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looking to buy 2006 subaru wrx sti

2K views 22 replies 6 participants last post by  albert1996 
#1 ·
hey guys im new here. i came here because i really need advice. im looking to buy a used subaru. i really like the look of the 06 and 07 but i would take an 04 or 05. it has to be the sti though. my budget is only 15k. and me being 17, soon being 18 im not loaded. my parents are paying a little but im paying for the majority of it. i do have a job. ive always wanted a subaru but nowadays they cost a lot of money. i also want something thats not gonna break down after a couple months because i cant necessarily afford major repairs. and my question is if it is alright to buy one with close to 100,000 miles? i know that the timing belt and other stuff has to be done. what are your suggestions. i really would appreciate any help. thanks
 
#2 ·
Read all of the stickies and learn all you can so when you go look at some you know what to look for. If your budget is 15k I don't think you'll be able to afford an 06-07 sti unless it has 100,000+ miles on it. I would much rather buy an 04-05 with less miles than an 06-07 with more miles.
 
#4 ·
The chances of you finding an 06-07 sti with all of the maintenance done with mileage high enough to be in your price range with no mods is slim to none. In my area those sti's still go for 18-21k. Nobody's going to come down 3,000 on an sti they can get 18k for.
 
#6 ·
There are other cars that are better options for you.
 
#7 ·
Not sure where you got Pennsylvania from but I live in Missouri which is probably one of the cheapest places to live. Cars fluctuate some from place to place but not too much. Research is your best friend.
 
#9 ·
They're reliable if you take care of them. You need to think too of the hidden costs that come with owning a subaru. If something breaks or if something needs to be replaced there's a 75% it won't be cheap. And if you have plans to go to college the last thing you want is a high car payment.
 
#11 ·
If you want a Subaru, get an RS or Outback Sport. You shouldn't even be considering a tubro model at this point.
 
#14 ·
im not gonna say that im the best driver or better than any of you which im not but in my opinion im pretty good and i think i could handle a car like that. ive had my license for a year and a half and i never came close to crashing and ive never gotten pulled over. my current car is a 2001 jetta but it has to go. and i dont want to get a ricer honda. no offense to anyone that has one but i just hate them with a passion.
 
#17 ·
So you'd rather get a ricer Subaru? :rotfl: Get a Honda and don't mod it.
 
#16 ·
$17,500 for a car that you don't know is tuned properly or tuned for that BOV or the headers, will need a $300 timing belt kit soon, a $100 axle, $400-$600 for new tires. You don't know why its throwing a CEL. Just because it throws one for an o2 sensor doesn't mean it went bad. Something done wrong could've caused it to go bad. Not a car I'd wan a put money into. Take drews advice. Buy yourself a reliable car until you're out of college. And a year and a half of driving is not that much experience. I myself have been driving for 6 years and by know means call myself an expert and I've never had a wreck or a ticket either.
 
#19 ·
hey guys im new here. i came here because i really need advice. im looking to buy a used subaru. i really like the look of the 06 and 07 but i would take an 04 or 05. it has to be the sti though. my budget is only 15k. and me being 17, soon being 18 im not loaded. my parents are paying a little but im paying for the majority of it. i do have a job. ive always wanted a subaru but nowadays they cost a lot of money. i also want something thats not gonna break down after a couple months because i cant necessarily afford major repairs. and my question is if it is alright to buy one with close to 100,000 miles? i know that the timing belt and other stuff has to be done. what are your suggestions. i really would appreciate any help. thanks
Let's see, you're 17, don't have much money or driving experience, and you think you can afford an STI. Well, I'm not inclined to believe you. Insurance alone will be astronomical for you. Don't buy a turbo Subaru. You want the ultimate in cheap reliability? Buy a well-maintained stock Honda Civic. I don't care if you think they're ricer cars. Any car is what you make of it.

You might also consider an Impreza or Outback Sport, both of which have reliable non-turbo engines. Don't buy a turbo model if you're concerned about maintenance/repair cost. They will cost more to maintain over their NA brethren.
 
#20 ·
OP, to put this post in perspective, I recently spent about $2500 in maintenance for my wife's Legacy GT. Her car has around 110k miles on it. That's $1000 more than what I paid TOTAL for my 2000 Outback Sport which has 236k on the clock. I had to replace the CV boot on the OBS, but other than that it just requires gas and oil. The ball joints do need changing, but that's relatively inexpensive if you are willing to do the work yourself. Trust me, stay away from turbo or any other "performance" car at this point. I know you want something cool and fun to drive, but you need to cut your teeth on something a little less expensive and dangerous.
 
#21 ·
Outback sport would be my vote, but the older chassis. Or get a GC Impreza or a bugeye or bugeye wagon. My friend drives a white OBS and takes it rallycrossing. Awesome car! My other friend has a bugeye. We've both eaten very expensive repair costs. In college, a $300+ clutch or a $200 in suspension bushings is expensive as hell, even doing the work ourselves. Don't spend all your money on a car. There are more important things to pay for and you will be paying to repair it. What I'm getting at is; budget.

And a warning, It's going to take a long time to find something clean. So be very patient, otherwise it will be a project.
 
#22 ·
I've been driving "a long time", mostly NA rwd, and 4x4. The WRX is my first turbo/AWD and I've had a couple of "holy ****" moments myself. Different beast. Listen to what the folks are saying and cut your teeth on something a little tamer and less expensive until you get through college. I give my nephew the same advice.
 
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