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Why would Dealer Not Certify a 2018 STI

3K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  spiG 
#1 ·
Hello, trying to get into the WRX STI game, and I saw a blue 2018 WRX STI limited going for $35k and it has about 2500 miles on it. I asked the dealer is it certified pre owned, because miles are so low...and this is what he said...


“This vehicle isn't certified, but that's because we don't certify our pre owned vehicle unless the customer wants us too! We like to be able to put an aggressive price up front, and it can cost almost 2k to certify a vehicle, so we like to leave that decision up to our customers. We can certainly help you get into a new warranty or certification! “

To my knowledge, only if it passes inspection does it get certified. Like, if it was modded, it would not be. Is what he’s saying true or BS. I’m leaning toward BS. lol.

Thx!!
 
#2 · (Edited)
All true. Not every vehicle can be certified, and as he told you, you do pay substantial fee for certification. We recently bought a certified Highlander. Cert was a $1K? Don't remember the exact amount. Essentially they get to advertise a low price and charge you for the warranty.

Sounds as if you should learn more about the vehicle to decide, to start with how much you're going to pay with the warranty if you want it If you are going to mod, pass on it.
 
#3 ·
I’m just running numbers right now, but I wasn’t entirely bought by the dealers response. For new ones they have 1.9% financing for 72 months currently, which is pretty good. Used or certified the rate jumps up a lot. Unless you can buy the whole thing for cash, your monthly payments will be lower with a new car. That’s where I’m at now.
 
#4 ·
I have often said buy new. I think in your case I say the same. We take the longest lowest interest loan we can on new cars. We insure there is no penalty for paying it off early, and we do.
 
#5 ·
Sounds like bull to me. I've also heard from dealers that they flat out refuse to certify STIs because of their penchant for being tuned.

The pricing is why I bought new. When I was shopping almost 4 years ago, the 04-07s were starting to creep up over $20k even with nearly 100k miles, and 3-5 year old used examples were still < $8k cheaper than new.

Wasn't worth the gamble to me, especially on a car with this reputation, to buy used. That, plus the quality of the 2015+ chassis made it a very easy decision to just haggle on a new car.

One last thing, the 2019 models get some pretty significant upgrades over the 2018. Revised 3rd gear ratio, +5 hp from intake/exhaust/ecu tweaks, and stronger cast pistons. Worth spending the extra few grand on the brand new one if you really want pleather for some reason. You could get a new base model for the price of that used limited.
 
#6 ·
When I was trading my '16 WRX (~30k miles) in for a '19 STI, the dealership ended up telling me to sell my car to Carmax because they couldn't match their offer. The dealership offered ~$3k less than Carmax and wouldn't budge.

The sales manager told me that it was because they would lose money by performing the required maintenance and inspections for my WRX in order to sell it as CPO. He said that it would cost them between $2-3k to put new tires & brake pads on in order to certify it. I laughed at the guy at that point and walked out.

With that said, I got a really good deal on my '19 STI for over $1k under invoice with 1.9% financing. So I ended up selling my WRX to Carmax and still buying the STI from them.

If possible, try to buy a '19 STI as others have recommended. They received a lot of good updates, have had good financing incentives, and can be had for over $4k under MSRP.
 
#8 · (Edited)
My '19 STI came with the Recaro package (Recaro seats & keyless access/push-button start), Popular package #1 (Center armrest extension, wheel locks, auto dimming compass mirror w/ homelink, rear cargo tray, and rear bumper applique), Shifter package (STI shift knob & short throw shifter), and rear splash guards.

MSRP $41,622
Invoice $38,802

I got it for $37,552 ($4,070 under MSRP, $1,250 under invoice) with Subaru's 1.9% financing for 72 months. I put down a nice down payment and plan to pay it off sooner.
 
#10 ·
I started out by doing some research on what other deals people were getting and what the invoice price was for the car. Then I sent off emails to dealerships in the area to see what kind of deal they could do and used their quotes against each other. This tactic got me to invoice pricing pretty quickly. It probably helps if the dealership has a few STIs on the lot.

It seems pretty common to get $3,500 - $4,000 off MSRP on the 2019 STIs. I found that working with online sales managers was a lot easier and more efficient than salesmen at the dealership. The online sales managers were a lot more willing to negotiate to get the sale. I had my price set before ever going into the dealership for the test drive.
 
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