I am not sure what value Subaru UK add to the brand. I have tried to get some basic information out of them several times but had no response - I know the normal source of information is through your local dealer, but mine has just gone bust (IGW in Bolton) and besides, they never seemed at all committed to the range and had little product knowledge.

On top of this, I cannot justify paying UK prices, a good £5K more than europe, even when you've addaed the price of the alarm, locking wheelnuts etc. Does all this extra money go in to Subaru UK's back pocket ?

I would like to know what value they add to the scooby community?

 

IMHO (14 months ownership of main dealer purchase from new), Subaru UK are sh1te.... buy an import for £17K.... dealers are a bunch of comedians....

 

They satisfy this member of the community. If we all got the car for £6K off the list price, the resale would be much worse than it is!
KF.

 

I own an import say no more

Wouldn't buy a UK car, not for a while anyway.

 

KF, yes you are right but only proportionally less I would say. If a new car (for example) loses 30% in the first year then a £21k car would lose £6.3k and a £16k car only £4.8k. Yes the resales are lower but so is the money you've lost!

Simon.

 

Subaru Uk (IM) will love this.......... be quick this will get closed !!!!!

 

IM have a strategy, not one that will appease the average member of this board... Think of it this way, business are conservative, the fad (albeit a long running one of all things Subaru and turbocharged) *may* stop being a money maker one day. Look up "fad" in the dictionary. Their bread'n'butter is all those cooking Imprezas, Legacys, Forresters and Justy's for farmers, rural nurses etc. If they deserted their traditional cusomter base and went after the performance sector, that could well back fire on them.

When Berghaus' jackets went popular ten years or so ago, I vividly remember that they did'nt increase production because of a fad, because in the end of the day fads burn out and they (Berghaus) didn't want to put all their eggs in one basket. Which is *exactly* what IM are doing. Eggs in different baskets - the way forward.

 

I've had nothing but good service from my dealer(Quenby). So no complaints there. They saved me at least a grand on an AP 6 pot/PD7 wheel combo, gave me a cheaper PPP and are top chaps.

Dealers make more money servicing cars than they do selling them so it would make perfect sense to me for IM to authorise the UK dealers to service jap imports and treat Euro imports the same way as they do UK sourced ones.

I don't blame the dealers for the import situation their hands are tied, ' If you service jap imports you lose your franchise'. One only has to look at mitsubishi for an enlightend view on import servicing.

I also don't understand why IM don't play a more active part in the community/SIDC/scoobynet. Sitting aloof from it all only harms their reputation. I've heard lots of rumours regarding what IM do and don't do, and if they are true they degrade my opinion of that company. BTW IM are NOT subaru or the dealer network.

A perfect example would have been to let a select few members try/give an opinion on the new MY01. I know it was top top secret, but I'm sure there are prominent members of the SIDC who are well able to sign a non disclosure agreement and stick to it.

IF the SIDC had, had a say in the development of the MY01 i'm sure that it would not have turned out like it did. A great handling car, but ugly one in standard form. The new car is'nt selling as well as the old one(so i'm told) and a major factor in that is the looks. Involving one of the most active and thriving single marque communities worldwide in the development process would have paid massive dividends for Subaru, but they decided to go it alone.

As a happy Subaru owner, happy with my dealer I hope for the companies sake they(IM) take the same view on imports and take an active part in the community sooner rather than later.


[Edited by Neil Smalley - 11/2/2001 7:58:57 AM]

 

I'm just amazed that this thread has been allowed!

Months ago a Newbie asked what IM stood for and I posted a harmless joke answer. This was immediately censored by Webmaster as being inappropriate as we must not offend IM.

Whats changed?

 

OK.

I've just deleted 5 of the posts in this thread, and do not have the spare time to be able to monitor it constantly.

This is part of the reason why threads like this are deleted at times.

This one will not be deleted, now that the deleted posts have gone.

It will be locked instead as I cannot sit here and watch every post that goes through.

NOTHING has EVER been deleted "because we are not allowed to offend IM", that is ridiculous to suggest and will never be the case. It would have been deleted because it was potentially libellous, or something similar.

Best regards

webmaster