Hi all, I've been thinking about getting a car but have been mostly a wait and see type of buyer. I work from home and share a car so it's more of luxury and less of a need to have type of purchase.
Currently I'm doing all the research etc. and this subreddit has been super helpful.
I wanted to make sure I had everything ready but when I contacted my insurance agent I was told that now in California new auto policies take 2 weeks to take effect for those without existing coverage and from my googling that's pretty normal.
Just wanted to hear from CA people, how does that work with how competitive some cars are? Post purchase are dealers letting cars sit on their lot (that seems like a waste of their lot space)? Is there some sort of temp coverage that you can get?
Rule 1: deciding between 2020 CPO bmw 230i convertible, 2023 mx-5, and maybe a 2020-2023 Z4. Rule 2: I'd put a majority down and finance 25-50%, have received pre-approval from my bank but I think that loan app might have expired.

I have a 2016 Forester XT Touring (the really nice one with the turbo motor and all of the options). It's been a great car and I absolutely love it. It's in excellent shape.
It just went over 100k and started to have some serious engine stumbling issues. It's been into the Subaru dealer many times. Even after thousands of dollars of work (thankfully paid by the last shred of a warranty that Subaru offered as a favor) it's still not running right.
The working theory is that the engine is compromised and I'm looking at a minimum 6k to put into this car to get it working again. While I love this car a lot, it doesn't make financial sense for me to drop 6k (or more) into a car who's trade in value is 16k.
The car doesn't drive well, and has a lot of check engine lights on. I don't think I could "get away" with bringing it to another dealer and play dumb, also that feels pretty unethical.
This car is paid off. There are two cars I'd be interested in: Another Forester from the same dealer, or a Honda Ridgeline.
I suspect if I trade in at the dealer it's at I'll get hosed on a trade in because they know the car is in trouble, and I can't imagine I'd get a better deal at another dealer given it's pretty obvious that the car is hurting. Private party sale is out given the issues...
So the question is: What could I expect to get for this car, and what would any of you do in my situation?

I bought a car in May from a dealer, on a car whose registration expired in February.
I just got my sticker in the mail, and noticed that my registration is good through February 2024, not May 2024. Is this correct, or is this something I can take to the DMV and have them adjust my registration based on my purchase date?

Hey all. I’m looking to buy a GR86, but I refuse to pay markup on a car. I want to test drive one as well, but the three dealers I’ve gone to ask about test driving a USED car have all just laughed at me as I walked away. Lastly, I called a few local dealerships about ordering and was told that you can’t even get on the waitlist without a trade-in. And even then you’re still paying markup??? Did anyone actually follow through with this process? This car was supposed to be a budget friendly sports car and it’s turning into an unattainable premium car.
I’ve tried the same at a Subaru dealership. They don’t require a trade in, but I was also told they can’t get them in.

Hi there, any input about this issue is appreciated.
I have a 2016 Subaru Legacy that has about 64K miles, and I financed it through CarMax. It is a push-to-start (no remote start capabilities), and about two days ago the car started doing a beep/honking sound three times in a row once I push the start button. There are no other warning indicators on the dashboard, and the car seems to be operating normally. I have two separate fobs and tried both of them separately to see if maybe it was the battery in the key, but it did the beeping both times.
I’ve never owned a Subaru before, so I’m unsure if this is a common indicator of something. Hoping so, as I’d love to not pay a shop to do any diagnostics. I do have MaxCare, and I guess that’s my next step. I called a local Subaru dealer and they didn’t know what it was without looking at it (or so they said).
Thank you very much!

I bought my car, a 2011 STi, on Dec 27th, 2022 from a local Subaru dealer. It has had a cylinder 1 misfire code since 3/30/23. Car has 118,259 miles, not modified to my knowledge and was sold to me as a stock car. Cylinder 1 failed a compression test reading 50 psi in early April, my mechanic proceeded to tear down the engine and resurface both cylinder heads, replacing all the subsequent parts (head gaskets, valve stems, seats, etc.) They had it running 1 week ago, and both heads were leaking coolant, due to the short block being warped from the bad heads. Motor has severe signs of being overheated and abused. They tried 4 different sets of head gaskets, and then when they had it back together today (6/5), it jumped timing after running for 5 minutes. My mechanic recommends replacing the motor and getting a hold of Subaru to talk about lemon law. Do you think they will listen to me at all?

I took my car in and had the master window switch replaced and apparently the brakes needed service as well.
I know the radio was working just fine before I dropped it off. I can get sound on AA wireless but then I'm running the phone battery down. I bought a new Android Auto data cable and used for the first time on Saturday.
The new cable worked perfectly all weekend and it worked up until I left my car at the dealer. Now, no sound when my phone is connected to Android Auto (also had difficulty getting the AA app to open on the radio display). There's also no sound when the phone is set on the seat not connected to anything.
I've turned the phone Bluetooth on and off, with no change. I've reset the radio multiple times already by holding the power button until the Subaru logo comes up. Also no sound when turning the volume knob.
What's going on here?

Hey all, might be joining the Subaru family here in the next couple days and was looking for some opinions or advice.
2010 Forester 2.5X, 102K, 1 owner, good carfax history.
Dealer that it's at specializes in Subarus and its just had a timing belt and head gasket job done. Only thing that worries me is that it was done because they went bad and I don't know how bad it got.
Is there anything I should be concerned about here? Previous owner kept up on fluid changes and scheduled maintenance. I kind of like that it's the pre-CVT model but also don't know much about these transmissions.
It's a northern car, so it's got some rust underneith but nothing crazy/rotted and 0 visible rust on the body.
Need something that's going to last me several years at least and with the major "Subaru job" already done it seemed like a good option.
Let me know if I'm making a mistake please?

I have a Subaru VIP Authorization form and I've been trying to find pricing on a '23 Forester Sport. Online I've seen estimates of invoice pricing coming down to $30,534 for that model with no add-ons via edmunds and other resources. However, the quote I got back from a dealer near me reported an invoice price of a little under two grand more than that.
Is this due to market and the manufacturer upping prices for dealerships or are there other factors in play I'm unaware of?

I have a Subaru VIP Authorization form and I've been trying to find pricing on a '23 Forester Sport. Online I've seen estimates of invoice pricing coming down to $30,534 for that model with no add-ons via edmunds and other resources. However, the quote I got back from a dealer near me reported an invoice price of a little under two grand more than that. Is this due to market and the manufacturer upping prices for dealerships or are there other factors in play I'm unaware of?

Hi all,
I have a 2021 Toyota RAV-4 hybrid. I have just been taking it to the dealer (DARCARS in Silver Spring) for maintenance but then I just have to wait there until it’s done. Does anyone know of a good mechanic that’s on the metro? I used to go to Stohlman Subaru (because I had a Subaru) and it was so convenient that it was on the Silver Line.

I'm quite excited about the idea of doing car camping (here in the UK), so I'm on the market for a vehicle which will also be my first car. I work from home and live in the city so don't need a vehicle for my day to day, it'll be mostly for road trips/camping.
I'm somehow torn between a Subaru Forester (2013 model) and BMW X3 (F25, 2014 model) for completely different reasons.
With the Subaru Forester, I feel like it's more suitable for what I want: - I'll have more fun with it as it seems to handle itself better off-road; - the boot is slightly bigger which allows me to setup a bed frame big enough without moving the front seats (I'm 6ft1) - judging by the roof bars it looks like they can handle heavier loads (I'm yet to confirm this)
With the BMW X3: - it's got the looks both inside and out - from what I've seen it'll hold its value for longer - cheaper to find parts as there's a lot more of them
I'm eventually gonna view these two at the car dealer, but I'm wondering if there's any advice or anything I should lookout for beforehand, from some of you that's done car camping before.
Thanks

The days of getting a good deal on the Gold Star Plus Warranties might be over in FL. Thank you Rick91981 for providing tons of info about this subject. I called 10+ dealers in FL and all of them quoted the same price: $3050 for Gold Star Plus + Tax 10/100/$100 Deductible. None of them willing to go lower and all stated "it is the same price for the whole state of FL."
I only had $2k to get the Gold Star Plus, so I paid $1900 with tax for the 7/70/Deductive plan with my local dealership where I purchased my 2023 Legacy Premium. I only did it since I had low mileage on the car and it is more about the age of the car more than anything else. F&I rep said before the warranty runs out you can extend the Gold Star Plus up to ten years....we will see about that......
This is a warning for anyone buying a Subaru in FL, they may not willing to go lowish on Gold Star Plus.

Hello, I’d like to preface that I’m not a mechanic; I’m mechanically inclined. I did take it to the dealer and they said I needed a new transmission and wouldn’t even consider a valve body. I’ve got a 2010 Subaru Outback (165K), I had a solenoid lock up on the valve body and as a result I replaced the valve body and drained and refilled the CVT. I’m in the process of doing the CVT relearn with a topdon artdiag pro. The car is on level ground on jack stands, it seems to be getting stuck on the Brake release portion. While the scanner is stuck on that I’ve noticed that the front wheels are slowly moving and the back are stationary. From my research, the cvt relearn should take about 5min, this is taking a bit longer and has me concerned, I’m not doing something right.
If anyone can provide me with any insight, I’d appreciate it.
Thank you.

07 Subaru WRX STI
I have the opportunity to buy a stock 07 wrx STI for $26k OTD. Just serviced by the dealer including new brembo brake pads and tires. 130k mi on the clock.
This would be my daily driver about ~15 min to and from work in a large, car dependent city.
With $10k to put down; is this a stupid purchase? Should I be looking at something newer?
My monthly payment would be $300 for 60 mo, but I believe I could finish paying early in about 40.
I’ve owned and done my own work on Ford, Mercedes, Miata, Chevy.
Thank you!

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I’m currently looking for a 2023 Rav4 Hybrid SE Silver. No mark ups or dealer add ons. I’m in Southern CA. I know Longo is offering sticker price but I can’t wait an year for to arrive. Am I tripping or is it possible to find one?