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Never buy a used WRX?

42K views 36 replies 19 participants last post by  11blackSTi 
#1 ·
Since these cars are abused 9 times out of 10 I would assume that I should buy a new wrx as opposed to a used one right? Especially when the used ones aren't a whole lot cheaper then a new one..maybe 5-6 grand cheaper so why not buy new and save myself troubles down the road?

Now I wouldn't always buy new but when it comes to the wrx and whats it made for and what it can do then it usually is driven hard and not well taken care of, not to say they are all like that but I would say a good majority are. So did you guys buy your wrx new or used and would you recommend buying new as opposed to used when it comes to the wrx?
 
#2 ·
I bought used from a dealership but mine was a leased vehicle. Now why someone would lease a WRX is beyond me but that also may not mean squat in terms of abuse. Whenever you buy a used vehicle, no matter what car it is, you are taking a risk by not being completely informed as to how the previous owner treated said vehicle. That being said, It is ALWAYS better to buy new as opposed to used but sometimes that is not practical.
 
#4 ·
Agreed, I just would assume a car like the wrx and sti attract younger buyers and therefore abuse them as opposed to say an old man buying a Honda Accord or Toyota Corolla. :rotfl:
 
#8 ·
Whoa there.. lol not saying that "older" people won't buy them but like Lanes said, they are marketed towards a certain age demographic. I suppose it really does depend on the owner of the car, you could have some old person who abuses the car but then some 20 year old kid who babies it so... hard to get a good reading on it but I was always told that if the interior looks good then the car was well taken care of.
 
#11 ·
I bought my bugeye in 2007 with 112,000 miles. I've had it since then with no major issues. And there are countless others who have bought used WRXs with great success.

There's no reason not to buy a used WRX if it's been properly maintained.

Here's a great "how-to" thread on buying used. SD_GR says not to buy a modified WRX/STI. In my opinion, that's not always the case. However, if you buy a modified car, you better know your stuff and understand the risk.

http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/car-purchasing-forum/105049-how-buy-used-wrx-sti.html
 
#12 ·
Alot of tuners will return it to stock and sell their parts or use em for the next car so I imagine it would be difficult to know if it was returned to stock.
 
#13 ·
As subypete posted that link... VERY good reference, and unfortuantely I skimped on a lot of the checklist... Maintenance records to prove everything, however, im stuck having to replace my engine. If you look at KBB or NADA you will see that the value of the car is FAR from what dealerships are asking for them used. In my area, a used 2007 at a dealership, low mileage (50-60k), 17, 18k to buy...look at KBB or NADA, youre looking like 10-11 for a good clean car... And thats all youll get from your bank. I would have preferred buying mine new, but I only had good enough credit for a 10k loan, and i got my 2004 at just shy of NADA book value (9300). In my case, not practical to have bought new, but with any luck, between the car and my credit card I will have enough credit to get something from a dealership used (if not new) when the car is paid off. Ultimately, its at the discretion of the buyer, but as also been mentioned, it doesnt matter what kind or model of a car, if buying used youre taking a chance on it having been beaten and improperly maintained.
 
#15 ·
I bought my 11 used with 27,500 on the clock. Have 46,000 now and (knock on wood) haven't had any issues other than the clutch fork needing to be greased and a bolt in the sunroof that needed tightening. I'm wary of used but if it has original warranty or CPO I feel a bit better about it. I've bough and SI and a GTI used before this too and haven't had issues either. It's all luck of the draw but I try to find one that appears like it wasn't modded
 
#18 ·
I wouldn't say never buy a used wrx. Just be weary of a modded wrx. Stay away from ones with certain mods such as a BOV, or turbo timer, which would indicate previous owners didn't do their homework.
 
#19 ·
I'm on my second used Subaru. My last one was awesome and this one is awesome...just saying.
 
#22 ·
I bought Teh Fabulous Trashwagon new in February 2002. At that time, you could hardly find a *new* WRX for sale, let alone a used one.

If I were fool enough to sell mine now, I could approach half of what I paid for it almost 12 years ago.
 
#26 ·
Bought my '11 used back in August of 2012. The cheapest I could find the limited with navigation was about $28k, mine had 11k miles on it and the remainder of the warranty for $24.5k. Now, I did have 2 problems with it so far. First one was the power steering started to leak, and then the clutch went. Both of these problems don't seem to be unheard of, but thankfully I had the warranty to take care of the issue.
 
#30 ·
When buying used, always remember, "Let the buyer beware!" Do your homework, ask for service records, take the car to a mechanic that you know and trust and have him/her smoke it over, do a compression leak down test, check the intercooler for excessive blow-by. Basically, look and feel for anything wrong or questionable. If something doesn't agree with you, pass on it. Through due diligence and NOT "luck of the draw" you can definitely find a sweet WRX that won't disappoint. Good luck!
BTW, I'm 45 and have a 2011 STI Limited which I purchased in 2010 brand new and a 2004 WRX <--- bought the WRX from a 23 year old who had all service records from previous owners and himself, together with a clean CarFax history. He gave me full disclosure about any/all problems which my mechanic confirmed during the smoke over which enabled me to haggle in the price even more.

Hope this helps!
 
#32 ·
I bought my 2011 wrx with 38k on the clock. When bought i payed 24k flat. I understand when ppl say well why not buy new? But my response is i bought mine with atleast $10,000 worth of mods to it. So do the math there. I think i made off pretty good. Its been four months and i ran into one issue. I overboosted once and hit fuel cut. But i just re-flashed the car on the spot and have been good ever since. Its all on how you look at it.
 
#34 ·
Generally speaking, yes. However subiesaurus got "lucky" from the sounds of it. I personally would never buy high modded, and i would almost hate selling a high modded because is gonna scare away A LOT of potential buyers. I'd rather strip it, put it back stock, remove the tune and sell everything separate

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 
#35 ·
I'm torn between two cars that are currently sitting on a west coast dock.

Both are Limited. One is a DGM sedan while the other is a WRB hatch.

I can remove options that don't suit me (illumination, subwoofer, HomeLink) and add those that do (STS, mat, tray, wheel locks, non-HomeLink mirror and extended armrest). Both cars are, essentially the same price OTD.

My head says DGM sedan, but my heart says WRB hatch. Where the *&^$%# are the DRG Limited hatches???

As a side note. Edmunds.com (not subaru.com) mentions a few other available items, including an STI Trans Crossmember Bushing Kit and an STI Transmission Mount. Are these items I should add?

Keep in mind that I have no plans to make any mods (shift bushings or otherwise) until I am outside of the warranty.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

BC
 
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