Fair price for new 2003 base model Forester?

[Guest Subazoo]

Its between a new Jeep Wrangler and a Fos-ster. What did any of you folks pay for a newbie? Just curious. We live in VT.

 

Thanks,

ZOO

[Guest bratman2]

We were quoted $19122 in Colorado Springs while visiting, this was not including sales tax as we are from NC. This was a 5 speed and did include a tweeter kit, cargo mat. Auto should be about $800 more. We opted for a Legacy L SE instead. Glenn Taylor.

[Guest lazyNorm]

Those two vehicles are alomast exact opposites. One is a trail truck with OK street manners, the othe is a nice foul weather car with very little trail capabilities. How did you narrow it down to those two? Just wondering. I love our Legacy as a daily driver and in the rain and snow, but will never see the places my Cherokee goes.

[Guest rcoaster]

My roomate has a Jeep Sport (Which was the base model at that time with a 4 cylinder engine) , and I rode in it several times. He loves his Jeep, but it's not for me. It feels so unsafe. I feel like that I'll find myself upside down in a Jeep if I hit a pot hole with it! The Forester is a much more safer car.

 

The cargo area in the Forester is much better than the Jeep. Did you know that rear seats in a Jeep is Optional? The radio, air conditioning, and a few aneminites are all optional. The Forester has those standard. In a Jeep of the same price as 2004 Forester, they are optional. I'm using the Jeep Wrangler Sport as a comparison, since their prices are similar, here's what is standard in a Forester that's optional in a Wrangler Sport: ABS, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Radio with CD Player (Jeep doesn't even offer a weatherband radio, Forester does!), and 16 inch wheels.

 

Now, here's a list of things that the 2004 Forester has standard that even the Jeep can't offer: Side Airbags, Full-Time AWD system, hill-holder feature on manual's, Power windows, door lock, and exterior mirrors, keyless entry, rear wiper with de-icer, rear defogger, and Driver's seat height and lumbar adjustment.

 

Basically, you're getting a lot of standard stuff with a Forester than with a Jeep. The reason why the automatics are $800 more (MSRP, One dealer has it for $720) is that you get a different kind of AWD system, that is electronically controlled. It's one of the most advanced AWD systems in the market, and typically high-end luxury cars usually have those systems. The Jeep is only part time, and has a speed ceiling to it. With the Forester, you can safely go 65, 75, 100 mph in "4WD".

 

One last thing to look at is MPG. I'm sure that the Forester gets better MPG than the Jeep Wrangler!

 

-RC!