jasonius

iTrader: (1)

EU WRX has MUCH better seats. If nothing else this is enough reason to have one..!

Unless of course you're a 20 odd stone lard ****, in which case the 3 foot wide UK seats would fit like a glove..!

hades

The first two points are only true if the final one is. EU imports have underseal. Full UK spec (with certificate of conformity) EU imports are no different at all to insure- at least with many companies. If you register a full UK spec car with IM at time of import, the dealers will service them. The car is identical when it leaves the factory, it just the boat lands in Amsterdam rather than Harwich (or wherever the relevant boats land!)

The only possible slight difference is IIRC the cat 1 alarm and tracker used to be normally fitted in the UK not at the factory (I assume this is still the case). Therefore, full UK spec parallel import cars could conceivably have a different alarm and tracker fitted, but would still need to be cat 1 etc to be UK spec. Otherwise, it's

Jap (grey) imports potentially have less underseal, improved spec in some areas and less spec in others, are harder to insure, and are less likely to get UK dealer service.

Admittedly, in this particular case the issue to my mind is not "which is best - import (and a few £k in your pocket) or UK car", but that the dealer apparently lied to try and secure a sale.

wrx.co.uk

Hi Scoobyglasgow,


I have a feeling here that you have been fed some untrue stories regarding Imports. There are two basic types, parallel UK spec cars from Europe and JDM cars direct from Japan, can you please clarify which is the car you were offered? - Ah, found the right post, it was from Malta, well not really, it was built on the same production line in Kobe (as are all Imprezas) to Euro specifications, which does not include a cat1 alarm as standard, although Ian Litchfield will fit CAT 1 and Trakstar anyway!

Also the warranty is valid in the UK and UK franchised dealers can not refuse to service them (unlike JDM cars). These are available from less than 16k new from some importers.

So I can understand your frustration at being told it was a UK car and not a Parallel import, but there is no difference between the cars other than price.
Can't really understand why anyone would pay £2000+ more for the same car through an official dealer, unless they liked a lovely showroom, many parallel importers also offer the same 3 year Subaru warranty.

AND we heard of the same thing from a customer who went to an official UK dealer, he was offered a car orignally from Southern Ireland.

Oh forgot to mention just in case anyone gets the wrong idea, we don't sell parallel imports! (well not yet anyway)

Lee.

Silvafox

iTrader: (1)

Just been through the same thing mate. Well done for sorting it. Took me a month to get mine replaced (as I did pay UK prices and got a euro import). They are not covered by Subaru UK warranty, the only warranty they are covered by are the dealers and my particular one was not transferable if car was sold on.

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

Very odd..!

This sounds like another myth about EU imports, unless you're talking about a car that's 2 years or so old..? The law has changed in recent years regarding warranties (block exemption etc...).

GREGGYG

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, there are TWO types of import. A Japanese and an EEC. The EEC car does have a 3 year warranty which you yourself have to register with Subaru UK. The only thing your not entitled to with the warranty is breakdown assistance. The car does not have to go back to the supplying European Dealer for Warranty work. This is done at your local Subaru Main Dealer, just like a UK car owner's is. An EEC import is identical to a UK car, in fact all cars supplied to all EEC countries are identical as far as the car itself is concerned. The only differences are that many if not all EEC cars have CAT 1 security systems! The Managing Director of Subaru UK in Birmingham clearly states that ALL Subaru customers are treated EQUALLY, iirespective of their car being UK or EEC. Finally, EEC cars are cheaper, so the dealer in Glasgow is a crook, but the way the law works in this country, he will be allowed to continue being a dishonest trader.

mart360

whaddda ya mean take the chance!!!!

you can report fact on here and they run for cover!!!

good ol SN !!

wrx.co.uk

THANKS for sorting that one out, even I did not know that the EEC came with a 3 year warranty, I though it was 12 months - learnt something there.

Big C

IM would normally do this on your behalf if the vehicle was registered with them, and at no time would the vehicle need to be physically in the 'home' country.
I have had no real troubles.
Only real issue I've found is that you don't get Subaru Assist to give you a tow or a courtesy car.

C

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

Good man..!

Lets hope this put's an end to the myth about EU warranty problems..!

Jason

hades

It used to be that all cars had 12 month manufacturer warranty and 2 year dealer. This effectively meant euro-imports had 12 month warranty, so entirely understandable you thought that. This was still the case 3 years ago. IIRC it was around end of 2002 when they went to 3 year (all 3 years backed by manufacturer, I think) warranty for Euro import cars.

As Big C says, the point of registering the car with IM at time of import is that they can then do warranty repairs in the UK, and effectively claim the cash back from Subaru Benelux (or wherever else a specific parallel import is from).

HOWY

THere is another big difference re the EU cars they don't come with locking wheel nuts and if you get one from cyprus you get a 5 year transmission warranty . I gather from speaking to IM the only issue re the warranty is that they may need to check with cyprus before they would authorise repairs. So sounds like a win win for the EU cars. The only gripe I have about my imported one was that the cat 1 alarm needs a separate plipper but hey I have saved £1000's

HOWY

Just another thought re the import debate. If everyone bought a new euro import would the uk dealers sell at the same price or would they go bust?

wilb

New WRX import £15,202 OTR
http://www.motordepot.co.uk/search_r....asp?sid=56776
Nearly ready to order one....

95blackWRX

do you lot not get the fact that subaru is a japanese car the ones that are from japan are far superior to the uk **** would have a import any day wouldnt touch a uk car all cars build in uk are **** thats why so many dealerships are closing down

DIPSY

I had a my00 uk classic only maf problems had it for 5years .Then bought a 05 jdm sti 05 reg it great .The car was undersealed and a alarm fitted in deal just run it on optimax and ob every tank full. Try a jdm you will like it a lot

pslewis

JDM = Worthless as used

UK = Proper resale

Pete

Barmyclown

Why are jdm worthless as used , as they are bought by enthusiasts first and will most probably go to enthusiast second hand, so all servicing wll continue to be done at specialists. If it is listed as a jdm at resale I don`t see the problem. When I buy my next one i`ll be going the JDM route, As I think you get more value for your money. And the clinics labour rates are a lot lower than a main dealers anyway.

mickp

iTrader: (1)

If Pete says there worthless then that's a big thumbs up for imports

Bubba po

Whereabouts in the UK are Subaru cars built, by the way?

pslewis

I want one built for the UK market .... NOT one built for the JBM!!!!

There are 2 production lines you know?

One line is for JDM where cars don't have top last much beyond 3 years due to the costs in Japan of keeping a car beyond that age.

And the other is the Export Line where the cars need to last 10 years.

I know which one will have all the quality parts fitted!! And thats the one I want, thanks all the same!!!

You dimwits out there who buy JDM's carry on ..... it's a free world - but, isn't it odd how JDM's go pop and break all the time????

Pete

95blackWRX

pslewis = arsehole
#
has no idea what he is talking about

DIPSY

Pslewis don't knock somthing till you have tried it .Nothing wrong with Jdm's its people like you put them of buying them .Why don't you change your scoob for a Jdm it might not like your recycled cheap and cheerfull oil you use .Yours will never go pop sits on the drive way your never of here to use it

Bubba po

WHERE ARE UK SUBARUS MADE?

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Regardless of the import vs UK debate - the dealer was selling the car as being an ORIGINAL UK model, and charging the relevant price for that, when it was an EEC IMPORT, which would have a lower resale price due to being cheaper in the first place ( and the dealer would know this ! ) - therefore the dealer is a crook.

BedHog

UK Subarus are 'made' at Prodrive. They import JDMs and take all the good bits off for the rally cars. These bits are then replaced by OEM parts manufactured by Reliant.

HTH

THOMO

who is he trying to scare. 50% of impreza are greys imports look in the autotrader.you dont loose money at all. dont forget you got the car cheaper in the first place because it was an import !i have imported 6 cars myself over 5 years and i have made money on all of them.the depreciation on uk and greys would be the same but obviously the uk car will be more exspensive.if you look at the V6 type r and P1 some rumours say that there
going up in price.i had no problem servicing my evos or scoobys, its down to the dealer. i know that dealers are not all helpfull.grey imports or more desirable to some people because of the additional bhp.warranty is great but cars nowadays should not be blowing up.skoda dont have a problem with reliabilty.

AVI-8

Scoobyglasgow

You were right not to pay £17,000 for a 2 year old car which cost £16,000 new. I would have said £13 - 14 would have been closer to the mark.

I'm with any luck going to get a Euro imported STI next year and theres no way I will expect to sell it a couple of years later for more than I paid for it.

I've done a bit of research on the subject of imports over the last couple of weeks and they dont cost more to insure.

You can get them serviced at a Subaru dealership

They do come with a full 3 year Subaru warranty

The latest ones are exactly the same spec as UK cars including side airbags and seats and metallic paint

The only thing you would want to do is get a CAT1 alarm/immobiliser fitted.

You may not get as much for it when you come to sell it as one bought new from a Subaru garage and why should you after getting it £5000 cheaper in the first place, but you would be unlikely to lose as much in depreciation over a 2-3 year period as someone buying from a UK dealer.

So with your £17,000 why dont you go and get yourself a brand new one, you would still have lots of change left over after getting the alarm installed.

Just a thought!!

ZippyLane

Thank God someone is talking sense..! I can't believe the bollox that is still being thrown by the same old suspects and bull sh1tters about about European Imports..
I can understand the bloke being not happy about being lied too and sending it back..

BedHog

It was in the local paper this week that the guy who owns IM is taking all of his employees & families (550 if I remember right) on holiday to spain.

They are staying in a 5 star hotel. Total cost several hundred thousand pounds.

Maybe this is why UK models cost more......

*Edit: Found a link.....

http://www.expressandstar.com/articl...icle_90425.php

£750,000!!