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Spend $20, Save $2000. Plus Other Painless Penny-Pinching for Subaru EnthusiastsSep 20 '02 (Updated Oct 07 '04) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line A compulsive cheapskate's tips on saving money before and after you purchase your Subaru.
Update 10/07/04: Apparently www.subaruwarranty.com is no longer available. -- Review starts here -- I've spent hours on the internet learning about my Subaru. Hopefully, the following information may save you time, money or aggravation if you're a Subaru owner too, or soon to be. Third Party Deals International Mountain Bicycling Association (http://www.imba.com) members can purchase a new Subaru at invoice cost through IMBA's Subaru VIP Program. You can join IMBA for $20/year and they don't care whether you own a mountain bike or not. You must be a member for six months before you are eligible for the VIP pricing. Dealers may exclude some models, but you can probably shop around til you find what you want - even a WRX. You must contact IMBA prior to purchasing - they'll send you a letter to bring to your dealer. I also suggest that you apply for the Subaru Rewards MasterCard from Chase. (If you already have a Chase credit card, ring them up - they will probably switch your account over if you wish.) Cardmembers earn a 3% rebate on every purchase (not balance transfers). After you've accumulated $100 in cash-value rewards, you will be mailed a $100 SubaruBucks certificate. SubaruBucks are redeemable toward the purchase or lease of any new Subaru vehicle or the purchase of service or parts at any Subaru authorized dealer. Up to $500 in rewards can be earned each year, but they must be redeemed within four years. SubaruBucks will also expire if your Chase account has been terminated, or if you don't use your account at least once per year. For more information, visit subaru.com or chase.com. Discounted Subaru parts and accessories I highly recommend the Parts Department at Liberty Subaru in Oradell, NJ (I can't vouch for any of their other departments, unfortunately). I'm rarely loyal to online merchants since I go where the deals are, but I won't stray from these guys. Here's why: months after receiving my first order, I realized they had sent me an incorrect part. Liberty confirmed their mistake, immediately shipped out the correct part and arranged for UPS to pick up my return. I couldn't ask for more. Shoot them an email at parts@libertysubaru.com for a price quote. Expect to pay typically 20-25% below list. Shipping charges have been reasonable (usually around $8, and I've often received my goodies the next day.) Plus they're just darn nice to deal with. Here are some prices for your information (2002 Impreza) roof cargo basket with clamps $97.46 roof cargo carrier $316.00 bike carrier for trailer hitch $149.96 wheel locks $17.96 air filtration system $29.96 leather shift knob for M/T $35.25 case of 12 oil filters $48.00 Extended Warranty You don't need to decide on an extended warranty (EW) until shortly before the manufacturer's warranty expires. Prices for EWs increase astronomically once the original warranty expires. If you purchase the EW with the vehicle, the EW runs concurrently with the OEM warranty, not after it - a waste of money. Avoid third party extended warranties. Check out http://www.subaruwarranty.com for prices significantly lower than what Subaru will like you to pay (don't worry, they're an authorized Subaru dealer, too). You can try printing out their price quote and showing it to your local dealer for a price match. Some people advise investing the money you'd pay for the EW instead of giving it to the dealer. I can't tell you whether you should get the EW or not, but Subarus generally get high marks for reliability. It's always a crapshoot, I suppose. Sales and Service Purchasing my Subaru from Brown's Subaru in Patchogue, New York was a mediocre, if relatively painless experience. Definitely do your research first - read reviews and advice, get pricing information, and ask questions on the message boards at Edmunds (http://www.edmunds.com). I'd use Brown's again mainly for the service department: both times my car needed warranty work the problem was fixed on the first attempt. Like most dealers, they're expensive, but at least I've been getting oil changes for $22.50 (with coupon). If you buy from Brown's, the service department will waive labor charges for your first service, and you can reserve a free loaner car if you schedule far enough in advance. I haven't heard anything positive about any other local Subaru dealers. My neighbor brings his out-of-warranty Subaru to Daddy's Garage in Port Jefferson, which is owned by a former Subaru service technician. Metric Subaru in Huntington appears to be mod-friendly, but I've never been there. I have heard good things about the sales departments of Fitzgerald's Auto Mall in the DC area (http://www.fitzmall.com), and Van Bortel Subaru in upstate NY (http://www.vanbortelsubaru.com). The service department at Flemington Subaru in NJ is often praised. Log on to Edmunds Town Hall and ask for a dealer recommendation near you. An excellent resource for Subaru owners, with caveats, can be found at http://www.nasioc.com. You'll have to separate the wheat from the chaff, however, as many of the members are immature. I prefer the Subaru message boards at Edmunds Town Hall. The moderators there do a pretty good job at keeping out the riff-raff, and the members are decent folks.  |
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