So I'm helping a friend buy a Subaru Outback. We found an 01 Limited Wagon up in Sacremento listed at ~$12K with 86K miles, yet KBB lists the dealer price at $15.3K (it's at a used car lot). Carfax checks out clean, and the interior and exterior appear very good in the dealer photos. So...I need opinions. Too good to be true? Or just a really good deal? Anything that we need to verify?

Also, how do you bargain when the car you want to buy is cheaper than the KBB price? :thinking:

 

my dad has a 98 outback he paid $10,000 for 2 yrs ago. price is good. only issue he has had with it is the paint peeling on the hood and power window problems. all the outbacks he looked at the paint peeled in the same place on the hood. window thing is due to the age.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

i would say it's legit... just didn't sell so they started lowering the price.. just check it front to back top to bottom when u go to pick it up

 

is it at the subaru dealer or a "pot lot" ? if it's a pot lot, BEWARE! i work for a honda dealer, and the trade-ins that aren't suitable for our front line get wholesaled, and guess where they end up?! we're talking the 160k mile prelude si with a bad tranny, or the civics that we can't certify because they need soooo much work to be up to par. some of these cars actually look and drive great, it's surprising what a good once-over will reveal. take it to the subaru dealer for a full diagnostic with compression test before you buy. once you take delivery, you're SOL.

 

I guess you'd call this a pot lot....it's just a used car lot from what I can tell. And that's exactly what concerns me...
Is there anything that would make it fairly obvious that this car has some serious issues with it? Or does it need to be inspected at Subaru beforehand?

 

I've dealt with one before and almost a second. The second masked the Carfax report saying it was clean until a guy at my Honda dealer ran it for me and found it to be a gross polluter which is not good for a car or its owner. Also the engine would die everytime I pushed in the clutch to come to a stop which he claimed he would repair free of charge even if it needed a new engine.

If it is a pot lot ask if it comes with a warranty (usually 6mon./6000 miles where they pay 50% of repairs.)

 

i would say avoid pot lots. they charge full retail but you don't get any kind of accountability like you would at a dealer. with a dealer, at least you have the certified used programs. if you're gonna buy, DON'T give them any money until it's had a full diagnostic at the dealer. that $150 could save you thousands....

at my dealer everything goes through the shop, and the good ones get fully fixed up and put on the front line. it would blow your mind, sometimes we'll spend $2000 or more on a used car before we show it. i guarantee that pot lot wouldn't do that.

 

Thanks for the info, I'll let my friend know. It sounds like he's pretty set on getting this car though, so we'll see :happysad:

 

all you have is your judgement. is the salesman your classic used car sleaze, or is he clean, professional, knowledgeable, etc...