Subaru Crew - Dealers & Pricing

ateixeira

Well, you can get the measurements from Subaru's site or a brochure, but there is simply nothing like seeing one in person, so that's what I would suggest.

The 2002 Imprezas came out early, so the 2001s are basically left overs. But the full line came out - RS and WRX sedans, plus WRX, TS, and Outback Sport wagons. Manufacturers no longer wait until the fall for new intros.

The 2002 Forester and Legacy will most likely appear in the fall, on the more common schedule.

You can't really tell which response applies to which question, unless people mention it specifically. Usually, this topic is pretty focused on helping people get quotes and shop for their new rides, so that hasn't been a problem.

-juice

bostonoriole

Thanks Juice,
Where did you hear that the 2002 Legacy will be bigger. Is the whole car changing?

orthobill

Anyone have an opinion on whether or not the LL Bean is worth the extra $2000 over the Limited? I couldn't feel a big difference between the H4 and H6 on test drives. My dealer (Jack Miller Subaru in Kansas City) says the 3 year service thrown in on the LL Bean saves about $1300. Does that sound accurate?

Does anybody have any recent experience with Fitzgerald Auto Mall? I'm considering having them ship me the one I decide on b/c they seem to have the lowest numbers by far (about $300 - $400 below invoice). Any danger in going that route instead of shelling out the extra bucks at my local dealer?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Bill

paisan

I think juice was refering to the 2002 impreza line being bigger than the 2000 line. The legacy in 2002 will likely be nearly the same dimensions as 2000-01 models with slight tweaking here and there.

-mike

brekke

I cleared it with the BF about driving to SI so I hope you don't mind if I contact you in a few months about going down to the dealer. Maybe by then you'll be working there so I can buy from you! I feel a lot better going in armed with a paisan...

Mike, I take back every bad thing I ever said about you.

-Caroline

paisan

Just let me know and I'll take yous down there.

-mike

ateixeira

The Legacy got bigger for 2000, not 2002.

The 2003 Forester ought to get a little bigger, because the 2002 Impreza grew a little.

Bill: the H6 also burns premium gas, so factor that in, but when they throw in the free maintenance it's not a bad deal at all.

My dad bought from Fitz and so did Bob and few other friends. They're pretty up-front, so I've heard no complaints.

-juice

ron3805

Congrats...you have made a good choice (just bought a 2001 Forester)..I just stayed several days in Fairbanks and I couldn't believe the number of Soobies driving around..nice people, nice city! Ron

thors_hammer

I want to order a WAX for my wife, but the local dealer (Subaru of Jacksonville, FL) wants MSRP plus a $2000 order deposit (which seems a bit excessive to me). Does anyone know of a dealer anywhere between Gainesville or Orlando, FL and bacon or Savannah GA that is selling WRXs at a reasonable price?

By the way, if you're in the Jacksonville area, the dealership will let you DRIVE the WAX they have on the lot. We literally did all that car would do, including spinning three of the four tires on dry pavement. The salesman even hammered the car. It was a great ride, but I'm glad it's not my car!

Bran

bluesubie

It's best to just avoid the spell-check. ;-)
Dennis

soon2bsubee

Try Mastro in Tampa

http://www.mastro.subaru.com/

http://www.mastrowrx.com/

thors_hammer

Nice spellchecker! Sorry!

-Bryan

p0926

Bryan- Forget about it....we know what you meant. FYI you're one of many that have been victimized by Edmund's spellchecker (and yes they are aware of the problem).

-Frank P.

jim235

You might want to try Fitzgerald in Florida; Fitzgerald's has the best prices on the east coast. They can either order one for you or transfer one down from their Maryland Subaru lot. Their Florida internet address is: "http://www.fitzautomall.com/" which also has links to their Maryland and Pennsylvania sites. Best of Luck.

Karen_S

uhh...spell chock......oh, forget it!

Yes, it is "on the list". Where on the list is anyone's guess. :-)

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

soon2bsubee

Their address is :

http://www.fitzgerald.subaru.com/

We bought Susan's Legacy GT there....decent price but the way our delivery was handled and followup leaves much to be desired

mtnshopper

Hi All, I'm to the point where I am seriously shopping for an LL Bean. I would like to buy a car with the dog guard and cargo net. One dealer has led me to believe that I cannot buy the dog guard and cargo net with the car, but have to buy them separately from the parts department. Is that typical?

mtnshopper

francophile

They're just trying to get out from selling them to you at invoice+ and selling them to you at full retail instead. Tell them to wrap them into the deal so that you get the same discount on them that you do on the car price.

Some salesmen - sheesh.

Regards,
-wdb

originalbitman

FYI - You can't use the cargo cover with the dog guard... that's the vinyl rollout cover for your rear cargo area.

bit

mtnshopper

I didn't know that. Does the dog guard prevent the cargo cover from extending, or does the cargo cover have to be removed completely? Hmmm, maybe I'll pass on the dog guard. Don't know if I could get my dog to stay all the way back there though. Even now she's at my knee gazing up at me with adoration and tail slapping the floor.

Thanks, mtnshopper

originalbitman

I haven't seen it in person but I have a friend with a new OB who told me the guard interferes so they did not install it.

mtnshopper

Upon consideration, I guess the best thing would be to always use a dog crate in the back, even for those short trips to PetsMart. Safer for the dog....and the windows would stay a lot cleaner!

Thanks bit. You just saved be a hundred bucks.

mtnshopper

rsholland

about the dog guard and cargo cover being incompatible, then it's poorly designed unit. Subaru needs to rectify that with a better design.

Bob

originalbitman

The problem is that the cover fits too close to the seat backs to allow room for the guard.

bit

mtnshopper

Well that explains something odd that I saw at a car show last weekend. One of the SUVs (I can't remember the make) had a big gap between the cargo cover and the back seat. I wondered why they did that because it left so much of the cargo compartment exposed even when the cover was pulled out. Must have been that way to accomodate a dog guard or something bulky that needs to fit between the cargo cover and the back seat.
mtnshopper

mtnshopper

Ok, this leads me to more questions. Is the cargo cover easily removed from the OB wagon? If you want to fold down the back seats to make room for large cargo, then won't the cargo cover get in the way?
mtnshopper

originalbitman

It pops out very easily... almost too much so. Two little slide latches one on each end and the cover is in your hands. Snaps back in even easier. You might want to get the rubber cargo pad. Nice and heavy with a lip all around and fits perfect. Add a little velcro to the back and it won't slip.
bit

nygreg

I believe the rubber cargo pad is standard on all OBs.

-Greg

dannyka

Perhaps the space between the back seat and cargo cover was to accommodate a reclining back seat. Just a thought.

-Dan

ateixeira

I think the three headrests fully raised ought to keep the pups back there.

And yes, it's a pain to wipe off those nose prints!

-juice

paisan

You are probably right. I have a space between my rear seat and cargo cover on the trooper, and the rear seats recline, although i need to take the cover out to recline the rear seats fully.

-mike

p0926

mtnshopper- A crate is definitely the safest way to transport your dog and it'll keep your vehicle much cleaner (not that I follow my own advice mind you). However, if you do want the company of rover without him crawling into your lap, then it should be a simple matter to pop out the cargo cover and position the dog guard (which uses spring loaded tensioners to keep it in place if I'm not mistaken). Oh, and you'll be happy to know that having a dog meets one of the qualifications to own a Subaru. Of course you're also supposed to be named "Dave" but that would be a little awkward in your case. :-)

-Frank P.

thors_hammer

Thanks for all the advice on WRX auto dealers. I ordered with Pipkin's Motors in Valdosta, GA. They charged 3.5% over invoice plus $250 advertising fee. We did the deal right over the phone. The salesman was Les White. Definately the best carbuying experience I've had. The Subaru website was way off on the distance to the dealer from my house.

If anyone had any questions, feel free to ask.

blane

p0926:

Can we call a spade a spade? It's not really the euphamistic "crate".....It's a CAGE!

Sorry for venting, but political correctness has taken its toll.

p0926

Barry- I'm curious, what's so PC about the term "crate"? Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing... in my case it's a large 2.5' by 3.5' plastic "container" with a steel mesh door. I use to have 6-sided steel mesh cage but the mutt was actually able to bend the bars with his teeth (ruined the cage and didn't do his teeth any favors either). Actually, many people refer to both as "kennels", a term that certainly sounds a lot more humane and therefore I suppose, PC.

-Frank P.

ateixeira

I dunno, a cage would seem like something permanent, fixed to the ground. A crate is portable. Sounds OK to me...

Port-a-kennel?

What's in a name?

-juice

mtnshopper

Well, it's been a long exercise in patience, but I finally have the Bean in White Frost Pearl. I hadn't seen the white Bean before, so I was pleasantly surprised. It's very pretty. And the experience at Heuberger was positive. Decided on the Subaru financing because it has dropped to 6.5 for 60 months. They were straight forward and pleasant. First time I've gone through the fleet sales manager and it was much easier than the retail side.

P0926 - I'm glad to be in the club now - with dog and Subie! Won't change my name to Dave though. ;-)

mtnshopper

armac13

and changing your name to Dave is not obligatory, merely recommended. ;~)

Ross David McMillan

francophile

I saw a white OB last week at the dealer. Dunno if it was a Bean or not, but it was indeed a handsome car. Congratulations, and enjoy your new ride! Tell us all about it too, of course ;-)

Cheers,
-wdb (guess what the "d" stands for)

yellowbikedon

Welcome to the world of LL Beaners! I just turned 3,000 miles on my White Frost model, have had no problems what so ever, and think this Subaru is so much better than my former '96 Outback.

My gas mileage has been slowly improving and I recorded 22.1 mpg at my last fill up. First time over 22. Initially, the range was between 18-21 depending upon the combination of city-highway miles.

If I can answer any questions please let me know. I'm sure I speak for most users of this site when I say help is just a holler away!

Congrats and good luck.

Don (not Dave).

mtnshopper

Thanks, all. I've been out driving all day. The LL Bean rides very nicely. I'm spoiled already. After 1 afternoon of driving the Bean, my Mazda felt like it had a flat, but it didn't. The car does feel like it is shifting a little rough though (I'm using a light foot), but I'm not used to driving an automatic. It doesn't shift as smoothly as the demo I drove previously. I did drive the car when I picked it up, and mentioned that it feels a little rougher and I was told it is probably because it is not broken in. And I was told it was road tested by the mechanics. Sound reasonable? If it is a problem, I hope it can be adjusted easily. I had a little trouble starting it at 40 degrees this morning. Took 2 turns of the key to start. It was manufactured in February and I was told it has the improved ECM. And I had a little of the infamous break squeak when I backed out of the driveway this morning. There are a couple of minor upholstery flaws in the back seat that I didn't notice right away. A little bit of stitching on one seam is irregular and looks like it might be pulling on the leather too tightly (hope it doesn't tear down the road) and the arm wrest, when pulled down, is mis-shappen. The outside temp has been right on the nose. I called time and temp this morning and it was 40 degrees and the Bean said 40 degrees. In the afternoon the weatherman on the radio said it was 61 and the Bean said 61 too. I really like the weather band feature on the radio. That will come in handy in Colorado where the weather can change by the hour. I like the moonroof/sunroof combo (or are they both moonroofs or both sunroofs? Either way I'm happy.) I know a lot of people don't like that the front one doesn't slide open fully, but I actually prefer the way it is in the Bean. I like the option of having more daylight in the car, but I don't care to have open air above me. I'm getting more exercise now that I'm parking in the nethermost regions of parking lots. I set off the alarm by accident and that was really embarrasing. But I'm happy with the car overall. No buyer's remorse and I hope I continue to feel that way.

Don, I'm glad to know that the mileage will improve with time. I'm not sure what I'm getting now, but I'm a little stunned by how fast the needle on the gas guage is falling. I'm told we can use the mid grade fuel at this altitude. That's some comfort.

And I promise to name my first born son Dave.

Becky

originalbitman

If the dealer didn't tell you about break-in make sure you take a moment to read the owners manual section on that subject.

bit

ateixeira

Becky: congrats. Great to hear you finally got it!

Most people define a moonroof as transparent, while a sunroof isn't (like the 2001 RS'), so you indeed have a double moonroof.

My mileage certainly did improve with time, but don't worry about the cost of gas. Enjoy your new car!

-juice

scuby

If you live in Mid-Ohio definitly go to Hatfield Subaru. Talk to Ralph Vanover (ralphwvanover@yahoo.com), he got me a hell of a deal on a 2002 RS. IF in michigan go to Thelens in Bay City, Talk to Bob landowski (Polish Bob)as he calls himself. Or Williams Auto World in Lansing. All of these dealers were extremely friendly, and wanted to get you what you wanted. These are my suggestions.
Good Luck!

mwwst

Hi folks, I've been reading your posts for most of a year now and want to thank everyone
for the helpful info. I figure the least I can do is provide some info of my own. Well after
a year of deliberation and the purchase of a 2000 9-5 wagon for my wife, I finally bought a 2001
Legacy GT wagon (black, 5spd) for myself (surfboard hauler). Paid 22,263 (mats + cargo
net + 6 gallons of gas, yes they charged for the gas). I then added a security system for
299. I wanted to upgrade the stereo but they wanted way too much. I'll go with
aftermarket later. I pick it up tomorrow! I'll let you know how it goes.

originalbitman

If you need help with the stereo upgrade let me know... I've installed 2 Blaupunkts in GTs and I can help with instructions to pull the dash apart.

bit

mwwst

Bit,

Help would be great - feel free to email me whatever information you've got or direct me in the right direction. BTW, is the
Subaru keyless entry tied into the stock head unit? My old Honda was like that and I couldn't upgrade the head unit without loosing the keyless entry.

Thanks again,

MWWST

originalbitman

Here are the instructions for the 6 disk in-dash CD changer and tweeter kit:

http://www.bitman.com/soobdash

Click on a link then click anywhere to advance to next page. I can post the speaker upgrade and subwoofer too if you like. The CD changer instructions shows how to pull the dash apart. The keyless is sperate from the head unit.

bit

ateixeira

mwwst: congrats. GTs are few and far between. A true find.

Pay for gas? Brother!

-juice

p0926

Paying for gas- not exactly the way to build customer good will. Feel free to rip'em on the new vehicle purchase survey!

-Frank P.