Hi all, just was wondering if anyone has any recent STi shopping experiences to help me out. Dealer offered me $13,000 for my 02 WRX (which is on the low side of what edmunds.com says is trade value for it). They offered the STi to me for $31,700, which is $196 below invoice as it is equipped with short throw shifter, boost gauge, blue carpeted mats, auto dimming mirror with homelink, wheel locks, and security system upgrade. I am thinking that since every dealership in my area still has 05 STi's, I should be able to squeeze at least an extra $1000 out of the dealership. Am I dreaming on this one? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

its a pretty good deal like that but there isnt any harm in trying....

I got my STi 31,300.Here is CA the STi invoice price is 31,600

1,000 might be pushing it, but give it a shot.

Went to my dealership yesterday, they said they are almost sold out of 05 STi's. The demand is really high right now.
Apparently people don't like the 06 or something.

Im not sure how you are financing, but if possible, walk in there with a check for 30K. They should bite.

DONT DO IT....they will tell you anything to get you to think thats a "good deal". I paid 29800 when they first came out and selling for 3-4K over invoice. you need to haggle and tell them that I could get a 06' for that. they will give you a good deal once you tell them that you know the will be leftovers in a couple months.

They offered the STi to me for $31,700, which is $196 below invoice I came up with $31,643 + $575 destination = $32,218 invoice with your options.

If you want the '05, wait another 30-90 days and maybe you can pick one up around $30,000. Use the time until then to sell your car privately for more $$.

If you can't wait, go in with your highest number in mind (say, $31,000), financing/cash in hand and make 'em an offer. If they don't want to do the deal tell them that's fine, you'll find someone that does. Do not allow them to keep you in the dealership more than 30 minutes before accepting your offer or making a counter-offer.

Do not allow them to keep you in the dealership more than 30 minutes before accepting your offer or making a counter-offer.


+123456789 go in there knowing how much you are willing to pay and dont go a penny over.......the trick is to let them know (and yourself) that you dont NEED the car............

like someone else said, the '05s are going fast

obviously, haggle with the guy, but in 2 weeks, that car might not be there anymore

like someone else said, the '05s are going fast

obviously, haggle with the guy, but in 2 weeks, that car might not be there anymore


True.. there isn't any on our lot here, and I tried to do a dealer locate for someone and didn't find a blue w/silver wheels in our region!

the most important thing is what color do you want? WRB was it?

Well they arent as rare as some colors so that gives you leverage. But other colors like white and CGM are so rare and hard to get dealerships just dont want to haggle. I got my white/silver STi for $31,111 with autodim mirror, short throw, and security upgrade. I tried to get them into the 29,900 range but out of the 7 dealerships I located NONE were willing to do that. Dealerships have a list of all the cars available on every lot in every state. They know what other dealers are charging.

I highly doubt you will get that car for $30,700. However, if you can get another dealership or online place to offer you less than $31,700, such as fitzmall.com....then you have infinite leverage because they dont want to lose the sale to another suby dealership.

Ok im done Goodluck.

The one I am looking at is CGM, there are still a couple of them in this area and there are a ton of black ones around, but I don't really want a black one. I told the salesman that I would be back out there on Monday (today). I am going to call him and tell him that if he wants me to come back he is going to have to sweeten the deal by $1000, or else I will try to deal elsewhere. I am curious to see what his counter offer is...if anything. As far as I am concerned, they need my money worse than I need this car.

BTW thanks for all of the input so far

Hey Phil Jr., they already offered it to me for $31,700, so I know I could get it for that.

I was going to say make sure that both sides of the deal seem fair as if they are going below invoice to sell the car to you, I suspected that they were screwing you on the trade, but the Kelly trade value for a car of your vintage seems about right.

Deal sounds reasonable to me, although there's no harm in trying to get it lower! Good luck.

That is a great deal considering how hard the 05's are now becoming to find. My best friend was a sales man for Suby here in Maryland and he got me my 2005 2 months ago for that same price. I was very very happy! Most of them here sell for sticker because the dealers can get that....

update (just in case anyone cares). Salesman called me and I basically told him he had to squeeze $800 more out this deal some how (I know I said I was trying for $1000, but I do not think I'll even get the $800). I told him this was pretty much take it or leave it. I WANT the STi, but at the same time I do not NEED to get it. Hopefully, it will all work out for the best.

Thanks again for all of the input.

Good work bud. My brother sells cars. He hates people like you. He'd rather have someone who's gagga over the car and isn't using their head. They are eaaaaaasssy money! And he lieks teh ezee $$ omg!

Hey Phil Jr., they already offered it to me for $31,700, so I know I could get it for that.

sorry man that was a typo, I meant $30,700.

Good work bud. My brother sells cars. He hates people like you. He'd rather have someone who's gagga over the car and isn't using their head. They are eaaaaaasssy money! And he lieks teh ezee $$ omg!

Yea thats so true. One salesman looked like he was going to punch me when I said "match the other guys or I am walking, I wont pay extra for options I dont want". :lol: Meh, sucks for them.

I just came back from a dealer and the sales person refused an offer under invoice. I was thinking I could pricematch the ads $29.3k of another local dealer, but invoice was the lowest he would go. :(

if possible, walk in there with a check for 30K. They should bite.

Works every time. :banana:

Sell your car privately. I got almost $2k more than the dealer wanted to give me for a trade, and I didn't really hardball the buyer...sold my Mazda in 3 days on Autotrader.

Bought my brand new white/silver 05' STI for $29,400 with floormats, none of the other crap that gets tacked on. Also got 2.9% for 3 years, or 1.9% for 2 years.

The Schaumburg Subaru Illinois dealer had 27 (not a typo) on the lot. Now my buying experience with them was horrific...lets just say it's good be a lawyer when dealers try to do stupid things. That said, the deal was quite good.

One final note on trade-in of cars. Remember you have to pay sales tax on that new car...so getting perhaps 2k less thru a dealer trade in can often be almost a wash, when you would have to cough up an extra 1500-2000 in sales tax that you eliminate on the trade-in, because you pay the tax on the difference between the trade-in and the purchase price.

That, coupled with the headache of getting the run-around from lowballing people, makes it pretty attractive to trade-in...i figure it only cost me a few hundred at most and saved me lots of irritation and hassle. YMMV.

Cheers,
Sameer

I just came back from a dealer and the sales person refused an offer under invoice. I was thinking I could pricematch the ads $29.3k of another local dealer, but invoice was the lowest he would go. :(

well yep, CGM is a rare color. There are plenty of people who will buy it for invoice or a little over. You dont have much leverage. Maybe when the 06s come out and there is still no buyer for that STi they will be willing to bargain. ALSO, twice I have walked out of dealerships after they wont give me the price I want and each time they have called back a few days later. You did good walking because that lets the dealers know you dont NEED the car. Wait to see if they call you back and in the meantime talk with other dealerships.

edit: dont bother with trading your old car in. Dealerships have NO CLUE about the used car market. One guy told me I should not be asking any less than $24,000 for my modded 05 with 8k miles.... :lol:

Bought my brand new white/silver 05' STI for $29,400 with floormats, none of the other crap that gets tacked on. Also got 2.9% for 3 years, or 1.9% for 2 years.

The Schaumburg Subaru Illinois dealer had 27 (not a typo) on the lot. Now my buying experience with them was horrific...lets just say it's good be a lawyer when dealers try to do stupid things. That said, the deal was quite good.

One final note on trade-in of cars. Remember you have to pay sales tax on that new car...so getting perhaps 2k less thru a dealer trade in can often be almost a wash, when you would have to cough up an extra 1500-2000 in sales tax that you eliminate on the trade-in, because you pay the tax on the difference between the trade-in and the purchase price.

That, coupled with the headache of getting the run-around from lowballing people, makes it pretty attractive to trade-in...i figure it only cost me a few hundred at most and saved me lots of irritation and hassle. YMMV.

Cheers,
Sameer

Not if you get the dealer to do the private sale paperwork for you, called a courtesy trade, and get the tax saving AND the extra money from the private sale.

Hang tight and buy a used one in a few months.

Since you guys have been so helpful I thought you might like another update. The latest offer from the dealer is $31,500 for the STi and $13,250 for my WRX. ($200 less for the STI and $250 more for my car). I told him that even though this is better, it is still not the deal I wanted. I bet if sweat them out for a few weeks they will cough up the other $350 that I asked for this morning. I might lose out on the car, but at least I won't be going down without a fight.

p.s. I forgot to mention that they also threw in free lifetime oil changes. I don't really see this as a big deal, but I guess it is cool.

hmm, they have already budged....it would unlikely they do it again. I would jump now but thats just me. If you really dont need or want the car that much then wait it out. Maybe ask for an option you want?

i'm curious how many miles your WRX has, and what condition it is in.
thanks,
~B

I paid 30,500 for my 05 a month ago.

After adding factory security upgrade, wheel locks and Clearbra, it was 31,296.
COnsidering that the short shifter itself is a couple hundred dollar upgrade, floormats are like 70, and the dimming mirror is IIRC like 150, I think 31,7k is a GREAT price, and you are smoking crack if you think you are getting another grand off that.

IF they do give you that 350, they will probably take away the oil changes, which i easily consider worth that much. If you got it changed for 20 bucks every 3k for 100k u would spend $666 before tax. Put that together with the fact that i live in apts, and that annoying peice of plastic u have to take of to change the oil, and i would just go for the deal u have right now. unless you are realy willing to wait, and go through all this again at the end of the year for one that is the wrong color and probably has 200 miles on it.

I was patient enouch to shop for like a year, and when i finaly got my 04 wrx wagon in october, i got a great deal on it. 21k otd. w/ sub and mirror :disco:

I paid 30,500 for my 05 a month ago.

After adding factory security upgrade, wheel locks and Clearbra, it was 31,296.
COnsidering that the short shifter itself is a couple hundred dollar upgrade, floormats are like 70, and the dimming mirror is IIRC like 150, I think 31,7k is a GREAT price, and you are smoking crack if you think you are getting another grand off that.


Already got another $450 without really trying!

wow, you are dealing with some desperate salemen....is the guy`s name Gill?

anyway good job

Update!

I've gotten another $250 out of them. Hmmm...interesting...that is $700 total that they have "found" since I was at the dealership and they told me that they were "out of money" on the deal. Can't wait to see what the last day of the month might bring.

got my black one for 29,999 two days ago

You could def. get it for cheaper. Call another dealership and ask what they will give you the same car for. Really, 1k under invoice would probably be the most i'd pay with the '06's already hitting the dealerships.

I've seen $1200+ plus show up in a matter of days on two occasions... don't pay more than 1k under invoice...u might as well wait a month and get an '06 (assuming u like the styling) for the same price.