Subaru WRX Forum banner

WRX as First Car

13K views 36 replies 12 participants last post by  6spdtls 
#1 ·
Hello everyone, I'm 15 and am really considering getting a 2002 Subaru WRX as my first car. I would be getting all the way in December but I wanted to know what you guys thought about this. Is it a good idea? They go for about $5000-6000 around me. They usually have about 150k miles. I've read through the checklists but do you guys think it's a bad idea for a first car? If so, are there any big things to look out for. My dad mentioned that people who own a WRX are probably going to drive it hard and fast. How can I tell if they did?
 
#3 ·
It all depends on you.
If your responsible and pay your own way it's a great car.
But it is also expensive for someone your age to maintain.
The insurance will be astronomical.
And you will be targeted by Police if you so much as speed.
Get a Honda Civic. Reliable dependable inexpensive to maintain.
 
#5 ·
at 4-5k, any WRX you get is going to be high mileage or not well maintained. However, you can find another car at that price easily. You definitely won't need anything "fast" as a new driver, and I'd advise you to take the time to get the feel of driving before you get anything even remotely "performance" oriented. Get a chevy cobalt, or a civic. They're cheap, they'll last forever, and if you want to do mods to them and not spend money on tunes they're not gonna blow up....for the most part.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I had an 03 that I got new.
And I recently bought a 96 Civic for my little brother.
It has 275,000 miles still runs great.
Look for a 06-09 They should be reasonable.
And yes you can mod them.
Plus the Civic is WAY better on gas, and maintenance.


And I almost forgot.
WELCOME! :wave:
 
#8 ·
You have to look around.
Low miles no mods and not owned by a kid.
Preferably with maintenece records and a clean Carfax.
 
#10 ·
Civic or even an Accord would make a decent first car that you could have some fun with . . . and not break the proverbial bank.

Another option if you like the idea of AWD is to look at some older Imprezas . . . not quite as "bullet proof" as a Civic or Accord, but it would give you AWD if that is important.
 
#11 ·
How old are you thinking? I was originally looking at 2002. I've been looking at civicsately and have thought about getting one as a first car. The AWD is nice but I'm worried about maintenance issues if I go older than a 2002. Any suggestion for years of Imprezs to look at?
 
#12 ·
Oh man...15 and a wrx as a first car? Sorry, but that sounds like a recipe for disaster

No matter how good of a driver you think you are, how safe you think you are, responsible, aware.....you're not
You do not have the experience, but you probably (might) think you do. But you're young and the immaturity and invincible feeling will set in. The one thing you'll forget is that you're not the only person driving. Even if you had 50 years of driving experience, there's always that one **** driver who can ruin your day fast

Thay being said, I'm not going to tell you which car to buy and not to buy...just don't be a typical high school show off and you should be alright

Look for a car with no mods, least amount of owners and least amount of miles, maintenance up to date and properly maintained, and adult owned
Should be all you need

Reliability of the car or any car is basically based off of how it was treated and cared for
 
#13 ·
All of that is true. I do understand where you're coming from. High schoolers can be idiots and there are always stupid drivers out there that can screw you over even if it's not your fault. I don't think I'm going to get a WRX after reading the responses. It just doesn't sound like a smart idea. The insurance will be outrageous. I think I may get one after college when I have a steady job and can better afford one. Maybe a Civic, Golf GTI, or something else. Do you even have any suggestions?
 
#15 ·
I was never a fan of working on German cars. Although the gti is a nice little car, I enjoyed driving my friends when I was still in the military

The insurance will be outrageous for you which will be the most expensive part assuming the car is healthy and doesn't need much work. Maintenance isn't expensive at all though unless your timing belt breaks

I remember when I was in high school, everyone thinks their car is the fastest thing on the road...including me and my 2000 Malibu and my friend with his god knows what year beat to hell cavalier

There will also never be a day where you're fully experienced. It does surprise me how a lot of people drive

Again I don't want to crush your hopes, just be smart is all. That's really what anyone here is saying. Speaking from experience and what we've seen etc.

As long as you're smart and careful...understand the capabilities of you and your car then a wrx wouldn't be a bad first car
 
#16 ·
Thanks for the advice. I didn't know GTIs had high insurance. It looks like the Civic is the best bet. I could become familiar with cars and do upgrades to it. Then when I have more money I could get a WRX. And a nicer one than I could now. So thank you for your advice. And everyone else's. I like civics and I do think it'd be better to gain more experience before I get a car like that. Thanks for your guys' advice. It helped
 
#22 ·
A fun car that is 10+ years old and was likely beaten like Rhianna is probably not the best first car.

Buy something boring that gets you from A-B. When you get a full-time job that has you making decent money, then consider something fun.

Boring car and cash makes for a much more enjoyable junior/senior year of high school, and four years of college, than a fun car that is constantly breaking and using up all your money. You have 40+ years of "9-5" ahead of you to have something fun; don't kill the last few years of reckless abandon you have left. A ****box packed full of hookers/blow > 150K mile WRX by yourself.
 
#25 ·
Hi Noah, and welcome to the forum!

Just for reference, The other day I sold the 2002 WRX Wagon that I bought new to a 23 year old guy here in northern Ohio. I know insurance costs vary a lot, but his for full coverage (required for his loan) was I think about $230/month. Yours, at 16, would be probably twice that. After just a couple years, you'd have paid more for insurance that you hopefully never have to use than you did for the car!

Just something to consider when thinking about your first car. My one daughter's first car was a 15 year old Miata, and the other daughter's first car was a Smart. :) (Mine was an old beat up 1929 Ford Model A Tudor that I bought for $80, but that was probably back before your parents were born...)
 
#26 ·
Thanks for your advice as well. I have basically concluded that I won't be getting a WRX for my first car. I think a civic sounds a little better for me at my age. I love cars and even though they are a terrible investment I think in the future that will be what I spend my extra money on lol. Thanks for the advice.
 
#27 ·
A car doesn't have to be powerful to be fast. If I was in your shoes, I'd look at something small, lightweight, and manual transmission that handled well... then put upgrade money into the suspension and learn how to rip windy corners. A Civic would be a great bet. If you like sliding around on snow or dirt, look into a late 90's or early 2000's 2.5rs. They look awesome and would be a ton of fun to rally around in without the insurance costs of a WRX.
 
#29 ·
NoahLovesWRXs said:
I like the idea of that but any of them that I found in th range of 4-6k will probably have been beaten to hell right?
You're now looking at a 15+ year old vehicle. Depending on climate, you're looking at rust issues.

The GC 2.5RS demands a premium because they are a great platform for turbo motor swaps (due to their lightweight chassis); expect to pay significantly more for them than you really should have to.

My advice remains to get an entry-level economy vehicle that's good on gas, and relatively low on overall maintenance cost (e.g., Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Nissan Sentra, etc.). Put on a proper set of tires to make the car grip a lot better (this will help in both cornering and braking).

Don't do any modifications to it other than tires. Save that for a more capable car.

Invest some money into Auto-X days. Push your car to the limit in a controlled environment (where if you lose control, you're not going to crash into a tree), learn about vehicle dynamics (understeer/oversteer, throttle modulation, etc.). With SCCA (the big motorsports body), you pay something like $30/year for a membership, and each event you go to, it costs like $25-30 (non-members pay like $40). The people at these events are usually pretty awesome, and will share tips/tricks with you. There are instructors there who will ride along with you and give you pointers. It's not only a TON of fun, but behind beneficial to you as a driver for down the line in the event you have to perform an evasive maneuver. If I ever have the misfortune of having kids, they will have a few Auto-X events under their belt before they get their drivers license.
 
#31 ·
NoahLovesWRXs said:
That's what I had figured. (The age and wear and tear) Why do you say I shouldn't do mods to the car? No coil overs or exhausts?
Because the whole point of the suggestion of an economy car is to keep cost down. Bang/buck you're not going to really justify the costs invested with modifications. Tires are a wear item, and require replacement every so often. They are also a safety measure, so investing in good rubber has benefits outside of making you be able to hit corners harder/faster.

Save the money you'd spend on modifications for a ****box economy car until you have a car more designed for performance, or use that money instead to travel, do other fun/exciting things, etc. Seriously, once you get into the "9-5" work force, real life kicks in and it may be a while before you have the opportunities you have while you're in school. I bought my STI when I was a junior in college. It was a ton of fun, and I really enjoyed it, but I didn't have the money other people did for going to Spring Break, taking two weeks traveling Europe, etc. Knowing what I know now, part of me wishes I waited.

NoahLovesWRXs said:
That membership sounds really cool. I've never heard of it before. Where can I sign up for it? Thanks!
The Sports Car Club of America - Solo
 
#32 ·
Because the whole point of the suggestion of an economy car is to keep cost down. Bang/buck you're not going to really justify the costs invested with modifications. Tires are a wear item, and require replacement every so often. They are also a safety measure, so investing in good rubber has benefits outside of making you be able to hit corners harder/faster.

Save the money you'd spend on modifications for a ****box economy car until you have a car more designed for performance, or use that money instead to travel, do other fun/exciting things, etc. Seriously, once you get into the "9-5" work force, real life kicks in and it may be a while before you have the opportunities you have while you're in school. I bought my STI when I was a junior in college. It was a ton of fun, and I really enjoyed it, but I didn't have the money other people did for going to Spring Break, taking two weeks traveling Europe, etc. Knowing what I know now, part of me wishes I waited.



The Sports Car Club of America - Solo
Gotcha, I see where your coming from. Thank you for your insight. I appreciate it. Everyone's insight has helped on this forum.
 
#33 ·
I'm typically against fast or sports vehicles as a first car. I was a kid with a turbo car once, and looking back that was a terrible idea lol.

Truth be told they can be a great car for a first time driver if you resist all urge to drive like a clown and you keep your phone in your pocket. A car is only as dangerous or as bad as the driver. Don't impress that chick with it, just drive like a sane person and you'll be happier because you can afford insurance because you don't have a slue of tickets.

Any older vehicle will have problems, be ready to address them, they range from simple things to expensive complicated problems that are not worth the time.

Money would be better invested in doing any major repair first, then working out all the minor stuff. Its nice to have cash on hand when something crops up as well so I'd pass on modifications until the car is well and solid.

For beginners suspension and steering components are likely to need replacement or service asap, owners typically ignore these because they can be costly to repair and most don't foresee the problem if one completely fails.

Then your transmission is probably the second that people tend to ignore or dump a car because of issues with them. They can be expensive and extremely complicated to repair. I'd guess that a 15 year old hoonbox isn't going to be the highly maintained piece of machinery you would hope it would be.

Just be diligent and patient buying on impulse will burn you every single time.
 
#35 ·
my parents bought me my first car when i was 14 (1989 accord 5 speed - $500) and i cried like a spoiled brat when they gave it to me. it wasn't want a wanted. i wanted a "cool car" and a "fast car" especially because i grew up around cars and my family always had pretty awesome vehicles. after i got over it, and realized i should be thankful for whatever i was given.. i started to love the car. i swapped out the wheels, got it painted, put a new radio in it, etc. i ended up LOVING this old thing. fast forward a year or 2 later, i sold her and i was crying for a different reason... because i was SO SAD to see her go!

after the accord, i went through 2 civics before i finally got my WRX as a senior in high school at the age of 17. at that point i was able to afford the car payments and insurance and felt confident in my driving.

i'm 26 now and still have the same WRX. i've never been in any sort of accident or received any tickets (i've only been pulled over once). so it IS possible to own a wrx when you are young and not be a total jackass.. but only you & you family can help make that decision.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Might I suggest something different from a civic:

Used 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V For Sale | Edmunds.com

I loved my 03 Spec V. You can find 02-06 pretty cheap. They come with a torquey motor, a 6 speed, and a limited slip differential. Try to find one with an owner you can talk to who has replaced the stock manifold with an aftermarket header. The motors on those cars loved to eat chunks of the catalytic converter on the stock manifold. I bought that car when I was 18 (after owning two prior beaters). It was my favorite car over my 09 Civic Si and my 350z, until I bought my first WRX.

The car is a lot of fun to start with. Basic bolt ons really liven the car up: Intake, Header, exhaust, and cut the balance shaft chains. Throw on shocks, springs, bushings, and sways and you have a really good little auto cross machine. You can even find some with the brembo brake option.

If you find one of these cars your interested in let me know. I can give you more information. I really loved that car and it would eat civics of that generation alive. Expect problems here and there, but that comes with the territory of older performance 'oriented' cars.

http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/us...=Sentra Sedan&invtype=USED&defaultType=&mode=

http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/us...=Sentra Sedan&invtype=USED&defaultType=&mode=

http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/us...=Sentra Sedan&invtype=USED&defaultType=&mode=

http://www.edmunds.com/inventory/us...=Sentra Sedan&invtype=USED&defaultType=&mode=
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top