Expect to be played still, in the car buying experience

I am still looking for a new car, but the recent experience looking for a new car, a Subaru Outback to be specific, was not a good one.

I came into the search with the following assumptions, naive maybe, but here goes:

1. Expect to pay MSRP, well, that would make your life easier wouldn’t it, no need to haggle, no need to spent hours at the dealership
2. Go on the Subaru website, configure a build exactly as you want, and wait for its delivery
3. I don’t mind waiting many months for the car to be built and delivered.

I just want the car with the spec I picked, at the price quoted on the website. Simple, right? I like the new car sale model where you don’t have to go through the dealership (such an obsolete model this day and age IMO, but I digress).

So, that’s what I did. I wanted an Outback Wilderness with no package, and the only options I wanted were a wireless charger, a rear seat back protector, and a tow hitch. All are listed on the website as installed at port as opposed to dealer-installed, except for the seat back protector. And Subaru keeps it simple, with just one package (designated as Package 22) which adds moonroof and a navigation system, both I don’t need.

Once I had my build, I had to submit it to a local dealership. I submitted to 2 separate dealers.

First disappointment

both dealers returned to me saying that these options are dealer-installed, not pre-installed at port. First red flag. This was the first discrepancy between what the Subaru website presented, and the fact on the ground.

Second disappointment

And this was a big one: the price they quoted, and they emphasized that these prices came from their “internal” (read: what consumers don’t see) direct Subaru dealer configuration website, were all higher than the listed price on Subaru website.

• wireless charger: $341 instead of $292
• rear seat back protector: $152 instead of $122
• tow hitch and fascia: $1,331.17 instead of $690