

cacman

Limited - 7 pass - Nav, DVD - Puddle lights -

MSRP - 38,891

Cap Cost - 34700

Res 56%

MF - .00032

36 mo - 12k mile

also until end of March they will throw in $ 200 gas card

395.08 per month plus tax ( 10 % ) - total pmt 434.59

1st pmt and license fee of 135.00 due at signing

I think I can do better - would like to have pmt @ 400.00 including tax - big question is - do you gamble and wait until April to see what the incentives are? - Also, do you wait for the 07 model and pick up the addl features that have been talked about - Oh the mental anguish we put ourselves through just to make sure we get the "BEST" deal. I love it.

ajfitzer

I went to Fread Beans Subaru in Doylestown PA (about 55 miles from my home in NJ). You could also try Becker Subaru in PA, as they were VERY close in price also.

ajfitzer

Cacman I think you can do better. Tell them $390 a month and include the tax payment. I would not gamble, as March seems to be a good time for dealers to try and PUSH what they have left. The closer it gets to July, the less inventory they have, the more they can get for what they have left. Also, your talking about a 35K truck. When the new features come out on the new model this summer (rear video, new front grill, etc), they might become more popular, or ask for more. Why risk it? You have a decent offer. Push these guys! You tell them if they give you the $390/month including taxes, you will come in by the end of the day today to sign the papers. That will get them moving. Be prepared to be there to get your new Tribeca. Good luck!

cacman

Well - here is the latest -

Tribeca LTD - 7 passenger - NAV, DVD, -Puddle lights - Splash Guards - Bumper Cover - Cargo Tray - MSRP - $ 38,802

36 mo - 36,000 miles - 1st month payment and license fee's
due at signing - $ 34,175 cap cost - 56% res - .00032 MF

$363.59 per month plus tax ( 10% ) - total pmt of $ 399.95 - total out of pocket 399.95+163.95 - $ 563.90 - plus they are throwing in an addl DVD head phone ( 3 kids ) - had to go to different dealership - 1st dealership said - sorry - no can do - some people are more aggressive than others - all done on the phone -

A couple of observations based on my Saturday of going to numerous dealerships - 1. The level of car salesman has really dropped in the past 3-4 years - The Subaru dealer I went to, the guy smelled of alcohol at 9:30 in the morning - When we test drove the car with nav - he stated "I don't know much about computers, and nothing about this navigation system - if you buy the car we will have someone show you how it works" - I was amazed how much more I knew about the car than the salesperson knew -
The other dealers - Ford, Nissan - Mitsu - all had kids ( under 25) that just started in the past month or two -

Also, after investigating the prices on all the SUV's with the options I wanted, you would pay approx $ 150 to $ 250 more per month on a comparably equipped vehicle - Anyway don't settle for the 1st quote - there is always someone that is more hungry

whiteyneutron

Just walked out of the showroom, literally 2 hours ago and got great deal on a 36 month/45000 mi lease.

Here's what I got:
-7 Passenger -Black w/beige - with DVD and Nav
-Out of Pocket: $1000 cash plus trade-in ($1500 value)
---Trade-in 1994 Volvo 850 with 210,415 miles (really only worth $1000, every light on the dash is on)
-The $2500 went to the following:
-$359.18 first month payment
-$50 title fee
-$34.50 reg fees
-$50 sales tax (on the $1000 cash down)
-$2006.32 cap reduction
-Negotiated Price $34,000 ($1,726 below invoice)
-Acquisition fee - $595
-Doc fee- $198
Bottom line $359.18/mo for 36 months PLUS I got the 2yr/24,000 mile maintenance coverage thrown in ($495 value).

ajfitzer

Cacman that is excellent news!! Glad to hear all your shopping around really paid off. It is like anything else...the more you put into it, the better off you are. I agree with the quality of SOME dealers. However, I spend all day on the phone for business, so my gut is pretty good. It is easier for me to eliminate unqualified or undesirable dealers via my conversations and e-mails with them. Sure enough the dealer I went with was the most knowledgeable and spent over an hour going through the Navigation and all the little kinks the truck has. She has her own Tribeca, and her knowledge made my life much easier. Glad to hear things worked out for you. Now when are you picking up your new Tribeca?

cacman

Pickup up the Tribeca today - salesman was very professional - picked me up at work and drove me to the dealership (about 15 miles away) - He was very knowledgeable about the vehicle - He especially knew a lot about the navigation - very helpful - I am very happy with my choice -

One question for all of you lease people - did they charge you a $ 300 lease termination fee to be paid once the car is turned in a the end of the lease?

ajfitzer

The $300 lease termination fee (I believe) is from Subaru of America. If you decide to lease another Subaru when your current lease ends, then they will usually waive that fee. They did that on my Legacy when I turned it in for my Tribeca. Sounds like you got what you wanted Cacman. Enjoy it!

cacman

Yea - he told me that the fee would be waived if I leased another Subaru in 3 years - He also told me that the lease had $ 1,500 of repairs built into it for turn in - That made me feel better since I know the wife will be sure to scratch and dent the new car :mad:

pa_tribeca

Picked up my Tribeca today. Here's the details of my 36 month/36,000 mi lease:

7 Passenger-Seacrest green w/grey interior and NAV
Accessories - auto-dimming mirror, splash guards, bumper cover, cargo tray, MSRP $36,966
HITCH AND TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER included at NO COST(worth $691 retail, $491 dealer cost)


Trade-in 1999 Olds Bravada with 91,000 miles (KBB value $3500). I got $4500 which was dispersed as follows: $2500 cash back, $2000 toward cap reduction, first payment and fees.

-Negotiated price - $33,428
-Acquisition fee - $595
-license transfer and registration fee - $129.50

Cap reduction
- Subaru Owners loyalty cetificate - $500
- from trade - $1535.61

Final cap cost: $32,116.89

Bottom line: Base monthly payment $334.01 + state tax/use $30.06 = 364.07 for 35 months

I think that I did OK. Thanks for all the helpful info. This is my 5th Subaru and each one keeps getting better.

yoyodk

I didn't think that I would be posting my prices paid experience on the B9 Tribeca forum. My price point was more in line with the Pilot and I was toying with the idea of saving a little more money and going with the new RAV4.

Well, after sending out internet requests to the Honda and Toyota dealers in my area, I thought what the heck, I'll send out a request to the Subaru dealers for the Tribeca. A couple of the Honda dealers came down to invoice and the Toyota dealers were no where close to invoice. I live in the Pacific Northwest and it appears as if the Japanese SUV's are a little harder to bargain for than in other areas. Anyway, I'm meandering...

One Subaru dealer (Chaplin's in Bellevue) came back with a quote of $868 below invoice, along with $1,000 customer cash, no destination or NW Marketing fee ($275), and offered Subaru financing of 4.9% over 60 months (lower APR's for shorter terms). I thought this was a deal too good to pass up.

Initially, I just wanted the 7-passenger Limited with DVD (no NAV), but there were only 6 vehicles that fit the bill in a 3 state area, none in a color that I wanted. So I added in the NAV to expand my choices and the internet dealer located a car in southern Washington that was suitable.

Here's what I got: 7-pass Limited w/ DVD & NAV, Seacrest Metallic, cross bars, puddle lights, auto dimming mirror, impact sensor, hood protector, front and rear bumper protector, cargo tray, wheel locks, and of course the cheap cargo cover.

After subtracting the $868 from the invoice price, the vehicle came to $35,766 and I got to subtract $1,000 off of this after tax, title and license were added in. The dealer showed me the invoice price on his sheet, so his numbers added up, but I thought the invoice price on his sheet seemed a little high. What do you guys think? Was I literally taken for a ride?

I figure I spent about $2K more than a fully loaded Pilot, but I got the NAV/DVD combo and full time AWD so it was money well spent.

jeffmc

I think the invoice was probably correct. Invoice for a 7-pass w/DVD & NAV, without $625 destination, is $35,071. Consider the extra cost for the options on yours, then subtract the $868, and it seems good to me. The only goofy part was that they weren't charging the "marketing fee". That marketing fee was discontinued on every B9 Tribeca delivered since mid Feb. - Subaru just increased the invoice by $275 then, instead of having it listed as a separate fee.

Your timing was great, too - that $1000 discount is the closest thing to a cash rebate Subaru's offered on Tribeca. It's only available if you finance through Subaru (Chase), and it just became available April 4.

Nearly $1900 below invoice? Sounds like you did just fine. Congrats on your sweet new ride and welcome to the Subaru family! There are a couple forums for owners of all Subaru models here at Edmunds called "Subaru Crew - Meet the Members II" and "Subaru Crew Cafe". Feel free to pop in and say hi. There are a few regulars there from the Pac NW, too, (myself included).

ateixeira

Congrats, that's sweet!

I believe the Pilot has a 5" NAV screen and a 7" DVD screen. Yours is 7" and 9", respectively.

Does size matter?

In a way yours is closer to the MDX, even then I believe Acura uses 7"/7" so you still have an edge there.

-juice

yoyodk

Thanks jeffmc and juice for the prompt feedback. Driving the Tribeca makes me feel good, but knowing that I paid a fair price makes it even better!

I'll definitely check out the Edmunds Subaru owners forums now that I qualify. I never thought I'd be owning a Subaru until the Tribeca came out last fall!

newtosubie

Just checked rebates and incentives for the Tribeca on Edmunds and they now show the customer cash is up to $1500 and dealer cash from manufacturer (called marketing support) is also up to $1500. If it's true, these are the highest discounts I've seen on the Tribeca. Tells me there are deals out there to be had!

Welcome yoyo - I think your price sounds good too for all the whistles and bells you got!

ateixeira

Fitz has a base model for $27.7k.

I had a $500 loyalty coupon plus $500 in Subaru bucks, so $26.7k sounds tempting...but we're still condo poor!

-juice

stldon

I just started looking at the Tribeca last weekend in the Mid-West. On a demo with 5000 miles I was quoted this price on a 7 passenger limited--$32,200. This included a 5 year, 50k bumper to bumper warranty, Protection Group 2, Popular Equipment Group 1, puddle lights, DVD, leather. Is this a prett good price?

slazenger

Where in Mid-West are you located? It is on the higher side. 2007MY will be out in May/June. You may be able to get better deal if you can wait for a few more weeks.

raybear

I'm pretty sure it's either/or, you don't get $3,000 worth of rebates.

stldon

I'm in Missouri. I can wait until summer. Actually, I do want to see the RDX and the CSX to compare, but I don't see how I will get a better deal then. Are you saying that once the 2007s come out, the 2006 will be discounted further?

newtosubie

Just tellin' the shoppers out there what I saw listed on Edmunds Ray. While the rebates vary by region, dealer, buy vs. lease, etc., the more negotiation tools one has the better, even to come off of MSRP.

And yes, when the 07's roll off the trucks, the dealers should be motivated to move the 06's.

jeffmc

Edmunds' B9 Tribeca incentive info isn't accurate for my region (West). Here's what's available here: 2006 Customer Instant Cash Rebate: none; Finance Cash: $1000; Lease Cash: 5 passenger $1500, 7 passenger base $1750, Limited $1850, Navigation $1500.
Edmunds shows only low APRs and special lease deals for my ZIP, however - none of the above info, and no factory-to-dealer info or "marketing support" info.

I think we'll see instant cash rebates once dealers take delivery of '07s (May, isn't it?), but B9 Tribeca inventory seems somewhat limited, so if you're picky, it'll be harder to locate the vehicle with the exact color/features desired. If you're not so picky, you should get some fantastic deals. Always that trade-off at the end of the model year.

slazenger

If you are particular about options/color, mid-may might be ideal to shop for 2006 Tribeca. I am sure RDX will have huge markup as it is new to the market...

raybear

This is where a little information is a bad thing...I can't tell you how many times I've been called a liar for saying the invoice, incentives, etc. are different than what's posted here.

subarutribeca

hi all! bought a new 06 metallic silver Limited 7-pass Nav + DVD two weeks ago with 10k miles on it (fleet vehicle). excellent condition and runs flawlessly. MSRP was $38.5k. is $33k a good deal?

i've not titled the vehicle yet so it is still new and untitled. i just accepted a job offer overseas so my question is, if i have to sell this car, do i have to register it first, pay sales tax and then sell it to another buyer? i figure it'd be better for the next buyer to be the first person on the title (still new car and 1st owner technically)? how does this work? please advice...

ateixeira

I think that's great. $5k off list, usually you only get about 10% off, but they're giving you all the incentives and probably part of their holdback, too.

-juice

ultrasales

I am working on a lease deal in Eastern PA. I need 15k/yr for 36 months. I am looking at a Tribeca 7 passenger limited w nav/dvd and a few other little options--MSRP is 39,300.
What lease payment should I expect with $2500 due at lease signing? Thank you for your help..

tribeca4me

I am in GA, after checking inventory for all 7 dealers in the state I am finding more 5 seater ltd. in stock...do you think I can still get a great deal (~3K under invoice) on a 7 seater??? TIA

raybear

Doubt it, but you'll have to ask them.