Buying Used Outback - Advice appreciated

That price seems a little steep for a 5-year old Outback. Another good way to check the market is by reviewing completed Ebay auctions - those are real deals, not just book figures.

Thanks BobN, will do that.

cHECKED OUT e-bAY. Seems kind of crazy there. Performed Linear Regression on 85 data points that are probably dealer biased. So...

Please dont be a momo and pay $16000 for a USED car. You can get a new outback for about $21k.

Dan,

I'm solidily with you in believing Outbacks are some of the best cars you can have. I can't say enough about my mom's `95 Legacy L as it approaches

285,000 miles and is running like a charm. I myself just purchased a 2001 Limited Edition 5spd Outback Wagon last month for $10,900 after it's 'sticker' price at the dealers lot was $16,000. Their internet price was still a high $13,300 with them screaming bloody murder when I offered $12,000 for it. Between waiting, finding the weakest salesman, and really doing alot of BSing about a dealership the next city over, I got it for $10,900 which I firmly believed was the right price. Also I followed alot of the advice on this newsgroup. I checked edmunds, kbb, but most importantly looked at comparable prices on eBay of which I was armed and ready to use at the dealer to show that the ebay prices are the "Deals", not the sticker prices that someone is wanting to pay a salesman's commission.

My car was purchased at 78,000 miles, (I've got 80,000 now) and was kept in excellent condition by the previous owner. If you are looking at the LL Bean from the same model year as mine, I personally wouldn't go more than $12,000. The LL Bean Edition doesn't have much more than what the Limited Edition has (mine has dual sunroofs, cd player, all leather, heated seats, etc) so there really isn't any reason to pay that much more, except it does have a bit lower mileage. As someone else wrote on here, the $16,850 price for the 2002 Outback is severely overpriced. Especially if it's just a standard non-limited, non-VDC, non-LLBean Outback. Way overpriced. Even if that 2002 was an LL Bean I still wouldn't consider more than $13,000-$14,000 tops for that.

Brad,

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it very much. I am totally sold on the Subarus, especially after I walked away unhurt from my accident. The wrecker driver said he thought there was a fatality when he arrived.

I offered the dealer $12,250 for the 2002 OB, which might still be high, and they responded with an offer of $15,850. I thanked them for their time and politely told them I could do better at several other places, and basically told them good-bye and good luck. That car has been on their lot since last July!

Personally the only thing about an LL Bean I like is the H6, but the H4 has always been fine for me; I work mostly in the mountains. I don't need the sun roof and like the extra headroom in a base or limited. I also don't care much for the limited, but would prefer a base with the weather package plus a CD player, and the towing package would be nice too. I do a lot of field work in streams and wetlands, so the leather in the limited isn't something that I need.

77,770 miles for $10,995 is a fair price (without having seen the vehicle in person). It has the weather package, towing package, CD, etc, and is a South Carolina car - so no road salt issues.

Thanks again!

Dan

Big Backpacker -

No intentions of paying 16k for a used OB. I'm a grad student in my last year, that's why I'm looking used. If I could afford a new one I doubt I'd be here looking for advice. And what the heck is a momo?

Dan,

You might really want to keep the 2002 OB in mind, especially if they are having a hard time getting rid of it. I ran into the exact same situation with mine. It was on a dealers lot since mid-late November. I went in the first of December, made my offer in the 12's, they balked at it as if I was stupid. I followed the salesman into an office, hassled him with "so you are fine with loosing money on this vehicle by leaving it set?" and got him thrown off his scripted routines. That day resulted with the salesman being very aggitated with me and never talking to me again (yay). As I was leaving I was told how my offer was so far below acceptable it wasn't funny and that the vehicle was such a hot item that it'd be gone in a few days anyway.

Well it sat and sat until Dec. 31 when I went in, made up a BS offer from another dealership that I was being offered, this time with a different salesman. Being that the vehicle had sat for well over a month and half which is eternity at this larger dealership, they were very apt to deal with me. You may have to do it 2-3 times going back in for the 2002 OB, but don't hesitate to hit them with guilt tripping like statements that they are loosing money, that their salesmen can't appearantly sell a reliable car, that you'll find the newbie car salesman and get him to sell it to you cheaply just so he gets a sale, etc. Those are all good techniques to use with different salesmen as the situation arises. Your offer of $12,250 seems very much in line with the 2002 OB LLBean and it's mileage. I wouldn't make this dealership your prime target, but don't be afraid to swing by, remind them of their lack of sales on that car and that they must love losing money. :)

The 2001 vehicle is very much a nearly identical vehicle as mine. Including the weather package, additional head and leg room (helps for me that I'm

6'5") , and everything else except towing. Not that I would ever use that to begin with. The one thing I'm also a firm believer in with mileage, Subaru's seem to be better than the rest. In that I mean a Subaru may have 70,000+ mileage on it, but thats like saying a Chevy Impala only has 30,000 miles on it. After seeing my mom's `95 almost hit 300,000 (it will this summer) then I have no qualms of purchasing a Subaru which appears at first to have a bit higher mileage.

Brad

Just ignore some of the people on this forum. They like to name call others without attempting to understand your specific situation. Heck when I wrote on here about buying my car, I got reamed a few times by several folks who said I was stupid for not buying new just to get the full warranty. Lest they forget, not everyone has a cool $25,000 cash in pocket to blow at a whim when something used will work perfectly for years to come.

They likely have that inferior door design of several Surbaru models, with no upper door frame to hold the window secure.

A momo is an idiot who pays nearly the cost of a new car for a used one. Remember, a used car is just that. You dont know he maintenance or any issues that plagued this car from the get go. Most people keep Subarus for over 100k miles so those with lower miles must have a reason for their being on sale. I'm sorry- paying 4k more over four or five years is no big deal to get a brand new car. Used cars are for suckers IMOas that is where dealers really make their money.

Call in again 28th Feb, don't budge on price offered and if no joy then, call back 31st march and offer less.

Really? I guess I'm a sucker for getting a used 2000 Outback, huh?

Some of us don't boatloads of money burning holes in our pockets, so sometimes, a used vehicle has to do. How many teenagers do you know that buy a car new (using Mommy or Daddy's money doesn't count)?

Yeah, exactly. None.

Teenagers dont count- my 1st car was a '73 Torino for $700 back in '84. Adults with careers howevers are making bad choices when paying $15k + for a friggin used car. Good dealing techniques can get many new cars for ~$20k

I guess if you read a little more closely you'd find: 1) I'm not about to 15k for a used vehicle; 2) I'm a grad student - I don't know too many that can afford 20k for something new - it's hard enough to hustle enough grant money to pay tuition, fund the work, etc. I'm just looking for advice on used Subarus, because that's all I can afford presently.

Brad, thanks very much for your input on your latest Subaru purchase. I am going to look at the 2001 on Monday. I've talked the dealer down to $9800 on the telephone. I'll try to get him down further on Monday, but this seems like a pretty fair price as it is. If the car is in good condition I'll probably buy it Monday. I'd like to look around a little more, but my field season is starting and I need to have transportation.

Thanks also to the rest of you (n-1) for your comments. I appreciate it very much.

Dan

I'd still pay ~13k for a new hunday elantra gt before I'd pay 10k on a used subaru

Well you just go right on and do that.....but this guy wants to buy a Subaru.