CA buyers: Buying your BRZ or FR-S out-of-state

[PMok]

I have not registered my car with DMV yet (made an appointment for next week) but Heuberger has been very good with the paperwork. About 2 weeks after I bought the car, they fedexed me a set of papers - the cert of origin, a cashier's check to DMV for the CA state tax (that I paid/financed with the car), and all the DMV forms I needed, already filled out ready to give to DMV. So I imagine it should go very smoothly at DMV, I just need to go get smogged this weekend. Those who already smogged - is it electronically transmitted or do they give you papers to take to DMV?

[likebutter]

Originally Posted by PMok

... Those who already smogged - is it electronically transmitted or do they give you papers to take to DMV?

When I went to get smogged, they normally send it in, electronically, for you. It doesn't hurt to take the hard-copy with you to the DMV.

[DSOmegaX]

Originally Posted by likebutter

I was very fortunate to find the exact trim and color BRZ from Lithia Subaru up in Oregon City, OR. It was painless and I received my car shipped via truck to a nearby Home Depot for pick up. I negotiated with the dealership to help chip in for CA taxes and they sent me a check right after I got the car registered here.
Don't wait 6-8 months out just to get a "no-go" from your CA Subie/Toyo dealership.

Another owner who got his from OR! exact same method as described, right down to the home depot .

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by likebutter

When I went to get smogged, they normally send it in, electronically, for you. It doesn't hurt to take the hard-copy with you to the DMV.

This. I've never had a problem, but it's still a good idea to confirm at the smog place that they've submitted it electronically, take the hard-copy with you and if the DMV balks tell them that they should have the electronic record and ask them nicely to double check. I've found that things go very smoothly at the DMV if you simply have all your papers with everything filled out properly. They consistently tell me that most people go in with nothing ready and still expecting to get their registration completed anyway, so they'll love you if they think you're trying to get it right.

[vubaru]

I don't know if this is just be being lucky or what, but I didn't any rock chips coming back from Vancouver, WA and the 5 is a fun drive to Nor Cal

[vubaru]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

Have you tried some of the more obscure dealers? Say Berkeley, Novato, up towards Sacramento etc.?

I'm surprised to hear the shortage and markups are still rampant.

Not aware of a Berkeley Subaru but I believe there is one in Albany, and no all of the Bay Area/Sac dealers were charging mark-ups last I checked, at least on BRZ's...

[einzlr]

Capitol Subaru was saying they're not marking up. Someone on here said there's a long waiting list, though.

[86BRZ]

I am here! There are plenty of info about the "how to" already (thanks Pmok for copy my posts). Overall, I still think it is a fun experience, and I will recommend all to look further away if no luck in CA.
1. Buy a $30k car sight unseen, not even a test drive. It is a test to tell how much you love (or can love) the BRZ. I keep telling my friends I "mail order" this car...It is fun!
2. Ask my dealer to snap me a few pics, including the ODO with 5 miles on it and the pics below. Buying a car off from iphone is fun!
3. The whole negotiation on email, phone call, fedex docs is easy...I dont have to stay in a dealership for a few hours to buy a car. Everything done at my own desk. Fun! No BS Market adjustment....
4. Waiting the car to arrive is like waiting for the first date. Checking the calender each day, looking at the clock the whole day long on the arrival day...did not have that kind of excitement for a while since teenage...it is so much fun!
5. No word can describe the truck comes to your door, unload the car, hand you the key and sign off on it. It is a very different buying experience for a very different car. Jump in the car for the first time in a deliver method so unusual, it becomes a very good part of my memory.
5. There is always another chance to buy another Honda Accord from a CA dealer, this waiting list "force" me to buy out of state, and this situation does not come often. Enjoy the process and learn something new too.
6. If I did not do this purchase and keep waiting the CA waiting list....my car is still not build yet !...I am going to miss all these fun in the last couple summer months like Mt. Hamiltion, HWY 9, parking lot drifting...and all these people keep staring at me like eye candy (not me, my car really).
7. Too bad, I like to car too much and don't want to put miles on it, besides don't have the time to fly and drive...I can only imagine this will be so much fun to do a road trip too. How about use the "market adjustment" MSRP+ money and get a nice hotel and a few days off for this trip, a BRZ vacation?

After go through all these, I say it is no longer about the difference in money anymore. It is about the BRZ, my BRZ.

[NoppyNop]

For those who bought out of state and drove it home, how did you drive it back on the way home to break in the engine?

[helloimgil]

I set a timer to vary my RPM / speed / gear every 10 minutes since I was mainly on freeways. The best way to take the side streets the entire way but time was not on my side.

[kludger]

Thanks for this thread, I am not in CA but PNW and the Reno, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho dealers may be a good solution for me not to have to wait. With a vacation week coming up in early Dec this may be the perfect option as long as it isn't snowing everywhere by then.

I actually would love to do a fly and drive as a purchase option as long as there is no problem getting the local dealer to handle problems if I run into the CEL issue.

When I bought my '90 Civic Si back in 1990 I was home on leave from the military when I bought it and I actually broke in the engine on the drive from Seattle to Kileen Texas, and it worked out fine and the engine lasted problem free for 16 years until I finally had to sell it because too many other parts were wearing out, hoping the BRZ will work out the same way, I'm definitely as eager about it as I was about my old Si which I still miss, and was a reason I wanted another good handling car with just enough power to have fun without getting in too much trouble...

[spitz]

Originally Posted by SkullWorks

HAHAHA I orriginated this process, I flew to Denver to buy my car in Centennial CO, on July 2nd,

Spent the next 2 days driving it back to SoCal, including a break in trip to the top of pike's Peak with less than 100mi on the ODO.



I opted to pay no tax in CO and defer the tax to California, this was no problem at all with my dealer, and I got a half sheet of paper for the back window with a 60day registration and the aforementioned business card sized slip of paper.

When i got ta cali (and the registration period mostly elapsed) i went to the DMV and played their games.

1.) VIN verification,
2.) Smog
3.) $2797 registration and tax

I highly recommend not shipping the car several reasons.

1.) my flight to denver was ~$204.00 and gas was about $180 (1200mi/27mpg*~$4.00 (gas is actually cheaper but this will give safe number))
I stayed in hotels 2 nights at about $85 each so...204+180+170=$554.00

2.) no better way to bond with your new baby than taking the long way out of colorado then leisurely driving through beautiful Utah and Nevada.

3.) California expects (requires) you to register within 10 days of the vehicle entering the state. if it arrives on a bill of lading from a trucking company... well that's your game to play i guess...i wanted to use all of the Colorado reg time I could.

4.) you are buying this car to drive it right?.........so drive it already quit mucking around....

1.) Time is money.
2.) Agree.
3.) I got a Colorado reg, and I don't have to register until December either.
4.) See number 1.

We all love to drive our cars, however not everyone has the time to take 2-3 days off driving to and from Colorado. Just ayin'... So I wouldn't say people are 'mucking around...'


Anyways... purchased my vehicle from Mike Shaw Subaru in Colorado. Great experience. I had the car shipped out to California by Intercity Lines, a superb carrier. As mentioned previously, I have vacation plans for the rest of my usable vacation, and I would rather spend the time 'bonding' with my car on the mountain/canyon roads out here in California.

My salesperson was Beverly, and she was absolutely awesome. Gave me all the paperwork I needed to get everything moving along.

[SkullWorks]

Originally Posted by spitz

1.) Time is money.
2.) Agree.
3.) I got a Colorado reg, and I don't have to register until December either.
4.) See number 1.

We all love to drive our cars, however not everyone has the time to take 2-3 days off driving to and from Colorado. Just ayin'... So I wouldn't say people are 'mucking around...'


Anyways... purchased my vehicle from Mike Shaw Subaru in Colorado. Great experience. I had the car shipped out to California by Intercity Lines, a superb carrier. As mentioned previously, I have vacation plans for the rest of my usable vacation, and I would rather spend the time 'bonding' with my car on the mountain/canyon roads out here in California.

My salesperson was Beverly, and she was absolutely awesome. Gave me all the paperwork I needed to get everything moving along.

1. Dealerships are often open late on fridays and most of us have weekends or atleast 1 or 2 consecutive days off.

2. money is also money...

3. enjoying the car is priceless.

4. don't let yourself think I have "free time" laying around i can spend all nimbly bimbly like a kitty cat. I work 16 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week, but I would have felt like a tool having the car driven through such beautiful scenery, at an increased cost, on a trailer...when it was so easy to just fly out and drive it back...did I have to bust ass when i got back to play makeup...yes...but it also timed out perfect for a fourth of july road trip so i only had to take one day off. I run a company and do alot of consulting and custom work for friends/race teams etc. but if you don't make time to drive the best driver's car in a decade, you might as well leave it on the lot, these cars must be driven to be appreciated, the colorado mountain roads must also be driven to be appreciated...made way too much sense to me, had to drive it back

[spitz]

Don't get me wrong. I completely agree with you... That this is the driver's car of the decade, and it should be driven! But I'm simply saying there are alternative ways for people to enjoy their car. Just because they didn't drive it from Colorado to California, does not mean they should just 'leave it on the lot' or they are 'mucking' around, or making it a permanent decision that it'll be a garage queen.

And I, by no means, let myself assume that you are 'laying around.'