Just Had to Share This Purchase

Hi everyone.

Yes, I know I've pulled yet another extended absence.  Sorry 'bout that.  I've actually been busy with a few interesting projects that I intend to share here with you all.  But not right now.  Right now it's late and I'm tired and I have to get up really early tomorrow morning.

But I made a purchase today that I simply had to share.

Subaru -- $26,685.61

We drove off the lot (well, technically I drove off the lot in it; The Husband took off a few minutes earlier in The Tank) in a 2009 Subaru Outback 2.5i Special Edition wagon.  It's silver.  When we took it out for the test drive it had 17 miles on it.  When I drove it off the lot it had 31 miles on it.

The MSRP of the vehicle as outfitted (4-speed automatic transmission w/sportshift and Special Edition package which includes alloy wheels, all-weather package, Harman Kardon audio system, power driver's seat, fog lights, limited slip rear differential, & "more" which includes, get this, heated front seats) was $25,590.00.

The price we paid for the vehicle was $22,300.  Add in the Datadot security feature (not optional; already installed), the 100,000 mile/7-year extended warranty (we always get one), and the 7.1% taxes and you get the figure mentioned above.  We chose the 2-year 3.9% financing option (yes, we could have paid cash but chose this option instead).

The purchase was not made spur-of-the-moment.  The Husband and I have been discussing the possibility of replacing The Tank for some time now.

We've known for years exactly which car we'd buy as our next family vehicle.  There was never again question that we'd replace The Tank (an '01 Toyota Sequoia SUV) with a Subaru wagon.  When our kids were but babes in arms we bought a '95 Subaru Legacy wagon.  We finally sold that vehicle in '07 when we bought our '07 Subaru Impreza wagon.  We'd purchased it new, owned it for 13 years, and put somewhere in the neighborhood of 250,000 miles on it.   It was still in very good shape when we sold it.

We very nearly bought an Outback last summer -- late July, if I remember correctly.  The model-closeout offers on the '08s were attractive but we'd just come off some large expenses (vacation, activites, etc) and were facing a school tuition bill (The Daughter's private high school tuition) so The Husband didn't feel the timing was right.  We thought we'd just wait 4, maybe 6 weeks before buying but in the interim Subaru decreased their cash-back incentive from $1,500 to $1,000.  We weren't in a hurry; we decided to keep an eye on the incentives and see if it would go back up again.  Then the bottom fell out of the economy.  We put all thought of a new car on an indefinite hold.

Still, every once in a while we'd talk about a new wagon.  Every so often I'd check the Subaru incentives.  But my heart wasn't in it.  As you know, the Son broke his clavicle (major medical expenses), I had my thyroid surgery (more expenses) and then followed that up with a sleep study test (even more medical expenses).  The Daughter started swimming again and those pool fees aren't cheap.  Then came Christmas.  And there were those expensive all-season tires we put on The Tank in November since we'd decided to keep it through the winter.

For whatever reason, I surfed over to Subaru's website this past Sunday and checked out their current incentives.  I noticed that they were still offering 0% financing and had bumped the cash back incentives back up to $1,500.  But were there any '08 Outbacks still to be had?

As Costco members, we've become accustomed to buying cars through the dealership's fleet sales division (I will never, ever again buy a car from a regular salesperson again).  On Monday I gave my buddy Dan a call and said that, were the right deal to present itself, The Husband and I were ready to buy a car.  Today.  Then he went online and checked inventory in our state and all the surrounding states.  He found the same info I had when I checked inventory through Subaru.com the day before -- a few straggling Outbacks in surrounding states.

At this point I was quite serious about the possibility of bringing in an '08 from out of state.  He said he could do it but he was quite frank about the fact that he was much more motivated to sell me an '09 from off his lot.  I asked how motivated?  He said $22,300 -- only $100 more than the '08 (of which the only colors left were my least favorite options).

I took down all the pertinent numbers and said I'd either call back soon -- or not.  No promises.  Just after we'd hung up I called back with a final question -- would they be willing to throw in a third key fob as part of the deal.  We only got two keys and fobs (plus a vallet key) with the Impreza and it's caused no shortage of headaches trying to coordinate two functional keys between three drivers.  He whined just a tad about how expensive the keys are and the one-hour labor the service department bills to reprogram the keys.  I made it clear that as silly as it sounded, lack of a third key could very well be a deal-breaker.  He said he'd call me back.

In the meantime he'd given me a VIN with which I was able to request a specific insurance rate quote from my insurance agent.  [Surprisingly, as it turns out, it would be more expensive to transfer The Daughter to the '07 Impreza than to insure her on a brand new '09 Outback.  Go figure.]

Dan called me back and said he'd gotten the okay on throwing in an extra key fob and the time to reprogram them.

Next I took all of the info to The Husband and dropped it in his lap.  After pondering for a day, he came home from work yesterday and suggested I call my buddy "Dan the Subaru man" and make an appointment for a test drive.  And that's how we ended up at the Subaru dealership this afternoon for our 1pm appointment.

I'd driven the '08 Outback a couple of times so I thought the test drive was for The Husband.  I was wrong.  He didn't want to drive it.  He wanted me to drive it.  Did I like it?  Sure.  Did I think we should buy it?  No way, I'm not weighing in on that decision at all.  I'm freaked out about the economy.  About his decision to retire this year.  About his health.  About my health.  About how we'll afford health insurance on our own.  About The Daughter going off to college in just over a year.  About the expensive, not-covered testing The Son needs for an official Asperger's diagosis.  No way I'm going to make a decision about whether or not this is the right time to buy a car.  I'm perfectly happy with The Tank.  I went into this very determined not to have any expectations and anticipation of a new car; I did not want to influence The Husband in his decision as to whether we bought now or waited.

He was fine with that.  What he wanted from me was whether or not I liked the car; whether or not this was the car I wanted when I got a new car.  That was easy; it's a beautiful car.  I love the heated seats; it drives like a dream; I love the height of the car -- it's easy to get in and out of.  And I love the fact that the backseat is way more comfortable for a full-sized adult than his little Impreza (naturally it can't compare to the luxury of the Sequoia but that's the trade-off of buying a smaller car).  He's the one who wants a new car; he's the one who hates driving the Sequoia and now that there are three of us sharing two cars he's gone from very, very rarely driving the Sequoia to being it's main driver.

We have a very symbiotic relationship, The Husband and I.  I knew the Outback was the right car, he knew we could afford it, and we both felt that the deal being offered was worth accepting.

I know that there are many pundits who say you should never buy a new car.  I don't agree.  Buying new isn't ideal for everyone and all situations.  In this case, however, I intend to drive this car for the next 15 years.  By the time I need a replacement vehicle, I'll be close to 60 years old.  I'll know it's never been smoked in, never carried an animal, and never been red-lined.  I'll know that it's been serviced and well-cared-for.  Under those conditions and based on my past experience with Subaru vehicles, I have every reason to expect to get no less than 250,000 miles out of it.  If I can drive it for that long, it will have been worth every cent I paid.

Related posts:

1. Day 214: New Driver’s Insurance
2. Day 261: Car Stereo, Nalgene Bottle, & Skirt Hangers (plus incoming $)
3. Day 161: Gifts, Gas, Groceries, Art Supplies & A Clean Car
4. $$: FUN & Outrageous Spending