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Comments
-juice
-Frank P.
-juice
Kurt H.
Just thought I’d let everyone know that I’m now the owner of an Outback, picked it up yesterday. I’ve been reading these message boards for a month and have posted some questions and gotten great feedback, so I figured I’d share the news.
2002 Outback LL Bean Edition (Wintergreen)
Cargo Net
Premium Sound Package (6-disc in-dash CD and subwoofer w/amplifier)
Rough Road Package (acrylic hood deflector, rear differential protector, rear dust deflector)
Wheel Locks
The MSRP on this is $31,006.
Invoice price is $27,895.
I got it for $27,598 plus tax plus $90.50 for doc fees, tags, title and tire tax (I kept the tags from my trade-in and save $30).
Traded in my beat-up 91 Honda Accord for $1,200.
Got it from Wilkie Subaru in Philadelphia. I had gotten an offer from another place in Philly for a similar Outback (same except no Rough Road Package) for $27,848 ($100 over invoice) and the people at Wilkie said they’d beat any competing price by $250 (which they did) and then I got the Rough Road Package tossed in for free (after some haggling).
A couple of weeks ago, I almost got an LL Bean from Rye Ford/Subaru in Rye, NY (where my parents live) for $28,283 (and it didn’t have the RRP, wheel locks, or subwoofer/amplifier) and they were only giving my $450 for my Honda (it was having some mechanical problems at the time). Luckily, my dad saw it for the ripoff it was (this is the first time I’m buying a car) and I didn’t get it.
Thanks for the all the help, everyone. I’m totally digging the car, especially the wintergreen. Am looking to add a rear gate bar and maybe some window tinting (live in the city and don’t want people to see any crappy stuff I might have) in the future.
Tom
P.S. I'm posting this to both the dealer pricing and the outback board in the subaru section. Sorry to those of you who are reading it twice.
-Frank P.
I just made a deal on a 2002 Forester S for invoice + $100, thanks for the great boards on this site, I was prepared because of many of the conversations here. It will be delivered tomorrow morning, I bought it from a dealership about 90 miles away and finalized the last details over the phone. The dealer really gave me an easy sell and never tried to push me to buy anything else, a better experience than when I bought my washer and dryer a couple of years ago. So if anyone is near the Lancaster,CA area and looking give Larry a call at Clutter Motors.
Kurt H.
And what about your local dealer? I've seen him come up with some good deals also.
My local dealer was 300 over invoice and when I told him the guy in Lancaster was giving me the deal for 100 over he said I should "jump on it",(his words), because he couldn't beat it. I told him I appreciated his honesty and went with the other dealer. I do plan on using my local dealer for service and told them that I would see them in the future for such. The $200 might not have been that much of deal if I had to drive up to Lancaster to get the vehice but they were more than willing to drop it and all the final paperwork off at my place.
-juice
Bob
Did they rate the manufacturers for overall reliability? Last year Subaru was right up there in 7th.
-juice
Bob
-juice
Bob
Thanks
Steve
Bill Kolb Subaru, Rockland NY
Rushneck Subaru, Tarrytown NY
Rye Subaru, Rye NY
Smith Cairns Subaru, Yonkers NY
Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I shopped at Rye Subaru, they are knowledgeable, but a little less negotiable as far as pricing is concerned. I bought at Stamford Subaru at 02 OB Bean for invoice. You might want to check them out, they are only 10 miles from Rye.
I am interested in experiences with one other dealership, Pine Belt Subaru in Lakewood, NJ.
Appreciate any info.
Thanks in advance.
Steve
Bill Kolb's Subaru's service is fine. Had bought elsewhere, before they became a Subaru dealer, so I can't vouch for buying there.
I had bought a used Mystique from Bill Kolb Ford a few years ago and was very pleased with the price and service.
So my initial impression is very good.
Steve
No trade. No dealer financing.
22,512.00 (invoice: AWP + air filter; no ad fee)
150.00
5.00 CA tire charge
45.00 doc fee
194.00 license
1873.33 tax
$24779.33 out the door
Very painless buying experience. They first offered about $450 over invoice, then came down to $250 over. I offered $100 over and they countered at $150. Sold !!
I was also looking very closely at a Wintergreen Legacy L wagon but went for the OB in the end.
Edmunds and this forum really helped me make an informed buying decision.
I'll be seeing more of you guys ...
chris
-juice
Today my husband and I went to our local Subaru dealership to look at a WRX wagon and weigh it against the Forester. We quickly ascertained that the WRX was regretfully too small. I told the salesman that we were not interested in buying the 2002 Forester, and that we wished to wait for the 2003 before making any decision regarding a purchase.
Well, he became a bit grumpy and quite aggressive as he wanted to know why we wanted the 2003. When I mentioned the improvements of the 2003, he denied them all. Oh boy. He told us that the only difference was a "slightly different body styling". He then asked us repeatedly why we weren't going to buy one of his Foresters TODAY. I was taken aback. When we left we felt kind of angry. Why give so much money to people that treat you so poorly?
Is this the kind of hoopla all dealers put customers through? This is our first new car and this kind of treatment really left a bad taste in my mouth. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with Glanzmann Subaru in Jenkintown, PA? The salesman was an older fellow-- is he a relic or indicative of what we can expect? How about any pearls of wisdom in general to share? My husband isn't really into the new car buying experience, so I will be handling the whole transaction pretty much by myself. Are there any women out there that have any helpful hints to shape up patronizing sales people? We won't be buying the car until mid to late summer, so any sage advise would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks!
Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. A few things to remember: 1) It's YOUR money and you don't have to spend it where you don't want to. 2) After looking and test driving cars, I checked the subaru web site for dealer email addresses and sent out emails to dealers in the area specifying exactly what I wanted. All they had to do was email me back for a chance at my business. Don't leave a phone number or they'll call and harass you. With the numbers, you can then look at the car and make your final decision.
Good luck.
I would recommend calling Flemington Subaru in Flemington, NJ. Call 908-782-2025 and ask for Alex Leist. Tell him that "bluesubie" sent you. You could also email him at Flemingtonsubaru@aol.com.
I started going there for service about a year ago and I'm really impressed. I haven't actually purchased a car from them yet, but will when I'm ready. I've test driven the WRX 4 times and they know that I'll most likely wait for the 03's.
-Dennis
Just for your information, the salesman's motives were to sell a Forester from the existing inventory of 2002s (which will become harder the closer we approach the debut of the 2003) and to sell you a car that day. Statistics show that something like 70% of all car buyers buy at the first dealership they visit with few returning later to make a purchase. Still, there's no excuse for that type of behavior. Kudos to you for standing your ground and not letting him bully you into a purchase (many shoppers would have caved under the constant pressure).
I'm not sure how far you are from the nearest Fitzgerald Auto Mall (fitzmall.com) but from what I've heard and read, they offer an excellent selection, some of the lowest prices and a no-hassle buying experience. Best of luck and let us know how things turn out.
-Frank P.
-juice
Salespeople that act like they deserve to get your business right there and then piss me off too. Good for you to walk out.
If you hear any info from a salesperson that sounds fishy, check back with the Crew.
Ken
-juice
2) Your case (in wanting a car that is not available yet) makes this a little difficult, but since you aren't buying till later, get all the pricing information you can, like the Invoice price and True Market Value. Edmunds is a great source for this information, but try several sites just to look for any variances. Work out what you are willing to pay for the vehicle and options, and if you have a trade in, make sure you know what it is worth and the lowest amount you will take for it. Do your research! I like to have everything worked out, including what i am willing to pay for payment, or have the financing already arranged. Walk in with all the figures and printouts, it really gives you the upper hand.
3) Like some of the guys mentioned above, If you ever get in a high pressure situation, leave. There are certainly other dealerships that are glad to make you comfortable and take your money.
Hope this ramble helps!
-Rachel
The takehome message for me was figure out what you want first (several test drives), then see what a low or minimum price might be (van Bortel has a build a car tool on its site which does this) and use such a figure in negotiating a price with other dealers.
Consider, quick telephone screening of dealers before going to see a vehicle (see details below).
-------------------------------------------
Two questions to consider-
(1) How important is the lowest price? Would you travel 100 miles or more to buy the vehicle for $ less in price?
I started at the closest dealership (Morristown, NJ) but was unhappy that the salesman didn't offer any discount below MSRP. Then, I went to another dealer a little further away (Flemington Subaru) who was pleasant and offered a price about $6-800 below MSRP. Then I started reading this board and learned about Fitzgerald and van Bortel who are considered low-priced, reliable internet dealers. After comparing their respective prices, I ordered a car from van Bortel (~400 miles away, ~$200 over invoice=~1000 less than Flemington), planning to stop there after a business meeting and drive it home. Because they couldn't get the color I wanted, I took a hard look at the web sites listed in NJ, PA, CT and found one dealer (Pine Belt Subaru) ~60 miles away with that color. I called them and asked them to match van Bortel's price in the model they had and they did. So I went there and bought the car the next day. Incidentally, the car had about $800-1000 of options and as I calculated it was $800 LESS than invoice.
ALL the dealers I dealt with were pleasant. Flemington has a reputation for good service and I am planning to use them.
(2) Do you plan to buy from a dealer so that they will agree to provide regular service on a long-term basis?
(This doesn't make sense to me because...)
The dealer makes money (generally) on every new car sale (even if indirectly, say from holdback). Additionally, they make money from resale of tradein. Finally, they make money from servicing cars.
So, there is no reason to feel they are doing you a favor by being available to take your old vehicle off your hands and servicing the car they sell you.
Hope that is helpful.
Steve
I think that I might try getting quotes via e-mail and perhaps even with the phone after test driving the 2003 Forester and deciding on the model, etc. I'm not trading my current car in-- it's a 1990 Integra with 170,000 miles on it and I think it's worth a great more to me (I do love this car) than it would be to the dealer.
I was wondering if I might run into any problems bringing a car into a local dealership that wasn't purchased there. I know that they aren't supposed to be jerky about it but I picture this very sincere service manager saying, " I've never seen anything like this before, your whatchamacallit broke and it's not covered..."
Anyhow, I was so surprised by the salesguy being a poop because the people that I've met that own Subarus are so incredibly nice. :-)
-- Melissa
I wouldn't hesitate to take my Subaru to a dealer other than the one from which I purchased it. Dealerships actually make a good portion of their profit off the service department so they should certainly welcome the business.
-Frank P.
-Dennis
Our dealer found that the front axles were out of spec (from the factory, IIRC). I'm not sure of the cost since it was covered under the Powertrain Warranty.
-Dennis
-juice
-mike
riley
Watch out for doc fees.