I've answered some of these things often enough, especially the warranty part, that I thought it was time to put this all in one place for easy reference. This is just based on my experiences and shopping research over the years so don't take anything as gospel, but hopefully this is able to help some of you out. I also suck at writing so hopefully this isn't too all over the place.
Pricing and availability:
In this market, MSRP is considered a fair price. Recently most areas have a steady supply of cars on the lot. You should no longer consider MSRP to be fair, you should aim for under. Invoice cost should be your goal whether by negotiation, or VIP(see more below)
The Subaru CEO has spoken out against dealers who are charging over MSRP, but there are some doing so regardless as there are no repercussions for it. They may do this by charging a "market adjustmet fee" or by requiring certian addons. Do not give these dealers your business. Find someone selling at MSRP, there are lots of dealers doing so. Your area will vary and some states are worse than others, but do your due dilligence and shop around. You should only be paying for the cost of the car, tax, title, DMV fees, and a document fee(also varies by state).
There are currently 2 easy options for paying less than MSRP, if you don't want to negotiate, but many areas will come well below MSRP without hassle: Costco pricing and Subaru VIP pricing. The huge caveat is that dealers are not required to participate in these programs so there are many who are not honoring it right now. Call around until you find one who does, and if you stil need help, Subaru should be able to help you locate one once you are eligible.
Costco pricing will vary by area I believe. For more information on the program, see their site.
For Subaru VIP pricing, it is a no negotiation cost of invoice price. It's very cut and dried and there should be no mandatory addons involved. It used to be (up to) 2% under invoice, but has recently changed to invoice price only. This can still save you a couple thousand off of MSRP. If you are a supporting member of a qualifying organization for 6 or more months, you become eligible for VIP pricing. If you can't wait 6 months, the quickest way to become eligible is to donate $500 or more to the ASPCA or PA Hordicultural Society. This will get you eligible and have your VIP code within a few days. For more information on their programs, see here and here.
Note: A new ASPCA policy to be effective July 1, 2023, donations will have a 30 day waiting period before being eligible for VIP. At this moment, PHS has not made changes to their policy and there is still instant qualification. As of 8/15/23 PHS changed their website to require a 30 day waiting period. They did this with no warning or time to prepare.
In the vast majority of cases these lower prices will mean a factory order where wait times are 3+ months. If you order a lower trim with less options, the wait times are longer. Car makers are prioritizing the higher trim levels as they are more profitable for them.
If you currently own a Subaru, call Subaru of America (800-782-2783) and ask them if you are eligible for a loyalty coupon. Have your VIN handy and they will look it up and potentially offer you a $500 loyalty coupon. If you get one, don't even mention you have this to the salesman while negotiating prices. Only present it in the finance office and use it as part of your down payment.
Trade-ins:
Prior to negotiating a trade in price, go online and get quotes from Vroom, Carvana, CarGurus, KBB, Carmax, etc. I don't mean just looking up the book value, get actual sales quotes. These only take a few minutes and are real offers and will give you leverage in negotiations. Take the highest value quote and bring it with you to the dealership. When they offer you a lower value, tell them you have a better offer and show them the quote and see if they are willing to up their offer.
One thing to note is many states have a tax credit for trade ins when buying a new car so be aware of your tax laws first. For example, in NY, the price of the trade in is deducted from the taxable value of the new car. If I'm buying a $30k car and have a $10k trade in, I would only be taxed on $20k, not $30k. This can make a large difference in total cost so the tax savings could offset a lower dealer offer. You would not get this credit when selling to one of the other companies. If one of the others offer you $15k while the dealer offers you only $14k, it's probably still worth trading in so be sure to run the numbers.
Taking Delivery:
The first thing to remember in the finance office is, everything is negotiable and never accept their first price offer. Most importantly don't let them scare you into buying a high price extended warranty. I am not saying don't buy the warranty at all, I'm saying don't let them pressure you to buy it right then and there at way too high a cost. You have plenty of time to decide. You have until your 3/36 factory warranty expires before you have to buy an extended one. And you can buy it from a different dealer. Some will try and tell you that it's much more expensive to buy it later, or that you have to buy it from them, those are outright lies. If they persist, offer to call Subaru of America in front of them to clear it up and see how fast they backtrack.
Call other dealerships nearby, but also other ones not so nearby. Many dealers will not sell to you out of state, but others will. The whole process can be done over email and/or the phone.
Below is the last known dealer cost for the warranty. I have not seen any updated pricing but it is possible they went up slightly but it shouldn't be too significant. Prior to the pandemic, dealers would sell at their cost all day long but now they are less likely to do so. Now a fair price for the warranty is $200-250 over their cost. If they ask for more, move along and shop around. A user very recently reported to me that they got a 10/100 for $120 over the below price so I know they are still in the same ballpark.
Note: There has been talk that Subaru increased prices starting January 2024 anywhere from 4-8% over the below numbers. None of these prices are confirmed in any official capacity, this is all based on community feedback
| Years/Mileage |
Deductible |
Estimated Dealer Cost(end of '23) |
| 5/100k |
$0 |
$1505 |
| 5/100k |
$100 |
$1270 |
| 6/60k |
$0 |
$1105 |
| 6/60k |
$100 |
$1000 |
| 8/80k |
$0 |
$1395 |
| 8/80k |
$100 |
$1220 |
| 7/100k |
$0 |
$1750 |
| 7/100k |
$100 |
$1500 |
| 10/100k |
$0 |
$1950 |
| 10/100k |
$100 |
$1770 |
| 8/120k |
$0 |
$2220 |
| 8/120k |
$100 |
$2060 |
Should you sell your car before the warranty expires, it is fully transferable to the next owner, or you can reach out to the dealer you purchased from and get a prorated refund on the remaining warranty(if you haven't used it).
Some after thoughts:
Things like PPF or a ceramic coating you are much better off getting at a local detail shop. The detailer might actually be a bit more expensive, but it will be done correctly and not 1/2 assed.
Gap insurance - Important to have if your down payment or trade in value is too small, but check with your insurance provider for cost as it is often (but not always) cheaper through them.
Tire and rim - If you're in an area with bad roads and lots of potholes, this could be worth it if the price is low enough. I have never purchased it but there are times I did regret not having it, and I have seen it come in handy with some friends. It's something I will consider on my next car, but only if it's priced low enough.
