100% MSRP Subaru Promotion

[jMon54]

I have to admit it, I got taken in by the latest ad I received from
Subaru. They claimed in big bold letters they would give me 100% of
the MSRP on the basic model of my car as trade-in. The only deduction
would be for mileage at a rate of from $.11 - $.55 per mile. I took
this to refer to excessive mileage which my vehicle has little if any
of. They even stated they would not nitpick the trade-in vehicle.
But at the very bottom of this pitch, in fine print it reads "trade-in
not to exceed current NADA value". WTF - this is the opposite of the
claim in bold type! I have to admit, they had me for a while. I was
all set to trade-in my Sube for another one. But after this, I
believe I am driving my last Subaru. Their marketing practices are
downright insulting. And there are too many other fine vehicles to
choose from.

Jay M
Virginia, USA
2003 Baja Sport 5sp

 

[fishkill]

You could just always sell it privately and get what you think its worth. If
its in good shape and well maintained alot of people will pay a premium for
a nice used subie. Hell I just paid 5k for a really nice 98 OBW ( really its
cherry), check out the local markets and see what they will bear.


Trade-ins are always a rip-off and car dealers always lie, whats the
surprise here?

Not trying to be confrontational , but you are complaining about things that
are known constants.


just my .02

/fish puts on his +2 cloak of unflameability

p.s. dealers no longer want you to BUY cars anyhow as they make so much more
off leases, so Subaru dealers have to be a lil extra skeevy to compete due
to the vehicles longevity. Not defending it ... just stating an observation

 

[isquat]

off leases, so Subaru dealers have to be a lil extra skeevy to compete due
to the vehicles longevity. Not defending it ... just stating an observation

I think the market penetration for Subaru is very low
which is reflected by overinfalted resale. Many people want it but
can't afford it. Especially in the snowbelt. Here in the sunbelt
the market is extremely competitive. Is they want to get
in they'd have to compete head to head with fun cars
like GTI, Civic Si and EVO. FHI just would've been better
off giving up on california and concentrate on making
a subcompact to slice under impreza and to be sold
in high volume to the lower income families
in the north. Not sure if they want to sell to the truck drivin
yokels thou.

It's the dealer. The rest is no better. Consider
it an IQ test that you passed. Wrong reason to dump Subaru.

 

[bgd]

There is no such thing as a good deal from a dealer.
The theories about demographics and sales and what competes with what
doesn't float either. so ....
you get ripped off by idiots. <-- Thats auto sales.

Search for what you want, like you did. I will never go new. EVER. rich,
poor, eccentric wherever I end up. Never a new vehicle.
The cost of a baja makes me feel bad for you.

 

[Todd H.]

There is no such thing as a good deal from a dealer.

Not true.

I used to think like you did, and when I went to buy a late model used
subaru and found out there hardly are any that owners are willing to
part with and those that are out there aren't hardly much less than a
new one... I took the plunge.

And between Consumer Reports new car pricing service, edmunds.com
pricing that matched to the penny, having several local dealers to
play off each other for my business, and carbuyingtips.com to learn
about holdback, factory to dealer incentives, then all the add-ons and
dealer isntalled options where the dealer would try to make money off
you and how to head it off... I left the experience feeling like I've
never every purchased any commodity item where I had such perfect
knowledge of what the seller paid for the item.

The dealer made a few hundred bucks on the sale and I had a brand new
fully warranted vehicle with no question marks about how well or how
poorly the prior owner had maintained it.

So buying new isn't always the wrong thing to do. The cost per year
of owning the vehicle may actually be less than buying late model
used.

However all that said, the subaru 100% msrp promotion is quite dubious
-- that per mile charge adds up for so many potential trade-in
folks.

Best Regards,

 

[isquat]

There is no such thing as a good deal from a dealer.
The theories about demographics and sales and what competes with what
doesn't float either. so ....
you get ripped off by idiots. <-- Thats auto sales.

Search for what you want, like you did. I will never go new. EVER. rich,
poor, eccentric wherever I end up. Never a new vehicle.
The cost of a baja makes me feel bad for you.

don't be. used jap car is usually a terrible value.
And on the new cars dealers pocket much less than on
the used ones.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Not true.

I used to think like you did, and when I went to buy a late model used
subaru and found out there hardly are any that owners are willing to
part with and those that are out there aren't hardly much less than a
new one... I took the plunge.

And between Consumer Reports new car pricing service, edmunds.com
pricing that matched to the penny, having several local dealers to
play off each other for my business, and carbuyingtips.com to learn
about holdback, factory to dealer incentives, then all the add-ons and
dealer isntalled options where the dealer would try to make money off
you and how to head it off... I left the experience feeling like I've
never every purchased any commodity item where I had such perfect
knowledge of what the seller paid for the item.

The dealer made a few hundred bucks on the sale and I had a brand new
fully warranted vehicle with no question marks about how well or how
poorly the prior owner had maintained it.

So buying new isn't always the wrong thing to do. The cost per year
of owning the vehicle may actually be less than buying late model
used.

However all that said, the subaru 100% msrp promotion is quite dubious
-- that per mile charge adds up for so many potential trade-in
folks.

Best Regards,

Yep, there CAN be great dealer experiences. Ryan at Teape Subaru in
Hurst matched online s'less brakeline prices and 'almost' matched online
wagon-spec STi spring prices(maybe did match with shipping figured in),
got me a loaner AND knocked a surprising amount off the labor rate while
the parts were being installed. I was gonna save the brakelines to do
myself until he told me the 'special' labor rate.

I have used an indie mech as well, once with parts from an online OEM
dealer. If nothing else, give ur local dealer the chance to match parts
prices.

A LOT depends on the folks running the joint.

Carl

 

[J. Murray]

Do all the research you can. The internet is a great tool and can
save many $. We just bought a 2007 Outbact 2.5i and had a very good
experience w/dealer, Invoice - $1500.00 rebate. They keep the
holdback and other juice and we get a pretty good deal. Check
Edmunds, ect.

 

[bigjim]

You are free to take the sucker's bet and buy used. The profit margin
is far greater on a used car so the dealer usually makes more. Little
or no warranty and no knowledge of car's history. Used cars are for
kids and the poor. I usually keep my new cars for at least eight
years so I dont really worry about the "drive off the lot depreciation
" myth. This will likely be my last Subaru as well but mostly for
design issues.