Lillian

I imagine I will be slaughtered by all you SIDC fans but just wandered if it ever occurred to those of you that are buying from Amsterdam (and believe me...if I could..I would )what happens to the re-sell value of the Impreza. Yes...you make a saving at the time of purchase...but what about when you want to change. It would be a shame to see the residual values of the Impreza go down...particularly for all those that bought UK cars. I agree that the whole system is wrong - and for years we have had to pay through the nose for things that our European neighbours have had a lot cheaper and a lot of good has come out of the fact that UK buyers are trekking to Europe to buy cars at reasonable prices - even Richard Branson is going to dabble in it. The EU has had to take a closer look at pricing. It was thought and indeed hoped, that UK prices would be reduced - but there is not much chance of that - instead it is now rumoured that European prices are to be forced up to come more into line with UK prices! The buying public over there are just going to love us - if that happens. I guess, at the end of the day my main concern is that we remember that Subaru are a specialist range of cars. They have always been renowned for their strong residual values. I would like to think that it will remain so...for the many people who paid UK prices for theirs.

Black Cat

When I sold my first Impreza after 18 months my total loss - from forecourt to resale was 700 uk pounds... this was good the car was new...

I must admit I do have some concern as my current car is an import..WRX... there have been some threads in the past which would indicate that I have paid well over the odds for this car... however... we have to wait... if the rumours are to be believed and there is really a clamp down on imports then yes the value of the car will increase if not then we stand to lose alot of money when it comes time to resell.

One also has to remember that 3 years ago the Subaru Impreza was a rare commodity.. there now appears to be a market influx of cars... this in itself will bring the resale value down... whereas two years ago your buying wait was anywhere from 6 - 10 months for a new car... this gave the 2nd hand market a boost... now there are more importers, more dealers, etc.. the waiting time has been reduced... this in itself will reduce the resale value.... sad fact of life... we are victims of our own success and popularity...

Penni

jwhitton

I am still having to wait 5 months for the Dutch imported Scooby but this beats the 12 months I was quoted in the UK!

As for cheaper prices what would you rather pay: 16k for the car from Holland all taxes paid of 22500 for the same car in the UK!
This is a no brainer!

Cars with 30-40k miles on in AutoCar are up for 16K.

They are still very rare cars, on a 135 miles drive yesterday I did not see any! I even saw more Rover 75's which is saying something!!!

jon

Jonathan

Jon

Why would anyone wait 12 months for a UK car. Mine took 3 weeks for a MY00 in DBM. % months wait and the new Scoobies out. Still my trade in price for the UK is still pretty good.

HUNTY

Wating for a turbo is a thing of the past, a little phoning around will find you a new car.

In this week's Top Marques the scooby's stretch over 13 pages!

The bubble burst a long time ago!

Moz

High residuals are fairly new to Subaru, it was only when, due to subarus import quotas, demand for the impreza turbo out stripped supply, dealers around the country were first on the case and started to import turbos from japan, then some clever folks out there started bringing them in from Europe.The point is , residuals were bound to start falling as there are only so many people in the market for such a car, so you might as well get one as cheaply as you can, unfortunate as it is for those who paid u.k prices,residual prices are likely to continue falling to a realistic level. The good times are over.

KevinS

I sold a 98R a month ago without any problems. In fact I still get calls asking about it.

I would rather buy a low mileage UK car than a new import even from Europe. I have heard dozens of horror stories.

The bottom line is that any low mileage good condition car will sell easily.

Gethin

IMHO you're daft if you buy a brand new car for £21995 whereas you could get the same model for £16K. I'd rather save myself six grand than line the pockets of a greedy dealer. Then I could STILL sell the car in 2 years without loosing much.....no brainer really!!!! What is it with us Brits ??!!

Blow Dog

2 years and 11 months into my Subaru and my engine needs replacing. Its done now and my warranty expired a month ago, had it done after the warranty expired coz I can and its a UK car. UK car owners get preferential treatment im afraid.

Can you do that in an import?
Didnt think so.
Cem

Tal

Did the new engine cost more than 6 grand ??

swa

Look at the real costs here.
From Holland, you have to add the price of a Cat 1 Alarm and an aftermarket 2 years additional warranty (about £300 per year) to compare prices properly.

The total then is about 17K once the VAT is paid (5 door) saving about 5K. You have a UK car then effectively in spec. I got my dealer to do the 1000 mile serv and alarm at same time to give him some business to kick off with.
They were quite helpful and friendly, only one joke about not buying it from them.

I dealt with the main Dutch importers and they were really helpful, except they didn't underseal the car properly. My dealer did it at 1000mile for £39.

I did all the stuff myself and it is a piece of pssss.

Brussles EU laws and bull is all cr#¤#% but at least we have a free choice.

As for values. If you knew the future then we'd all be rich from buying the right stocks.

Swa

Showtime

KevinS..so what media did u use to sell the car? lots of people on this BBS look for the best place..maybe you can help others ?

IanF

Top Marques is pretty good for selling. From experience the importance of a good photo is paramount.

Regards
IanF

sickboy

Can't anyone spell B E L G I U M???

Why is everyone going to Holland? The Belgian car has a 3 year warranty and costs the same, near as dammit (if not less). Try Subaru Vilvoorde. They are the BeNeLux importers i.e. they supply Holland! Somewhere two years of warranty vanishes.

To reiterate, the bubble burst a long time ago. Does it make sense to bury your head in the sand when clearly UK dealers have no intention of dropping prices. Save your six grand and stick it in an ISA.

I'd debate the rock solid residuals with dealers (at any rate). I was offered a derisory £12K for my My99 turbo (BELGIAN!! UK spec, 4k, leather, aircon, sonic blue mica. I'm sure he wasn't trying to spite me for buying abroad Or do UK-bought turbos drop £6 grand in 4 months??

Jeez what a mess Rover(??) is in!

Tal

That offer is just sour grapes it would sell private easilly for 18K a friend of mine has just paid 17K for a 2 year old with 30K on it ( 1 year warranty left )

I T 'S C O M M O N S E N S E W A K E U P !!!

As long as you are happy !!

sickboy

Tal,
hope the wakeup was aimed at the originator of this thread. Was going to say exactly the same.

Funnily enough I didn't sell the car, and am not going to. It was a gut reaction at getting some more points.

Fortunately the wife kindly stepped up with her pristine licence. God bless her...

Tal

It was aimed at people paying 6K ( I stand by my figures) for a 2 year warranty on one of the most reliable cars you can buy !!!

D Noble

Can anyone answer this?
after i take delivery of my dutch imported veeehickle next week,and put in the required alarm,etc(total cost 15 and a bit k,including getting it back) how does the dealer (franchised or otherwise )know it has come in from holland, are there batch numbers or something different vin plates?

glad of a response
D

Geezer

The service book will be in Dutch. I queried this with Gertjan, and he said there is no way around it because of something or other. The handbook will be in English though.

On a slightly different note, my brother, who is the senior Trdaing Standards officer for our local authority, has informed me that the bit of EU law concerning warranties, comeback and dealers etc. is not recognised by the UK. He is awaiting confirmation of this, as he is dealing with a case about an imported vehicle. It could have serious ramifications for all us import bods if this is so. I will post his findings on the BBS.

AJC

When I went to my local dealer and enquired about buying a new Impreza (this was in January) I was told that they had one unallocated 4 door available in June and another in September. There was a cancelled 5 door possibly available in March. Needless to say they were all at list price.
Market forces will prevail in this type of market and my order was placed with a Dutch dealer in February. I will save around £4.5K to £5K after the additional costs are factored in. Admittedly I will have to wait until July or August to get the car but I can handle that to save the money.
It is utter madness to keep on paying UK prices to dealers who don't seem to give a stuff when the whole point of being part of the EU is to allow us access to their market.
As for resudual values why should I get shafted by UK prices when everyone else isn't? If the residual values drop then at least mine will have £5K less to fall!

D Noble

ta geezer,i will follow with intrest.
my previous scooby went 3 1/2 years and didnt use warranty once. subaru wouldnt offer 3 years if they didnt think their cars are reliable(yes i know it is only an insurance policy)so hopefully nothing too drastic will happen to my new one( i think i can afford up to 6k of problems!! he he)
thanks again
D

ps how is this for an excuse,our local mitsubishi dealer told me today not to buy an importrd shogun,the dealers diagnostic computer does not speak japanese!!!!
please someone tell me hes kidding!

PhilBennett

Lillian - are you barking mad?!!

Hang on lets get this right - why not pay over the top for UK cars (regardless of if it is a Subaru) just so we can try and retain residuals??

For the majority of marques company car sales kill residuals anyway and as for Subaru because of IM Groups continued arrogance to deny UK consumers WRX models Japanese imports are now commonplace.

At the end of the day the IM group along with every other car retailer will be forced to evolve its selling practices and aline itself with a more aware UK consumer - or go out of business

sickboy

I sleep easier with a 3yr warranty. 4WD, turbo Jap parts....

I have occasional problems with not being able to pick 1st 3rd and 5th gears (it will not go into gear).

Now how much would a gearbox cost?

Ed Swatman says he will get to the bottom of the 3yr warranty on my Belgian MY99- in principle he seems to think IM will "honoour it" somehow.

Pay 6 grand less and still get a 3yr warranty. Makes UK purchases seem even more stupid. Meanwhile the money for my VAT bill is still sitting in a high interest deposit account. 5 months and counting......

Lillian

Well, I expected to get slaughtered - but manage to have come out of this feeling shaken....but not stirred. However, in the interest of fairness I would like to put one or two people straight on a couple of FACTS!
FACT 1: Subaru dealers are obliged to service any Subaru sold within the EU. The warranty is completely valid throughout Europe and the UK. Any dealer that is giving you a hard time over where you bought your car - does not deserve your business!
Fact 2: Gethan - you talk of lining the pockets of "greedy dealers" as if the dealers price the cars for Subaru! The prices are set by the Importers....not the dealers! Dealers would be overjoyed to see the Impreza available at £16,000 ....they could then sell more of them! But the Importers stand to lose money - and even more so the Government. Have you any idea how much revenue would be lost just in VAT alone if these cars were reduced!! The strength of the pound accounts for much of the difference in price! But, it is not the fault of the dealer. Subaru dealers that dabbled in grey imports were discreetly but quite firmly informed that this was a no go area. And I imagine that subaru dealers that are contemplating importing the cars from Holland ( and yes 'sickboy' you are quite right about the Belgium option ) are sweating buckets over the odds of being found out! 99% of dealers will not risk rocking the boat.
I do agree with you Tal - yes it is common sense to buy in Europe - and as you are not a Subaru dealer you are free to do so. But, out of interest...who do you want to service your car. Who do you want to provide the warranty for your car? Who do you want to put in a bid at your car when you want to change it for an Evo?Who do you want to supply genuine parts for your car. If it is all about saving money, then surely we are only one step away from having your car serviced at the local Ford dealer. Heavan knows that cars do not come more reliable than a Subaru - so a 12month warranty would probably suffice anyway. There are dealers - who will extend a one year European warranty to 3 years anyway - so I can not see why that is a problem.
It was not my intention to advocate buying in the UK as opposed to buying in Europe and saving money. It was my intention to establish whether those that were buying abroad had considered the ongoing conitations as regards the residual value of the Subaru range. I would like to thank you all for taking the time to pass on your thoughts and comment. They have been a real eye-opener.

johnfelstead

well, here is another FACT.

Subaru underwright the first year waranty, IM group underwrite the 2nd and 3rd year waranty.

If you car goes belly up after the first year IM group have to pick up the bill.

If it was my money i would not buy a UK car from a UK dealer, its utter madness when the same car EXACTLY can be purchased for at least £5000 less on mailand europe.

Lillian

I couldn't agree with you more John!

Showtime

Lilian,

Just as a thought, I brought in my own car from Japan (Used STi V2). I didn't view it as saving money, more as I wanted to get the best value for my hard earned cash.

But suppose I've seen the light and want to convert to a UK car (P1 for example)for all the reasons mentioned above. I'd not be able to at a UK dealer, If I can't sell the car privately (depressed market etc)What's my option...?

I can't give the car away, so grey dealers are the only option to remain in a scooby.

Sad but is it true ?

Nick Lines

D Noble asked "how can you tell that it's an imported car". The VIN has a "Y" in it where there's an "X" in the UK car's VIN (GF1GC3YG... as opposed to GF1GC3XG... for UK supplied cars)

On the thorny subject of dealer support, I must admit feeling sorry for UK dealers in some ways: they service the cars, support the cars, keep us happy... They don't take a huge amount of money out of a car when its sold (7-10% maybe - I don't know) and they certainly can't get anywhere near the import price to the end buyer.

However, there are still waiting lists, so why do they need to drop the price? I guess there's some people who do want the ultimate security that buying from a local dealer will give. Still, my local dealer treats me very well, so I can't complain.

Interesting to see that a recent suggestion was to raise the price of cars in mainland Europe...

When I come to sell the car, I won't be expecting more than I paid for it, although some people get this. (!) I'll make it clear that the car is UK spec from Holland and price accordingly. Why there should be a price difference is beyond me, especially for cars over 3 years old, but that's the game we're playing and I guess we can't win both ways. Unless we're lucky :-).

Nick.
(MY00 from Gertjan, and very happy)

Lillian

What? You think because I am a dealer that I am brain-dead! Subaru may have the right and the power to determine how much I can sell a car for, whereI can buy them from, and whether I can honour a warranty or not - but I still have the right to my own opinions!
Incidentally, opinions that most dealers share...but would not go in print with

You are quite right! "its utter madness when the same car EXACTLY can be purchased for at least £5000 less on mainland Europe"
And I guess, if selling cars was all that interested me....I would hand in my notice to IM - go to Amsterdam and sell them at £16k.....makes good business sense - and I am sure an English dealer in Amsterdam or Belgium would do very well.
The Dutch dealers have complete Eutopia! Sell the car - and never have to deal with the customer again. Any problems,warranty, servicing, and the cost of supplying a courtesy car while the car is being serviced are left for a UK dealer to deal with. And if some of you are wandering why some dealers are a little reluctant to take Euro px's - it is not a grudge thing - people do not want to buy them ...from a dealer in the UK. Silly I know....they are exactly the same car.
As far as we are concerned - if you have a subaru - we are there to look after you and your car - regardless of where in Europe you buy it.

And, at the end of the day, I still believe and have always believed that the Impreza Turbo even at its UK price -is a lot of car for the money.

DJB

Sickboy

Quote:

"Meanwhile the money for my VAT bill is still sitting in a high interest deposit account. 5 months and counting......"

I am interested to hear this. A colleague who sourced his VW Golf GTi from Holland is still not had to pay VAT yet (purchased at least 7 months ago). Is it possible that the Inland Revenue are having trouble keeping track of all these imports? Not that I want to condone tax evasion, but perhaps the savings from buying a European import are even greater than appreciated .

D.