[jp1203]

So I'm looking into buying an '08-'09 3.0R and the dealer happened to mention a $500 environmental protection package. The sales guy said that the interior treatment isn't really anything better than Scotchgard and the exterior didn't do much more than a very durable wax would. He said that it comes with a three year paint warranty, though. Apparently any chips, discoloration, bubbling, etc. and they'd repaint it for free.

He wasn't at all afraid to say the treatment itself was nothing special, but I think his point about the paint warranty is valid.

So, what do all of you think? I'm usually not keen on dealer extras, but my '04 has some paint chips on the hood that were just caused by age and the prospect of that happening again and getting me a free repaint is worth thinking about at the least. The question is do they actually honor it, or are there so many loopholes that they never have to deal with it?

The dealer I'm dealing with has rave reviews from just about everyone, including some friends and family who have dealt with them. In comparison to another Subaru dealer closer to me, I like them much better so far. The BS and "get as much of his money as possible and run" mentality that our closer dealer has is almost non-existent here so far.

Right now I'm leaning heavily towards saying "no," but do you think the paint warranty is worth the $500?

 

[fatabbot]

Read the fine print on the "warranty". They often require that the treatment be reapplied annually for the warranty to remain valid. Usually other caveats as well. I highly doubt the text of the contract spells out that it will cover paint chips from impacts (stones, etc.), either. It's usually just for sun fading, damage from bird droppings, etc.

$500 tucked away in a savings account should more than pay for any environmental paint degradation you get in a measly 3 years. Better yet, if nothing needs to be "repaired", you have that $500 to spend on something else.

In other words, pass...

 

[subiesailor]

Read the fine print on the "warranty". They often require that the treatment be reapplied annually for the warranty to remain valid. Usually other caveats as well. I highly doubt the text of the contract spells out that it will cover paint chips from impacts (stones, etc.), either. It's usually just for sun fading, damage from bird droppings, etc.

$500 tucked away in a savings account should more than pay for any environmental paint degradation you get in a measly 3 years. Better yet, if nothing needs to be "repaired", you have that $500 to spend on something else.

In other words, pass...

Not to mention we aren't talking about a collector car here - its a Subaru. Bikes will get dropped against it, Kids will puke in the back seat, Dogs will be Dogs, owners will jump into the driver seat after standing in waist deep water launching their boat, etc etc etc.

Pass - the car comes with superior cloth treated with stain resistant stuff in it to start with. If you want to treat it once a year get a bottle of Scotch guard and spend a few minutes messing with the car.

Save the $500 and do something fun with it.

 

[jp1203]

Thanks, that's what I figured--the warranty was probably too picky to be worth anything.

And I'm sure you're right Subiesailor...though I'll never have kids under any circumstances (and probably not a dog), if it gets imperfections it'll be from going through the woods and trees scratching it, the tires kicking up rocks, maybe the mountain bike putting a gouge in it somehow, etc.

...and this will have leather, so even less of a chance of stains on the seats . Plus, I'm a little obsessive about keeping the inside clean. It'll get Weathertech floor liners for sure and I don't even eat in the car.

 

[upflying]

$500 for a wax job and Scotch-guard treatment? Even with the paint warranty, betcha there is a lot of fine print exclusions. Besides how will a repaint match?
The $500 package is pure dealer profit. 'Environmental Protection Package", sheez, talk about pulling on your Greenie heartstrings. That name sounds like you are saving the planet.

 

[subiesailor]

Thanks, that's what I figured--the warranty was probably too picky to be worth anything.

And I'm sure you're right Subiesailor...though I'll never have kids under any circumstances (and probably not a dog), if it gets imperfections it'll be from going through the woods and trees scratching it, the tires kicking up rocks, maybe the mountain bike putting a gouge in it somehow, etc.

...and this will have leather, so even less of a chance of stains on the seats . Plus, I'm a little obsessive about keeping the inside clean. It'll get Weathertech floor liners for sure and I don't even eat in the car.

Good choice. If your anything like my pre kids days living in CA - my car was always hauling camping gear, Bikes, boats etc. The only thing that I worried about keeping in perfect conditions was the engine and all the parts that get me from point A to B. After 11yrs with that car leather interior was still decent the floor mats had been replaced 3 times and the body had dents on the roof from bike pedals hitting it during the loading unloading process, door dent from some idiot riding a shopping cart down our street in SF and the list goes on and on. Didn't bother me one bit given the interior was still nice and the car still hauled us to our favorite places without any complaints. More or less the Subaru WAY ha ha... You want pretty get a pretty car and don't use it ha ha.

 

[jp1203]

Good choice. If your anything like my pre kids days living in CA - my car was always hauling camping gear, Bikes, boats etc. The only thing that I worried about keeping in perfect conditions was the engine and all the parts that get me from point A to B. After 11yrs with that car leather interior was still decent the floor mats had been replaced 3 times and the body had dents on the roof from bike pedals hitting it during the loading unloading process, door dent from some idiot riding a shopping cart down our street in SF and the list goes on and on. Didn't bother me one bit given the interior was still nice and the car still hauled us to our favorite places without any complaints. More or less the Subaru WAY ha ha... You want pretty get a pretty car and don't use it ha ha.

My pre-kid days are going to last until the day I die, and there isn't a woman on this planet who could convince me otherwise . I'm 21, and friends don't think much of my Outback until we drive up a rutted logging road to a trailhead with no effort or I punch it to pass a slower car on the highway (lost count of the times I've heard "Wow, I didn't think your car could do that."). Actually had one who wanted to buy my '04, but as a college student with mountains of debt he doesn't think he can afford it even for the steal I would have given him.

I was a little disappointed that Weathertech didn't make floorliners for my 04. The Subaru all weather mats are okay, but the sand they use on the roads in the winter sneaks around the outside and I have to keep on top of it because my L.L. Bean's interior is so light.

My latest exterior damage was from driving around a log on an old logging road. I thought I was far enough away, but I misjudged it and put a tiny dent in the passenger's door and a very light scratch from front to back (a good sized branch was coming off the log). The scratch buffed out with almost no effort, but the dent is still there. Got over it real quick--it's a 9 year old Subaru with 131k on it after all.

I'm hoping for a black interior on an '08 or '09, but the H6s are tough to find so I might not have any luck with that. I guess it doesn't matter too much since I'll have leather seats and floor liners anyway.