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Paid invoice thanks to the Subaru VIP program and IMBA - $26,053 which included the rear bumper cover, splash guards, and cargo tray; auto-dimming mirror; armrest extension; air filtration kit; and cargo net. I also took advantage of 3.9% financing for 60 months through Subaru. A very good deal all around during a time when most Premium XT's in this area are still sold with a healthy dealer mark-up (if you can get your hands on one at all)!
Had a very pleasant and easy purchasing experience since price wasn't even an issue, and I'm absolutely in love with the car! Now I have some break-in miles to burn off...
The dealership I went to is getting out of the Subaru business to concentrate on its Mazda business. I've been looking through the owner's manual and noticed that there are at least a couple of things they didn't give me that they were supposed to.
I didn't get:
-the second keyless entry remote
-the submaster key
-the valet key
They also sent me off with 1/4 tank of gas, but that is a side issue. Can anyone tell me if there is anything else I should have gotten from them? I think I have all the tools (torx driver, jack, spare tire, etc.), but I'd like to make sure I have a complete list of what's missing before I go back to the dealer.
As far as your missing items are concerned, you should have also received the little plate with the key code on it in case you have to have your keys remade.
My dealer shorted me on the torx driver in the toolkit; it's supposed to be included with moonroof-equipped vehicles, but so far I haven't found it. They offered to order one for me, but I politely declined since I would have to drive 40+ miles to pick it up... I'm sure I can find a stand-in somewhere in my husband's toolbox ;-)
Thanks for the key plate tip. I will add that to my list. The dealership is about 90 miles away for me, but I feel that these type of items are worth going back for. On the other hand, I agree that the torx driver would probably not be worth such a trip.
I wonder if Subaru cancelled their franchise because this neglect was common?
-juice
First impressions (after deflating the Flintstone-like tires) is a solid ride, nice interior and a little more noisy and truck-like than I expected - but still quiet and refined. I am at 32 pounds front and 30 pounds rear for tire pressure. Still too high? I am very pleased after my first 100 km (just rolled over 100 as I pulled into the garage tonight).
Security question. I was steered away from the Subaru Security upgrade, and was told the Club was as good or better. Comments, please.
Although it's certainly possible, I don't think Subaru revoked their franchise. There aren't many Subaru dealers around the greater New Orleans area, and the other "main" one is better stocked. This one only had maybe 10 Subarus total, but they also happened to have the one I wanted. And they did have hundreds and hundreds of Mazdas.
It even came in on their sales tactics. At first, they were not willing to deal at all on the Subie, but after I test-drove a Mazda Tribute and hated it, and told them it was the Subie or nothing (i.e. no Mazda sale to be made here), they became very flexible on the Subie.
fryingbologna: I'm sure it is almost as easy for a knowledgable car thief to disarm a security system as it is for him to disarm a club, but for most thieves, I believe it is much more difficult. My Forester has the security system upgrade and it includes an audible alarm as well as an ignition kill feature, which to me, makes it much more superior to a club.
Also, at least in the States, most insurance companies give you 10% or so off of your comprehensive coverage if you have an actual security system on your car with the features I mentioned above.
You'd think that insurers would get tired of having to pay to replace so many CR-V bumpers!
The Frontier is from Nissan. Did you mean Forester XT?
Good luck trying to explain to an agent about the CRV bumper, or the Forester safety ratings, or general talent (and modesty!) of the typcial Subaru driver while behind the wheel! "Blah blah statistics blah blah rates going up blah blah large injury claims blah blah"... but at least I'm not bitter!
YMMV, so check with your agent. Personally, it's a small fraction of your overall costs, worth a look but not enough to sway me one way or the other.
-juice
Don't for a second think that Subaru drivers have more talent than another group of drivers on the road unless you have some significant data to back that up. Statements like that demean us (Subaru drivers)all.
But seriously, why would Subaru drivers be any more talented or modest than anyone else on the roads? Take the STi (and, to a lesser degree, the WRX) for example - the mere fact that the target market for these cars is the 20something "Fast & Furious" crowd has been proven to do wonders for accident statistics and street racing incidents!
Overall, Subaru owners are better educated than average car owners as a whole, but I'm still not sure we could conclude they're better drivers overall.
-juice
Owen
Still, I'm one of those people who likes for things to make some kind of sense and am not satisfied with the "All I can tell you is that it's in a higher insurance group" response. Oh, well.
"Overall, Subaru owners are better educated than average car owners as a whole" Try to prove that.
My point is: Ask anyone regardless of gender, age, sex, car model and most of them will tell you that they are a good driver and make informed auto decisions. They probably also think there good looking as well. Take a look around. Are they right? Any shmuck (me included) can walk into a Subaru dealer and buy a car. There is no exam or drivers test. I have accepted that I am one of the unwashed masses.
I might also be a little tense.
I just got back from the dealer $60+ for a oil change and tire rotation. How well educated is that?
My comment about the demographics actually stemmed from actual data, not just my opinion. Let me look this up...
OK, found a source, from kbb.com, though it's actually a quote from AutoPacific:
Many Forester owners are employed as teachers/educators which lends this group to be college-educated (68%).
Smarter than your average bear! :-)
For Legacy it's 58%. I'm not sure how much of the general population is college educated, but I doubt it's that high.
-juice
Juice, Interesting stats. You should prepare a spread sheet with all makes and models. Then we can make fun of the dumbest ones in the bunch. (They won't even get it) How many Legacy owners does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Now, who's cheeks am I suppose to stick my tongue in?
LOL!
One thing Ed brought up last time I saw him was that a lot of Subaru owners could afford a more expensive car, but still buy a Subaru. That was the case with our family's 2 Subies.
-juice
Can I get the 2004 Forester XT with Prem Package and the other goodies packages for about $300 or less a month lease for 36 months 15k per year? How would I go about it. Its now October 5,2003. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I REALLY WANT THIS CAR.
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#64 of 78 insurers by a1bogard Oct 06, 2003 (10:43 am)
Since you brought it up, fryingbologna, why does insurance cost more on the Forester than the CR-V? The Forester has many more safety features, better safety ratings, and has a lower center of gravity. Yet here in the New Orleans area (where insurance is bad enough as it is), the Forester XS costs about $200/year more to insure than the CR-V.
You'd think that insurers would get tired of having to pay to replace so many CR-V bumpers!
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#65 of 78 Frontier? by ballistic Oct 06, 2003 (11:03 am)
Meronyc,
The Frontier is from Nissan. Did you mean Forester XT
I would tend to agree with juice that certain brands seem to attract certain types of people. I am a Macintosh user, and in a very unscientific poll on a Mac website, well over 60% of respondents (population of 50+) responded that they drove/wanted a VW/Audi, with the majority equating similar design style in computers and cars, and the feeling of being "different" from the mainstream.
All those little nickels and dimes ($CAN quarters and dollars) add up, influencing my choice to get the Forester XS vs the CRV vs the Forester XT vs the RAV4. Insurance, mileage, octane, resale, interest rate and repair costs all factor in along with practicality and looks.
-juice
Interesting stats on Subaru owners. Actually, I know a doctor that recently traded in her old Outback and bought a new one. And she can certainly afford a more expensive car.
Since getting the OB, I've also had to run a Mac on a daily basis for the first time. I still prefer PC's however <g>.
Steve, Host
I'm not saying I wouldn't take a Benz if someone else was paying for it, but there are pros and cons both ways.
I have both Macs and PCs, mostly PCs lately though.
-juice
The results have skewed away from audi/VW, but they still rule the land! Heck, here in Canada, getting 30% of the popular vote will often get you elected Prime Minister, or sometimes even Goalie!
My wife and I just purchased an XT Premium at invoice. It wasn't hard at all, just be sure that you are qualified for the Subaru VIP program. (My wife's professional association, ASHA, is a VIP partner.) There was a discussion a couple of months ago about it. Someone talked about getting an IMBA membership just for the Subaru VIP, although they needed to wait 6 months after IMBA would give them their paperwork.
Check out the Subaru site for VIP partners.
--dcdouglas
Foresters are in short supply around here, so you may want to wait a bit.
Deadeye5
I used carcostcanada for the purchase of my XS a couple of weeks ago, and while the process went smoothly, I have a feeling I could have negotiated to the same price. What carcostcanada does is provide you with $85 worth of time. You could get the invoice price for $15 (or whatever) and start calling around, wait until month-end and pressure some salesfolk into a corner and probably get as good - if not better - of a deal. But if you are short on time, or dislike negotiating (true for me on both counts), the $85 looks pretty good when you write it down beside the MSRP.
That being said, I am not aware of the XT invoice price in Canada - but a rough guide might be to drop $2000 off the MSRP. Check a few dealer lots to see if there are any sitting around all month, then strike with about 4-5 business days left in October.
-juice
I can somewhat vouch for that, after having to pay for replacing the left front fender, etc. of the Forester after a minor fender bender. Even with my son performing some of the work (summer job at repair shop) it cost plenty!
When I got hit from behind, I did that. A new bumper was $150, and a complete taillight assembly was $125 IIRC. Retail on each was around $200.
-juice
This weekend, three or four dealerships in Oregon were having sales on Foresters. Anyone think it is a coincidence?
I do not think it is a bad product, just a bad economy, so I put my money where my mouth was and when one dealership offered a XT PP for about 1200 less than invoice I drove it home.
I would call this a compact utility performance vehicle. Drives great ... personally I expect the auto trans. to save me about one speeding ticket per year...
Anyway, anyone considering a Forester might want to see if their local dealerships have had similar reactions to this news. Forester sales in the U.S. declined from Sept 02 to Sept 03 and from Oct 02 to Oct 03 even though there is a new, clearly superior, model. This cannot be encouraging for Fuji, as Takagi-san's comments imply. I think they would like to avoid this in November 03 and might be willing to find significant new discounts in order to attain this goal.
The Costco-connected Subaru dealer in Portland, Oregon quoted me one of the highest prices of all six dealers in my area. Based on that surprising result, I'm unlikely to waste time seeking a Costco price next time.
The lesson I learned was that it's the sales person/dealer that makes the difference, and that the autobytel/costco price may be negotiable.
Bob (near San Francisco)
Bob
Are you sure it wasn't $1200 off MSRP?
There is always the chance it was a Brass Hat car, with another $500 taken for the miles.