|
Shame as I if I replaced my Fabia it would have probably been for one of these: I have no use for a Forrester or Legacy but do like that engine.
|
|
|
|
There is a service only agent in Stockport - who specialises in rorty Imprezzas, but its actually a decent operation. He serviced by old Forester once and it was fine, but not convenient for me on terms of location.
|
In my opinion IM over egged the pricing on the whole range - safe in the numbers who bought souped up Imprezas to make money. Spares are also steeeply priced.
With this background a flood of cheaper new cars via the Med, 2nd hand via Japan..............
Fall off in UK sales is seen then this steepens markedly as people tighten their belts.
Look @ USA Pricing in $$$s, then look at UK price - we are 2 x as expensive or more.
Good cars sell in numbers, overpriced cars do not except to a minority.
|
|
|
|
why not by a used car then track down a local indy agent for Subaru and save even more money.
My concern is that if Subaru go the same way as other makers who stopped importing to the UK (Lancia is the only one I can think of OTOH), independents might struggle to source, the already expensive, spares. I was thinking of getting a Legacy and keeping it for a long time. Might be better off with a mondeo.
|
I must admit that Subarus are still expensive although when I test drove a Legacy Diesel In Ashburton in Devon recently, the dealer said all his allocation for the year had been sold.
It would be a shame if Subaru did withdraw from the U.K market but as I have said, I thought the Diesel was doing good things for them. That was pre melt down though.
Edited by mattbod on 04/01/2009 at 22:25
|
|
I wouldnt be too worried, Subaru have been around a long while and havent always sold the numbers they do now even.
|
Robinsons in Rochdale have gone bump, but a new one has opened round the corner which I'm booked into tomorrow for my 60k service. I'll report back.
I only tried Lockwood & Greenwood once and wouldn't have gone back.
|
Which one is that than Nigel ?
You're not referring to MKar on Crawford Street are you ? They are the 'official' Subaru agent and have been there for a few months now, before Robbies went bust.
Cheers
jdc
|
Not heard of MKar.
I like Lockwood & Greenwood - partly for convenience - but had heard that Robinsons were a bit snooty - certainly my experience when I tried to buy there.
Lets see what Nsar says of the new crowd.
|
Wonder if they can survive in a contracting `niche` market? A dealer near here had nothing at all on sale that fitted the contemporary trend to smaller fuel efficient low VED cars.
If a marque doesn`t provide a raft of cheap low VED cars in its lower line up - surely its commercial suicide to enter a recession as a franchise - hoping a small band of `enthusiasts` will keep buying the big fuel guzzling stuff.
I would buy the Ford.
|
|
I guess my main concern is whether the withdrawal/scaling down of Subaru's UK presence will mean that spares become more expensive and harder to source. Commonsense suggests that this would be the case, but I know nothing about the motor industry. Have there been similar problems in the past with other brands?
|
Wasn`t there a marque from the Balkans that got caught up in the war - leaving UK owners high and dry?
I can`t remember it - or what happened regarding spares..
I sometimes wonder what would happen if Fiat withdrew from the UK - but the contraction would only be to the near continent.
Would Subaru leave Europe? What are sales like there?
Edited by oilrag on 05/01/2009 at 08:36
|
I doubt they'll pull out of the UK market. Apart from the pound/yen exchange rate problems I would imagine the UK is quite a profitable market in percentage terms for Subaru. The cars are much the same as the Japanese domestic models (wheel on the right side) so there is little work to meet EU regs. I also doubt they'll pull out of Europe unless they also pull out of the USA and other LHD countries which is unlikely.
You can buy a low VED car from them, the Justy, 118g/km, VED £35 pa. Not my idea of fun though!
|
|
Slightly off-topic, but I've just been to Switzerland (Bernese Oberland) for a few days and I've never seen so many Legacys (and Forresters) in one place! In Grindelwald I saw four parked-up next to one another. That's more than I see in a month back here.
|
|
Interesting. They're like hens' teeth where I live (South Yorkshire) but I think they have more of a following in places like Wiltshire, Shropshire. I wonder why that is - maybe there are particularly good and long established local dealers, or a car gets a reputation with the local, eg, farming, community?
|
The biggest garage in Chur (switzerland) was a scooby dealer. I have a lovely photo of it with the all year round snow covered peaks behind.
|
|
Yes, we go to Villars, a small town in the Swiss Alps. The only car dealer there sells ... Subarus. I guess they are the only reasonably priced 4x4 cars available?
|
Perhaps when you really need a car to rely on, people make the obvious choice.
I have a customer who is likely as many countryside Subaru owners - wealthy and stuck in their ways. Wife says she would like a Golf, husband says is that a Subaru? She says no, he says no chance, get an Impreza or a Forester like he has, end of.
Brand loyalty is extremely important for Subaru.
|
|
But if Subarus are as reliable as everyone makes them out to be, then the price or availability of spare parts will be irrelevant will it not??? :)
|
They had a couple of wobbles in recent years, but in comparison to many other makes, they are very reliable and the likelyhood of having a fault free Subaru are somewhat higher than most other brands.
You must also factor in the dealers themselves - when we bought our Forester at 4 years old, there was a minor issue with it that my OH wanted sorted, so off she trundles to the dealer. She gets through the door, the salesman is on it, everything ok madam -you have a problem, lets see what we can do. Within ten minutes the car was on a ramp and she was sitting down with a hot drink. Within 30 minutes she was on her way home. It is that kind of service that makes people come back again and again.
Try that at your VW dealer!
|
When I had the Skoda, thats the sort of service I got from them as they were a smallish family owned firm.
Unfortunately exactly the sort of place that might struggle in the current climate where everyone wants their car cheaper than internet brokers, don't want to pay for servicing and refuse to pay dealer prices for spare parts!
|
Its also worth bearing in mind that Subaru sales are starting to flourish in Ireland due to recent tax changes that favour low CO2 emitting cars. Its also a RHD market and while volumes would be low in comparison with the UK, they must add up to the equivalent of a few small UK dealerships. Hopefully it all adds up to a worthwhile volume for IM who handle both markets.
|
Wasn`t there a marque from the Balkans that got caught up in the war - leaving UK owners high and dry? I can`t remember it - or what happened regarding spares..
Yugo ?
|
|
The Diesel legacies CO2 is only around 150g/km, hardly a "planet killer" (can't believe I just said that)
(In response to Oilrag.)
Edited by mattbod on 05/01/2009 at 16:57
|
Try that at your VW dealer!
My experiences of VW dealers that sticks in my mind was of queuing up in the evening to pick my car up behind a line of customers who were all losing it with the service manager because the warranty work they booked their car in for the 3rd or 4th time was once again no fault found or they would have to come back again. Funnily enough I got the same response. I then purchased a Toyota and a Honda and you walk in pick up the keys pay the money drive off - all sorted. Although there was once time in a Toyota dealer where I was behind someone who was picking his car up after a recall - he was not happy but after he was given a £10 voucher for his petrol and a bottle of wine for his trouble he soon calmed down.
Back on the OP - it will be sad to see these guy's go to the wall as they tend to be family owned and provide better service generally. Also I am thinking a Legacy next and would prefer if I had a local dealer.
The worrying thing though is that when we are left with all the big dealerships after this has settled in about 18 months or so then I think we will see a general fall in customer service - even with the Toyota's and Honda's as they try and recoup lost revenue.
It might be a good time for an honest and reliable indie though.
|
My local Subaru dealer, part of a family chain of three dealers, has only a small 3 car showroom, is well supported. I know people who wouldnt buy from anyone other than them because they know they will be looked after ( they sell a big name brand so its not blind chocie ).
I would hazard that being smaller with more conomical premises is safer than a glass palace.
Edited by Webmaster on 06/01/2009 at 00:24
|
|
I hope your correct Stu and I am wrong - logic would suggest you are but nothing seems logical in this country at the moment. And I know it is global but regardless of what our wonderful leader says all the stuff I read suggests the rest of the world will be coming out of this mess allot sooner than we will.
|
>>The legacies CO2 is only around 150g/km, hardly a "planet killer" (can't believe I just said that)
Important point that especially so in the company car market - a Legacy diesel is lighter on tax than a standard 140 bhp TDCi Mondeo Zetec and the Passat TDI (170bhp to match Legacy torque and performance.) The Legacy gives you a better spec - leather, dual zone climate, big sunroof, all wheel drive, some measure of exclusivity or rarity depending on your interpretation and generally much better dealers. Mind you, you can also get a nice 320d for nearly the same level of tax and allegedly 10mpg extra - no wonder they sell so many!
I'm spoiled for Subaru dealers, one 7 miles from where I live and two 3 and 4 miles from where I work. All are multi franchise operations serving what I guess is local demand; one does Mitsubishi, Alfa, Morgan and Lotus and another does Skoda, MG, Isuzu and Chevrolet. I hope that they might both weather this storm through offering such a broad range of cars rather than specialise in Subaru alone which clearly is a difficult way to make money.
|
Did not believe the numbers but having checked these may explain why they are struggling, retained value after 3 years is also lower than the other 2 pushing the contract hire value up.
Subaru 2.0td r List £21.5k, CO2 148g Tax 20% - £4300 taxable value, Cont Hire £537
BMW 320 SE List £26k, CO2 128, Tax 18% - £4680 taxable value, Cont Hire £492
Mondeo 2.0 Ghia List £20.5, CO2 156g Tax 22% - £4510 taxable value, Cont Hire £465
And how many who want a 4x4 car are switching to Octavias - don't the farmers love them?
|
When my local Subaru dealer fitted a removable tow bar (they wrongly fitted a fixed one the first time) they left out an exhaust support bracket and substituted a few nylon electric ties. Previously they replaced a sun roof under warranty and omitted to put back the wind deflector.
If only they were half as good as my wife's VW dealer.
alfalfa
|
Our Forester will be 6 years old on 1st March
Parts required since new (apart from parts integral to services)
1 rear light bulb
2 windscreen wipers
This is why our next car will be a Subaru (although this one feels it might last forever)
MVP
|
|
|
Mkar were fine - they called to forewarn me that it was a timing belt change in the 60k so to expect a big bill which was good of them and they called again early afternoon to ask if they could replace a rear wiper blade and a sidelight bulb.
Extra points for giving my car wash but marks deducted for retuning button 4 on my radio to Airhead FM.
I will probabaly use my indy for interim services and them for major services.
|
Extra points for giving my car wash but marks deducted for retuning button 4 on my radio to Airhead FM.
Is than not an offence punishable by death / transportation to the colonies?
|
'Welcome to Triangle of Chesterfield, the top selling Subaru dealer in the United Kingdom.' Says an old web link.
Kia was/is sold by a nearby local multifranchise so I wonder what they are up to now?
|
|
In the Telegraph today it's reported that all the major car manufacturers selling in the US have suffered 20-40% falls in sales except Subaru who have amazingly increased their sales due to strong takeup of the Forester and Impreza.
|
Subaru have just launched the Impreza diesel in Ireland:
www.subaru.co.uk/Subaru_ie/ViewMenu.qed?menuid=M3M...4
I can't understand how Subaru can ship the car from Japan to Ireland and reckon that its not economic to sell it in the UK.
|
I can't understand how Subaru can ship the car from Japan to Ireland and reckon that its not economic to sell it in the UK.
Used to be £1 = ?1.5 in early 2008
now they are equal
Hence the difference!
|
|
|
|
|
