NS Advice wanted: Buying a car (WRX)

steezee5

steezee5

Active member
hey all -

so i have recently moved to colorado and am in the market for a car, probably a WRX -

guess a bunch of random questions:

- anyone have a WRX sedan? WRX wagon? suggestions one way or the other?

- anything in particular i should look (or avoid) in a used WRX?

- anyone in the Colorado mtns have one for sale?

ok random two-cents encouraged
 
my dad has one. its dope, really like diving it. turbo lag in his is beast... well m not sure how that compares to other turbos tho. he got it used, and i tis fine! get the hatchback cuz it holds bikes and skis wway better. really good in snow too1
 
I have an 02 sedan, it's awesome.

If you can, see if there are maintenance records that the original owner kept or find out was done to it. Really easy to fuck up those engines. Drive it hard, see how it shifts, etc, like i said, they can take a lot of punishment.

Be prepared to only put in the highest octane gas you can buy or else you'll really hurt performance, and it shouldn't be driving on regular unleaded. Only premium.

You'll have to run it on high quality synthetic oil, so be ready for the extra cost for that.

They can be pretty pricey for repairs and such, but really awesome to drive. Look around on scoobymods.com if you are looking for information on them.
 
watch for a lot of modifications, that's a pretty indicator it's been driven hard. don't get me wrong, they can take some abuse but it doesn't matter.

personally i like the sedans in the 05's and older, they look "meaner" if you will haha. i'm not a big fan of hatchbacks, but they've grown on me. if you want to get technical the hatchbacks are more aerodynamic. and the sedans are gonna weigh less, so idk if it even matters.

have fun with your car, they're sick. i wish i woulda got one hahah.
 
how is turbo lag "beast" ?

i have an 06 wagon, love it alot more than i did my old sedan. theres more room, plus all you gatta do to make them look good is tint the rear windows dark and light in the front.

as said above, check maintenance records, make sure it shifts smooth (gears arent hard to shift into) i know a bunch of wrx's have a problem that first gear becomes harder and harder to engage.

play with the clutch a bit when your test driving it to make sure its not roasted, or else your looking to spend some money fixing that.

dont buy a modified one... unless its an older/ mature person who didnt completely beat the shit out of it. most older guys who have these modified take good care of them and when they abuse them its usually for an Auto-x event. and to run those your car needs to be tip top.
 
if you can buy from a dealership that has inspected the car. i shouldnt have to say this but make sure its a manual transmission while shifting make sure when you release the clutch it catches right away. feel how tight the stick is when you drive. make sure to shift through all the gears see how they all work. and vary your acceleration rates as well you can find some things wrong with the gears this way.
 
Ya good advice. Tho I got mine from the dealer and they said it was stock...looked under the hood and it had a catless downpipe, catback exhaust, boost actuator upgrade and lightened pulleys. Stock my ass, they didn't know what they were talking about for shit, find someone who knows about cars and take them.

Also, check for how it boosts when you are changing gears. A lot of mods change how it boosts and it can tell you alot of what has been done to the car.

If you get one with mods, expect to put in probably anoter 400-500 for a tune, you'll need one.
 
WRX's are actually pretty expensive to own once they hit 60k. Brakes, wheel bearings, clutches, all that shit starts to go out. Plus insurance. I love mine, but it's not a little discount car like everyone thinks.
 
Don't know anyone who thinks its a discount car haha definitely costs a lot to keep it up. I'm looking at new brakes, a tune and a new timing belt this summer. Fuck.
 
question: if i'm looking at used WRXs, regardless of year, is there a maximum mileage i should not even bother looking beyond?

(ie, "you shouldn't even consider a WRX that has XXXX miles on it already...")
 
once they hit 100k the price drops significantly. It really depends what you want to do, if you plan on spending money moding the piss out of it and upgrading the transmission and stuff then I'd find the cheapest one I could. Otherwise, buy it new rape it and sell it.
 
I would not be modding it at all - not into that stuff - just looking for a sporty, fast, sexy mountain car.

I guess to clarify my original question that you answered, I'm more curious about the point at which the car will need me to put a lot of money into new parts and maintenance, if it is, say, over XXXX miles.

is that clearer? sorry if it isn't.

and still looking for any sort of personal experieences/suggestions/advice/guidelines you guys could offer.

thanks again
 
I too have an '02, except mine's a wagon. I don't even have a rack, i just keep my skis inside, so much space it's not even funny.

Just make sure your mechanic checks out the clutch pretty well before you buy it, I just had to replace mine. WRX clutches are expensive enough to make you want to cry
 
Didn't even see this.

Biggest thing you'll have to look for is the timing belt replacement at 102k miles. Besides that it's just really parts as they go, which shouldn't be that often because a rex can take more of a beating than an annoying younger brother.

But know that parts are pretty expensive.

Oh and one last thing you should know. Older WRX's have a huge problem with the fuel lines in cold weather. It's not a definite, but there's a good chance if you're buying a model year near '02 you'll have to deal with this. In really cold (0 degree) weather you'll get a rank smell of fuel for a little while after starting because the fuel lines contract and leak. It can be fixed, but it's 600 bucks to redo the fuel rails.
 
There is a technical service bulletin from subaru for the fuel smell in cold weather. It's a free fix at the dealerships, takes em' a few hours.
 
Join www.nasioc.Com and look at some of their stickies n shit or go to their newbies/faq's section.

I got an 03 wrx i bought used with mods already done on it. I mod my car pretty highly though so i wasnt upset when i had to replace stuff.
If you buy one, make sure the mods on it are very light if any such as an intake, exhaust, wheels maybe. Nothin past that performance wise though. I'd recommend getting one under 50k. Clutch should be fine up till 80 though. Also, for an 03, dont pay any more then 12g's.
 
I wish man, I wish. A TSB is just a manual on how to fix the problem, it in no way implies the problem is covered by warranty. I've taken it in to the dealership and have an open case with SOA (Subaru of America) and neither of them are willing to pay for it. As I understand it, it's possible to get hooked up if you have a good relationship with your dealership, but it's pretty safe to assume that 600 is coming out of your own pocket. Did you get it done for free?

And to the OP, here's a 100 page thread on the problem from the NASIOC forums if you're interested

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131755&page=102
 
but this tsb is free, parts and labor paid for by SOA (Subaru of America). You keep spiting stuff about wrx's like you know what's what but you got suckered out of $600. I and MANY others have had it fixed for free. I don''t have any relationship with the dealer that fixed it. If you paid for this service you're a chump straight up.
 
i want one to and my brother says that they are more expensive to fix rather than another jap.( not being racist just abreavating) car????
 
I spit shit because I've been on the phone with SOA arguing with them about this. I've argued with my dealer. I have an open case with SOA and even though the dealership checked out the problem and diagnosed it as the exact TSB issue, SOA is still refusing to pay. The TSB is NOT free unless by the grace of the Subaru gods they decide to pony up the cash.

Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. You got lucky, quit being a dick.
 
Vail valley. where're you at?

And like i said before, the conversation/comments are much appreciated. Keep em coming!
 
make sure if u get one all ur mods are done proffesionally ... my freind put some of his mods in himself and just spits out oil and thick black smoke

Prob usafull information with any car but my freinds was a WRX
 
Yes they are more expensive, it's because you have a high performance turbo'ed engine.

As for me, I just started getting that rank fuel smell this winter. I'm PISSED! haha I don't want to have to deal with SOA. As 4D and Static (I think?) was saying, there was a TSB. However, it is very hit or miss about whether or not it will be covered by them. Best you can do is keep talking to them. If they don't cover it, it's a $400 or so repair which kinda sucks. It has to deal with faulty fuel lines on the right side of your engine block that leak fuel in cold weather.

But anyway. You say you won't be modding it but I disagree! That's half the fun of getting a WRX, so easy to mod and so much fun haha. I can't wait to get some cash this summer and through in some parts, I'm hoping to upgrade to a bigger turbo soon once I get tuned with my Tactrix. If you can, I would try to find one for under 50k miles but I don't know if you will be able to for a good price. Either way good luck.
 
There is a certain year that when temperatures get below freezing it starts leaking gasoline fumes into the cabin. Huge bummer for a potentially good ski car.
 
or youre friend is not mechanically inclined, which any one who isnt shouldnt be modding a car to start with.

but if you know enough to do it right, then doing shit your self isnt a problem.
 
I owned an 02' WRX wagon for 3 years. From approx. 82,xxx km to 126,xxx. Besides scheduled maintenance I didn't have to replace or fix anything with regards to the engine. I ran it on full Mobile 1 synthetic (recommended) and used full redline shockproof tranny fluid (VERY recommended on an 02).

My car was modded. STi exhaust, custom uppipe and downpipe (by Rocket Rally), ECU reflash (by Rocket Rally), stainless steel brakelines (recommended), stainless steel clutchlines, slotted rotors, full STi suspension.

I did have to get the front rotors re-machined. And I blew out the right rear strut on my suspension, and ended up replacing all 4 struts with new STi parts.

Besides the aftermarket parts the car was actually very reasonable to maintain. If I were to buy another, I'd probably buy an 03 (because I like the bug-eyed versions). The 02, while the look the same, have issues with the 1st gear syncros (very expensive to get properly fixed). The 03+ fixed this issue.

Also, you will save a bundle on insurance if you buy a wagon.
 
You didn't get your timing belt switched and you drove it between 80-120k? Lucky it didn't seize on you unless it had been replaced right before you bought it.

Also, if you are willing to pay for it Royal Purple is much much better than mobile 1 synthetic.

Look here:

http://www.animegame.com/cars/Oil%20Tests.pdf

I know its weird its at animegame.com haha but it is a great article. It shows the actual engine wear with the various types of oil. Near the bottom is royal purple and the results speak for themselves.
 
Can anybody confirm/second this? Because i am debating between the sedan and wagon WRX....

Any other advice/comments?
 
i dont own a WRX or even a sedan type car but i know that for my insurance it would cost more for me to own the sedan verzion of the WRX rather than the hatchback ones... but even then, i still cant afford the damn things so i choose to drive a bronco.
 
I wouldn't get too excited, you're going to get fucked in the ass any way you look at it. Young + sports car = squealing like a little piggy.

I realize all my posts about this so far have been pretty negative. Don't get the wrong idea though, WRX's are sick as fuck, go buy one. like now.
 
I have citizens insurance and they don't consider a WRX as a sports car, go figure. I'm paying the same insurance as any other sedan.
 
Ya WRX's are by far one of the sickest cars out there for many reasons. I was looking to get one but I would get fucked in the ass hard by the insurance companies. The insurance would cost me around $50 more a month than the payment. I decided to go with the Impreza 2.5RS it looks the same as the WRX but its non turboed which is the downside. It's still pretty baller and handles great. I'd suggest looking at one if a WRX is out of the question. Also you don't have to put premium gas in it.
 
First off look on nasioc.com or clubwrx.com for tips

but wagons for sure hah.

tons more room,more useful and i think better looking (i own a wagon)

but subarus are tanks, both of mine lasted 156k be fore they toasted.

i would shoot for a 04+ with the 2.5's

if you want any more info (im a subaru genius) just pm i always love blabbing about this shit but too lazy to type
 
Why didn't you just type Japanese car? You typed more letters explaining yourself kind of ruining the point of an abbreviation. Not hatin, just curious.
 
i didnt bother reading the rest of the thread, but dont buy from a teen/young adult or something over 40k. turbo will need work asap.
 
to the smart one above, first my turbo has 156k on it. no problems

the only ones above 40k are loaded new sti's.

used ones are cheap.

do a little research first champ.
 
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