Im currently shopping around for the best possible price on a new mica black wrx saloon my03, and i need some help.The quotes i've had so far are as follows and are for standard cars:-

Subaru uk £19,100
Subaru importer £17,300

Clearly the import is the better deal but i feel a little insecure about handing over £17,000 and not having peace of mind.Is the uk price a competitive quote or could i possibly achieve a lower one. Any help would be recieved with thanks.

Iain Ross

Firstly may I say welcome to the world of Scoobynet.
The £19100 can be bettered, aim nearer £18600. If they don't wanna budge contact Tins , they offered me one last week for £18634. You want at least three dealers vying for your business.
A word of caution on the imports. £17300 is OK, but has it got a Cat1 alarm. If not, add another £300. Make sure your insurance company is OK with the seats. The UK cars have airbags in the seat sides, and even though EU cars are touted as UK spec, they don't. Also, if you want to add the PPP later, you'll have great difficulty getting a UK dealer to do it. Terms of the warranty state that it can only be fitted in the country of origin.
If you go for the import, be certain it is an EU car to full UK spec. Companys such as Motorpoint source cars from Cyprus/Turkey and Subaru UK/IM will NOT honour the warranty. These companies offer their own warranty but it's worthless. Look here for Emporer and Litchfield . Both well respected, along with Well Lane. Be aware of the exchange rate too.

have a word with Ian at Stan Palmers 01228 525051;)

Try the essex dealers as osbornes are selling them at cost due to closing down , therefore i would think that the rest would still want that business.

Don't worry about the seat issue as uk cars have the option of sports seats(the ones with air bags)or the bucket seats.Either or can be fitted with no charge.However eu cars come standard with the bucket seats but you can upgrade to seats with side airbags for approx £350 (depending on exchange rate of course)
Air bag seats may be safer but IMHO they look crap!
The choice is yours.

The uk cars do not have the option of diffrent seat you just get the ones you are given. Remember the money you save is not always the money you save upfront. If you buy an import expect to loose at least the amount you saved when you come to sell the car.

I bought a new WRX SL in WR Blue from a dealer yesterday for £20300. Which matches the price Tins offered me. The list £21745

Welcome Andy.

Would you mind telling me which dealer did you the deal and if you had to work hard to get it?

Thanks
Arthur

the uk cars Do have the option of the sports seats (airbagged) or the buckets (non-airbagged) and the EU cars come with buckets. There is no need to tell your insurance co and the EU car is to full UK spec once you have a cat 1 alarm/immob fitted - there is so much rubbish propogated about EU cars.

There is no seat option on the MY03 other than leather or pleblon (or whatever they're made from;))

Sports / Buckets went out with the MY01

It was the dealer in Cheltenham, didn't have to work too hard get the deal, I just told him that Tins had offered £500 less than they had. He went off to speak to his manager and came back and ask how close he needed to get. So I knocked the £500 off again, deal done. Think I may have been able to get a bit more off.

ah well, I'll fetch me coat - I've got an 02.

Boss Hogg:

I have an Dutch import MY03 from Well Lane Turbo Centre

Paid well below UK price, even when IM dropped the price in the UK

No side air bags in the Bucket Seats.

My EU car is full EU spec and I have the certificate to prove it along with my CAT 1 alarm certificate.

Now if the Bug eye is group 19 insurance and does not have side air bags, makes no odds on the MY03 if you have them or not for insurance prepossess.


Other things to add, it had no locking wheel nuts, which I had fitted, otherwise no problem buying an import and I don’t expect any, as they all come from Japan just find a different way of getting here

IT’S THE SAME CAR !

Just look at it this way I got a load of things for free

Tracker Horizon + Life time subscription,
Clifford 500 Alarm
Colour coded sills with mini spoilers
Door sill kick plates
Metal Gear frame

All fitted at Well lane
Go along and see Bill, he will sort you out.

On the seats issue; I have the air bagged ones and they're crap at holding you in place on the twisty stuff. A friend has the buckets and they're very uncomfortable on a long journey unless you're anorexic or have a very slight frame. Choice is yours - best seats when I test drove loads of cars were in the Civic Type R and Skyline ones aren't bad either.