Years to avoid

[KC sly]

Hello everyone. I'm in the market for purchasing a new or used WRX. I was just wondering when looking at used wrx's are there any particular years I should avoid? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[UEDan]

All of them, they are all problematic....
Just kidding. Just a few notes:
2002: This is the year of the "Glass Trannies"
Early 2003: Also had the "Glass Trannies"
2006/7: Third gear has a problem with too much power over 300WTQ I believe, someone correct me.
2008: Worst WRX/STi (sorry, just being honest). The first batch of the 3rd generatin. These cars are softest sprung from the factory, plus the 2008 WRX is the last model year have less than 265HP. Worst of all, they look like Corollas.
Early 2009: Many would spin rod bearings in it's infancy. Check for changed short/longblocks.

2008 and early 2009's are the only true models to watch out for. There are plenty of owners here that have high powered 02 and 03 cars on original transmissions. You gotta remember, these cars are AWD grip-fiends. When you dump the clutch your tires won't break. Unlike a FWD/RWD car where the tires DO break, all that stress is going straight to the transmission *boom*. Don't EVER dump the clutch.

As for buying new or used. slightly used ones are going for almost the same as a new one. Buy new unless you find an cheap older model that is UNABUSED(HA!).

[Calvinball]

What's your budget?

As mentioned, different years have different quirks, but most important is going to be finding a car that is in good condition, i.e. regular maintenance has been done and it is not modded.

[KC sly]

My budget I want to stay on is no more than 26,000. A dealership has a new one coming in stickered at 25,600, base line WRX which I'm fine with I don't need big spoiler or be able to control suspension and diff. I would never use it. If I buy use it will only be one not modded and preferable with maintenance paper work. I just didn't know if there was one year to steer clear of. Thanks for the help.

[EndlessSea]

i personally avoid all used cars. esp something that was most likely driven very hard like a wrx. but i understand its not in everyones budget to pay for new. so....

id say 08 would be on the top of my used cars to avoid list
first year of the new body style
last year of small td04 turbo and weaksauce horsepower
extremely soft sprung
looks like a bastard toyota stepchild lol
just my opinion. but 08 is the worst year ever for wrx. avoid at all cost.
on a side note many ppl share my hatred for that year so used prices are fairly low. and its literally just a vf52 and a cobb map away from being as powerful as the 09+ (although the suspension will still suck)

[Slimjimfatty]

My budget I want to stay on is no more than 26,000. A dealership has a new one coming in stickered at 25,600, base line WRX which I'm fine with I don't need big spoiler or be able to control suspension and diff. I would never use it. If I buy use it will only be one not modded and preferable with maintenance paper work. I just didn't know if there was one year to steer clear of. Thanks for the help.

Remember that when you buy new you have other fees to pay on top of msrp like; tax, delivery, registration and your insurance. By the time you walk out of the dealer that 25.5k wrx will cost somewhere between 27 and 28k. Just be sure you remember that in your budget.

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[zefram47]

If you play the game correctly, you won't pay sticker either...new or used. Do your homework on invoice for the car, and you should be able to get somewhere around invoice plus tax. If your dealer won't play ball, use the internet and find one that will. I paid $500 over invoice on my STi, only because there were only 2 cars in the country at the time that had the specs I wanted, and I was willing to pay it to get what I wanted. I'd had an offer for $1500 under invoice, but the car was too far away to make it pay and was not my preferred color...almost bought it anyway.

As others have said, buying used is a crapshoot, unless you can guarantee the car's history. Not sure about WRXs, but among STis, it's common to hear of people returning a car to stock after being heavily modded so that they can command higher prices and work with dealers. A car in that condition, you just don't know about, because you then have no idea what mods were done, and if the tune they'd used was from a reputable tuner.

Whichever way you go, you'll love the car...so much fun to drive!

[Jlax2485]

The used car market is crazy right now because of the economy, and the fact that people are holding onto their cars longer means less supply of cars for sale. It makes more sense to buy a 2013 brand new at your budget.

Plus the fact that they have the wide body fenders and bumper like the STI...very sexy model year.

[rexxx0486]

if you're within driving distance of north nj check out the car buying program in my sig...