I don't think your local dealer knows much about the car. Or their lot just gets it last.

You should try to talk to a different dealer at the same location. He/she might have different info than the one you're talking with.

Are dealer options/accessories cheap enough at invoice pricing (with VIP Program) that it would be worth ordering a BRZ with virtually all dealer options/accessories? Wonder if a dealer would let you know of all the invoice prices on accessories before ordering...

The prices for the accessories/options are on the site. The VIP program only applies towards the car itself. Least that's what I got from the dealer I spoke with.

Bump for any new info from someone talking to their dealership about using the VIP Program on the BRZ :popcorn:

Make sure you get this in writing. If you do not, it means nothing. Verbal contracts will not hold up on a deposit pre-order. Guess how I know?

Yeah... don't count on it.

I wouldn't call it 100% official yet (as I haven't heard from SoA directly, although they are supposed to follow up with me next month), but the word I have is that the VIP team has decided that the BRZ is NOT going to be eligible for VIP program. Sorry guys.

:( I've read the opposite around the forums from dealers that ppl have talked to (in the state of CA) I wonder what the case will be...

Dave, you know how to break hearts.

That's a pretty terrible decision if true. Scion here I come!

It's not a dealership decision by itself.

I'll save several hundred if the "unofficial official" word I recevied is wrong, however it fully matches what I expected anyways based on how SoA did this with the STI when it hit the US. I was hopeful for the VIP program but I honestly didn't expect it, that's why I made sure if VIP didn't happen I had another deal to fallback on :)

Regional reps should be delivering this data to dealers soon so I suspect we'll have more confirmation (or not) soon. I'm going to contact the VIP group tomorrow as well and see if they'll give me an offical answer in email.

I agree to a point, but you can probably find a dealer to do 500 over invoice, which from VIP is significant, but probably still less than Scion, and of course (as far as we know) if you want the features of the limited you are even more.. well limited :)

Yeah, it really depends on what the price difference ends up being. The two big features that were pushing me towards the BRZ are the HID headlights and the interior (I don't like the red accents on the FRS, and Scion interiors tend to use lots of hard plastics), but those things are not really worth much money to me. I'm getting the feeling the BRZ with standard nav and HIDs will come in at a few grand more than the FRS even if you manage to get it for $500 over invoice. To me, it just isn't worth the extra money for HID headlights and a different interior color (I don't want want nav). At the end of the day it comes down to which car has the features I want for less money.

According to the Scion guys at the autoshow, the FR-S will have Nav anyways. Take that for what it's worth, as my opinion of those people was that they had no idea what they were talking about :)

I highly doubt the MSRP of the FR-S vs BRZ Premium will be more than a few grand (2k at most IMO) apart, let alone the difference between MSRP of the FR-S and the invoice+500 of the BRZ Premium. Doing so will basically make it a sure bet that no one would buy a BRZ Premium. People will pay a 500-1000 increase for HIDs, Nav (which may be standard on both) and losing the ugly red accents (and they are really ugly IMO) but if the FR-S stickers at, say, 22k and the BRZ Premium at 25K (say an invoice of 23.5 to hit your minimum of a few grand more for invoice+500) then it's obvious that the BRZ Premium won't sell. It'd be a pointless option to have IMO.

Assuming the FR-S comes in at 22k (which I doubt) the max I think the BRZ-Premium can sticker at is 24k.

I don't want to add to the pricing guesses, but I just don't think we'll see a 3k or more difference between the FR-S and BRZ Premium.

OK so who knows on the VIP thing.

Regional news is that it's off, SoA says "undecided".

ugh.

Like everything else I guess it's back to "wait and see" lol

Did they say Nav would be standard or just offered as an upgrade option (much like the current pioneer premiun is a $500 upgrade from the standard Scion head unit).

That extra $500 could be the deciding factor for some on FR-S or BRZ premium depending on base prices of both.

They repeatedly said that car will come exactly as shown in Detroit, which had the pioneer premium head unit. Again though, I wasn't confident in anything they said really.

Thanks Dave.

That's interesting. Maybe Tripjammer was right and Scion plans to offer the Bespoke audio system standard. If that's the case, then choice between FR-S and BR-Z premiun bought with Subaru VIP program just became a very hard one. I can't see the prices in that scenario being more than $500-$1000 apart, and the Subie would have HIDs.

Huzzah! Hope has been restored! :bow:

XD

at any rate, I think the Scion thing is also a "wait and see"

I can see adding hte Bespoke as a marketing tool to justify a higher FR-S Price though to balance against the yen. I personally think that's a terrible idea and wish that the BRZ also had nav as an option as well. Sigh... deciding factor for me really is price. Hope for the best! Save for the worst!

I apologize if someone already pointed this out, but there are some organizations that you can donate to and get the discount immediately. For example if you join ASPCA's Founder's Society. Joinging the Founder's society requires a donation of more than $500. It is not cheap, but you may save more than that, and the money goes to a very good cause. Something to consider.

I contacted ASPCA to verify this, and here's what they had to say (bold emphasis mine).

Brett

Thanks for this info. If I buy a BRZ instead of a FR-S I will definitely go this route. ASPCA is certainly a good cause and I encourage everybody that plans to buy a BRZ to do the same.

I meant to include this the first time around. Here's the link to the ASPCA's page with contact info and such:

http://www.aspca.org/about-us/corpor...s-program.aspx

Yeah, I'm not so sure about it for us who are trying to get it right away. Sounds like dealers can set their own restrictions so I'd check with my dealer before you go for it. But then again even if I didn't get a discount I could feel a little less sad when I see those depressing ASPCA ads on TV.

I wouldn't worry too much about dealers no accepting the VIP program, I'd worry more about SoA. I'll continue to question them every week or two until they give me a firm answer.

So it's 2% off of the dealer invoice price. If you figure the invoice price of $25000 that's exactly $500 off. So if I did do this through ASPCA its pretty much a wash (except that I get to deduct $500 on my taxes). So if I do this it would be mostly out of the good of my heart, and those ads of sad looking kittens and puppies.

Invoice is generally $1000ish below MSRP, so VIP price will be $1500 off MSRP.

Well that sounds much better. I'll have to talk to my dealer to see if they will honer this on the BRZ.

Again, SoA may NOT so that may not matter.

Also if you don't plan to buy until july or later, you can just sign up for any of the others for 20 or 30 bucks and get the VIP program (assuming both SoA and the dealer honor it).

I agree that you are supporting a good cause, but personally that $500 can be spent on my own animals.

Wow! I just saw this. I always said it was going to be standard because Scion wanted to pimp the Bespoke out and the only way to do this is to make it standard. It's even shown in their upcoming new FR-S commercial.

I still think they will throw push start and HIDs as options on the Scion.

It does not really matter if the pricing is real close between the FR-S and BRZ. They are the same cars. The Interior is the same between the BRZ Premium and the FR-S.

The price difference will be $500 to $1000 at best.

The problem is how much more is the BRZ Limited going to cost over the Premium and can you do a Wing Delete?

What Subaru should had did was make one model, and let you option it out like you want it. Same thing for Scion.

BRZ premium won't get red (or in a few years we can call it pink) shoulder patches.

HIDs = DOT approval, expensive headlight testing on a low production run vehicle as an option, so I doubt we'll see that. PTS = requires the DZHVAC (because of the panels, not for any technical reason), at least without putting the button in some other housing, and that will NOT be a dealer option, it's pretty complex to add later, so it might be a "tech package" type thing but won't be a singular option IMO.

So I emailed my salesperson about the VIP program and he was very quick in getting back to me.

He said he checked with their Subaru Rep, and was told there will be no VIP pricing, or special financing offers when the BRZ comes out. That may change, but it doesn't surprise me. Why would they offer special deals on a car that isn't even out yet and people are chomping at the bit to buy.

Same info I have on VIP but SoA's VIP team said "undecided" so who knows lol

lol I still haven't applied because I don't know if I want the Scion or the Subaru... I guess it's an extra 6 month wait from when I decide to buy if this works for me at least.

Ok i just signed up with the Leave NO Trace.
6 months to go till I get VIP at Subaru.

I got to hedge my bets just in case I don't get the FR-S.

At least I will be ready for the 2013 WRX or STI or 2014 BRZ STI

Yeah I am waiting for pricing and to sit in both before I even sign up for one of VIP programs. If I do decide to get a BRZ and order one, I have a feeling it might be 6 months before it arrives anyways (VIP is only good on custom orders, which according to the other thread won't be available right away).

Yeah I know but who knows what it might be like 6 to 8 months from now.

Not sure if speaking in general or not but VIP can be used on a car in dealer stock.

I wonder if any dealers would let you do that if they can get MSRP+

Law(s) of economics says no especially with high demand. But if it is a regular Legacy, Forester, Outback then sure. Will have to wait for the hysteria/hype/demand of the BRZ to die down. Give it 6-12 months.

Do we know when to expect a response from SOA on the VIP Program for the BRZ?

And it's official.

Just got the email about 20 minutes ago. So my sources were correct on that, hopefully they'll be right with the supply also :)