Further to the earlier thread here is this morning's press release about the discounts on the run out models before 2003MY Impreza's go on sale.

MASSIVE IMPREZA RUN-OUT INCENTIVE – UP TO £3,000 OFF

Subaru has announced a massive price incentive for its current Impreza models with on-the-road reductions of up to £3,000 for the Impreza WRX Sports Wagon.

Effective immediately and covering vehicles registered by 31 December, 2002, the savings affect every model in the All-Wheel-Drive Impreza range and are available through participating Subaru dealers.

The initiative is to allow an orderly clearance of stock prior to the introduction of the facelifted Impreza which goes on sale in February 2003.

This special offer means the entry-level Subaru Impreza 1.6 TS Sports Wagon is now £12,495 on-the-road – a saving of £1,455.

Other spectacular run-out deals include either an Impreza WRX Saloon or Sports Wagon for £18,995 OTR – savings of £2,500 and £3,000 respectively.

"This action is partly being taken as a result of the tremendously positive reception the facelifted Impreza received at the Paris Motor Show," said Managing Director, Sam Burton.

He added: "While the new version will bring genuine improvements, many people who thought Subaru ownership was beyond their reach now have a golden opportunity to buy the current Impreza and discover why Subarus enjoy such a loyal following."

I can't see many people flocking to their local Subaru dealer.

So is a new STI7 now £22,995?

It's a shame that 'loyal following' sometimes seem to held in such contempt by Mr Burton's company :(

Josh, if you've got a load of cars that need shifting, what do you expect them to do? :)

Subaru is moving into the mass market and, as such, needs to shift their cars. Conjecture: they got the demand for the bugeye badly wrong and are left with many cars that will be difficult to sell come the revolution (or non-fugly)

The size of the discount is large, no doubts at all, which does make you wonder how many of these are sitting unregistered?

It also makes you wonder why the initial mark-up on these cars is so 'kin much. If a small Subaru dealer in Holland can sell the very same cars for less than the UK, even after a three grand discount, then perhaps the pricing should be looked at?

Nick.

Scooby Dooby Blue - Didn't think any STI's were left???

I wonder if similar discounts are available in Euroland?

It would be a bit of a sickener if you were about to take delivery of a Euro-imported MY02 in the next month or so and were held to the price you were quoted when you ordered!

Nick,

What peeves me is that they seem, publicly, to be proud of us 'loyal' bunch. Yet, in reality, you wouldn't think that was the case.

I've always been more than happy with my cars and dealers, but in my limited dealings with IM they've always been unhelpful and evasive. Albeit in a polite manner.

I can't blame them for the discounts though. Although they refused to enlighten us, it was obvious that there was an iminent face-lift when they started to introduce demon finance packages a few months back.

Josh

Phew.

Thank god I sold mine when I did.

It must be a bummer for those that payed full wack and payed finance though! Poor resale values, will now be hit even harder!

ouch to any MY02 owner. :(

IM dont give a monkeys about the "loyal" owners, if they did they would have some dialogue with the SIDC and not treat the cars owners like scum by using MI6 tactics to invalidate their waranties.

I did post a few weeks back to wait and see what happened but I was just branded an MY01/02 hater :rolleyes:

My perception only, but I think they're going away from being proud of a loyal bunch of punters and are trying to mix it with the big boys. They'll smile as they take our money, for sure, but I don't see us as having much influence at all with them. For "much", I think you could actually read "any".

I think the prime example is to just look how they treat the SIDC...

I say "we", whereas I have to exclude myself from loyal buyers. I bought my MY00 from Holland :) and received superlative service.

It's still only 2.5k off, Euroland prices still look competitive to me even if they hold their prices at 15.5k

19-15.5=3.5k:D even with fitting a tracker and cat1, locking wheel nuts, delivery and anything else you can think of it's still saving 2k.


Edited cos my mafs is crap;)



[Edited by boultsy - 10/10/2002 11:47:08 AM]

I think the Chairman/owner of IM loves his loyal customers - without them the poor bloke wouldn't make it into the Top 100 richest men in britain :rolleyes:

Well theres a shocker - a UK importer of cars having a very high profit mark up - who woulda guessed? ;)

even lower residuals if that is possible maybe they realise that ford have built a better cheaper car we all know where the smart money is going to go. Either a mass produced mediocre car with little resale value or a far more advanced ltd car with better performance image and residuals etc etc. I doubt that the new scooby will sell very well either thay have just got to old and boring now talk about flogging a dead horse.
What makes me laugh is the comment about putting in it peoples price range LOL its a cheap car anyway Vectra, Mondeo price so he needs to get down off his high horse.


[Edited by co55ie - 10/10/2002 12:32:22 PM]

Cossie, you have a point: these cars are as cheap as chips (ARRRGH, someone slap me for using that phrase) in Japan and the States. They ain't prestige, that's for sure!

Oh god, quoting David Dickinson and agreeing with Co55ie. I'm going to go and lie down in a darkened room until I'm better. :D

in feb when they hit 15K i will buy one

The Focus RS wouldnt make it on my list, its FWD limited to 220bhp. It also has reduced torque to get it off the line. It seems to me they have built a car which is at a finihsing point rather than a starting point. The Focus cossie maybe a different animal but how many years is that going to be, if ever ?

Hands up everyone who still thinks that the price of a UK MY02 will be much more than a Euro import MY02 in a years time :D

Hand up those who think a My02 will be worth 10K less than an My03 in a years time ;)

truth of the matter is the same problem is affecting all car brands from skoda to prestige brands.
i also have a decentish Vauxhall which I use everyday a Vectra Gsi not a bad car with a good spec and not very old at all but its only worth about 50 quid now.
I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing really think how easy it would be for an insurance company to write a nearly new car off. You need a new bumper mate its a write off. So ultimately is this good for the economy it may seem like your getting a good deal but then how many people are going to be out of a job? Things like this really have a knock on effect.
The other killer factor is how on earth Ford have managed to get the Focus in insurance group 16 surely this is going to become the #1 target for car crime.
Subaru are also victims of their own success they have over saturated their own market to such a degree there products are becoming worthless a bit like the mobile phone industry really. How many more mobile phones can they sell when everyones got one allready. The scoob is a reliable car with a decent life span same thing really who are they going to end up selling cars too ?

[Edited by co55ie - 10/10/2002 2:29:57 PM]

The knock on effect is how long can private owners still stomach the depreciation?

Private owners have no choice in the matter either they want a car or they don't

I s'pose if Cheam Motors offered me a new WRX Wagon in straight exchange for my Saab 9-3 Conv. I'd be interested :D

May be time to start considering PCP's a bit more. At least you get a secured future value.

Lee

MY01 / MY02 were both cases of the emporers new clothes. The speed with which the looks have been revised (improved) is a testament to this. Dump your fugly now before the average punter spots the lemon. ;)

I bought a classic rather than down-grading looks and performance :D (oh no, here we go again). Would consider an MY03 based on photos, but would need to see it in the metal and drive it first before comitting.

Concerning low Euro prices Vs "rip-off Britain" - As far as I understand it, the base price is cheap in Holland to compensate for additional heavy government taxes (locals pay bpm tax @ >30%). Without such a low base price, cars would never sell here.

On the road prices for Dutch residents are higher than the uk in a lot of cases, but sales margins are always a lot slimmer.

UK punters buying over here get to arbitrage this situation. :cool:

Just adding my tuppence worth.

Suresh

David doesnt your saab have a vauxhall engine and gearbox ? Probably the same one thats in my vectra

I have heard some bad stories about those PCP plans with people taking the car back and expecting to get x amount and then being told that they would need to contribute x amount to get the car back in a saleable condition even though it was allready spot on. And have heard of many dealers refusing to honour these agreements.

I really can't understand why people take out huge loans to buy cars you getting stung right left and centre with depreciation and interest. Think how much a new car costs say it cost 20k new I bet your out of pocket for nearly 15k in total after 18 months to 2 years.

[Edited by co55ie - 10/10/2002 3:05:13 PM]

Hi Suresh,

Agreed that tax is more, but why is it acceptable to make more profit in the UK than is made in Holland, or Denmark, or ...

My own, personal, some might say "narrow minded" or "superficial" opinion is that the UK car industry in general is profiteering from the fact that we can't as easily drive across a line on the road and be in a different country, with different market forces. Hence they're all in my opinion complicitly sitting there and enjoying higher profits at our expense.

Of course, there is over-supply of cars on a global basis, so this ain't just subaru or a UK problem.

we are known in the motor trade as Treasure Island for a reason!

Who cares that the local taxes are higher in belgium/holland, why should we subsidise the Belgiums/Dutch? If their government chooses to screw them, its up to them to change that if they want. Subaru or whoever shouldnt use that as an excuse to screw us over, if the taxes in the UK went to the levels of Belgium on new cars, would Subaru drop their margins in the UK? Of course not.

Co55ie.....thanks for the reminder ;)
Don't think the engine is shared (does any vauxhall engine put out 185bhp? :) ) but the crap chassis most certainly is along with the steering rack and a few other bits and pieces (GM autobox for instance).