Subaru Crew - Dealers & Pricing

texhess

Theo: Went with Schmidt Imports in Sterling to get my car. Just picked it up yesterday. I wanted to say thanks again!

tex=tracey

ateixeira

Time to update the profile! :-) Congrats!

So, what model, body style, color? Impressions so far?

-juice

pattim3

We're trying to help. Your situation is now being reviewed by someone with a great reputation for getting things done. I think/hope things will be fine in another day or so.

Sorry

Patti

texhess

I got a Legacy GT Limited Sedan in Titanium Pearl w/ spoiler. So far so good. It snowed today and got to try it out...good thing I put in those rubber Tweety bird mats )

Tracey

ateixeira

Tracey: you mean they were all out of Scooby Doo mats again?

;-)

-juice

tshadle

As some of you have read, I have had a VDC wagon on order from an area dealer since Sept. and watched as dealerships in the area filled up with vehicles like the one I ordered. No phone calls from the dealer at all til I called in Jan. and then it was promised by the beginning of Feb. Other area dealers wanted $500 less for the VDC but offered $1000 less for my trade. Today at Patti's suggestion I called SOA again to check on it.
The guy I talked to said the dealer never special-ordered my car. He knew he had one allocated and planned on giving that one to me.
Contrary to what the dealer said, the Subaru rep said that special-ordering the car would NOT have gotten one to me any sooner than waiting for an allocation.
After the dealer told me about the special-order taking precedence he never ordered the car. Whatever.
- Tom

mtnshopper

Congratulations Tracey! I may be following closely behind you and Theo. I think there is a need for a shuttle service from Colorado Springs to Schmidt in Sterling. I will be visiting the Heuberger lot in the next week or two, but don't expect to have any success purchasing from them. I hear they are very arrogant and rude. Although I have one co-worker who is pleased with the VolksWagon side of their business, but he hasn't actually completed his negotiations with them yet. Theo, do you have your VDC yet?

mtnshopper

theob

Tracey, mtnshopper, Juice, Patti,
Got the VDC from Schmidt last Friday afternoon. We immediately went on a ski vacation Saturday morning real early. Have been enjoying our new Soob! Wife drove it up over Loveland pass (11,992 ft.) She got the VDC to kick in zooming around the winding curves that were snow packed in spots :-). It worked well for her. Stopped at the top to take a picture. Had it loaded to the ceiling in the cargo area and three pairs of skis on top! It is an impressively quiet vehicle, even at 80 mph with the skis on top.

Had to try the VDC part out myself. Took it out in the Keystone ski area parking lot which was all iced over (melted mush re-frozen, night time, mostly empty). Was able to get it to drift to about 20 degrees by yanking it around. The VDC was not as pro-active as I was expecting, but that's probably good. I was taking it to the extreme. I did like the rear bias. It is much more comfortable to deal with when drifting.

One correction to something I had said earlier about Schmidt: they are subject to the $225 advertising fee charged to (by?) most (all?) Colorado dealerships. They called me the day before I picked it up and wanted me to pay that much additional, but I talked them out of it.

mtnshopper, if you go to Schmidt, say "Hi" to Jack for me.
Tracey, did you work with Jack? Hope you enjoy your GT!
Juice, Darlene has the Scoobie rubber mats back ordered for me.
Later,
Theo

texhess

Hey Theo, Glad to hear good news about your subaru. I did not work with Jack. I worked with Mark and then the owner Steve Schmidt. They were getting the car from another dealer and Steve was about to go out of the country for a vacation, and wanted to wrap things up before he left.
I just washed my pretty little car. Looks great!
Mtnshopper: I was finally able to get a good quote on price from Heuberger, but they wanted 16 weeks to get the new car ordered.(Every other dealer said 8 weeks on an order). We had some friends who warned us not to go with them, so we did not. Schmidt gave a very fair price and I was able to get the car within a week.
We did everything by phone and then my husband went to Sterling and it took about 20 minutes to drop off our trade and pick up my GT. And we lived happily ever after.....
Juice...I had no idea that there were scooby mats out there. My son wanted Taz, but I figured that would stir up my road rage...tweety seemed more soothing.
Tracey

lcarvone

I am planning on buying my first Subaru (wagons for me) in the next few days (fanfare, whistles, hoorahs!). At this point I can't afford new but have narrowed things down to the following based upon what is available in my area (Cincinnati) and what I can afford:

All are 1996 model year wagons.

1) Legacy Brighton, 85K miles, $8500
2) Impreza LX, 73K miles, $8800
3) Legacy Brighton, 66K miles, $10990

My question is the relationship between model, mileage, and price for this and similar lineups. #1 is obviously the cheapest but has almost 20K more miles than #3. #2 is attractive for the price/mileage ratio as compared to #1 but obviously it is a smaller vehicle. I know results will vary but there must be an average mileage to expect for any model year. Any one know a link to this info and can give me a clue for this model year Subaru?

In addition anyone familiar with Subaru dealers/contacts who you know/trust in the Cincy area?

Thanks

pattim3

Congrats! All have the potential to be a good vehicle. When buying a used car, I strongly suggest two important things.

1st - run the VIN's through CARFAX at www.carfax.com. It's worth the investment to be sure all is well with the title and odometer.

2nd - see which car has a maintenance history you can verify. A lot of your car's future will depend on its past. Check for repairs (what parts were used) and oil changes. Timing belt changes? Coolant flushes?

Good luck!

ateixeira

That first one seems like the best bargain. In a year, it won't matter that it had more mileage, as long as it was maintained properly.

Theo: nice trip! Sounds like fun!

Careful not to ignore the laws of physics, though! :-)

-juice

theob

Juice,
That's why I did my experimentation on a wide-open parking lot that was quite uniformly slick.

Theo

bargle

Hi all,

After quite some time lurking, and quite a few questions too, I finally (yesterday) picked up a new 2001 Outback VDC in Wintergreen. Gosh, I can see why so many people say the more they drive it, the more they love it. I LOVE this car, although I haven't put many miles on it (yet). Can't wait for the next dump of snow...

Theob, thanks for your posts about your experiences buying your VDC in the Denver/Colorado area (both here and in the Subaru discussion forums). I eventually got Burt Subaru to sell me the VDC for about $700 over invoice (including their D&H fees) after arguing with them that I could get a better deal at lots of other places, so I'm pretty happy about that. BTW, I like the Burt Subaru dealership a lot (and its nice and close to me) and the people there are pretty nice too (no hard sell, etc.) but just don't believe them when they tell you they won't sell for any less than MSRP ;-)

Like many other people before me, I'd like to say thanks to everyone on the Subaru boards for making this such a pleasant place to hang out...

Cheers all,
Bargle

ateixeira

Smart, Theo.

Bargle: congrats. I hope that you have a miserably cold, snowy winter.

In other words, perfect weather! Less traffic! ;-)

-juice

pattim3

Congrats on your purchase. I wish you many happy and safe miles!!

Patti

tshadle

Test-drove a VDC last night.
Has anyone else noticed what seemes like a "delay" when stepping on the gas until the car actually takes off? I didn't notice this on the LLBean. The VDC down-shifted right away, similar to the H-4's. Maybe the extra weight?

paisan

I'm thinking that the delay you feel is due to the torque split of the VDC compared to the LL Bean. The Bean is 90%/10% so the torque only needs to go to basically the front wheels, whereas on the VDC it's a rear bias 45/55. On the H4s I think it's just eaten up by driveline for the most part.

-mike

tshadle

Thanks, but what do you mean by "eaten up by driveline"?

paisan

Friction in the driveline (tranny, diffys, etc.) will eat up a lot of the tourque from the 4bangers that the H6 in the LL Bean can overcome easier, hence the ll bean will give a better jump on start than an H4. The VDC has to put the same power as the LLBean through more friction because of it's rear wheel bias. Hence IMHO the following would be the order of "peppyness" off the line:

H6 LL Bean
H6 VDC
H4 OB

-mike

bargle

The LLBean I first test drove had a similar problem actually, and it was very frustrating because I felt like when I put my foot down, nothing happened (well something happened, but sloooowlllly).

That said though, my VDC doesn't have that problem (actually the opposite, since I have to be careful to keep it under 4000rpm for the first 1000miles ;-).

If the dealer has another VDC, give that a try. I'm guessing it might be the ECU or the AT learning controller. (The manual states that AT gear shifts can be affected when the battery is disconnected due to loss of memory on the contoller's part). So, it maybe just something specific to the learning patterns to date on that particular car.

Hope that helps,
Jas

ateixeira

Good suggestion. There are also sample variations. Always try a couple and pick the one that feels best.

-juice

barresa62

This question is for Patti but please, anyone jump in if you have any info at all.

Yesterday I went to the dealer where I bought my OB so that they could log the current mileage to begin the cancellation of my extended warranty coverage. The miles driven are prorated against the extended warranty contract and the amount to be reimbursed is credited to my payoff amount. The original amount of the warranty was $799. This brought up a question (which I forgot to ask the dealer)about the prepaid scheduled maint. This was also financed w/the extended warranty at a cost of $700. I'm assuming that a part of this should be reimbursed as well. I have 11,525 miles on my OB and have only used the 3000 & 7500 mile coupons. The maintenance is for the entire 36,000. Does anyone how this is reimbursed. I find it hard to believe that I paid for something just to have it not used and disappearing into financial oblivion.

Thanks,
Stephen

agrajag

Hi all,

I'm this close " to buying a new, black Forester S+ with the "option group 3," tweeters, and the sports grille. One dealer is offering $50 over the invoice price I got from Edmunds, which price includes the holdback etc. (the price is $23,500 + T&T)

Does this sound reasonable? Or are Foresters going for under invoice anywhere?

Thanks,
Mark

rsholland

at Fitzgeralds.

http://www.fitzgeraldautomall.com/index.asp

I bet out-the-door-prices on LL Beans and "loaded" WRXs are going to be pretty close at Fitzgeralds.

Bob

thecat

Mark - That "invoice" price sounds a little high but if you've confirmed it via Edmz I guess it's right. MHO .. $50 over invoice is a good price. Could you maybe beat that somewhere else .. maybe by a couple of bucks .. but are you willing to spend your time and effort to save another $25-$50 ? Buy the car if you like it! It's a pretty good deal and putting yourself through an emotional wringer over a couple of bucks will be to the detriment of what should be a enjoyable experience. Your new car !!!!!!!
- hutch

barresa11

It helps to read the fine print on a contract...duh! The prepaid maint is also refundable less the prorate amount. I forgot to tell the finance guy that I had this as well as the extended warranty. I'll be making another trip to the dealer today.

Stephen

pattim3

Hi! Sorry I didn't get to your question before you found the answer. If you do end up with any questions related to the cancellation, call 1-800-932-0636. The Added Security group can review the information with you and they are helpful.

Thanks!

Patti

theob

Anyone seen the reference to an optional 6- or 12-disc changer in the McIntosh stereo section of the 2001 Legacy / OB owners manual? Supposedly the McI will do head duty for a 6 or 12(!) changer.

Nowhere have I seen a changer listed as an option for the VDC. Figured there weren't any that matched the sound quality of the McI. So what are they referring to? Does SoA have a changer that you drop into the jack compartment (like the A4 and Passat)? Is there a wiring harness in place? Or would it have to be some aftermarket or non-McI piece?
I've got it: If you actually read the manual in sufficient detail to find that nugget of information, SoA will send you a changer for free!! ;-)

BTW, I was impressed that the installation instructions for all installed PIO's were included in the glove box. Thanks, Subaru! I have them all filed away for future reference.
Theo

theob

Have over 1k on the VDC, so tried the throttle last night. I didn't notice any delay in engine response. It downshifted immediately, but there was a slight pause for the slushbox to build up torque and zoom. No more delay than any other slushbox. This was a 30-35mph to 60 acceleration.
Sure is fun to take those 45mph-yellow-signed curves at 70mph! :-) My wife barely looks up from her reading and immediately comments about the grin on my face.
Theo

paisan

You think that you could scan the PIO options installations in? Or perhaps get em to someone who could? I'd love to convert em to Adobe Acrobat format and post em on one of my web pages.

-mike

barresa11

ateixeira

Mark: I agree with Hutch. Why hassle over a couple of bucks? Focus instead on creating goodwill with that dealership, which will pay off in the future.

-juice

originalbitman

What does PIO mean? I have posted the 6 Disk CD Changer install instructions and would be glad to do the same for the tweeter kit, subwoofer, cargo net, and speaker upgrade if any one is interested.

http://bitman.com/soobdash/

bit

paisan

PIO = Port Installed Options

It looks like someone left the whole instruction manual in the glovebox of someone's car... Might as well make it public

-mike

ateixeira

Glad to see you guys sharing knowledge. I'm sure it'll come in handy to someone.

-juice

originalbitman

Well since this is my second soob in 6 months with PIOs I can say that both had the PIO instructions for the PIOs installed in each vehicle. I'll post em all.

PIO bit

erikheiker

My SO is looking to buy a new Forester S w/ Preferred Package. She had a Seattle dealer quote her $750 over invoice. That seems a bit high to me. Anybody familiar with Seattle Forester prices? A dealer recommendation would also be greatly appreciated. After sale service is not a consideration since the vehicle would be going straight to Alaska. Thanks.

Erik

ateixeira

Erik: IIRC prices in Alaska were the worst, so you're right to shop out of town.

The price sounds high nationally, but for the region it may be fair.

-juice

ron3805

Erik
I am in Seattle and recently took delivery on a new 01 Forester S for 300 over invoice. I used Costco's auto buying service (requires Costco membership) but it was a no hassle deal.. take it or leave it. Costco will refer you to a dealer they have contracted with, the dealer will show you the negotiated Costco price based on invoice and that's it. I got mine from Chaplin Subaru in Bellevue which seemed to be a decent dealership to do business with. It may not be the best deal in town, but out here in the rock and roll Northwest it's not bad.
Ron

erikheiker

Thanks for the info. SO has gotten some better quotes than 750 over invoice. I told her to avoid dealers specializing in Alaska sales because they're known rip-off artists. Now she has a quote for one at dealer cost. We'll consider the Costco approach if we don't get a warm fuzzy from this dealer. I believe it's Lakeshore or Shoreline Subaru or something like that, located in Bremerton.

jim235

Hi. I've been following a few of these threads and threads at other sites and have decided to buy a VDC. I've been price shopping the VDC on the internet and the best I've found has been $200 under invoice, w/options at invoice, any extended warranty at $100 over cost and a $300 charge on a factory order to pay my local dealer to handle delivery. (My local Alaskan dealer wanted about $2000 more and wouldn't budge). Someone on the local VDC thread said they bought theirs on Feb. 28th for $900 under invoice (essentially right at cost - an end of the month quota?). Does anyone know where you can get this deal or anywhere I can do substantially better than what I've found?
Also, I was told by the internet dealer that Subaru has extended the 3.9% 24 month financing until the end of April (good only if the vehicle is actually delivered by then; a factory order might not arrive in time for this).

ateixeira

This is just the way I look at things, but $200 under invoice plus $300 to take delivery is actually $100 over invoice. And if you pay a premium on options, I'd throw those in too.

Look at the bottom line when you compare deals, and include all the fees they throw in.

Just my 2 cents'.

-juice

jim235

Juice, options at the internet site were all at invoice and the warranty at $100 over cost. Adding the options I wanted to the package and the 7yr/100,000 mile warranty I'm thinking about getting would put my local dealer about $3000 higher than the internet price. I'm waiting to get details in writing but was told there would be no other fees. I also checked them out w/the Better Business Bureau and they have a satisfactory rating.

ateixeira

Cool. Sounds like a long-term keeper?

-juice

jim235

Juice, I ran into a snag trying to buy the VDC at the internet site. They were going to send the car to the local dealer who told them they charged a $300 curtesy delivery fee. When they tried to actually make arrangements the dealer was extremely rude to them and refused, saying he would not take delivery for anyone living in Alaska. He told them that if someone in Alaska wanted a Subaru they would have to buy from him. Under no circumstances would I now ever consider buying a car from this local dealer. The next closest dealer is about 370 miles away and the internet dealer is contacting them. The next closest is about 800 miles away. Next closest are dealers in Washington and Oregon. If this other dealer falls through I may just wait for the 2002 model and use air milege to fly south and drive it back. Or give just up on Subaru and go back to Honda's.

erikheiker

What is VDC?

bluesubie

is one of the two new 6 cylinder Outbacks. VDC stands for Vehicle Dynamics Control. It uses computers and sensors to control the car in different emergency situations. You can read more about it at www.subaru.com. I'm sure you'll get a more technical description here soon as well.
Dennis

aussieroo

I will sell you any new Subaru for $199 over invoice anywhere in the U.S. My name is Brian George and I am an Internet Sales Manager for a Subaru dealership in Billings, Montana. I have a goal to sell at least 1 person in each state a new Subaru before Dec.31, 2001. Any questions or if you are ready to buy, e-mail me at subaruguy49@yahoo.com

keep on negotiating chasps

cheers

gus

ateixeira

Sorry about the troubles, Jim. Looks like we need more competition in Alaska.

How far are you from Montana? See if you can pair up a family vacation with the drive. Or maybe visit Yosemite and pick one up in the Bay area.

VDC = stability control. It's just Subaru's label for it.

-juice