Buying an outback--need help deciding

[Christina23]

Hi everyone! I hope I'm not breaching forum etiquette here, but I'm looking for help in choosing an outback (or Forester). I've done a bunch of browsing here, learned alot about HG issues and such, but I don't really know what questions to ask when I'm shopping.

 

I need a car to commute in--about 90 miles round trip 5x a week, but that is also good for camping, safe in the snow, etc.

 

I'm looking at dealers so I can finance, and these are the 4 cars I want to look at:

 

2004 2.5L, 110,000 miles, $11,000 dealer asking price

 

2001 LL Bean H6, 63,000 mi, one owner, $12,000 asking price

 

2002 LL Bean H6, 119,000 mi, unknown owners, 11,000

 

2002 Forester, 83k mi, one owner, $9,000

 

General advice and questions I should ask would be great!

[idosubaru]

i would get the legacy if they're a wagon and you like utility/functional use of your vehicle. foresters are a little smaller in the back i believe. you're more likely to need more room in the future than less, so plan ahead and get the larger space vehicle.

 

i'd get the H6 (and i I did), they are awesome engines and vehicles. there's one crucial part that should be replaced as soon as you get it. took me about 15 minutes and cost $3 for a new bearing on the tensioner pulley, not a big deal. dealer will charge probably a couple hundred for the entire tensioner. the tensioner pulley bearings are known maintenance items - have them replaced now no matter what. it's very easy and doesn't cost much.

 

H6 is a great motor ours has 150,000 miles on it and i plan on having it another 100,000 miles at least.

 

the one owner and lower miles is well worth the extra $1,000 in price on that one.

 

you can get better deals and vehicles from private sales. talk to your bank or credit union about financing it for you and search autotrader, craigslist or your local newspapers and see if you have any options there. i prefer vehicles from owners, dealers don't know anything unless it's written on paper. it's easy to find good, honest sellers who want to sell their well maintained car - particularly one this new and nice.

[Twitch de la Brat]

Hi everyone! I hope I'm not breaching forum etiquette here, but I'm looking for help in choosing an outback (or Forester). I've done a bunch of browsing here, learned alot about HG issues and such, but I don't really know what questions to ask when I'm shopping.

 

I need a car to commute in--about 90 miles round trip 5x a week, but that is also good for camping, safe in the snow, etc.

 

I'm looking at dealers so I can finance, and these are the 4 cars I want to look at:

 

2004 2.5L, 110,000 miles, $11,000 dealer asking price

 

Owners unknown as well?

In that case, I would be very wary and check over EVERYTHING.

Esp the head gaskets.

They may have fixed the internal leak, but these ones still seem to leak

externally, so check it over very well.

 

2001 LL Bean H6, 63,000 mi, one owner, $12,000 asking price

 

Now this one actually sounds like a pretty good deal.

It may be a few years older than the rest, but its only a one owner and has

fewer than 70k on it.

But again, scrutinize everything, make sure nothing is hidden.

 

2002 LL Bean H6, 119,000 mi, unknown owners, 11,000

 

If you have the ^^^^ (above) model to choose from, skip this one.

If the other one sells, then it may be a decent deal, but you have the 04 2.5

for the same price and same mileage, and having the 3.0 doesn't make that

much of a difference in price.

 

2002 Forester, 83k mi, one owner, $9,000

 

General advice and questions I should ask would be great!

 

So far, it sounds like the 02 forester is your best bet.

Although it has more miles than the 01 LL Bean, its still a one owner and

about $3k cheaper.

Check the head gasket as soon as you get to the car, as they are still under

the extended warranty.

So if it is leaking, use that as a price reduction, but then take it to your local

Subaru dealership and have it fixed for free

 

Now this advice goes for all the engines, if you hear an odd rapping/knocking

sound coming from the engine, most likely its just piston slap, completely

harmless.

Just sounds really nasty, and again can be used as a price reducer, if the

dealership doesn't know what they're dealing with.

 

If there is ticking coming from the engine bay, on either side of the engine,

its most likely either valve tap, or lifter knock.

That can be easily cleaned up with an engine treatment, just don't tell the

dealership

 

Pull off every engine cover you can get off without major issue, and check

everything underneath them.

This saved my sister's hide on a car, so it may do the same for you.

 

Anyway, I know I'll think up more to have you do, but that's about the jist of

it.

 

Twitch

[Christina23]

Thanks to both of you! Very informative. I am leaning towards the 2001 H6 over the Forester, primarily because I like the way the outbacks look. (My sister is shopping for a Forester though, so maybe she'll want to see this one) Will dealers bargain more if they sell 2 cars at once?

 

All of these cars are actually at Subaru dealers, so I would guess they are in the know about HG leaks, but I will def. check with the Forester if I look at it.

 

I'm always nervous about looking in the engine and whatnot because I don't know what to look for, but this forum has been very informative!

[Christina23]

Oh! I wanted to ask about negotiating. If the car looks/sounds good, how low can I offer without souding like a tire kicker? $1,000 below asking?

[Twitch de la Brat]

Oh! I wanted to ask about negotiating. If the car looks/sounds good, how low can I offer without souding like a tire kicker? $1,000 below asking?

 

Point out faults of the car and mentally tally up price reductions to have them fixed, such as dents, dings, minor issues such as sticky buttons, stains on the

seats, etc.

 

Use those to reduce the price and check on craigslist for similar vehicles in your

area, it may show a trend that the car is worth less than asking price, or

maybe more.

If its worth more than the asking price, have a trained mechanic look the car

over, as there my be some major issues they are trying to hide.

 

Twitch

[johnceggleston]

regarding financing, dealers offer it but my experience has been that the rate is not very good. i would check with a bank or a credit union. you may find a better deal. and then you can negotiata a cash price instead of a "how much do you want to spend a month??'' price.

 

even if you plan on financing it at the dealer, tell them it will be a cash deal until you have settled on a price. then ask about financing.

 

also you can check these pricing websites:

 

for sellers: www.kbb.com

 

 

for buyers: www.edmunds.com

 

and finally, when they turn down your offer, tell them you are going down the street to look at someone else's car and walk away.

Edited July 22, 2010 by johnceggleston

[idosubaru]

asking price will depend on your area and time of year. buying now is good in my area. prices go up...or at least turnover is faster, in winter when folks need 4WD or wreck their cars and need another vehicle immediately and have the insurance company check to make it happen quick.

 

i wouldn't discuss finances, pointless to discuss. focus on the car you want at a reasonable price. financing comes later. cart before the horse puts the game in their ballpark and gives them an advantage. they will try to find out the monthly payment you're after, etc. ignore those requests. they want your money, you want a car. keep the focus on the vehicle and price, not payments or financing.

 

you can use online loan calculators to get some rough payment figures and determine what price-level works for you, seems like you've already done that even. good job!

 

subaruoutback.org is a forum with a lot of newer outback owners. they sometimes discuss pricing, recent purchases, and financing there. might see if anyone has a thread about a vehicle around your year range - i'm pretty sure there are.

[Christina23]

Quick update for those who helped out--I ended up with a 2001 H6 with 77k miles, one owner. Paid 9,610 with a bike rack thrown in. I'm happy with the price--below KBB, very close to Edmunds. There are some scuffs on thw bumper from parking, but outbacks with low miles go quickly in my area (westchester/conneticut).

 

I will look into the bearings and get them replaced asap.

 

Thanks!

 

Christina

[Olnick]

Very good! Sounds nice and I'm sure you're gonna' enjoy it. And if questions come up, don't forget you have friends here!

[KaraK]

Congrats!!

[Cougar]

I think you will like the car. My son recently purchased a '03 H6 LL Bean Outback. He had a '00 Outback before it. It seems strange but his insurance rate actually dropped around 600 dollars per year for the same coverage with the newer car.