Subaru Crew - Dealers & Pricing

1101113151638

Comments

  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    cptplt, how many miles on the 98? Any repairs? ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • soon2bsubeesoon2bsubee Member Posts: 137
    I noticed that on the Rebates/Incentive page, it shows that thru 10/31, there are up to $500 customer rebate and $500 dealer incentive on 2000 MY Legacies and Imprezas, so go buy those Subies this weekend!!!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    is sitting on the showroom floor of Heritage Subaru in Owings Mills Maryland. It's Wintergreen, and stickers for just under $30.7K. It's got the 6-CD changer and a few other goodies.

    I'm surprised that the 6-CD changer isn't standard on the LL Bean/VDC models.

    There was also, on the back lot, an H-6 VDC (Pearl White) with NJ mfg. tags on it.

    Bob
  • rellicksonrellickson Member Posts: 1
    Carlson Subaru in Redwood City CA had one LL Bean.
    They have a few more scheduled for delivery in mid
    November. Most of them are spoken for. They
    expect to get their first VDC cars in January.
    All of the VDC cars are spoken for.
    They were charging 5 3/4 percent over invoice.
    They are now charging MSRP.

    I picked up my LL Bean on Saturday. The 3.0L
    engine is has noticeably more power than the 2.5L
    engine. The rest of the car is very similar to a
    Legacy Outback limited.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ron: congrats - yours is the first I've heard of.

    Please share photos, impressions, etc.

    -juice
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    my 98 has 46K now after 30 months!
    I had a leaking transmission gasket from the day I took it home and some minor problems with the security system (any vibration set it off).Maybe it had something to do with the car being on the dealers lot almost 6 months before I got it, I guess Rio Red GTs aren't fast selling! The dealer fixed all that in the first 2 weeks or so and provided a rental car for 2 days also during the transmission fix. Nothing else has gone wrong yet (which I can blame on the manufacturer - various bits of interior trim destroyed by the kids the few times they are in it instead of the wifes van!).
    I just had my brake pads changed for the first time! Never had a car go this far without needing them done earlier incl the earlier Legacy. I drive my car fast and brake quick too!
    As long as I live in the snowbelt I will never buy another brand.
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    cptplt, wow, you rack up the miles! (in a GT they're especially pleasurable ;) The GT in Rio Red is beautiful.

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bob: good heads-up. Now when people wonder out loud why the H6 costs $32k, we can point them to at least one for $28.7k.

    -juice
  • maccamacca Member Posts: 3
    Hi! This is my first post to the Edmunds Town Hall. I am looking at 2001 Legacy L wagons and have two questions.

    Has anyone ordered their Subaru from the factory (i.e. built your specs)? If yes, how did your negotiations on price work?

    Second, and the reason I'd like to order the car, is I really want the CD sound system package! CD Player, upgraded speakers, woofer, etc. Has anyone had any experience with these items as Subaru-installed? Should I just do aftermarket instead? (I would think it would be easier to install such a system while the vehicle is being built!)

    Any thoughts and/or suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!
  • maccamacca Member Posts: 3
    Hi! This is my first post to the Edmunds Town Hall. I am looking at 2001 Legacy L wagons and have two questions.

    Has anyone ordered their Subaru from the factory (i.e. built your specs)? If yes, how did your negotiations on price work?

    Second, and the reason I'd like to order the car, is I really want the CD sound system package! CD Player, upgraded speakers, woofer, etc. Has anyone had any experience with these items as Subaru-installed? Should I just do aftermarket instead? (I would think it would be easier to install such a system while the vehicle is being built!)

    Any thoughts and/or suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My dealer in NY loves ordering cars from the factory cause he doesn't have carrying costs then, and the customer can get a better deal on factory accessories than on the ones the parts dept. puts in. I personally like stock upgraded systems cause they are warrantied, and generally work very well. They won't bounce a quarter off the roof, but most people buying subaru legacy L's are not into that. Also Legacy L's going for about $19666 w/o the upgraded stereo here in NYC.

    -mike
  • originalbitmanoriginalbitman Member Posts: 920
    I have the speaker upgrade/ tweeter kit and subwoofer. My 00 GT wagon was equipped that way on the dealers lot. It also had the 6 disk CD changer and cassette receiver. I had the dealer pull the changer (for credit) and I pulled the receiver and installed a Blaupunkt Nevada CD receiver. The speakers are fine and I have no complaints... actually sounds good to me. But I had no use for the cassette receiver and the in dash cd changer took up a nice storage spot in the dash and cost something like $450. I think you can get a lot nicer CD changer for less. I believe the 01 CD Player is still and additional unit and not a CD receiver... so you still end up with 2 units in the dash. For $200 bucks you can get a pretty nice aftermaket CD receiver. My Blaupunkt looks great in the dash... nice fit. I did the install myself and it was simple. As for speakers I'm sure there are a lot better speakers than the factory upgrade but it means popping off the door panels and that I think is likely to be more of a hassle than the CD install. The Sube tweeter kit is also and easy install. I don't believe any of the Sube audio component upgrades are done at the factory... either at the dealer or at a regional prep area.

    Bit
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Brian: the OE stereo can get a bit pricey but has a nice, custom fit and isn't likely to get stolen. It's your call.

    The premium speakers replace dual-cones with true two-ways. You can also add the tweeter kit, plus the subwoofer/amp under the front seat. Then you can add either a single CD or a CD changer in the dash. Lots of options.

    The 2001 Legacy got some nice upgrades, like bigger brakes, a 2nd odometer, and a temp gauge. To get one with all the stereo upgrades will require ordering from the factory, since they're hard enough to find and the ones you see are lightly equipped.

    Keep us posted.

    -juice
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    I'm pretty sure all the stereo upgrades can be done right at the dealer. None of them is very difficult. The only bugaboo might be if the wiring for the subwoofer and tweeters is not preinstalled; if it is, I don't see any reason not to let the dealer install the stuff. That way you can get your car sooner.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    All speakers/amps are pre-wired, even when absent.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I trust the factory over any of these dealer techs anyday. I've had bad luck with dealer service...

    -mike
  • maccamacca Member Posts: 3
    Mike, Bit, Juice, WDB: Thanks so much for the helpful advice. I'll let you know what I work out

    -Macca
  • dan2kdan2k Member Posts: 1
    How much less than for a new vehicle should I pay for a Forester S (with the Premium Package) with slightly over 15,000 miles?

    Thanks
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    15k miles already? Wow, those only came out in February. Someone's been busy driving.

    My first concern would be why are they selling in less than a year? Problems, perhaps? Unless it was a couple that suddenly had triplets, I'd be suspicious.

    I guess it could have been a 1 year lease with a 15k mile limit, and the owner didn't want to pay the penalty for mileage. Find out.

    As for the value, any used car loses 10% of the value immediately, and roughly another 10% per year, though it's less than a year.

    I'd knock about 15% off the original selling price, which hovers around $24-25k, so that should be worth about $21 grand.

    -juice
  • tincup47tincup47 Member Posts: 1,508
    My wife has over 14,000 miles on our 2001 bought in March
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I have 12K miles on my trooper bought June 10th, and I take the train and ferry to work everyday, and another 6Kmiles on my XT6 since then :)

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    paisan: you're a wild man. Our official road trip expert!

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Just checked the Fitzgerld's site, and they've got five LL Beans and two VDCs in stock. All but one with slight discounts. One was selling at sticker. I wonder if that was an error.

    Bob
  • slcfbpslcfbp Member Posts: 2
    Went to my old Outback dealer to buy a VDC. He said each dealer in town (4) got 2 a month and thus would not negotiate on sticker price as they could seel it for that. Offered him $ 1,000 above invoice, turned down, I could get a spoiler (that I didn't want) for "free", that was all.

    Went to the Costco web site and was pointed to another of the 4 dealers (Larry Miller Subaru Salt Lake City). They had just got 2 VDC's and 2 LL Beans in. Were obligated under contract to sell these cars for $ 1,000 above invoice - no ifs and buts. Thus ended up with a fully "LL" loaded (Woodgrain, mirror, security, air filter, cargo net etc.) VDC for $ 30,600 (including delivery and destination) instead of the 32,950 sticker price.

    Morale: When the dealers play the "Viper game", go to Costco's website and force a deal through their contract with designated dealers (you may have to buy a $40 Costco membership)!!

    Good luck!

    -Bo
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bo: great strategy, congrats on the deal and the new car!

    Any impressions you want to share?

    -juice
  • mrglickmrglick Member Posts: 19
    Hi I'm new to the site. Quick question, It appears that Fitzgerald's prices on the web are good. Am I right to assume these prices (internet price & redtag price) include destination charges?

    -Thanks
  • e_l_greene_l_green Member Posts: 30
    Got it from Camelback Subaru in Phoenix AZ for invoice+$200 (for some stupid paint protectant package they managed to slip in, oh well, the paint protectant package was stickered at $695). It's a white Forester S with Premium Package and automatic transmission (I've been driving manuals since 1988, figured it was time for a change).

    I got it by going to www.autonation.com and cross-matching their VIN's to the ones off of www.subaru.com to figure out the invoice price was for the cars they were selling. I found that Pitre Subaru in Scottsdale AZ was selling at invoice as their Internet price on the Foresters. So I sent Camelback some EMAIL inviting them to match Pitre and sell me a Forester S at invoice (I despise Autonation), giving them the VIN of one that I was interested in (obtained from subaru.com's web inventory). The fleet manager called me back, said that one was sold but a similar one was available, she gave me the VIN, I checked it against subaru.com to make sure it didn't have options on it that I wouldn't want (like that butt-ugly bull-bar), I verified that her invoice price and my invoice price (obtained from Edmunds) matched, and 10 minutes later it was a deal!

    I probably could have gotten the paint protectant wiped off completely, but hey, it was still a good deal, and Pitre probably would have found some other way to get more money out of me (those guys are notorious).

    -E
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Congratulations on your new Subie and the great deal you got! $695 for paint protection?!? You could REPAINT the car for that! What a hunk of hoi polloi. Good on ya for taking them to task on it.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    This is the 2nd board I've seen where someone quoted that a paint job is in the $600-$800 range for a car. Here in NYC, a good paint job (not an Earl Schribe or Macco Job) is around $2000 for a good clear coat baked on job for a whole car. Maybe the shops I go to are just perfectionists but $500-$800 seems awfully low to me.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Glick: yes, Fitz prices include freight. My dad and cousin bought from them. Just add state tax and tags.

    Eric: congrats. Gotta love that sky roof!

    paisan: FWIW, there's a local shop here that'll paint an entire car for $100. The catch is YOU have to tape/cover any portions you don't want painted. If you leave the windows exposed, they'll paint right over them! Wheels and tires too!

    Now that's cheap!

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Oh, see, I'd never even consider a shop like that. I'm not big on re-painting cars (more of the GO than SHOW type) so if I'm gonna re-paint a car, it's gonna be done perfect and professional :)

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I hear you, and I wouldn't even drive NEAR that place. Can you imagine the overspray?

    I just thought it would be fun to bring it up! :)

    -juice
  • e_l_greene_l_green Member Posts: 30
    The paint protectant package apparently also included scotch-guarding the interior. oh, the pain, scotch-guard is, what, $4.95 a can, and they musta used three or four cans? Oh well, at least it saves me the trouble of having to do it. (Yes, the interior does have that slickery feel of scotch-guarded fabric).

    I'm not sure that you could repaint a Forester with a good-quality paint for $600-$800. It costed my mom's mechanic $120 for the paint alone to re-paint her rear fender (it had been lightly tapped by a car in a parking lot, he managed to pop it back out and hammer-shrink it and re-paint it without us having to resort to a body shop, but this guy was a perfectionist and wasn't about to put a cheap paint on my mom's pride and joy). That was just a fender. I'd imagine that a Forester, with its huge expanses of body panels (that roof, for example!), would cost $600-$800 for the paint alone, nevermind the labor (the Forester, due to the plastic cladding, would actually need TWO paint jobs, one for the bottom part and one for the top part, because you really need a different paint for plastic).

    Note that "baked on" is a misnomer for aftermarket paints. The best of these paints is a two-part setup with paint and hardner, and it does help get good results if you do it in a controlled climate (the amount of hardener needed varies depending upon temperature and relative humidity), but this isn't really "baking" in any real sense of the word. Still, this process does result in a better paint job than just pulling out the paint gun in your driveway and starting to paint (unless you are very, very lucky and happen to paint your car on the one and only perfect day of the year).

    As for clear coats, clear coats were invented so that auto makers could put a thinner coat of less toxic paint onto the car and thus reduce the cost of pollution controls for their factories (without a clear coat, the weak paint they're forced to use due to environmental regulations would look really pathetic). There's nothing inherently superior about a clear coat, and plenty to despise about them (their tendency to peel, for example). The thinking that clear coat == quality is good marketing, not good technology (though in certain cases it can make certain metallic paints look really "deep", so it's not all bad...).

    Most of the above from a depraved period when I was thinking about restoring a '73 VW Microbus. Just the thought of paying for the paint for those vast body panels was enough to make me blanche at the time and abandon the idea...

    -E
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Eric- Congrats on the Forester. Invoice + $200 is a good deal by any standard. I must admit that I LOL when I read about the $695 for paint protectant. That's got to be the most expensive wax job in the world! :(o)

    Thanks for the interesting info regarding the automotive painting process.

    -Frank P.

    P.S. $120 for paint to cover a fender seems awfully high to me. Your mom's mechanic might have done a good job but I don't think he gave her a good deal.
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Sheesh. If I told myself once, I must have told myself a million times; never exaggerate in this forum!

    I actually had the top surfaces (hood, roof, trunk) of my Peugeot 505 repainted for about $400. It was a fine job, it looked good and wore well, and it kept the car looking really good for its age; where most cars that old are show "age spots" on those surfaces, my Turbo looked shiny and even. For those of you who keep cars until the wheels rot off, having the top surfaces recoated before the paint goes away is a trick to keep in mind.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    E: the L models have unpainted bumpers. Guess ours would be half price? ;)

    I think the reason it's pricey to paint one fender it because they have to mix the paint. Once they do that, I imagine making more of it is pretty simple, so it would get cheaper.

    This one shop was going to do a $400 front fender and door repaint and repair, and they added just $40 to do a rear panel since the paint was already mixed.

    Still, what do I know. The clear coat peeled like a banana about a year later, *just* after their warranty.

    Avoid "Autodent" in Rockville.

    -juice
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    Great paint info; thanks for the post (and a belated congrats on your new ride).

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • milehimilehi Member Posts: 4
    Hi, I just purchased a 2001 Outback and bought
    the Gold Plus (bumper to bumper), zero deductible,
    6yr/80,000 mile extended warranty. The key selling points for me were:

    1. Manufacturer warranty (Subaru of America).

    2. Even though the car comes with a basic 3 yr. /
    36,000 mile and 5 yr. / 60,000 mile drivetrain
    warranty, these are limited warranties, which, in
    most?/some cases does not cover the entire cost of the repair.

    3. Peace of mind.

    4. Cost, like everything at a dealer is
    negotiable, paid 35% less than the listed price of
    $1385.00.

    Having said all that, I have trouble admitting to
    friends I bought an extended warranty because they
    have such a reputation as being overpriced and pure profit for the dealer.

    I've seen alot of talk on point #2, that your covered for 3/36,000 and 5/60,000 so why get overlapping coverage. Has anyone had any warranty work done that was not covered in full?

    Juice or anyone: what do you think??
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    milehi: from what I've heard from Patti (SoA) and Darlene (Quality Subaru), the Subaru warranty covers everything. You can expect red carpet treatement for any, even minor, issue. Make sure any dealer knows you have it.

    If you're getting one at all, the manufacturer's makes the most sense. In many cases, 3rd party warranties only reimburse you, after you pay, submit papers, and meet whatever requirements they have. Kind of like using a doctor that doesn't take your health insurance (PITA!).

    -juice
  • mtnshoppermtnshopper Member Posts: 58
    I hadn't visited autonation.com before. Interesting. How did you cross match the VINs off of www.subaru.com? I couldn't find an option on Subaru's site for looking up VINs. This could be very helpful. And congrats on your purchase.

    Thanks, mtnshopper
  • wendynwendyn Member Posts: 11
    Thanks to all of you here at Town Hall I have decided to purchase an Outback...either the Ltd. or VDC. Still need to test drive the VDC and re-test the Ltd to see whether it's worth the extra $$ for the VDC (I think so even without test driving, just have to convince the financially minded hubster ;)). My other choice was a Passat GLX 4-motion but after so many reliability complaints for VW and so few for Subie (and my driving very reliable Hondas for the past 10 years) the Subie has won.

    Anyway...I'm here in north-central NJ and wanted advice on dealers in the area, both for sales and service. Any thoughts?
    Wendy
  • theobtheob Member Posts: 148
    You two wouldn't happen to be in the Denver area, would you? I'm north of Denver, in Loveland.

    milehi: Just curious what dealer you got that vehicle from, since I'm shopping in the North Front Range area.

    MtnShopper: You can look up dealers by zip code on the Subaru site and find specific models. They'll have the option info and the VIN listed, then you can go to the John Elway / Autonation site and look for the same models. By looking at each unit that they list, you can find VIN numbers that match and get their stock number and Internet asking price. I've done that before with the John Elway Subaru West and John Elway Subaru South. From my shopping, Shortline in Aurora, or Chamberlain in Greeley will probably give you the best deal on ordering a VDC. Burt may be able to do OK on an in-stock unit. Dellenbach in Ft. Collins and King in Loveland are OK also. Didn't much care for the attitude of the Inet sales mgr at JE West, though.
    HTH,
    Theo
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    milehi- Congratulations on the new Outback.

    The extended warranty doesn't "over-lap" the basic warranty but extends it (hence the name). The basic 3-year/36k "bumper-to-bumper" warranty does cover everything. Manufacturers use the term "limited" for legal reasons. Any warranty will be limited in the sense that it won't cover items damaged due to fair wear and tear or abuse. Any basic warranty will certainly cover the full repair cost of a defective item (without a deductible). I've only heard of deductibles on extended warranties for appliances and the like.
    The advantage of an extended warranty is that it picks up at the 3-year/36k mark and continues the coverage out to 6 year/80k.

    Your reason #3 (peace of mind) is the main reason to get an extended warranty. I suspect someone at your dealership distorted the truth a bit regarding the basic warranty coverage in an attempt to make the extended warranty more attractive.

    Patti- correct me if I'm wrong on this.

    -Frank P.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    There is a catch, though, Frank.

    We normally get a 1 year period for "adjustments". So if you go in the 2nd or 3rd year and ask them to adjust the clutch pedal because it engages too low, they may not do it for free.

    Should be OK - if you haven't figured that out within a year, you've gotten used to it anyway! ;)

    Under the extended warranty I'm sure they'd gladly do it for you.

    -juice
  • mtnshoppermtnshopper Member Posts: 58
    Not in Denver, but will probably be shopping there if I strike out with Heuberger Motors in the Springs. I will try Heuberger first, but several Subaru owners have told me they tried to purchase at Heuberger, but got better discounts at John Elway.

    Thanks, mtnshopper
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    Hi folks. Work load has keep me off the board for awhile. Heck, I haven’t even had time to take Juice up on his offer to test drive his new Miata ! :)

    I have a good dealer story to share with you. I deal with Jones Soob in Bel Air Md. Their service dept. has impressed me of late.

    A noise was coming from the heater fan. Kind of a “feathering” sound. While the car was in the shop for some routine work I asked the service writer to have a look at the fan. I have to admit it is a minor noise .. but I seem to be sensitive to it .. and it was driving me nuts. (short ride) Anyway, when I went to pick the Soob up, I was informed that neither the service writer nor the mechanic could hear the noise. Well, I’m disappointed to hear that .. do I fight or learn to live with the situation? Ooops … good news follows from the service guy “We went ahead an ordered a new fan motor anyway .. we’ll call you when it comes in.”

    OK .. reality check! I don’t have to fight with anybody to get what I want? Hey, I even admit that the noise is pretty subtle. OK Jones, I like the way you guys work. You have my business!

    - hutch
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    Oh yeah, forgot to mention that Jones has a new LL Bean on their showroom. Pretty car. The sticker has an $4,000 AMV item on it though. Adjusted Market Value. Wooh ! Not me Bud !

    Cool car though.

    - hutch
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Uh, did I say that...? Sober? ;)

    The guy who marked up the LL sure ain't sober! Fitzgerald is discounting all their H6s.

    -juice
  • john115john115 Member Posts: 45
    Are Subs as reliable as Camrys? Anyone have or had Camry. I have 96',now and leaning towards 2001 Legacy GT ltd.Any comments appreciated.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    The Leg GT is gonna save you $. I was looking at them back before I got my trooper, and the Ltd. only added leather, so I felt it wasn't worth it to upgrade from GT->GT ltd.

    -mike
This discussion has been closed.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.