'04 WRX Price...?
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Posts: n/a
'04 WRX Price...?
Okay, I see discussion where people are buying new 04 WRXs for well under 26k. Some are factoring in trade-ins; others speak nothing of having a trade in.
I am wondering, how do you manage to get a deal like 23.8 for a new WRX?! I live in Maryland and I know it's kinda supply & demand, but still! But if people are getting low prices like that with few mods, the WRX I want would be around (if not under) 25. (It's currently around 28.)
Please enlighten me.
FYI--Options are: Premium Package, Wheel Locks, Rubber Floor Mats, Security Upgrade, Air Filtration System, Auto-Dimming Mirror/Compass, and Performance Guage Pack - Turbo.
At least give me some prices I should expect (and what options I would *need* to some extent or don't).
I am wondering, how do you manage to get a deal like 23.8 for a new WRX?! I live in Maryland and I know it's kinda supply & demand, but still! But if people are getting low prices like that with few mods, the WRX I want would be around (if not under) 25. (It's currently around 28.)
Please enlighten me.
FYI--Options are: Premium Package, Wheel Locks, Rubber Floor Mats, Security Upgrade, Air Filtration System, Auto-Dimming Mirror/Compass, and Performance Guage Pack - Turbo.
At least give me some prices I should expect (and what options I would *need* to some extent or don't).
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 119
From: mpls, mn
Car Info: 04 wrx sedan
shop around. and you don't really need to load up on every options listed, surely? do you need wheel locks for oem wheels? i got rubber mats, along with my 1000 mile oil change, for free (my salesperson rocks.)
i find that more often than not, the wrx in the lot already have some sort of options installed, especially the spoiler, boost guage, and mirror/compass. and that can be your advantage. you can say "oh, i don't need this boost guage, otherwise i am ready to buy" and the salesperson may just go "well, i won't charge you for it, then." - your mileage may vary. it maybe less of a hassle for them to not charge you for the cheaper options than to locate the car with your spec. like i said, shop around. it's a big purchase.
that said, in hindsight, i wish i'd gotten the premium package, minus the spolier. sunroof and heated mirrors would have been oh-so-nice. i got my 04 sedan with boost guage, mirror, and armrest extension for $22.7k. with extended warranty and all the other crap, i drove off about $25.5k poorer.
i find that more often than not, the wrx in the lot already have some sort of options installed, especially the spoiler, boost guage, and mirror/compass. and that can be your advantage. you can say "oh, i don't need this boost guage, otherwise i am ready to buy" and the salesperson may just go "well, i won't charge you for it, then." - your mileage may vary. it maybe less of a hassle for them to not charge you for the cheaper options than to locate the car with your spec. like i said, shop around. it's a big purchase.
that said, in hindsight, i wish i'd gotten the premium package, minus the spolier. sunroof and heated mirrors would have been oh-so-nice. i got my 04 sedan with boost guage, mirror, and armrest extension for $22.7k. with extended warranty and all the other crap, i drove off about $25.5k poorer.
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To be honest, there was on that I drove that I would have bought; it had the premium package, turbo gauge, and like one or two other mods.
Do you think I really need all three gauges? I don't... especially cause I don't know how to read any of them. I don't really need the fancy mirror with compass either. I guess I don't need the wheel locks; I can wait until I get some new wheels.
I think I'll look for a car on-lot that has at least the Premium Package, Turbo Gauge, and Air Filtration, (and probably Security Upgrade--most of them around here have that anyway) because when push-comes-to-shove, that's all I really need.
But these prices seem so low... it's kinda wierd. I know of at least 2 other dealerships I should checkout. I just hope they don't try to pressure me to buy right away--my parents aren't ready yet.
Do you think I should really consider over the summer? Or wait until the winter? Is there a certain time of year that seems to be the best for car shopping? (It's entirely possible I'll be looking at 05s next year for a serious purchase, because I'll have my scholarship and college info all together.)
Do you think I really need all three gauges? I don't... especially cause I don't know how to read any of them. I don't really need the fancy mirror with compass either. I guess I don't need the wheel locks; I can wait until I get some new wheels.
I think I'll look for a car on-lot that has at least the Premium Package, Turbo Gauge, and Air Filtration, (and probably Security Upgrade--most of them around here have that anyway) because when push-comes-to-shove, that's all I really need.
But these prices seem so low... it's kinda wierd. I know of at least 2 other dealerships I should checkout. I just hope they don't try to pressure me to buy right away--my parents aren't ready yet.
Do you think I should really consider over the summer? Or wait until the winter? Is there a certain time of year that seems to be the best for car shopping? (It's entirely possible I'll be looking at 05s next year for a serious purchase, because I'll have my scholarship and college info all together.)
Last edited by Kaeden; Jan 29, 2004 at 09:53 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 582
From: Sacramento Area
Car Info: MY04 WRX
MY04 BUYING EXPERIENCE & ADVICE PART 1
I am sure that you have all heard this before but hopefully this guide will help you make informed decisions in buying your new car (or maybe your FIRST new car like me) but do all the research before you are ready to buy. Know exactly what you want. Go to some dealers in advance and test drive the cars without having any intention of buying (don't get sucked in). When you know you are absolutely ready to buy call up the dealership and ask for the "Internet Sales Manager" or the "Fleet Sales Manager". These are the guys that will be able to give you a good price on the car. They are not usually scummy sales people and I don't believe they work on commission. When you talk to these people they will give you a good price because they don't have to pay a sales person to "sell you the car".
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 582
From: Sacramento Area
Car Info: MY04 WRX
MY04 BUYING EXPERIENCE & ADVICE PART 2 (GUIDE)
Sorry, the whole guide was too long to fit in one post so here is the real meat of it!.... Enjoy.
In my case I did all the research and really wanted to buy in Sept of last year. My girlfriend calmed me and told me to wait. I kept on any specials that were listed and also kept a weekly tally of which of the 4 dealers near me had what I wanted in stock. When I found out that there was 1.9% APR I decided the financing made it the right time to buy because I would save on financing the car. My best advice is to use a financial calculator to help you see how much you would save with down payments etc. I used http://www.bankrate.com/gookeyword/a...calculator.asp to do my research and that helped me see that there was a difference of 1000 dollars between financing offers. I figured that I could make a 5000 dollar down payment without breaking the bank and it would keep my monthly payments within reason. I then checked my credit to find out it was good enough to qualify for the 1.9 financing. I also found out that SOA has a college grad program which automatically approves you for any special offers available (with decent credit and within 1 calendar year of graduation, before or after I believe). At this point I knew everything was settled and all I needed to know was which dealer I wanted to buy from. I called up 3 dealers and told them, "Hi, may I speak to the internet sales manager" when they get on the phone I say “Hi, my name is ____ and I have done all the research and know that I am ready to buy a WRX and am now looking for the dealership to purchase from. I am looking for the dealer that can give me the right price and great service. My time frame is to buy the car by next Saturday (which was the truth, I knew I was buying Saturday no questions asked)”. At this point they will probably tell you that they are the dealership for you. They may offer you a price right up front. Every dealership I called offered me invoice with no hassle. This was great. Since you have kept up with their stock online you will also be able to give them the VIN number of the exact car you want and ask them to see if it is in stock. If it is, good, if not try another dealership. If they have it in stock ask them to tell you exactly what the price will be. At this point I suggest telling them thank you and you want to think about it and you will call them back. Now you can start calling the other dealers and telling them that such dealership offered you ____ for the car and can they match it. Be careful when you call the sales manager and ask for their price because they may instead say (and they did this to me) “Well, how low do we need to go for you to purchase the car”. This caught me off guard and I was no longer in control. I hadn’t expected this and didn’t know how low I should go so I told him the invoice price of 24,384 (Premium package, no other options). He said DONE. This freaked me out because I knew at this point I could have gone lower. I was lucky though because when I told him I would call him back he said ok how about 23,784. WOW! I now knew which dealer would give me the best price (be careful though because unless you get the price quote in writing, and I suggest you do, they may not honor it when you walk in). The sales manager now wanted me to make a 500 dollar payment to hold the car. My advice is don’t get caught up in this because once they have your money and you come in and they offer you the wrong price you have to haggle for hours just to get your money back!!! I told the guy that “I will come in on Saturday to purchase the car; if it is not there then I will have to go elsewhere.” You can almost bet the car will still be there on Saturday otherwise you may have to go to another dealership. My car was there. The first thing I did that Saturday morning when I walked in to the dealership was make sure that the car was indeed there, it had no miles on it (11 miles is ok because there is mileage from going on the boat, off the boat, on the trailer, off the trailer, to the lot etc. but don’t buy with many more miles that that otherwise it may have been test driven by someone else. All the other cars there had exactly 11 miles so I knew I was safe) and that the price they quoted me would be honored. From there everything was good. I just had to sign the papers! I hope this helps others get the best deal on their new Subaru. Dealing with car dealerships can be tricky but if you follow this guide you should be able to hold all the cards. You want to make sure that you are the one always in control.
The bottom line:
MY04 Silver WRX with Premium package $23,784 + TAX, TITLE, LICENSE = $25,998
MSRP = $26,525
SAVINGS OUT THE DOOR= 527 (Which is killer!)
FINANCING OVER THE TOTAL 5 YEAR TERM = ~ $1000
FINAL COST IN 5 YEARS (when it is paid off) = $27,998
Lots of people forget that finacing will cost you too!
In my case I did all the research and really wanted to buy in Sept of last year. My girlfriend calmed me and told me to wait. I kept on any specials that were listed and also kept a weekly tally of which of the 4 dealers near me had what I wanted in stock. When I found out that there was 1.9% APR I decided the financing made it the right time to buy because I would save on financing the car. My best advice is to use a financial calculator to help you see how much you would save with down payments etc. I used http://www.bankrate.com/gookeyword/a...calculator.asp to do my research and that helped me see that there was a difference of 1000 dollars between financing offers. I figured that I could make a 5000 dollar down payment without breaking the bank and it would keep my monthly payments within reason. I then checked my credit to find out it was good enough to qualify for the 1.9 financing. I also found out that SOA has a college grad program which automatically approves you for any special offers available (with decent credit and within 1 calendar year of graduation, before or after I believe). At this point I knew everything was settled and all I needed to know was which dealer I wanted to buy from. I called up 3 dealers and told them, "Hi, may I speak to the internet sales manager" when they get on the phone I say “Hi, my name is ____ and I have done all the research and know that I am ready to buy a WRX and am now looking for the dealership to purchase from. I am looking for the dealer that can give me the right price and great service. My time frame is to buy the car by next Saturday (which was the truth, I knew I was buying Saturday no questions asked)”. At this point they will probably tell you that they are the dealership for you. They may offer you a price right up front. Every dealership I called offered me invoice with no hassle. This was great. Since you have kept up with their stock online you will also be able to give them the VIN number of the exact car you want and ask them to see if it is in stock. If it is, good, if not try another dealership. If they have it in stock ask them to tell you exactly what the price will be. At this point I suggest telling them thank you and you want to think about it and you will call them back. Now you can start calling the other dealers and telling them that such dealership offered you ____ for the car and can they match it. Be careful when you call the sales manager and ask for their price because they may instead say (and they did this to me) “Well, how low do we need to go for you to purchase the car”. This caught me off guard and I was no longer in control. I hadn’t expected this and didn’t know how low I should go so I told him the invoice price of 24,384 (Premium package, no other options). He said DONE. This freaked me out because I knew at this point I could have gone lower. I was lucky though because when I told him I would call him back he said ok how about 23,784. WOW! I now knew which dealer would give me the best price (be careful though because unless you get the price quote in writing, and I suggest you do, they may not honor it when you walk in). The sales manager now wanted me to make a 500 dollar payment to hold the car. My advice is don’t get caught up in this because once they have your money and you come in and they offer you the wrong price you have to haggle for hours just to get your money back!!! I told the guy that “I will come in on Saturday to purchase the car; if it is not there then I will have to go elsewhere.” You can almost bet the car will still be there on Saturday otherwise you may have to go to another dealership. My car was there. The first thing I did that Saturday morning when I walked in to the dealership was make sure that the car was indeed there, it had no miles on it (11 miles is ok because there is mileage from going on the boat, off the boat, on the trailer, off the trailer, to the lot etc. but don’t buy with many more miles that that otherwise it may have been test driven by someone else. All the other cars there had exactly 11 miles so I knew I was safe) and that the price they quoted me would be honored. From there everything was good. I just had to sign the papers! I hope this helps others get the best deal on their new Subaru. Dealing with car dealerships can be tricky but if you follow this guide you should be able to hold all the cards. You want to make sure that you are the one always in control.
The bottom line:
MY04 Silver WRX with Premium package $23,784 + TAX, TITLE, LICENSE = $25,998
MSRP = $26,525
SAVINGS OUT THE DOOR= 527 (Which is killer!)
FINANCING OVER THE TOTAL 5 YEAR TERM = ~ $1000
FINAL COST IN 5 YEARS (when it is paid off) = $27,998
Lots of people forget that finacing will cost you too!
Guest
Posts: n/a
Do your research! Get quotes (in writing, preferably) from multiple dealers. Find out invoice prices.
If you go on the lot, test drive, etc... and walk away without a car, they get nothing and just wasted time and money on you
They WANT to sell you the car. You have the money that they would love to take from you.
Be careful if they ask how low you'll go... that's not a good question to answer early on. If you respond w/ something higher than what they're willing to drop to, you just lost out on some. Just answer with that you're looking for the best deal, but keep in your head a target price.
Negotiate the cost of the car first (w/out financing in mind). They'll often try and play the payments game, but don't fall into that trap. Only once you get your low price, discuss how you'd like to finance it. Check out special offers too like cash back.
I could have maybe gotten a little better of a deal, but w/ spoiler I picked up my 04 sedan for $22.7k + TAX, TITLE, LICENSE. didn't want to get too greedy but toss in the 3.9% financing over 5 years and i'm a happy camper.
If you go on the lot, test drive, etc... and walk away without a car, they get nothing and just wasted time and money on you
They WANT to sell you the car. You have the money that they would love to take from you.Be careful if they ask how low you'll go... that's not a good question to answer early on. If you respond w/ something higher than what they're willing to drop to, you just lost out on some. Just answer with that you're looking for the best deal, but keep in your head a target price.
Negotiate the cost of the car first (w/out financing in mind). They'll often try and play the payments game, but don't fall into that trap. Only once you get your low price, discuss how you'd like to finance it. Check out special offers too like cash back.
I could have maybe gotten a little better of a deal, but w/ spoiler I picked up my 04 sedan for $22.7k + TAX, TITLE, LICENSE. didn't want to get too greedy but toss in the 3.9% financing over 5 years and i'm a happy camper.
Guest
Posts: n/a
One thing you want to do when you go in for a visit is call first. I have found a huge difference in the way people treat you if you just walk in vs setting up an appointment to walk in. They will know you are interested in buying when you call in. If you can get a price over the phone you are doing great! I had a difficult time getting the people on the phone to tell me a price he just told me to come in for a great price. I went in and go figure, I had an awesome sales experience and I did get a great price. Much lower than i expected to get walking in.
I agree that was a good guide though and I definitely learned other things I could have done. Anyways, I wish you the best of luck on your purchase and hope you have a good experience.
I agree that was a good guide though and I definitely learned other things I could have done. Anyways, I wish you the best of luck on your purchase and hope you have a good experience.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 66
From: UPSTATE NY
Car Info: 2.2L WITH STAGE 2 FORCED INDUCTION
hey all, i just purchased a 04 wrx in upstate ny(economy sucks)for 21,522 and that was with getting the dealer to pick up half the sales tax. i drove out of my home town about an hour to get to this dealership. they beat my local dealer by almost 3500$$ it pays to shop around. anyone in the market for a wrx check out bill rapp subaru in syracuse ny. on top of that one of my crew picked up a 2002 wrx about a week later for 17000. only had 19,200 miles and was mint! it made a nice impression to deal with these people! i was on the lot for almost 1 hour , no hastles, no sales guys up my butt... you get my point.
good luck and good hunting.
good luck and good hunting.
here's one on your area.
www.fitzmall.com check the prices, no haggle. if you want to haggle, here's all you need to know: invoice - current incentive ($750 cashback) + 1.9% financing. thanks me later. =)
www.fitzmall.com check the prices, no haggle. if you want to haggle, here's all you need to know: invoice - current incentive ($750 cashback) + 1.9% financing. thanks me later. =)
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 83
From: portland, or
Car Info: 2004 wrx wagon
fyi...
There is also $500 factory to dealer incentive running right now along with the 750 buyer cash. Depends on the dealer, but you might get a piece of that.
Also, I don't think you can get the 1.9% financing AND the $750, can you?
I'm about a week away from going through all this, so I hope I'm up to date...let me know if not.
Also, I don't think you can get the 1.9% financing AND the $750, can you?
I'm about a week away from going through all this, so I hope I'm up to date...let me know if not.
I got my 03' WRX w/ ArmRest Extension, short-throw shifter, Boost Guage and Spoiler for $22,700 
its MSRP was $26k
I did this by going through the Subaru VIP membership program, and would suggest anyone to do this. I did it by joining the IMBA for 6 months ($20 donation to join for year) and then qaulifed for the VIP Program
Spent $20, saved $3,300
I think I made out
its MSRP was $26kI did this by going through the Subaru VIP membership program, and would suggest anyone to do this. I did it by joining the IMBA for 6 months ($20 donation to join for year) and then qaulifed for the VIP Program
Spent $20, saved $3,300
I think I made out
http://www.xcskiworld.com
http://www.xcskiworld.com/axcs/axcs_VIP.htm#elig
there is one club that offers VIP memebership as a benefit.
http://www.xcskiworld.com/axcs/axcs_VIP.htm#elig
there is one club that offers VIP memebership as a benefit.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 119
From: mpls, mn
Car Info: 04 wrx sedan
i don't know, man. anyone paying the actual msrp has been pretty much ripped off and clearly didn't do their homework and shop around. the price you paid is the invoice price, so there wasn't really any real saving or discount from subaru of america.
that said, it was a good price with all those options
that said, it was a good price with all those options