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I have a relative who is interested in my car. (14 impreza) When we were at one dealer, out of curiousity, we asked what they'd give for the car. He didn't even look it. Said that in spite of the very low mileage, they'd just send the car to auction. I was surprised by that. The car is in excellent condition and has very low mileage. It would be an easy sale for them.
 
Hi Forester Forums, just got the following pricing breakdown for a 2024 Forester Base (HBP):

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  1. Is this a good OTD pricing, or should I even ask for more discount with the 2025 models set to arrive soon (dealer said June/July)? This includes Costco pricing discount (+$500 above dealer invoice of $27091).
  2. Is the price for dealer options (tint, door guards, & fixed crossbar) worth the cost ($579), or can I get those much less 3rd party? I was possibly looking into the OP02 package (allow wheels & roof rails), but that's only available on a direct-from-factory build. How does the fixed crossbar set (capacity 150lbs) compare with other manufacturers?
  3. Any functional differences between stock steel wheels & OP02 alloy wheels, ie. with weight, handling, quality? Or is the difference mostly/purely cosmetic? I read that steel wheels are heavier, which may affect mileage/unsprung weight, but cheaper to replace, however I can't see how alloy wheels part of $625 OP02 pkg could be much lighter.
Thank you.
 
Howdy folks,

Newbie here, although not new to Subaru. I had a 2017 WRX, owned it since new and sold it about 2 years ago. I then shared a car with my fiance for awhile since we both worked from home, but with her going back to the office full time now, the time came for me to get a car of my own once again.

I recently (yesterday, actually!) purchased a CPO 2024 Forester Touring with 6K on the odometer for $32.7K not including taxes/fees. Originally I was looking at older current-gen Foresters, pre-facelift 2019-2021 models. My two "must haves" were leather interior and the upgraded HK audio system, since I knew from my experience in the WRX that the standard sound system in any Subaru is atrocious. That limited (no pun intended) my trim options to Limited (which I'd have to check to see if it also had the upgrade package) or Touring. I spent the last 3-4 months or so looking at listings on a regular basis. Generally speaking, I was seeing prices of around $27-29K for a Limited (+upgrade)/Touring model, with miles ranging from 30-50K.

I came across the 2024 Touring that I eventually bought and to me it seemed like the additional cost was worth it. Essentially another $4K give or take on top of what I would have spent for an older model, but with significantly fewer miles and longer warranty period remaining. At one point I thought about just buying a brand new one but there is almost zero inventory near me. The one Touring that I could find had an MSRP of $40K and I doubt I would have been able to negotiate it anywhere close to $32.7, and it would have only come with the standard 5 year/60K powertrain warranty vs. the 7 year/100K that I got. 6K miles is basically a brand new car to me and I am pretty satisfied with my purchase. I also got the exact color that I wanted (CWP) which I'm happy about as it seems like the white ones get snatched up pretty quickly.

Also, with the 2025s starting to arrive on dealer lots, I did not want to gamble too much by waiting longer to try to squeeze out a better deal vs. missing out on the current gen altogether. I am not a fan of the 2025 model and I know a lot of Subaru fans feel the same way. In typical fashion, Memorial Day Weekend seems to have been a good weekend for car sales. I saved 8 used Foresters last week and 4 of them were sold over the weekend.
 
2024 new Wilderness with options 22 and wilderness package. MSRP: $39, 668 Dealer's price $35,111. Taxes and fees on top of that brings me to 39K and some change. Very few wilderness trims in the SE. They seem to be selling fast. No one has any 2025s yet, all coming next week. Happy with my new vehicle, the price, and not having to wait. And yeah, that hood sticker is coming off. :)
 
Please stop listing Taxes and fee's everybody. , there are hundreds of variations and it just complicates trying to figure out what Discounts people are receiving. Used cars should also not be mentioned either as each one is a unique situation, even if it's a CPO. Responses should only be 3 sentences long at most to help those trying to compare.
 
Times sure have changed since Corona. When I researched our 2019 Sport there were long threads of prices paid for both Outbacks and Foresters. The bottom line is Invoice cost. There are several places that list MSRP/Invoice for all trims and accessories. You should be shooting for below Invoice not MSRP. Out the Door price is useless for comparison. Sales tax can vary by 10% depending in your state/county. The only way to do comparisons is line item MSRP versus Invoice for trim level, factory packages and accessories added. Leave out all dealer pack, add-on's and doc fees.
Use the factory window sticker for reference. Any printed out listings the dealer uses is meant to look official but is pure sales BS.

I admit I have not hard priced any Forester's since 2021. Things have changed. Corona, supply shortages and interest rates all have warped pricing. I might get blown out of the water but I would go in with the extensive thread knowledge from 2019. $500 under invoice is a deal. $1000 under is a good deal. $1500 under is a great deal. $2000 is a monster. Disclaimer I've never been able to get the monster deal.😁 Also get Gold plan 10yr/100k miles/$0 ded under $2k. As always YMMV.
 
As of a few days ago none of the four St. Louis area dealers were showing any FWs either on the lot or in transit. My dealer now has two, their sister dealer has five, the other two have seven and five each in transit. None have window stickers available which generally means they're still on the boat.

The funny thing is, all 19 of these cars at all four dealers have the same MSRP - $39280.

UPDATE - Finding more FWs in transit to Marion, Springfield and Peoria IL, all $39280.

I looked at Bloomington, Champaign and a couple of Chicago area dealers and they all have FWs in transit at a slightly different price than downstate or in STL, but all the cars in Bloomington, Champaign and Chicago were priced and equipped the same.
 
Also, none of these FWs have the HK/nav/power gate option package and none are in any of the Wilderness-only colors like Geyser Blue.
When I was shopping around back in June $39ish MSRP definitely included the Option 22 upgrade. Did the MSRP go up recently due to availability? That’s almost exactly what I paid and I got the upgrade plus a good amount of other accessories.
 
I know it's basically the end of the 2024s but FWIW, I was able to broker a deal on a remaining 2024 Forester Premium (no options, a few accessories) for $29.9k against a MSRP of $32.6k. Add in $500 for doc fee plus tax and registration. I was able to use a $500 SoA customer loyalty coupon as well. Best deal of all the dealers I tried for a remaining 2024 while being surrounded by a sea of 2025s.
 
Hey everyone,

New here and excited to be part of this community! I’m a first-time car buyer and found an autumn Forester Wilderness at my local dealer. It’s got option package 22, dimming mirrors, LED door projector, and LED upgrade. The sticker price is $38,876, with an MSRP of $34,920. They’ve offered it to me for $32k, and I’m wondering if I can negotiate down to $30k.

I’ve done some research, but I’d love advice (and maybe some validation 😅) from you all before I go back to buy.

Here are my questions:
  1. Is $30k out-the-door for a 2024 Forester Wilderness with under 100 miles a fair deal, good deal, or a steal? My wife thinks we can get it to $28k.
  2. Are there any deals or coupons I should be aware of? The dealer seemed desperate to sell, and it feels like Subaru wants to clear inventory before year-end.
  3. Should I wait for December to buy, or is now the best time in 2024?
  4. Any important car-buying factors I should be wary of?
  5. Any tips or experiences to help me avoid mistakes?
A bit about my current situation: If I buy the car now, I can put a $15k down payment and finance the rest. I’m unsure if it’s better to go with the dealer or a bank, but I’m leaning towards whoever offers the better interest rate. If I wait until December, I can put down $20k and finance the rest. I can also make extra payments on the loan and aim to pay it off early.

Thanks so much for your help!
 
Can't tell from your post if you assume that between now and December nobody else will buy it and that's a risk you're willing to take. Could also look at buying now and paying down the loan by whatever amount in December.
 
Will the Wilderness even be available in December? At some point they're going to stop building the SK and convert Yajima over to building the SL for the rest of the world, followed by North American market Forester and Outback production trading places for MY26.

If you really want a Wilderness, buy now.
 
Don’t forget to check the title on the car for any hidden surprises.
 
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They’ve offered it to me for $32k, and I’m wondering if I can negotiate down to $30k.
You never know until you try, but you might get it down to $30K.
Take a look at this MSRP Invoice price list.
There are not a lot of those cars left, so don't count on it sitting in the lot for long. It may already be gone.

I’m unsure if it’s better to go with the dealer or a bank, but I’m leaning towards whoever offers the better interest rate.
Other than an interest rate, what criteria do you have?
Check out financing BEFORE you make an offer, and see if they can beat that at the time of sale.
Note that finance shenanigans can turn a great deal into a poor one.
Credit unions are usually the best deals unless there is any kind of incentive program.
Good luck.
 
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