WRX? or STI? or EVO?

[BeautyofAWD52]

It's really just perspective but keep in mind you're taking a huge gamble when you buy a used EVO/WRX/STI because most of the cars are owned by your peers and abuse them or neglect them when it comes to maintence.

I couldnt agree more with Clovis on this point. Not only do people do a poor job maintaining them, but they try to mod the car themselves and do a terrible job. If you are looking for a used one make sure to do your homework on that vehicle, and make sure you won't end up paying for someone else's terrible attempt at modding

[GrimeMachine]

It's really just perspective but keep in mind you're taking a huge gamble when you buy a used EVO/WRX/STI because most of the cars are owned by your peers and abuse them or neglect them when it comes to maintence.

I couldnt agree more with Clovis on this point. Not only do people do a poor job maintaining them, but they try to mod the car themselves and do a terrible job. If you are looking for a used one make sure to do your homework on that vehicle, and make sure you won't end up paying for someone else's terrible attempt at modding

Should I then just avoid private sellers completely, and look for used/certified pre-owned ones from dealers?

[kbrownmann]

Should I then just avoid private sellers completely, and look for used/certified pre-owned ones from dealers?

a cpo subaru is the best used subaru you can possibly buy imho.. for i believe $795 you can get a 5 or 7 year bumper to bumper warranty, i believe it is 5 yr 60k... so that is the way to go... i wish i had done that...

[anxiouz]

I've had an Evo 8, then an 02 WRX w/ 2.5L swap, then another Evo 8, and now have an 11 WRX. If you want power or bragging rights, Evo all the way. They can handle 400whp all day and it takes very few mods to get there (any of them...Evo 8/9/10). They're loads of fun, handle amazingly well, and are nimble and enjoyable to drive. The downside is they're twitchy, they can't make u-turns worth a damn, the interior is cheap, and the sound-deadening is poor. But performance-wise they're the best deal out there IMO.

Subarus have smoother and better sounding engines and the extra torque of the 2.5L is really nice around town. Evo's spool quick to make up for it but generally speaking the WRX/STI have more usable power. The interiors are also a bit nicer so they're better daily drivers no question.

I was looking at the 2010 Evo X vs the STI and ended up waiting and getting an 11 WRX. For me it came down to the hatchback which I loved, the price being $7-8k cheaper, and the WRX being 150lbs or so lighter than the STI and 350lbs lighter than the Evo. So being down in power 40hp isn't such a big deal since there's less weight to haul.

From reading other threads, I know that lots of dealerships won't even look at a car that is modded;

That's not true at all. Every dealer in existence would accept any car for repair work since they make so much money that way. They may just take longer to find the problem which would end up costing you more for labor. And if the car is newer they may not cover the work if it's a warranty item. But they will most certainly accept a modded car for work.

Also, is it feasible to bring a modded WRX to "stock" condition for a sale? Meaning, if I found a rex that I really liked, could I reasonably ask the owner to try and do something like that?

It's a reasonable request but some people don't save the stock parts so it's a hassle and expense for them to try to un-mod the car. So they'd probably just look for another buyer who will take the car as-is. Others may just provide the stock parts for you to put back in yourself. It really depends on the owner. When I was selling my bugeye awhile back the buyer's mom (go ahead, roll your eyes with me) wanted the stock exhaust put on which I didn't have. I told her I'd help locate one for her but I wasn't going to buy one and put it on for her. In the end I just found another buyer.

[rapidwrx]

Should I then just avoid private sellers completely, and look for used/certified pre-owned ones from dealers?

One advantage of buying from a private seller is you know who the previous owner is. If you can find one that's adult owned and the owner knows what he's talking about regarding maintenance you might be able to find a great deal so I wouldn't completely avoid them.

[REX2011]

evo<wrx