Real Car Prices from
a Real Car Dealer

Question From Paul: Hello, I’m considering the purchase of a 2008 Subaru Impreza loaner car (roughly 5,000 -7,000 miles). The car is a 5 door base wagon, 2.5 engine, automatic, AWD, dealership transaction. How much would you pay for it? I reside in MA. Thank you very much, Paul

Queen of the Road: Hi Paul. Welcome to AutoBragBlog! I went ahead and looked up prices for a 2.5I wagon instead of a 2.5I Outback Spt.

For a 2008 Subaru Impreza Sport Wagon 2.5I with 6,000 miles, wholesale prices range from $15,400 (being in above average condition) to $14,600 (being in average condition) and $13,700 (being in below average condition).

A fair range for a dealership sell it for +12%-14% more than wholesale, so their estimated retail prices could range from $15,300 to $17,000. A private seller will usually aim to sell it for 5%-10%.

You should not hesitate to ask for wholesale prices. While the idea of buying a rental car can sound somewhat strange, if we actually look at the facts, and weigh the pro’s and con’s of the decision, then we can find that a rental car may not be that bad of a choice, and can actually be a good deal if one approaches the situation with caution and intelligence.

Pros of Buying A Loaner Car: Their engines are maintained better probably than most privately owned cars since constant care and maintenance are undertaken during their use. Another attractive factor for purchasing a rental car is low pricing. (I think $27.9k is on the high side.)

Cons if Buying A Loaner Car:  The car may have suffered abuse by the other drivers. Any damage is still reported at that point that it is largely cosmetic and while aesthetics are also important, what is inside really counts.

Check the carfax and do plenty of research on the history of the vehicle. Ask for their maintenance records. You can even bring a mechanic for a brief inspection. Here‘s a good article to read before continuing: Car Buying Tips From An Insider. Let me know if you have any further car questions.

Good luck and keep us posted on how the purchase goes!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 12:14 pm and is filed under 2008, How Much Should I Pay?, Subaru. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.