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Possibly purchasing a 2013 WRX Hatchback in a couple of days. What to expect???

3K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  crepitus 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello Club WRX members!

I am currently an owner of n 8th Gen Civic Si. I have been a Honda owner for as long as I can remember, but have always drooled over the WRX hatchback. Well, I am finally in somewhat of a position to afford one. I work at a Auto Group with a Honda and Subaru Dealership included. We just got in a 2013 Plasma Blue WRX Hatch (base) with 31k miles on the dash, 1 previous owner. Carfax is clean, but there is some very slight damage to the rear passengers fender and door (looks like a minor side swipe with a little rust damage). We gave the owner 20k trade in, and I can get the car for a couple hundred over what we paid, which in my opinion is a steal price for a 2013 WRX hatch with 31k miles, the damage isn't bad and I can repair further down the line.

Now here is where my questions come in; if I buy it, this will be my first Subi, and I will be coming from the Honda world of reliability and low cost of ownership. I literally have never had any major repairs to my Hondas. Only tires, oil changes, brakes, tune ups, the usual. WHAT CAN I REALISTICALLY EXPECT with the WRX at the milage this one is at? Are there any known failures, common issues, etc? Is the cost of ownership high? How many miles can I expect to get per full tank? Would it be a dumb move to go from the Si to the WRX in general? My Si is at 93k miles and I'm not too fond of being a part of the 100k club with no warranty left. Im looking for honest opinions. I am hoping that the WRX can be reliable for at least the next couple of years that I own it, needing nothing but routine maintenance and tires, brakes, etc. while it is still under manufacturer warranty. Also, I hear that Subaru Warranty is a nightmare. Is this true?

Pretty much, I don't want to go from my Civic to a money pit of problems and headaches with a WRX. I am not deep into the whole modding scene, just want the hatch for its looks, utility of having a hatchback, its stock speed, and most importantly, the AWD. May consider putting some money into it further down the line. Any opinions, stories, etc. would be greatly appreciated! I hope to not hear anything too bad, because I've wanted the WRX hatch for years, and this seems like the opportune time to catch one at a steal.

One other thing I noticed is that the Subaru community does not seem to be nearly as large as the Honda community in terms of social online forums and just Subaru Lovers in General. Other than this forum, are there any other popular sites/forums/Facebook Groups that I may be missing?

Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
Purchasing a 2013 WRX Hatch in a couple of days. What to expect??!!

Hello Club WRX members!

I am currently an owner of n 8th Gen Civic Si. I have been a Honda owner for as long as I can remember, but have always drooled over the WRX hatchback. Well, I am finally in somewhat of a position to afford one. I work at a Auto Group with a Honda and Subaru Dealership included. We just got in a 2013 Plasma Blue WRX Hatch (base) with 31k miles on the dash, 1 previous owner. Carfax is clean, but there is some very slight damage to the rear passengers fender and door (looks like a minor side swipe with a little rust damage). We gave the owner 20k trade in, and I can get the car for a couple hundred over what we paid, which in my opinion is a steal price for a 2013 WRX hatch with 31k miles, the damage isn't bad and I can repair further down the line.

Now here is where my questions come in; if I buy it, this will be my first Subi, and I will be coming from the Honda world of reliability and low cost of ownership. I literally have never had any major repairs to my Hondas. Only tires, oil changes, brakes, tune ups, the usual. WHAT CAN I REALISTICALLY EXPECT with the WRX at the milage this one is at? Are there any known failures, common issues, etc? Is the cost of ownership high? How many miles can I expect to get per full tank? Would it be a dumb move to go from the Si to the WRX in general? My Si is at 93k miles and I'm not too fond of being a part of the 100k club with no warranty left. Im looking for honest opinions. I am hoping that the WRX can be reliable for at least the next couple of years that I own it, needing nothing but routine maintenance and tires, brakes, etc. while it is still under manufacturer warranty. Also, I hear that Subaru Warranty is a nightmare. Is this true?

Pretty much, I don't want to go from my Civic to a money pit of problems and headaches with a WRX. I am not deep into the whole modding scene, just want the hatch for its looks, utility of having a hatchback, its stock speed, and most importantly, the AWD. May consider putting some money into it further down the line. Any opinions, stories, etc. would be greatly appreciated! I hope to not hear anything too bad, because I've wanted the WRX hatch for years, and this seems like the opportune time to catch one at a steal.

One other thing I noticed is that the Subaru community does not seem to be nearly as large as the Honda community in terms of social online forums and just Subaru Lovers in General. Other than this forum, are there any other popular sites/forums/Facebook Groups that I may be missing?

Thanks!
 
#3 ·
Before you buy make sure you have it checked over by a trusted and knowledgeable mechanic.

Get a compression test done.

With any turbo engine regular maintenance becomes more critical.

Mileage will all depend on how you drive it and the conditions. I normally get around 24mpg with my 14 hatch , but have gotten as low as 17 and as high as 30 for a tank.
 
#4 ·
Welcome! :wave:
Definitely check out the stickies, great info there.
Google search will become your best friend, and YouTube.
The 13 Hatch is a hot commodity.
As far as expectations, if you maintain it well and don't beat on it.
A WRX can go well into 150,000 miles. Modding makes things riskier.
If properly modded and tuned they go into the 125-150,000 miles or more.
 
#5 ·
Buy it, leave it stock, and sell it in 2-3 years and you'll do just fine. Subaru warranty is no different from Honda's, nothing to worry about there. As it stands I think you could probably sell that car for a profit at that price. Maybe things have changed in the car thief community, er I mean the Honda scene but when I got out I found the wrx community to be much more helpful and dare I say normal. Plus I don't have to sleep with a sniper rifle watching my car 24/7.
 
#7 ·
Believe me, I've been googling and youtubing the WRX for quite a while now!

Thanks for the comments. I'm confident that I will be fine, especially since I used to work in Subaru service and know all of the mechanics. Just wanted some opinions and pointers from veteran WRX owners.
 
#9 ·
Germz, very positive message, thanks! im liking the Subaru crowd already, haha.

Oh one thing I forgot to mention on the post; I test drove it twice already during my lunch breaks. I noticed that every gear is buttery smooth except for 5th, which sometimes tends to grind a little almost like it doesn't want to go into gear. I've read that 5th gear grind (and also 2nd gear I believe) is a known issue for the 09+ WRX. Can any of you shed some light on that subject?
 
#11 ·
Well thank you and glad to hear! :)

I try to be positive and nice lol. :p

I know it is a tad tricky to get into 5th sometimes since it's like "up and away" from the others so it takes a tad more push and distance to shift into it, at least for me. Not sure about the 2nd gear "grind" though, I think the first two or three gears normally go quicker than the others (especially the 1st and 2nd) due to hard launching and aggressive pulls. Don't do that. No...No...No... :shakehead:

Haha but with that said you'll be fine and I know the feeling of searching all around YouTube and other websites and all of that nonsense! :D

Good luck dude and don't hesitate to ask any other questions around here! :thumbup:
 
#13 ·
Welcome, I've recently purchased a 13 WRX hatch just a week ago and coming from an 05 Corolla XRS, It goes though gas pretty rapidly. I haven't kept track of my gas but within a week of regular use, I've already had to fill up twice already compare to my once-a-week with my rolla.

When it comes to reliability, I don't have much to say but as long as it has warranty you'll be fine. I purchased my car that included a 7 year/100k power train warranty and I purchased an additional 5 year wrap warranty. If you don't like it, Subaru holds their value pretty well and you can just sell for not much lost or no lost.
 
#20 ·
Welcome. Not sure if I am allowed to mention this or not, but IWSTI and NASOIC also have info when it comes to the WRX. I personally belong to all three just for info purposes, and I don't even own my WRX yet. It's still pre-ordered :lol:

I've been on NASOIC for 8yrs now, since I owned my Saab 9-2x (brother to Impreza Wagon)
 
#21 ·
Welcome to ClubWRX! :)

Please don't create multiple duplicate threads. I have merged them both and moved the result to the purchasing forum.

As Clayton and others have said get it checked out by a competent mechanic knowledgeable about Subarus specifically (to ensure it has been unmodified), leave it stock, maintain it properly and you will be just fine. Subaru warranty is no different from Honda's, nothing to worry about there.

Yes the Honda groups/scenes/sites will seem bigger because Subaru is a very small company by comparison.

Text Blue Line Font Parallel

Market Share by Manufacturer | Edmunds.com


Welcome. Not sure if I am allowed to mention this or not, but IWSTI and NASOIC also have info when it comes to the WRX. I personally belong to all three just for info purposes, and I don't even own my WRX yet. It's still pre-ordered :lol:

I've been on NASOIC for 8yrs now, since I owned my Saab 9-2x (brother to Impreza Wagon)
There are other sites and you certainly are allowed to mention them. Most folks I think are on multiple sites. Nasioc is the largest and most useful for access to crowd sourced info/sales/etc.

The FAQ sticky in our new member hangout actually contains links to other sites like nasioc and iwsti. I always encourage new members to explore them.
 
#23 ·
Make sure to look under the car, check for missing clips and panel alignment. Sometimes when people mod or do their own work, small things like those aren't exactly right. Everyone seems to be focus on the big things like under the hood, suspensions, interior etc. that they forget about the little details.
 
#24 ·
Jay, I <3 you but I'd urge you to be careful with those statistics. Subaru is a small automaker but has a disproportionately large performance offering (compared to the plebeian vehicles) when compared to a company like Toyota or Honda. While the WRX/STi may only constitute 1.5-2% of Subaru sales, this is an astronomical ratio for a performance vehicle.

Frankly, I do believe the decline in the forum community is mostly because of Facebook.
 
#26 ·
Jay, I <3 you but I'd urge you to be careful with those statistics. Subaru is a small automaker but has a disproportionately large performance offering (compared to the plebeian vehicles) when compared to a company like Toyota or Honda. While the WRX/STi may only constitute 1.5-2% of Subaru sales, this is an astronomical ratio for a performance vehicle.

Frankly, I do believe the decline in the forum community is mostly because of Facebook.
All true. Simply trying to point out that in raw numbers there are many more folks driving other vehicles to be in online communities especially Honda.

I think it is not only Facebook but that is the big one.
 
#28 ·
Too lazy to read all the other posts but just know as long as the car is maintained well it will remain reliable and super fun even through moderate modifications. Main thing is to just be obsessed with your oil levels and quality. Enjoy knowing that you have a car you can easily over charge someone for if you ever decide to sell it lol. People have offered me 27k for mine and I paid 24k. People want that wide body gr hatch style so bad.
 
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