Toyota could learn from Subaru...

Just throwing this out there....
I bought the wife a new Subaru Forester last Thurs.
Had to wait for two weeks from order to delivery. When we went to pick it up, I told the salesman we were working with that I wasn't buying any 'extended warranty anything' and to please not pester me with that. He said 'Not a prob, I'll tell the finance guy' .. (We were paying in full) ....
After getting to the finance guy to sign papers and cut a check ... He said not ONE word about extended warranties.
Between paperwork and the salesman giving my wife the quick once-over about buttons/controls/touchscreen, we were in/out of there in less than 90 minutes and off to lunch.
What a breath of Fresh Air that was.. Toyota could learn from this.

 

That’s it. I’m getting me a Subaru

 

When I purchased my Tacoma it took barely an hour. They only lightly brought up extended warranty once which I declined in finance. They even fixed a broken third brake light for me free of charge. I think it is just a dealership thing and not Toyota as a whole.

 

Honestly? And don't get me wrong, I love my Taco ... But if Subaru made trucks, I'd of bought one. We've had three Subaru's and they have honestly been the most trouble-free rigs I've ever owned.

 

I'm guessing you are correct. But still .....

 

Smart decision on their part, head gasket and transmission fixes are not cheap

 

I will say that when a dealership that acts this way comes around it feels foreign. I am so used to a maxxed out bullshit meter, and spending half a day at the dealership. The experience was so good at this dealership that I am willing to drive 5 hrs to get my service done there. Plus, I get to visit my family when I'm there so its a good excuse haha. I have already made a commitment to buy all my future Toyotas at this dealership, and they even give free haircuts. Plus they even have a restaurant in house, and the food is actually good!

 

wth is going on here. Hair cuts at a dealer and a restaurant. lol ok

 

Sounds like my experience picking up my Taco back in 2017.


It took a lot longer to get our 2014 Forester XT. So long in fact that my cold progressed into pneumonia. Fun times. At least there was no negotiating as the Costco Auto Program pricing was pretty killer.

 

I agree, it’s a dealership thing. When I bought my Taco last April I was in and out in 90 minutes. However I didn’t trade anything in, I had my financing set-up ahead of time through my CU and was able to get to a price I wanted quickly. The Finance guy did try to up-sell all the usual crap but when I made it clear I wasn’t interested he moved pretty quick. The fact this was on a weekday evening, probably helped.

I like Subaru’s too and *almost* bought a Crosstrek a couple of years ago. At least in my area they really seem to hold their value. One of my trucks is powered by a 3.0 V6 so HG problems don’t scare me LOL!

 

Sounds more of a dealership practice, not a manufacturer practice.

 

It has nothing to do with Subaru....
Back in 2015, my gf purchased a new Forester.... no financing, it was paid in full. While at the dealership, the salesman and general manager, relentlessly kept pressuring her to purchase an extended warranty and a remote start. So much for a ‘breath of Fresh Air’....

 

I experienced the same as OP. Bought a new Subaru in 2018 and was the quickest, easiest going vehicle transaction I've ever had with a dealer.

Toyota buying experience all together was horrible for me. I got there at 8:00am and didn't leave until around 3:00pm. Went back and forth with finance saying they wouldn't give me said rate. Go to the credit union down the street and they approve me for said rate. Go back to Toyota and wait a hour for finance guy to be available. He then matches the rate with crap attitude and it was just a huge circle jerk.

When signing papers, I specifically told them I didn't want any additional coverage for the vehicle and I look at the paperwork after signing (everything was digital) and they tacked on a $750 service plan. Called the dealer after I got home and they said they would refund on first billing. That never happened and dealt with another circle jerk of 3-4 phone calls to get the money credited to my account.

If I wasn't set on the truck I wanted and had other options to choose from I would have. Toyota is miserable.

 

I just got off the phone with my wife. Told her I wanted a Subaru. She said it's time we both start seeing other men

 

Yikes! Not a good experience.


My finance guy tried to float gap coverage for the Taco. My wife and I traded looks and told him to please move on.

 

there is a Lexus dealership by my old college and they had a fine dining restaurant upstairs from the dealership.

 

that's amazing

 

All I know is (And I know about the head-gasket issue with the 2.5L pancake engines) ... This is our 3rd Forester ... Still have the 06' that was my wife's old rig with 179K miles on it... (Spare car now) ... Never once had a prob with head gaskets/tranny, anything. Hey, except for routine stuff (Oil/filters/brakes/tires/etc) nothing on it has broken. Still original alt/water pump/starter/electronics/sensors/etc.
It's a little squeaky/creaky, but again .... 179K miles

 

I'm curious how good your 'deal' was (under MSRP?), especially if you made it clear up front you weren't buying any extended warranties/service contracts, and paying in cash. I've heard if the dealers know you're paying cash, there's not much movement on the actual price since they make money from the financing; I think the best thing is to finance it with them, then pay it off on the first payment.
It sounds like your Toyota dealer isn't that good, and I've been to some dealers that have the mindset of "not letting me leave without buying a car". I will never buy a car from pressure like that! For my Taco, I went through the Costco auto program and got an instant set price (about 12% under MSRP) and while in the finance office, politely told the guy that I'm not interested in the extended warranty, but did take them up on the special Toyota financing deal.

I wish Toyota did things like "automatically turn on the headlights if the wipers are on" kind of no-brainers...Same with Subaru. I had an '07 Jeep Grand Cherokee that had that simple, but useful safety feature, but my 2017 Subaru doesn't and my 2021 Toyota doesn't either!

 

You should consider a Ridgeline of you want a Subaru truck. Should be pretty close.