[paulmz]

Nope. We were told 29500. Sound good or should I haggle?

I would say that's fine. I bought my 2.5i Limited with moonroof (w/o puddle lights) for the same price. Sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[paulmz]

So we bought the car. Drove 30 miles and it won't start. We have called roadside assistance and it is being towed back to the dealership. The wait for the tow truck was almost as long as we have owned the car. Is this typical? Love the car hate roadside assistance.

I know this will sound really weird, but this morning when I left for work, it took three tries to start my new (4-month old) Outback. It would turn over, but not start. I couldn't even say what caused it, and it's fine now. Just random.

I can't say that any car, new or old, is without its potential flaws. When I purchased my 2009 Legacy brand new, on the 13th day I was driving up a hill and heard a loud "thump". I thought I just hit a pothole. Then the thump happened again, distinctly from the rear, and every single light on the instrument panel was lit. It would happen just when accelerating from a stop and shifting out of first gear. I was close to the dealer so I drove straight there. It turned out to be a bad transmission wiring harness. The dealer replaced it (free, of course) and I didn't have the problem again. I did, however, email and raise a stink with Subaru about my new car breaking and not certain there was no mechanical damage from the problem. I eventually got them to pay for a Subaru remote starter install.

The only other random problem I had with the Legacy, about another month after the transmission thump, was an unexplained electrical problem. I started the car after shopping and none of the lights - interior, dash, exterior, headlights - nothing worked. I turned off the car, restarted, and some instrument panel lights worked. Repeated the off/start process, each time some new lights returning to full function. It never happened again after that.

Anyway, after this long diatribe, I have only owned two Subarus and can't say whether the brand as a whole is prone to problems. In fact, I definitely hear more about how reliable they are much more than malfunctions, which I found through extensive research before purchasing my first Subaru. Despite my few issues, I'm on my second Subaru and have no intentions of ever purchasing another brand (other than a 60's American car for a hobby).

I seriously wouldn't think twice about it. Consider it the opening kink and feel confident that the remaining years of driving will be mechanically uneventful. I know there's no guarantee, but you'll have a long time to figure out that you made a smart purchase. Don't let this little quirk make you doubt Subaru.

Sorry to babble...

 

[paulmz]

Frustrating to say the least. My wife is going to need to get a ride to work and this means another trip to the dealership. To pick it up. Should I be compensated for our time? Should I demand a rental car?

Yes, you should definitely get a loaner provided by the dealer. It's part of the included one-year warranty. I'm surprised they didn't offer you one right away. When I brought in my Legacy after 2-weeks, they got me a rental car right away and then traded that for an older Outback loaner for the remainder of that week. I was not without a car the whole time.

I can't say that you will be compensated for your time, but it doesn't hurt to send Subaru an email. They are usually good at customer service. I had to be blunt and actually say what I wanted as compensation. They did reimburse my $650 for the remote starter install.

Good luck. Let us know what happens and what turns out to be the problem.