Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Steve: yes, they offered $10,800 for our '02 Legacy L. Kind of a low-ball offer, I think I could get $12-13k if I sold it myself.

     

    Not that I'd expect more, they're not making any real money on new car sales, so they probably try to make up for it with used cars.

     

    Maybe they're also trying to buy back late model used Subies for the CPO program that is rumored?

     

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Forgive my ignorance, but what is a CPO program?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Certified Pre-Owned.

     

    Used, but refurbished and sold by a dealer with a longer warranty.

     

    -juice
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    That usually applies to vehicles that are only 2 or 3 years old, correct? Oh well, I guess that would leave me out.

     

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We got an offer for our 2002, but not my 1998 Subie. So maybe it's up to a certain age?

     

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    drive 30 miles each way to work. What's your excuse? ;-)

      

    BTW, I was wondering if you read the latest Car and Driver issue with the STi and Evo rematch and comparo. Any comments on that?

     

    I drive 17 miles each way to work and have gone to Dallas and KC a few times. Plus my Taurus has changed from infrequently-used to 'never used'. :)

     

    I just read that article (it's online) and it was interesting. The one thing that is unsaid is that there are lower trims of the Evo available and there is not for the STi. IMO I'd still buy a standard Evo (in japan it would be the GSR). At $5,000 less than an MR you skip the active centre diff, the six speed, the wheels, and the vortex generator but keep all the important stuff. I bet that car would still tie the STi, or narrowly lose, in a head-to-head.

     

    The handling has always separated a stock Evo from a stock STi. the STi just understeers, even in '05 apparently (I have only driven an '04).

     

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If Mitsu is still around to sell them much longer...

     

    ;-)

     

    -juice
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    very valid point for would-be purchasers, but not relevant to the comparison article. :)

     

    ~c
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually what surprised me about your observations is that you like the EVO's interior better. Most reviewers prefer the STi's interior.

     

    For me it's a non-issue, I don't even fit in the tight Recaro seats in the EVO. I couldn't drive one if you gave it to me for free.

     

    -juice
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    fibber2, "Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II" #23689, 24 Jan 2005 9:46 pm

     

    $12.4k for '02 OBW?

    Dang, my '98 OB was worth $20k+ totalled in 2002.

     

    Got my letter today... $15k+ for my '03 WRX wagon.

    I'm not "incentified".

     

    -Dave
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Steve, Like me you would totally nuts to take a hit like that on such a low milage vehicle.

     

    The days of me absorbing a massive depreciation hit just to get in a new vehicle are long gone. Stats say in order to get full value out your vehicle keep it ten years or more, which is my intention.

     

     Cheers Pat.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    as I like driving a new car every few years. I know it does not make economic sense, but I don't have too many other vices (ok, maybe when it comes to tools....). Someone has to help make the economy run! Up until now, times have been good (prime earning years), so a new car is how we 'treat' ourselves. But with a larger house and kids now, those times are probably over. Got to start getting more serious about college costs, retirement, etc.

     

    Maybe in another two years...

     

    Steve
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I've had 4 cars in the last twenty years. And 3 houses in the same period. Funny how the houses seem to increase in value but the cars never do, although they are all money pits when it comes to maintenance. I must be buying the wrong kind of cars....

     

    Steve, Host
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I got an offer for my 2001 Outback base wagon
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    was it like the rest? an offer you could refuse?
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    All said and done, we got 27 inches of nice fluffy snow on Sunday. We are now in the process of getting another 4 - 8. Woo-Hoo! I have now parked my beloved GT, and taken over dw's Outback. Rob M.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They shouldn't even bother with those letters. Low balling owners only offends them and makes them think resale is worse than it actually is.

     

    Pat: agreed, so long as the car is reliable. My Miata is a 1993, the Forester a 1998, and right now I have no intention of selling either one.

     

    -juice
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    I don't think they're really low-balling the offers that much. I suspect you'd get pretty much the same offer if you walked into any dealership (most dealers offer substantailly less than bluebook as standard practice). My guess is the letters are being sent to plant the seed so you'll start thinking about trading in.

     

    -Frank
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    I have successfully resisted the urge to be the 10,000th post on the CAFE!

     

    Jim
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Perhaps, Frank.

     

    Not that I'm thinking about that Tribeca. ;-)

     

    -juice
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    you betcha ... even with my milage a bit high, edmunds shows a better price than the guaranteed 'buy back'
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    about trading in right now ... gotta pay for this one and then drive it some more ....
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Actually you are right on Frank.They are offering wholesale price for your trade same as a dealer would. No matter how a dealer writes up the sales contract you never get more than wholesale for a trade in.

     

    This is why it makes much more sense to sell your car privately and make the best deal you can with no trade in. I am willing to bet that you will always come out ahead without a trade in.

     

    The price offered for your trade is what the car will sell for at auction, hense the wholesale.

     

      Cheers Pat.
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    Here in BC, when you trade, you only pay tax on the net difference, so any trade in automatically increases in value by 15-17% depending on the value of the vehicle. So basically, last two times, when offered over 80% of the listed retail price for my old car, I've taken it. The time and hassle of selling myself wasn't worth the extra 5-600 bucks I might have made.
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    I got the letter from Subaru today about the GTP. $15,000 for my 2003 WRX. Too bad, I traded it on my 2005 Legacy for $17,800 back in October on the WRX GTP program. I guess the dealer was telling me the truth about it being an over book value trade in.
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    I feel so neglected.

     

    I didn't get a GTP for my wonderful 99 GT LTD sedan with 118k miles. I figured either a registered letter, or personnal phone call ....

     

    Rob M.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Or a visit from the governor, perhaps?

     

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's not really 15-17%.

     

    If I trade in a car worth $10,000, that saves me 5% of that, or $500.

     

    But you can sell privately for a much bigger gain, probably 10-20%.

     

    We sold a Chevy Sprint for $2200 after a dealer had offered us $500. We sold a Mirage for $2250 that we were offered $500 also.

     

    On both we would have saved a whopping $25 on state tax.

     

    Those are a bit skewed because low-value cars get wholesalved for next to nothing. But the difference can be huge.

     

    -juice
  • twrxtwrx Member Posts: 647
    only goes back to 2001 model year.
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    LOL, Steve. I guess I won't wait for that to happen. I believe MA Governer Mitt Romney is probably more concerned with handling 3+ feet of snow in Boston. Rob M.
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    ahhh the jerzee tradition continues...
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Juice- In your case it didn't make sense but sales tax in some places is 7 or 8% and if someone is considering trading in a late model vehicle worth $15k or so then suddenly you're talking about over a $1,000 in tax savings.

     

    -Frank
  • bluesubiebluesubie Member Posts: 3,497
    "... I don't think they're really low-balling the offers that much. I suspect you'd get pretty much the same offer if you walked into any dealership (most dealers offer substantailly less than bluebook as standard practice)...

     

    I got KBB on my stolen/recovered Rex and the dealer gave my wife an offer of over KBB if she traded in her 99 OB (it's in great condition)for a new one .

     

    -Dennis
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think the Subaru letter is a great idea; it's like the parking lot technique, and makes a lot of people think about trading when they had been happily puttering along in their Forester or Outback. The number isn't so important as getting traffic to the dealerships.

     

    I didn't get a letter for my '97 OB and it's a good thing - my battery died this morning and between that and the busted CV boot on my van, I'm almost irritated enough to visit a dealer.

     

    But I can replace the axle and battery for about what one car payment runs, so...

     

    Steve, Host
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    New Forester is what has me thinking about visiting a dealer. Nice face lift.

     

    Check Future Models.

     

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Here's the link, in case you don't know about the Crew:

     

    Subaru Crew - Future Models II

     

    And don't forget the Subaru Crew chat tonight - starts in a couple of hours, and the link is on the left.

     

    Steve, Host
  • volkovvolkov Member Posts: 1,306
    Up here we get raped on taxes. Vehicles over 35k are subject to a luxury tax which rapidly ramps up to 10% on a new vehicle. To that we add 7% GST. It was a no brainer when we traded the Sienna at 3.5 years old because the trade in value we were able to get saved us almost 4k in taxes. That added to the trade in pushed the net value into the range of the "retail" values we had reasearched.

    There is no doubt that with low value older vehicles you are much better selling privately. In large part because most new car dealers have no interest in them and will auction them off or sell them to a used car dealer at wholesale anyway. Friend manages a used car dealership, and explained that even they auction off most of their trades because they carry a higher end late model product. Said that if it didn't turn customers off, they would gladly stop taking trades since they make no money but still require work. That situation is worse for most new car dealers.
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

     

    I am in the final throws of replacing the Outback which is now 5.6 years old. I fancied another Outback or a Forester but the problems of squeezing all of the kids friends in when they do theatre or music or whatever has forced me to rethink. Ultimately hit on the Kluger (Highlander to you) which seems to fit the bill. Still AWD with reasonable clearance, better ramp angles than the Outback but much poorer handling.

     

    Mid range gives me leather and safety gear so this seems to be the way to go. I'll miss the sun roof and lots else about the Outback

     

    Cheers

     

    Graham
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    but the problems of squeezing all of the kids friends in when they do theatre or music

     

    What? You've never heard of a roof rack or trailer (caravan)? :-D

     

    If you do go to the dark side, please stop over to visit and enlighten us with one of your great stories.

     

    DaveM
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Graham,

     

    Even when you no longer own a Subaru, hope you'll still drop in and keep in touch.

     

    We enjoy your company.

     

    Jim
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Talk about taxes, yowsah!

     

    Hey, I missed the chat because I could not get into most Edmunds sites last night, yet I could surf other sites just fine. Anyone else manage?

     

    I was on the same PC, but on DSL. I tested and speeds are good, 1417 mbits!

     

    Graham: you're a Crew member for life, please do stick around.

     

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Many arrived late and had trouble either staying connected or with slow response. Hamsters all moving slow in the cold weather.

     

    Steve
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    I couldn't get in either.

     

    Cheers Pat.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    after a few tries.

     

    Bob
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    I can't imagine these boards (that I'm not visiting or posting on) without you and your witty stories!!! Well, even if you do buy a non-Subaru, please keep posting! I really look forward to reading your posts.

     

    The Ghost
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    OK, I was worried because I had just installed DSL at home, and thought it might be having problems already (first day?).

     

    I'm relieved it wasn't just me!

     

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    A Grahamless Subie Crew just won't be the same!

     

    Besides, anyone who buys a vehicle named a "Kluger" needs as much support as possible, and get it from wherever they can. So stick around, you may need the help. :)

     

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    At least the name has a "K", LOL.

     

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Nice not to hear from you! ;-)

     

    tom
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