Advice on Buying a Subaru (Denver, Northglenn: for sale, home, maintenance)

[michael1248]

OK, clearly Subarus are one of the top vehicles of choice here in Colorado. Not one single person has anything bad to say. On the contrary, I am wondering if I will be joining some type of cult when I purchase one!

I recall reading in a previous thread that it might be a good idea to buy one out of state and drive it here due to better pricing.

I am leaning towards a Forrester..not sure if I am going to go new or used. I am near Mike Shaw Subaru in Northglenn and I plan on stopping in this week.

I am am in no hurry, but would like to buy something by the end of the year.

Any ideas would be welcome. If anyone can recommend specific dealerships or individual sales people they had positive experiences with, that would be great.

[woob]

Two years ago we were in NY, moving to Denver and bought a subaru from Mike Shaw. My wife actually bought the car over the phone and we got a good deal. We rented a car to drive here and then picked up the subaru when we arrived. It all worked out great.

[Tensne1]

I can't help you with info about buying out of state, but I will recommend Subaru as a company that produces dependable/safe/fun cars. I've owned two WRXs (one used, one new) and a Legacy Outback (used). I've also rented a Forester when my first WRX was being repaired -- I wrecked it. In almost 200K miles since 2001, I have never had an ounce of trouble from a Subaru that I didn't cause. I can't say the same for any of the other cars I've owned. Without a doubt, if I have to buy another car, it will be a Subaru.

If you can find a used model from a one-owner seller who has maintenance records, buy it.

Oh -- and what a Subaru lacks in looks it makes up for in performance -- just to assure you the accolades are genuine and that I'm not a Subaru employee!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Go to autotrader.com and you can search by city/state or zip code for all vehicles for sale, either new or used, either by dealer or private party. Good way to find out if you could buy something cheaper in another state. But then you have to factor in the travel to go look at the vehicle and get it back to Colorado. These ads won't tell you about the fees that dealers add on. Some dealers in Colorado tack on $400-$600 in fees that are not shown in the ads.

[vegaspilgrim]

Don't buy a vehicle out of state. Whatever you think you might save (which might be nothing) will be more than eaten up by the cost of driving it back. Plus if you buy a vehicle in a state like California you'll end up paying sales tax twice. I thought about doing that once until I crunched the numbers; it just didn't make any sense. Once you identify what you want, shop around the different Subaru dealers throughout the front range until you find the deal you want. Also depending on what time of the year (or month) you're shopping you may get a better deal.

[Sobe Itsavized]

Originally Posted by michael1248

OK, clearly Subarus are one of the top vehicles of choice here in Colorado. Not one single person has anything bad to say. On the contrary, I am wondering if I will be joining some type of cult when I purchase one!

I recall reading in a previous thread that it might be a good idea to buy one out of state and drive it here due to better pricing.

I am leaning towards a Forrester..not sure if I am going to go new or used. I am near Mike Shaw Subaru in Northglenn and I plan on stopping in this week.

I am am in no hurry, but would like to buy something by the end of the year.

Any ideas would be welcome. If anyone can recommend specific dealerships or individual sales people they had positive experiences with, that would be great.

Please use this website to help you narrow down which Forester model year and trim you'd like to have. There are several different features and variations throughout the model years and trims. It's an unofficial site ran by a salesman up in Washington. A ton of people in the Subaru community (North America) use it. Just go to cars101.com

Also, there have been several changes to the AWD system on the Subaru Forester through the model years for the North American car market.

If you can, I'd advise getting a new Subaru Forester as that is the most up to date AWD system and has the VDC system which makes a Subaru a Subaru. It should be said that the prices for Subaru's are usually high here since the demand for Subaru's is higher than for other states. Colorado is home to the #1 largest Subaru volume dealer Heuberger Colorado as well. They give a large discounts since they buy in bulk too. $2-3k discounts for a 2011 Subaru Forester XT Touring (;D my favorite car).

Feel free to reply with WHERE you intend to use this vehicle and how you intend to use it. For example, are you going to be doing some light off-roading where there are no paved streets? Do you really intend to depend on the AWD system to get you through the tough terrain? Stuff like that helps us give you more relevant information.

This is what VDC can do for you. Remember that not all Subaru's were equipped with this pre-model year 2009. Model year 2009 is when all Subaru vehicles had VDC standard.


Distribution of Power - YouTube

[bhcompy]

If you buy used, get the extended warranty. Already saved me $2000 on stuff that went out early on my Impreza. Never know how the previous owner treated it

[MileHiGolfer]

Originally Posted by michael1248

Not one single person has anything bad to say.

(Sheepishly raises hand) Have you... seen one?

[michael1248]

Sobe Itsavized.....

Thanks for the great info and youtube link.

I will be using the vehicle for ski trips to the mountains, light off-roading, and touring this great country. I did test drive my buddy's brand new Forester and was quite impressed with everything. When I went in to visit a showroom yesterday, the salesman proceeded to educated me on the differences between the Outback and Forester...and proceeded to confuse me! Being a big guy 6-1, 250 lbs., he suggested that I might be more comfortable in an Outback. My next steps will be to test drive an Outback, then decide Outback vs. Forester and then decide which package I want. My buddy in the mountains (where I will visit a lot) swore by the "All-Weather" package which included heated windshield wipers. Very functional, and impressive.

Thanks again for the advice.

[Sobe Itsavized]

Originally Posted by michael1248

Sobe Itsavized.....

Thanks for the great info and youtube link.

I will be using the vehicle for ski trips to the mountains, light off-roading, and touring this great country. I did test drive my buddy's brand new Forester and was quite impressed with everything. When I went in to visit a showroom yesterday, the salesman proceeded to educated me on the differences between the Outback and Forester...and proceeded to confuse me! Being a big guy 6-1, 250 lbs., he suggested that I might be more comfortable in an Outback. My next steps will be to test drive an Outback, then decide Outback vs. Forester and then decide which package I want. My buddy in the mountains (where I will visit a lot) swore by the "All-Weather" package which included heated windshield wipers. Very functional, and impressive.

Thanks again for the advice.

Yes, that All-Weather Package (AWP) is definitely one that is mostly sought after by Subaru buyer's. A lot of the newer Subaru's shipped to Colorado have that option already there since most people want it but don't order it with AWP. Most of the dealers know buyers want that convenience and are willing to pay a slight bump in MSRP to get it at the dealer already factory installed.

Just remember that if you need to replace a cracked windshield, you need to get the special windshield made for the Subaru AWP with the heating elements. It's a minor inconvenience with a large reward that your fingers and limbs will thank you over and over for.

The older Forester models (2008 and older) have less rear passenger space compared to the new 2009 model years. In 2009 the Forester got a large update and in 2010 so did the Subaru Outback (the Subaru Legacy uses the same platform). Both of those updates included increased rear passenger leg room without sacrificing any (if in the slightest bit) of front passenger leg room.