Noobie needing info...

[lAresl]

Hello!

I'm RJ from Houston. My main purpose of joining is to grab as much info as I can because I'm in the market for a car.

I have found a 2003 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS for a good (IMO) price although it has 150k miles.

With that much miles, what should I look out for? Any known issues at high mileage? Since the owner has no clue what has been done to the car (other than a recent headgasket change) I'll probably have to replace parts as they wear out - or show signs that they need to be replaced - which isnt my cup of tea because I'm the type who changes parts at the specified time/mileage.

Thanks and I hope to own a Subie soon.

[zax]

Welcome.

To be perfectly honest, I'd pose the same questions over at Subaru Impreza GC8 & RS Forum: RS25.com or the NA section of NASIOC. Subaru turbo drivetrains are very different from the NA drivetrains. Regardless, I would have a leakdown/compression test performed on the vehicle to investigate the health of the motor internals. I have heard that the early NA 2.5L motors had head-gasket issues, so that's good that the part was recently replaced. I would stay away from a vehicle with modifications, though I'm sure it's much easier to find a stock RS than a stock WRX/STi.

Even the turbo drivetrains have a lot of life left in them at 150K miles if well-cared for. I don't see why the NA platform would be any less reliable.