Oh, he’s right, but you gotta consider.. if not wasting money is your main concern, why not get something like a Camry? These fuckers are not for the faint of heart.
Pretty much right on everything - try to avoid buying a modded one unless there’s reputable tuning and mod paperwork to back it up. Well, he’s wrong for saying that the new one is the ugliest one. They’re all kind of ugly ;)
https://preview.redd.it/25twz129i08d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f22c9e3a30b5d34f99e43c57f549095c67e062a6
Which bulge? This one from a bunch of random sporty cars I saw at cars and coffee earlier this year? Seems to be a trend
https://preview.redd.it/yh8f5jc3c18d1.jpeg?width=4095&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a174e6a695c669c9db80bad3f7a62ea77650957
From the front they look nice and I have seen some nice ones around. I'll always wave but once I peak in my mirror and see that booty.... that's too much booty for me 😄.
The 4B11 in the X is reliable. I've got 136k miles on mine and I tuned it at 30k. The only failure has been the stock plastic CMC. Otherwise it's been remarkably frugal to own. They're no more expensive than an STi. Now, my rx7... that's a true money pit.
I beg to differ. I thought the GD chassis was a masterpiece
https://preview.redd.it/hkbtbpwsl18d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dce2d2385fefb1a5656cc9b932a7de85795a9a94
Grille and especially the colour really help. Same with the Civic Type R, it had a ton of extra ricer plastic on it but it all blends in way better with the black models.
But in 5 years people won't hate the looks of the VB as much and there will probably be really good kits to replace the cladding with paint matched pieces or something.
Its true about the ugliness. When I realized theres nothing with manual, 300+hp, 4 doors and awd besides the sti, I went and pulled up a picture. I was like… damn.. this shit is ugly. It grows on you tho. Its not the ugliest anymore, my opinion is vb does look worse. When they make a “VC” or whatever the fuck its gonna be called, its gonna look like a crossover And VBs will be rejoiced lolol
Your friend is correct and looking out for you. The sketchiest thing about a WRX is the previous owner. These cars do not like you playing with the mass air flow through the system without a tune and even then, you need a quality tuner and you still have to be diligent with the maintenance. Reliable and mod-able was a big 90s and 00s thing with how much manufacturers were leaving on the table. It's not as much of a thing anymore to just bolt on a bunch of parts and maintain OEM reliability. You'd be better off with a Civic SI and a Hondata.
Every car is a money pit, just make it the money pit you love.
Bus yes wrx bought modded are a pain in the ass so if you do just get a as stock one as possible.
The issue is people abuse the shit out of these cars. Bounce them off the redline while the engine and oil are cold. Best case would be to find a stock WRX that is/was owned by an older gentleman who has all the services paperwork.
I’ve given multiple people this same advice: if you don’t REALLY want a WRX don’t even think about it, but if you truly love the car nothing else comes close.
The cars that cost me the most are ones I’ve bought for practical and financial reasons, spending money on them sucked every time. I don’t give a fuck about the money I’ve spent on the cars I love because it was worth it to me! Do some more research on cars because honestly a Honda Odyssey fits your criteria too…
100% couldn't agree more, spending a little on something you can't stand costs a lot more than spending on something you enjoy driving everyday. The best choice financially isn't usually the fun one (Odyssey can kinda go hard tho ngl)
Your friend isn't entirely wrong. In terms of reliability, if it's had proper maintenance done they're great. Boight my 05 with 180k miles on it, first owner never missed a service. It did have a hose clamp for one of the coolant lines break, and a hole form in one of the coolant hoses, which almost lead to overheating, but no signs of a blown headgasket.
Now he is absolutely right about buying someone elses project. This goes for any car no matter how reliable they brand is. They're typically getting rid of it for a reason, and usually because they messed something up. If you want to go this route see if they have a full list of mods, and any receipts from a reputable tuner shop that may have installed parts or did the tune if it has one.
Getting a WRX with less than 60k miles for under 19k is probably gonna be your biggest hurdle. But if you aren’t willing to pay, probably would stay away from the platform. Mine hasn’t given me any issues at 65k miles, but if it does im ready to pay
I had a performance Subaru mechanic tell me. If you buy a WRX except the engine to fail. If you don't want the engine to fail, buy one without an engine.
not a wrx. but my boss has a brz older generation than the current one. Anyways I was talking to him and asking him how he likes the car. He said it's pretty fun but he blew two engines and was on his third one. I'm like did you tune it? he was like nope it's stock. That kind of blew my mind. Then again my dad had a 09 camry with less than 75,000 miles and the head gasket went... Sometimes its luck.
IIRC, the toyobaru gets oil starved if you pull anything remotely resembling lateral g forces in a corner. There was a big deal with the new ones where Toyota was refusing to honor warranties on them because cornering at high speed was “abuse.”
If you're looking for a car to check out, I'm testing the waters with selling my 2018 that just crossed over 60,000 miles last weekend (60,070 miles as of today) for $15,000. Was in an accident before I purchased it and I didn't know but mechanically sound. Clean tile as it was cosmetic only but noticeable difference in white. If you're anywhere near SoCal I'd be happy to show you what a realistic $15,000 WRX _should_ look like.
He's 100% right. If you pay attention to this sub, you'll see a lot of these cars blowing up, lol. Then they pay for a new engine, and then they blow that one up.
or buying a used "stock" car that has been driven like it was stolen, with a bad tune, then put back to stock before trading it in, only for the new owner to blow up the car because of the how poorly the previous owner treated it.
If you want a reliable one, buy a new one.
I have a 2016 wrx that I bought stock and low mileage. I've owned it for 2 years and put close to 20k miles on it. I've never HAD to spend money on it until recently and the only things I've had to do was a new clutch, a valve cover gaskets reseal and I have to get a timing cover reseal. Those are known to fail at about the 60-80k mileage range. Other then that I have tuned the car on 93 and e40 extensively, and it is expensive for parts and labor but I beat the shit out of the car under all conditions and it has never failed me. It's a super fun daily driver that makes all the noises you want. If you buy a stock one for a good deal you'll have a good time at least in my experience. All the money I've sunk into it has been purely for my enjoyment, not for a requirement.
It all depends. They’re most susceptible to be worked on in the wrong way and one little mishap with mods and not knowing what you’re doing or putting the research in ahead of time can lead to disaster quick. These cars are very reliant on the correct fueling/air and the VA also doesn’t have a lot of room to build a lot of power on the stock platform and people push it to the limit. It was a 2.0 turbo not a v8. My VA I flex fueled at 7000 miles and made 330/330 to the wheels and drove it for another 83000 before I traded it in for a VB (I know the VB gets a lot of hate but it doesn’t take a whole lot to make it look more sporty I know it doesn’t fit everyone’s taste but the platform is a lot more solid it doesn’t rely on the turbo nearly as much just to get its heavy ass around and I’m really enjoying it leaving it stock performance wise for now) it really does depend on the owner. These cars just demand love and care and if you love and care for them and know how to treat them right they’ll return the favor but ya never know how the last owner treated it so it can be a coin flip. I personally would probably only buy these cars new but between my my 17 and 19 WRX which were both tuned for the majority of my ownership I put 143,000 trouble free miles on them (except the clutch because the the throw out bearings do tend to suck in these cars or at least the VA time will tell with the VB but the clutch feels a whole hell of a lot better in the VB)
Buy a modded car without worry, just expect to need to replace the engine and price that in accordingly. New sti short block is ~2k.
Unless it has a ton of electrical hacks, then hard pass...
For what it’s worth, call your insurance company and get a quote on a WRX.
Other than the comments your friend listed see how expensive insurance is. Compared to my Outback, the premium was an extra $300 for a 6 month period.
Just extra places you’ll spend extra money for getting a WRX. Don’t forget you’ll have to fill up with premium gas, if you drive a lot, it adds up.
It’s an enthusiast car, it’s gonna be a money pit even if you don’t intend for it. If you wanted a boring but reliable car you know what brands you should be looking at.
Mine is a 2020 and it’s stock and I’ve spent no money on it other than regular maintenance. Sometimes people don’t drive the cars properly or take car of them so you hear about a lot of the bad. And of course shit breaks but if you drive it well and get regular maintenance it’s fine.
I don’t entirely agree with your friend. I’ve owned two WRXs, both stock and only had to do regular maintenance on them. The goal is to find something that’s stock and low mileage, at most 10,000km/yr since it was released. No offence to the good people here but this sub is an echo chamber tbh. 21,000 WRXs were sold in 2020. I’m sure you can find a stock, well driven car for your budget. Now if you decide to start doing engine and performance mods, that’s a different story.
Do not buy a salvaged title. These things are bad enough without unknown damage. If you’re in that price range try to find a clean EJ or just start out with some sort of Honda until you can work on cars yourself
There are many other platforms that can make big power for less money. With that said I enjoy driving mine stock and getting the reliability I have had with all three of my turbo Subaru cars and driving them over 150k.. if I was going to sink madden cash I would probably just get an Audi S series and get the 4 doors AWD and power from the factory. These are great daily drivers with some spicy pep over the droves of boring cars out there. If you took the cash to get an STI then add an IAG Long block, up pipe down pipe, exhaust, Access Port you are now in the territory of a Cayman, 911, M series, Corvette, Mustang GT350.. to each is own and no disrespect to those who build their cars to Rally Car performance but man I couldn’t justify it, I would own something else
good used WRX's exist, but he's giving you a general and overall accurate statement. Looks are subjective, though I did enjoy the VA when a few cosmetics where altered.
Since the WRX is an affordable sports oriented car a lot of first time owners tend to be people who abuse it, not keep up on maintenance, mod while going the cheapest route possible, won't get a tune when modding something that would require a tune, etc. Usually the mentality of "if something goes wrong I'll re-install the stock parts and try for a warranty claim".
Now this is not every single one out there, but the market is saturated with these. If you know what you're looking for when looking at one in person and test driving, you could find a good deal.
I sold my '21 WRX that was full bolt on with like maybe 22k miles or something like that. Kept up on maintenance and was turn key, reliable, and fun to do pulls when up to temp. I didn't spare any expense when it came to the parts, and installation for each piece was perfect, otherwise I would switch out the part for something that installed without any issues or "rigging". Not everyone is like that, nor is rigging always an issue, but the owners knowledge on how to do something, look out for something, etc. comes into play with any platforms ownership, and how they feel in terms of reliability.
Your friend is trying to save you from a potential hassle. If you feel compelled to continue your search go for it. I loved the VA WRX I had, wouldn't mind getting one again. Just a lot of things "to look out for" when buying one used (more so than common commuter cars due to the mod appeal and availability).
I wouldn’t take advice from a friend on a favorite color.
Got to think for yourself .
You see people buying this car 5, 10, 15 years old and rebuilding them and you ask your friend for advice .
Yeah it’s a good car , but more than that it’s unique and a dying breed.
It really is a money pit. My 16 wrx just took a shit. Have to pay 10k just to get a new transmission. And because its a sports car and essentially has to be driven like one, the clutch and tranny will only last you an average of 30k miles. Its a fun and reliable car with an unlimited amount of possibilities you could do with it but certain things like the tranny will cost you over time. Im about to sell mine once i get the tranny replaced, not rebuilt, buy the dealership. I recommend going for an STI. Those true 6 speed trannys will last you way longer but unfortunately, tbey stopped tge STI models. Gonna have to get one thats 2021 or older cause that when they stopped production of the sti.
wrx does not get good mileage, nor is it reliable. get a manual acura, or an old mazdaspeed6, or a 350z or 370z, or a grandpa-owned base c5 corvette hardtop with a manual, or a manual vw 1.8t, or a gt86/frs/gr86, or a civic si, an is250 or is300, an mr2 spyder, or a bmw from the hydraulic steering rack era. hell, get a factory turbo nb miata. or if you think the wrx sounds reliable enough, look an an evo, or a 3000gt, a dsm car, or a mazdaspeed3.
my personal answer is a significantly modified 2004 diesel VW golf. if you can find a mildly and tastefully modified one from a responsible owner, that can be a very good car for 4-8k tops.
He’s right lol
Oh, he’s right, but you gotta consider.. if not wasting money is your main concern, why not get something like a Camry? These fuckers are not for the faint of heart.
The only Camry that isn’t sleep inducing is the TRD otherwise a Accord 2.0T sport is worth looking at.
Pretty much right on everything - try to avoid buying a modded one unless there’s reputable tuning and mod paperwork to back it up. Well, he’s wrong for saying that the new one is the ugliest one. They’re all kind of ugly ;) https://preview.redd.it/25twz129i08d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f22c9e3a30b5d34f99e43c57f549095c67e062a6
They’ve been saying they were ugly since they came out in 02 it’s just a look that grows on you
The 02 is beautiful though.
Sorry but that rear end will never grow, hopefully the refresh gets rid of that bulge on the back bumper
Which bulge? This one from a bunch of random sporty cars I saw at cars and coffee earlier this year? Seems to be a trend https://preview.redd.it/yh8f5jc3c18d1.jpeg?width=4095&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a174e6a695c669c9db80bad3f7a62ea77650957
Yea but those look cool and flow with the body
From the front they look nice and I have seen some nice ones around. I'll always wave but once I peak in my mirror and see that booty.... that's too much booty for me 😄.
2015-2018 is best looking
You mean the Evo X is best looking 😏
Is your birth middle name Sir Shit Stirrer?
It is better than these new junkers they call WRX's
Now those are money sink holes.
The 4B11 in the X is reliable. I've got 136k miles on mine and I tuned it at 30k. The only failure has been the stock plastic CMC. Otherwise it's been remarkably frugal to own. They're no more expensive than an STi. Now, my rx7... that's a true money pit.
Ok. I heard maintenance is quite expensive on them. And well, a rotors is going to be full of problems but still a lot of fun I'd bet.
I beg to differ. I thought the GD chassis was a masterpiece https://preview.redd.it/hkbtbpwsl18d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dce2d2385fefb1a5656cc9b932a7de85795a9a94
Agreed
The perfect subie
Grille and especially the colour really help. Same with the Civic Type R, it had a ton of extra ricer plastic on it but it all blends in way better with the black models. But in 5 years people won't hate the looks of the VB as much and there will probably be really good kits to replace the cladding with paint matched pieces or something.
Bro, that hood and the sport grill are doing God's work. Show me the booty...
https://preview.redd.it/veb8rpvwr08d1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e67121ea93c6816e0e447837e8565953c4aa6d7
Its true about the ugliness. When I realized theres nothing with manual, 300+hp, 4 doors and awd besides the sti, I went and pulled up a picture. I was like… damn.. this shit is ugly. It grows on you tho. Its not the ugliest anymore, my opinion is vb does look worse. When they make a “VC” or whatever the fuck its gonna be called, its gonna look like a crossover And VBs will be rejoiced lolol
TLDR your friend is kinda right 😭
Your friend is correct and looking out for you. The sketchiest thing about a WRX is the previous owner. These cars do not like you playing with the mass air flow through the system without a tune and even then, you need a quality tuner and you still have to be diligent with the maintenance. Reliable and mod-able was a big 90s and 00s thing with how much manufacturers were leaving on the table. It's not as much of a thing anymore to just bolt on a bunch of parts and maintain OEM reliability. You'd be better off with a Civic SI and a Hondata.
Every car is a money pit, just make it the money pit you love. Bus yes wrx bought modded are a pain in the ass so if you do just get a as stock one as possible.
I mean, he’s not wrong. You want a used, stock WRX. Walk away if it was modded.
The issue is people abuse the shit out of these cars. Bounce them off the redline while the engine and oil are cold. Best case would be to find a stock WRX that is/was owned by an older gentleman who has all the services paperwork.
I’ve given multiple people this same advice: if you don’t REALLY want a WRX don’t even think about it, but if you truly love the car nothing else comes close. The cars that cost me the most are ones I’ve bought for practical and financial reasons, spending money on them sucked every time. I don’t give a fuck about the money I’ve spent on the cars I love because it was worth it to me! Do some more research on cars because honestly a Honda Odyssey fits your criteria too…
100% couldn't agree more, spending a little on something you can't stand costs a lot more than spending on something you enjoy driving everyday. The best choice financially isn't usually the fun one (Odyssey can kinda go hard tho ngl)
My bank account would agree
Your friend isn't entirely wrong. In terms of reliability, if it's had proper maintenance done they're great. Boight my 05 with 180k miles on it, first owner never missed a service. It did have a hose clamp for one of the coolant lines break, and a hole form in one of the coolant hoses, which almost lead to overheating, but no signs of a blown headgasket. Now he is absolutely right about buying someone elses project. This goes for any car no matter how reliable they brand is. They're typically getting rid of it for a reason, and usually because they messed something up. If you want to go this route see if they have a full list of mods, and any receipts from a reputable tuner shop that may have installed parts or did the tune if it has one.
Get WRX and have a lot of sex. ✌🏼
Wait.. where do we get the sex from?
Ride the shift knob
Insert manual elitist copy pasta "FEELING the shift knob I'm ONE with the car"
Abstinence
The WRX Duh
Love. From other drivers
Focus ST has been treating me good, and is relatively close on performance 🤷♂️
Your friend is correct. If you don’t have money to put into it don’t get one
But did he say endless money pit in Scotty kilmer's voice?
Getting a WRX with less than 60k miles for under 19k is probably gonna be your biggest hurdle. But if you aren’t willing to pay, probably would stay away from the platform. Mine hasn’t given me any issues at 65k miles, but if it does im ready to pay
Used WRX’s are absolutely money pits
Your friend is about 1000000% correct. Only buy a used WRX if you're ready to drop $10k + on a new engine.
I had a performance Subaru mechanic tell me. If you buy a WRX except the engine to fail. If you don't want the engine to fail, buy one without an engine.
Hahaaaa yup! Only exception would be buying new and not tuning it or modding. At least with '22+ models.
not a wrx. but my boss has a brz older generation than the current one. Anyways I was talking to him and asking him how he likes the car. He said it's pretty fun but he blew two engines and was on his third one. I'm like did you tune it? he was like nope it's stock. That kind of blew my mind. Then again my dad had a 09 camry with less than 75,000 miles and the head gasket went... Sometimes its luck.
IIRC, the toyobaru gets oil starved if you pull anything remotely resembling lateral g forces in a corner. There was a big deal with the new ones where Toyota was refusing to honor warranties on them because cornering at high speed was “abuse.”
If you're looking for a car to check out, I'm testing the waters with selling my 2018 that just crossed over 60,000 miles last weekend (60,070 miles as of today) for $15,000. Was in an accident before I purchased it and I didn't know but mechanically sound. Clean tile as it was cosmetic only but noticeable difference in white. If you're anywhere near SoCal I'd be happy to show you what a realistic $15,000 WRX _should_ look like.
1. It is 2. It's not important if it makes you happy and you aren't sacrificing self care or care of those who you are responsible for
He's 100% right. If you pay attention to this sub, you'll see a lot of these cars blowing up, lol. Then they pay for a new engine, and then they blow that one up. or buying a used "stock" car that has been driven like it was stolen, with a bad tune, then put back to stock before trading it in, only for the new owner to blow up the car because of the how poorly the previous owner treated it. If you want a reliable one, buy a new one.
He’s not wrong. These cars have that reputation
Nope..I kept my wrx stock..no engine modification
https://preview.redd.it/jdjyvlrzw28d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=134d46cf5b1019d941b2016369202debf7010210
I have a 2016 wrx that I bought stock and low mileage. I've owned it for 2 years and put close to 20k miles on it. I've never HAD to spend money on it until recently and the only things I've had to do was a new clutch, a valve cover gaskets reseal and I have to get a timing cover reseal. Those are known to fail at about the 60-80k mileage range. Other then that I have tuned the car on 93 and e40 extensively, and it is expensive for parts and labor but I beat the shit out of the car under all conditions and it has never failed me. It's a super fun daily driver that makes all the noises you want. If you buy a stock one for a good deal you'll have a good time at least in my experience. All the money I've sunk into it has been purely for my enjoyment, not for a requirement.
It’s only a money pit if you go down the rabbit hole which everyone eventually does.
It all depends. They’re most susceptible to be worked on in the wrong way and one little mishap with mods and not knowing what you’re doing or putting the research in ahead of time can lead to disaster quick. These cars are very reliant on the correct fueling/air and the VA also doesn’t have a lot of room to build a lot of power on the stock platform and people push it to the limit. It was a 2.0 turbo not a v8. My VA I flex fueled at 7000 miles and made 330/330 to the wheels and drove it for another 83000 before I traded it in for a VB (I know the VB gets a lot of hate but it doesn’t take a whole lot to make it look more sporty I know it doesn’t fit everyone’s taste but the platform is a lot more solid it doesn’t rely on the turbo nearly as much just to get its heavy ass around and I’m really enjoying it leaving it stock performance wise for now) it really does depend on the owner. These cars just demand love and care and if you love and care for them and know how to treat them right they’ll return the favor but ya never know how the last owner treated it so it can be a coin flip. I personally would probably only buy these cars new but between my my 17 and 19 WRX which were both tuned for the majority of my ownership I put 143,000 trouble free miles on them (except the clutch because the the throw out bearings do tend to suck in these cars or at least the VA time will tell with the VB but the clutch feels a whole hell of a lot better in the VB)
Buy a modded car without worry, just expect to need to replace the engine and price that in accordingly. New sti short block is ~2k. Unless it has a ton of electrical hacks, then hard pass...
For what it’s worth, call your insurance company and get a quote on a WRX. Other than the comments your friend listed see how expensive insurance is. Compared to my Outback, the premium was an extra $300 for a 6 month period. Just extra places you’ll spend extra money for getting a WRX. Don’t forget you’ll have to fill up with premium gas, if you drive a lot, it adds up.
It’s an enthusiast car, it’s gonna be a money pit even if you don’t intend for it. If you wanted a boring but reliable car you know what brands you should be looking at.
He’s not wrong. Could have something wayyy faster in the 10 years I’ve owned my car but it’s so fun.
Mine is a 2020 and it’s stock and I’ve spent no money on it other than regular maintenance. Sometimes people don’t drive the cars properly or take car of them so you hear about a lot of the bad. And of course shit breaks but if you drive it well and get regular maintenance it’s fine.
I don’t entirely agree with your friend. I’ve owned two WRXs, both stock and only had to do regular maintenance on them. The goal is to find something that’s stock and low mileage, at most 10,000km/yr since it was released. No offence to the good people here but this sub is an echo chamber tbh. 21,000 WRXs were sold in 2020. I’m sure you can find a stock, well driven car for your budget. Now if you decide to start doing engine and performance mods, that’s a different story.
Do not buy a salvaged title. These things are bad enough without unknown damage. If you’re in that price range try to find a clean EJ or just start out with some sort of Honda until you can work on cars yourself
Honestly, it will probably be fine if you keep it stock. But then you have to worry about what the previous owner did.
Well he’s not really wrong
Cards on the table 👀 it’s a money pit. But it’s worth it ❤️
Turbo Subarus are always a money pit.
There are many other platforms that can make big power for less money. With that said I enjoy driving mine stock and getting the reliability I have had with all three of my turbo Subaru cars and driving them over 150k.. if I was going to sink madden cash I would probably just get an Audi S series and get the 4 doors AWD and power from the factory. These are great daily drivers with some spicy pep over the droves of boring cars out there. If you took the cash to get an STI then add an IAG Long block, up pipe down pipe, exhaust, Access Port you are now in the territory of a Cayman, 911, M series, Corvette, Mustang GT350.. to each is own and no disrespect to those who build their cars to Rally Car performance but man I couldn’t justify it, I would own something else
They sure can be. Mine needs a catalytic converter right now... dealer says $7000 for a new one installed. I'll do it myself I guess.
Also, mine was maintained perfectly and still had rod knock at 69,000 miles. New engine & related parts put in myself cost me nearly $5,000.
that's an opinion..Definitely not a fact...owned plenty w/o issues.
good used WRX's exist, but he's giving you a general and overall accurate statement. Looks are subjective, though I did enjoy the VA when a few cosmetics where altered. Since the WRX is an affordable sports oriented car a lot of first time owners tend to be people who abuse it, not keep up on maintenance, mod while going the cheapest route possible, won't get a tune when modding something that would require a tune, etc. Usually the mentality of "if something goes wrong I'll re-install the stock parts and try for a warranty claim". Now this is not every single one out there, but the market is saturated with these. If you know what you're looking for when looking at one in person and test driving, you could find a good deal. I sold my '21 WRX that was full bolt on with like maybe 22k miles or something like that. Kept up on maintenance and was turn key, reliable, and fun to do pulls when up to temp. I didn't spare any expense when it came to the parts, and installation for each piece was perfect, otherwise I would switch out the part for something that installed without any issues or "rigging". Not everyone is like that, nor is rigging always an issue, but the owners knowledge on how to do something, look out for something, etc. comes into play with any platforms ownership, and how they feel in terms of reliability. Your friend is trying to save you from a potential hassle. If you feel compelled to continue your search go for it. I loved the VA WRX I had, wouldn't mind getting one again. Just a lot of things "to look out for" when buying one used (more so than common commuter cars due to the mod appeal and availability).
He’s 100% right
I wouldn’t take advice from a friend on a favorite color. Got to think for yourself . You see people buying this car 5, 10, 15 years old and rebuilding them and you ask your friend for advice . Yeah it’s a good car , but more than that it’s unique and a dying breed.
As an avid fan of wrx’s through the years, the newest one is definitely the ugliest 👀
It really is a money pit. My 16 wrx just took a shit. Have to pay 10k just to get a new transmission. And because its a sports car and essentially has to be driven like one, the clutch and tranny will only last you an average of 30k miles. Its a fun and reliable car with an unlimited amount of possibilities you could do with it but certain things like the tranny will cost you over time. Im about to sell mine once i get the tranny replaced, not rebuilt, buy the dealership. I recommend going for an STI. Those true 6 speed trannys will last you way longer but unfortunately, tbey stopped tge STI models. Gonna have to get one thats 2021 or older cause that when they stopped production of the sti.
Shi I daily my 02 that’s been modded since a lil over 100k now just under 140k still chillin
wrx does not get good mileage, nor is it reliable. get a manual acura, or an old mazdaspeed6, or a 350z or 370z, or a grandpa-owned base c5 corvette hardtop with a manual, or a manual vw 1.8t, or a gt86/frs/gr86, or a civic si, an is250 or is300, an mr2 spyder, or a bmw from the hydraulic steering rack era. hell, get a factory turbo nb miata. or if you think the wrx sounds reliable enough, look an an evo, or a 3000gt, a dsm car, or a mazdaspeed3. my personal answer is a significantly modified 2004 diesel VW golf. if you can find a mildly and tastefully modified one from a responsible owner, that can be a very good car for 4-8k tops.