If you were going to potentially be selling your vehicle soon....

[_19disnA]

But a warranty has nothing to do with a car having surface dings from parking lots, etc.

I agree and particularly if you are planning to sell it to a private party, there is probably little need to fix minor cosmetic damage.

 

[nkereina]

a minor repair to the paint might boost the price it gets

Yes, it *might*. Would it get at least $400 more? Maybe, but its luck of the draw. Since OP referenced money being tight due to the holidays, and its not a clear-cut return on investment, I would choose to not spend the money on it.

 

[mrodgers]

Given some automakers now warranty their cars for 10 years, and offer 96 month financing, and the average age of a car in the U.S. is 12 years, it's still pretty new. I would expect any car made in the last 20 years to go 10 years without repairs (excluding oil changes, tires and brakes)

And yes, my oldest car is 53 years old.....but I bought it used.

Conversely, an 8-10 year old car to me is a 200k mile rust bucket. It's not repairs that are the problem. It's the replacing of every bolt and fastener that has corroded with every routine maintenance along with the rust holes in the body that can't be fixed perfectly or cheaply every year for state inspection.

Understood that it is a north vs south thing along with a rural vs urban thing.

 

[tvguy]

Conversely, an 8-10 year old car to me is a 200k mile rust bucket. It's not repairs that are the problem. It's the replacing of every bolt and fastener that has corroded with every routine maintenance along with the rust holes in the body that can't be fixed perfectly or cheaply every year for state inspection.

Understood that it is a north vs south thing along with a rural vs urban thing.

True. If you drive above the norm of about 12,000 miles a year, or fail to repair rust damage, it could not be worth it. But I'm in California, my 1987 didn't have a spec of rust on it after 31 years.

 

[smiths02]

Agree with this. If I'm in the market for a car and my budget only permits an 8 year old used vehicle, I'm none too concerned with dents. Regardless of the make. I'm more concerned with mileage and mechanical viability being an 8 year old car.

That said, I don't think $400 is a bad price for what they're offering. I just wouldn't put the money into it, personally.

But it has value and service left in it, and a minor repair to the paint might boost the price it gets.

If all I could afford was an 8 year old used vehicle (unless this is a little old lady car only driven to church), I doubt I'd pay $450 more because it doesn't have small dings.

 

[nkereina]

If all I could afford was an 8 year old used vehicle (unless this is a little old lady car only driven to church), I doubt I'd pay $450 more because it doesn't have small dings.

Exactly my point. If the car is otherwise mechanically sound, I don't think some dings will make or break a sale.

 

[wvjules]

You said "potentially" be selling. If you choose to keep the car, would you want the dings/scratches fixed? I'd fix, or not fix, based on keeping the car since selling it isn't a for sure thing.

 

[Klayfish]

Of course it's used, but not used up. With the average person keeping a car 12 years, and then a car getting sold to someone else and driven lord knows how long after that, 8 years is a pup. Looks like 2010 Forester is going for $12,000 around here, so there is a LOT of cash value left in the car that could be applied to a more comfortable car. We aren't talking a $700 beater

I think you're confusing the average age of a car on the road with how long the average person keeps a car. Those are two very different things. The "average" car on the road is 12 years old, that's true...but that's the median of the bell curve. Plenty of cars are brand new, and many are 20+ years old. However, by time it's 8 years old it's more than likely not with its' original owner. Sure, it probably has a lot of life left in it...unless it's German ....but at least to me it's not a pup. It's descending into that "well used" category.

Wonder what OP would want, from my knowledge the Forester is pretty comfy and doesn't seem like a hard car to get in/out of.

 

[tvguy]

I think you're confusing the average age of a car on the road with how long the average person keeps a car. Those are two very different things. The "average" car on the road is 12 years old, that's true...but that's the median of the bell curve. Plenty of cars are brand new, and many are 20+ years old. However, by time it's 8 years old it's more than likely not with its' original owner. Sure, it probably has a lot of life left in it...unless it's German ....but at least to me it's not a pup. It's descending into that "well used" category.

Wonder what OP would want, from my knowledge the Forester is pretty comfy and doesn't seem like a hard car to get in/out of.

I think another thing is how many fleet cars and lease returns there are on used car lots. That has flooded them with 2 or 3 year old cars. I actually bought a brand new car in June, and they were a whole lot more interested in leasing me the car than selling it to me.

 

[smiths02]

I think you're confusing the average age of a car on the road with how long the average person keeps a car. Those are two very different things. The "average" car on the road is 12 years old, that's true...but that's the median of the bell curve. Plenty of cars are brand new, and many are 20+ years old. However, by time it's 8 years old it's more than likely not with its' original owner. Sure, it probably has a lot of life left in it...unless it's German ....but at least to me it's not a pup. It's descending into that "well used" category.

Wonder what OP would want, from my knowledge the Forester is pretty comfy and doesn't seem like a hard car to get in/out of.

I was kind of wondering that as well because my MIL bought one in January...granted this was before her heart attack but she already had a lot of back problems and mobility problems, and yet she chose this. When the ILs came to visit, she made my FIL use our old Saturn and leave her the Subaru in the off chance she wanted to drive anywhere while everyone else was gone.

 

[cvjw]

And here's my fellow yooper chiming in . It's amazing how popular Subarus are in certain parts of the country. Up here they are almost a status symbol . I bought this one literally less than a month before I fell and started down the path of all these surgeries. If I would have known, I would have bought the bigger Outback, but live and learn....

Thanks for checking in!

Terri

We have a 2012 outback and my mother has a 2017 forester. Almost no difference in size, cargo space and ease of getting in or out. If you need a car that is easier to get in or out of, not sure an outback is your best option!

Subaru’s are also very popular in my area of metro Atlanta. After our recent snow storms, almost everyone in our neighborhood has at least one Subaru now! They are amazing driving in ice!

 

[Klayfish]

I think another thing is how many fleet cars and lease returns there are on used car lots. That has flooded them with 2 or 3 year old cars. I actually bought a brand new car in June, and they were a whole lot more interested in leasing me the car than selling it to me.

Sure...leasing is a cash cow for the dealer, so they push for it. The dealer gets to collect money from the original lessee, then take the car back...plus charge the lessee fees to do that, then turn around and sell a low mileage clean used car at full retail prices. Not to mention the finance incentives they get. Win/win/win for the dealer, not so much for the consumer. If I had a very thick wallet, I suppose I would probably be OK with leasing. But since I don't, I don't lease.

 

[tvguy]

Sure...leasing is a cash cow for the dealer, so they push for it. The dealer gets to collect money from the original lessee, then take the car back...plus charge the lessee fees to do that, then turn around and sell a low mileage clean used car at full retail prices. Not to mention the finance incentives they get. Win/win/win for the dealer, not so much for the consumer. If I had a very thick wallet, I suppose I would probably be OK with leasing. But since I don't, I don't lease.

We are preparing for retirement, and had talked about leasing so we always had a new car. But I don't want to always have a payment. I financed the new car for 5 years, we won't retire until it is paid off. Hope to do that in the next two years. If I keep it up like I did the vehicle I traded in, I'll be 90 before it needs to be replaced.

 

[nkereina]

We are preparing for retirement, and had talked about leasing so we always had a new car. But I don't want to always have a payment. I financed the new car for 5 years, we won't retire until it is paid off. Hope to do that in the next two years. If I keep it up like I did the vehicle I traded in, I'll be 90 before it needs to be replaced.

But once the car is paid off, a person should still continue to put money away every week or or month for maintenance and unexpected repairs that will come up on an aging vehicle. This is something a person doesn't really have to do when leasing, albeit they are still making car payments. So to me, its six of one and half a dozen of the other between leasing and buying when looking at it from the perspective of monthly costs as a consumer.

 

[NotUrsula]

...
Wonder what OP would want, from my knowledge the Forester is pretty comfy and doesn't seem like a hard car to get in/out of.[/QUOTE]

As a sales guy I recently spoke to put it, "I tell people that the Forester is like a padded kitchen chair, while the Outback is more like a living room armchair." The cushioning in the Forester is rather stiff compared to the Outback, and the Outback has a slightly lower sill height (because it is marketed as a "raised wagon", while the Forester is marketed as an SUV.)

 

[Klayfish]

But once the car is paid off, a person should still continue to put money away every week or or month for maintenance and unexpected repairs that will come up on an aging vehicle. This is something a person doesn't really have to do when leasing, albeit they are still making car payments. So to me, its six of one and half a dozen of the other between leasing and buying when looking at it from the perspective of monthly costs as a consumer.

There are a ton of variables and situations you can throw in, but on a broad perspective leasing a car is far more costly than ownership. Significantly so.

 

[nkereina]

There are a ton of variables and situations you can throw in, but on a broad perspective leasing a car is far more costly than ownership. Significantly so.

I mentioned in my post that I was just speaking from a monthly budget perspective. Just because an owned vehicle is paid off doesn't mean it will cost you that much less per month, if a person is saving responsibly for ongoing maintenance and unexpected repairs.

 

[tvguy]

But once the car is paid off, a person should still continue to put money away every week or or month for maintenance and unexpected repairs that will come up on an aging vehicle. This is something a person doesn't really have to do when leasing, albeit they are still making car payments. So to me, its six of one and half a dozen of the other between leasing and buying when looking at it from the perspective of monthly costs as a consumer.

I just traded in a 1987 Suburban that I bought new. I have all the receipts for every repair done. $10,000 over 31 years. That averages out to $26.88 a month. A WHOLE lot cheaper than leasing.

 

[smokeyblue]

...
Wonder what OP would want, from my knowledge the Forester is pretty comfy and doesn't seem like a hard car to get in/out of.

As a sales guy I recently spoke to put it, "I tell people that the Forester is like a padded kitchen chair, while the Outback is more like a living room armchair." The cushioning in the Forester is rather stiff compared to the Outback, and the Outback has a slightly lower sill height (because it is marketed as a "raised wagon", while the Forester is marketed as an SUV.)[/QUOTE]
My Outback is the most uncomfortable car I've ever driven. More than an hour in it is like torture. If it didn't plow through a foot of snow like nobody else's business, I wouldn't own it. Truly a utilitarian purchase for me.

 

[yoopermom]

OP here, thanks EVERYONE for all the spirited discussion, it was much appreciated, and helped me think things through. I decided not to spend the extra $$, because you really do have to look to see them, and would be expected, I think, by a purchaser of car this age. Plus, it's Christmas and tax time and....well, you know.

Per the discussion of why the Forester is uncomfortable for me at this point, it's because I have a long inseam/long legs, and so my left(injured) leg has to be cocked up/tucked under in a way that it feels every bump on the road, and is very sore by the time I get where I'm going. Because mine is an entry level model, there aren't any/many seat adjustments that can be made, unfortunately. I'm probably going to keep it and tough it out until after my February surgery, and, if it's still bothering me, look at a full size truck or SUV, something where my leg will be able to make more of a 90 degree angle at the knee. (Any suggestions would be appreciated. Except a minivan. My DS is 24, and I just can't go back to that.)

Thanks again EVERYONE, and I would definitely recommend a Subaru, as long as you know their pros and cons.

Terri