Buying a used WRX (vs new SRT-4)
04-06-2005 | 07:58 PM
#1
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Posts: n/a
Buying a used WRX.
I just randomly stopped by the Subaru dealership that I bought my Explorer from a couple months ago to meet someone there, I chose that place because it was easy to find. So the guy who sold me the Explorer reels me in on a WRX that they just took in, modded... an 04. I did not want it, 19,000 miles for $21,500. The car had a VF22 Turbo, HKS Turbo back, DP, HKS BOV and boost guages... it ran like **** spiking at 20psi in 3rd at about 4,000 rpms, it felt like it was really really congested and I walked away from it and continued with my thoughts of a brand new SRT-4. Well I get a call today from the guy who is really cool by the way, would never steer me wrong, hard to believe but it's true these guys are top notch service wise, well he talks to me about finding a WRX for me, I told him a 2004, White was my first choice and he said they were hard to come by... how come? I dunno but for some reason I really like this car in white, hard to keep clean YES but it just looks nice, red second choice and then black or silver. I told him under 50 k on it and as low mileage as possible and clean clean clean, I told him I would sacrafice and get a color I wanted less to have a cleaner rex.
I really like the feel of these cars and I can't wait if I do indeed get put into one but the SRT is still top of my list, I just hear that the 5 speed gear box on these are weak and the 2.0L can't hold much HP... I won't be doing any 5k launches but I hear that these cars fold when HP increases and they start to be a pain in the *** when you approach close to 300hp with the 2.0L. I probobly won't ever get there in a WRX as far as the mods I want, I would just keep it simple with some more power from my mods but on the stock turbo. I live in Maine so the AWD is nice but as far as mods go, I can make alot more with an SRT for alot less then I can a WRX so that is on my mind as well... there are not too many SRT's around here either and alot consider them an underdog which I kinda like because they do have the bang to back up the big mouth for the price. I just hope I make the right choice, I will be in whatever I buy for a few years for sure, what do you guys think? Summer is approaching and I can't wait to see what I am in.
I really like the feel of these cars and I can't wait if I do indeed get put into one but the SRT is still top of my list, I just hear that the 5 speed gear box on these are weak and the 2.0L can't hold much HP... I won't be doing any 5k launches but I hear that these cars fold when HP increases and they start to be a pain in the *** when you approach close to 300hp with the 2.0L. I probobly won't ever get there in a WRX as far as the mods I want, I would just keep it simple with some more power from my mods but on the stock turbo. I live in Maine so the AWD is nice but as far as mods go, I can make alot more with an SRT for alot less then I can a WRX so that is on my mind as well... there are not too many SRT's around here either and alot consider them an underdog which I kinda like because they do have the bang to back up the big mouth for the price. I just hope I make the right choice, I will be in whatever I buy for a few years for sure, what do you guys think? Summer is approaching and I can't wait to see what I am in.
04-07-2005 | 06:16 AM
#2
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Posts: n/a
I bought a brand new 2.5RS rather than a WRX, why? Well, the WRX is the type of car that you never quite know what the previous driver did to it. It could have been hazed to death. When I went to the dealer they had a lightly used WRX but it had all of these toggle switches that went to (?) god knows what.
The salesman was an old friend of mine and he would not let me buy it.
The WRX is not a car I would buy used (this rule does not apply to a WRX wagon).
The salesman was an old friend of mine and he would not let me buy it.
The WRX is not a car I would buy used (this rule does not apply to a WRX wagon).
04-07-2005 | 03:11 PM
#3
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 14
From: NY
Car Info: 2006 Hyundai Sonata...for now
Originally Posted by Ceej
I bought a brand new 2.5RS rather than a WRX, why? Well, the WRX is the type of car that you never quite know what the previous driver did to it. It could have been hazed to death.
...
The WRX is not a car I would buy used (this rule does not apply to a WRX wagon).
...
The WRX is not a car I would buy used (this rule does not apply to a WRX wagon).
04-07-2005 | 08:21 PM
#4
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 293
SRT more reliable??
You honestly think an SRT is going to be more reliable..... It's not that Dodge has had MASSIVE head gasket and transmission problems in their NA cars, or that they haven't built a turbocharged compact since the stealth (which they didn't even build), it's none of those things at all, it's a simple issue of volume. How many WRX's do you see, and how many SRT's? Now, you can talk ALL DAY to me about "limited editions" and how keeping production down keeps value up, but you can't honestly believe that a mainstream company (by this I mean not Ferrari) would make less cars than they thought they could sell, because they're trying to preserve the RESALE value of a NEON (which, 4 years old, has a resale value determined strictly by the tread on the tires and the amount of gas in the tank that can be siphoned off).
be realistic with yourself.
Nice move avoiding that modded WRX, the only reason somebody trades in a car that heavily modded is because something is SO wrong with it that they couldn't sell it private party.
be realistic with yourself.
Nice move avoiding that modded WRX, the only reason somebody trades in a car that heavily modded is because something is SO wrong with it that they couldn't sell it private party.
04-07-2005 | 10:33 PM
#5
VIP Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,023
From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
Originally Posted by Ceej
I bought a brand new 2.5RS rather than a WRX, why? Well, the WRX is the type of car that you never quite know what the previous driver did to it. It could have been hazed to death. When I went to the dealer they had a lightly used WRX but it had all of these toggle switches that went to (?) god knows what.
The salesman was an old friend of mine and he would not let me buy it.
The WRX is not a car I would buy used (this rule does not apply to a WRX wagon).
The salesman was an old friend of mine and he would not let me buy it.
The WRX is not a car I would buy used (this rule does not apply to a WRX wagon).
My wife drove a Honda Civic for five years. The car was so low on power she drove it with her foot completely to the floor the entire time. Despite the legendary reliability of Honda, I'm quite certain that car was just as thrashed and trashed as a WRX driven in the same manner, and had a much shorter life ahead of it. The car itself is NO indicator of how the driver treated it; certainly all of us have seen some foolhardy soul pushing a Geo Metro to 77 on the highway, and someone in a 500-hp luxury car nursing it along like it was made of fine china.
Now, a used SRT-4 is another matter. You have to deal with Dodge reliability right off the bat, and no one can say with a straight face that this matches up to Subaru. Due to the low cost and high power of a SRT-4, I think you'd be more likely to have a young (18-20) driver, and the DRIVER is the deciding factor, not the car. I'd never buy a car from a male 18-20 years old regardless of the make, model or year; I was that age once, and I remember how I treated my car.
Buying a used car is always a gamble, period -- you have no idea if that car was driven only on Sundays or used as a pizza delivery vehicle 7 nights a week (or SCCA rallied!). Find a dealer you trust, and go over the car with CSI-level inspection skills. The warning signs to look for are 1) any sign of oil leaks ANYWHERE, 2) same for coolant leaks, 3) premature replacement of clutch, brake pads, timing belt or cam gasket and 4) hand-installed mods of any kind.
04-07-2005 | 10:37 PM
#6
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iTrader: (1)
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,020
From: How do you swap an RSTi?
Car Info: 2001 Impreza 2.5RS(Ti)
Shop around for a good deal on a new WRX. That's my advice. You can probably get a sweet deal if you put in the time. If you do get a used WRX just look at a few key areas, like the turbo heat shield, check to see if it is still intact. Look to see if the intake silencer is still in the rf wheel well. 300 hp on the stock turbo isn't that far from reach.
It's probably not the best idea to come on this board and ask if you should get a WRX or a SRT-4
We're a little biased.
It's probably not the best idea to come on this board and ask if you should get a WRX or a SRT-4
We're a little biased.
04-07-2005 | 10:45 PM
#7
Registered User
iTrader: (29)
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,289
From: Hawaii
Car Info: 02' wrb wrx w/ RGII
well i just bought an used wrx in jan...an 02 with 6k...i actually met the guy that traded it in at the dealership and he was a older man mid 40's..n e ways he barely drove it but damm he had quite a bit of mods...of course when he traded it he took everything off...well friends and i spent a whole day at the dealership inspecting the car and test driving it,needless to stay after one day of looking and all i finally took it home the following day...
04-08-2005 | 11:24 AM
#8
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Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by meilers
I think this is unmitigated crap. ANY car, turbo or not, sports car or not, can be abused by the driver. If any car was DESIGNED to take punishment and come up smiling, it is the WRX. What other car can crank out 220hp from a 2.0l engine and yet pass California standars for LEV?
My wife drove a Honda Civic for five years. The car was so low on power she drove it with her foot completely to the floor the entire time. Despite the legendary reliability of Honda, I'm quite certain that car was just as thrashed and trashed as a WRX driven in the same manner, and had a much shorter life ahead of it. The car itself is NO indicator of how the driver treated it; certainly all of us have seen some foolhardy soul pushing a Geo Metro to 77 on the highway, and someone in a 500-hp luxury car nursing it along like it was made of fine china.
Now, a used SRT-4 is another matter. You have to deal with Dodge reliability right off the bat, and no one can say with a straight face that this matches up to Subaru. Due to the low cost and high power of a SRT-4, I think you'd be more likely to have a young (18-20) driver, and the DRIVER is the deciding factor, not the car. I'd never buy a car from a male 18-20 years old regardless of the make, model or year; I was that age once, and I remember how I treated my car.
Buying a used car is always a gamble, period -- you have no idea if that car was driven only on Sundays or used as a pizza delivery vehicle 7 nights a week (or SCCA rallied!). Find a dealer you trust, and go over the car with CSI-level inspection skills. The warning signs to look for are 1) any sign of oil leaks ANYWHERE, 2) same for coolant leaks, 3) premature replacement of clutch, brake pads, timing belt or cam gasket and 4) hand-installed mods of any kind.
My wife drove a Honda Civic for five years. The car was so low on power she drove it with her foot completely to the floor the entire time. Despite the legendary reliability of Honda, I'm quite certain that car was just as thrashed and trashed as a WRX driven in the same manner, and had a much shorter life ahead of it. The car itself is NO indicator of how the driver treated it; certainly all of us have seen some foolhardy soul pushing a Geo Metro to 77 on the highway, and someone in a 500-hp luxury car nursing it along like it was made of fine china.
Now, a used SRT-4 is another matter. You have to deal with Dodge reliability right off the bat, and no one can say with a straight face that this matches up to Subaru. Due to the low cost and high power of a SRT-4, I think you'd be more likely to have a young (18-20) driver, and the DRIVER is the deciding factor, not the car. I'd never buy a car from a male 18-20 years old regardless of the make, model or year; I was that age once, and I remember how I treated my car.
Buying a used car is always a gamble, period -- you have no idea if that car was driven only on Sundays or used as a pizza delivery vehicle 7 nights a week (or SCCA rallied!). Find a dealer you trust, and go over the car with CSI-level inspection skills. The warning signs to look for are 1) any sign of oil leaks ANYWHERE, 2) same for coolant leaks, 3) premature replacement of clutch, brake pads, timing belt or cam gasket and 4) hand-installed mods of any kind.
hehehehehehehehe o.k. smart guy, whatever you say.
04-08-2005 | 04:17 PM
#9
VIP Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,023
From: Phoenix, AZ
Car Info: Subaru Impreza WRX 2002
Originally Posted by Ceej
So.......following your logic it is just as safe to buy a used WRX compared to buying a used Buick?
hehehehehehehehe o.k. smart guy, whatever you say.
hehehehehehehehe o.k. smart guy, whatever you say.
04-08-2005 | 05:01 PM
#10
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 748
From: chico for now
Car Info: lowered blk04 with no motor
any new cars better than a used car. but i rather have a slighty used very clean wrx than a dodge srt4. i test drove an EVO to day with 15k on it. all i gotta say is wow, in a bad way, i thought i was missing out but i wasnt, A used 04 with 20k is better quailty
04-08-2005 | 06:37 PM
#11
Originally Posted by GasPipe DreameR
any new cars better than a used car. but i rather have a slighty used very clean wrx than a dodge srt4. i test drove an EVO to day with 15k on it. all i gotta say is wow, in a bad way, i thought i was missing out but i wasnt, A used 04 with 20k is better quailty
04-09-2005 | 06:07 AM
#13
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 219
From: Tremont, Pennsylvania
Car Info: 1984 Subaru GL Wagon/1999 Subaru Impreza L Wagon
The SRT-4 is a fairly solid car IMO. My friend has had one for a little over a year now and beats the living **** out of it in every way imaginable, and has only had it in the shop twice (spark plug wires went bad, which is a common problem, and a 'turbo problem' which apparently wasn't a major deal). I drove it myself the other day and can honestly say I was pretty impressed. The car has some serious *****, and the sound it emits is orgasmic. I'd personally buy a NEW SRT-4 over a USED WRX anyday. Hell, I'd probably buy a new SRT-4 over a new WRX, not over an STi though. People still have the '90s Chrysler' mentality when it comes to Dodges. People seem to forget that they've come a full 180 in the last few years and are actually producing some pretty impressive and reliable cars. As far as re-sale value goes... remember: A car is never (EVER) an investment.
04-09-2005 | 07:28 AM
#14
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Posts: n/a
XenoWolf, well said. I think with Dodges people hold a grudge, same with other makers... for example, though BMW, Mercedes are in another league naturally, 10 years ago there reliability rivals Mitsubishi at best, sure there build quality, fit and finish were well done however they just didn't have longevity. Now todays market BMW and Mercedes have alot to say for how far they have come with reliability, customer service and what not... Ford, Chevrolet and all the other dealers imaginable have quarks they have worked out in the years since they were junk, the SRT-4 is pretty solid for it's price and the name people claim it to have when it is not on the car or in the owners manual ANYwhere. I have 6 friends with SRT's... they all run 12's and 13's and the fellow with the leaste modification investment does as well, he has put $400 dollars into his car, my buddy Chris with his mods installed will be running 11's... The biggest thing I know he has for new mods are a Garrett 50 trim, FMIC, Turboback and a ton of other mods I wish I had a list. The SRT is appealing because it makes good HP for cheap, longevity is not a concern with this car because I only plan on keeping it until the new EVO X comes out. I know that Eclipse GS-T, GSX hold there value very well when you get to a certain point in the drop of prices, the SRT-4 can only drop so much before people realize that this car in a few years, used is the best performance steal out there, Imagine a car that can run 13's with a good driver, stock... for $10,000 in 3-4 years... no other used car has matched how fast it is for the price, who cares about fit and finish when you finish first.
04-11-2005 | 05:52 AM
#15
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Posts: n/a
Originally Posted by meilers
You'd probably be better off reading a post before you reply to it. Thanks for wasting everyone's time.
Originally Posted by meilers
I think this is unmitigated crap. ANY car, turbo or not, sports car or not, can be abused by the driver.
Nice try at looking eTough there Spunky.