I am in an internal debate - I am a very happy owner of an 03 sedan with minor upgrades - But I feel like my car is cursed because since I have had it, I have been rear ended, had someone hit and run, gotten all sorts of rock damage, dents in the side from other peoples car doors and then most recently someone tried to break in and messed up the locking cylender (or whatever it is called.)

So, none the less, my car has been through a bit and I have repaired most of the damage except the dents and the broken lock. I am at about 37,000 miles and am in need of my first tire change (i drive slow.)

I am thinking about just trading it in and getting a new 05, same color, same car. Outside of the costs, any advise in regards to the minor differences between the 03 and 05?

I would also like to keep my upgrades on the new car - I have a rear sway bay + end links, short shift kit (kartboy), and accessport (obviously I can't take my window tints.) Are any of these transferable to an 05 from an 03?

Any advise, thoughts, feelings you can provide will be of great help to me.

 

the acessport isn't transferable to the 05. However rear sway, endlinks and short shifter are.

 

well, here's my 2¢.....it sux about getting rear ended and broken into, and i understand how you feel like its cursed...I felt that way about my truck a few years back...but as far as rock chips and door dings....well, those are things that could be prevented, get a clear bra for the nose of the car, and choose your parking spots more carefully to avoid door dings....but unless YOU conciously think about these things when driving or parking, thats your own fault for not picking a better spot.

I have an '03 sedan, just turned 50,000 miles.....and the body on my car is pristine....just the way it was when I picked it up from the dealership. But I am super **** about WHERE I park my car, and what types of cars are parked near me, and if I dont have a good feeling about a parking spot, I will continue to look for one even if that means driving around for another 10 minutes looking. While driving around, I watch the road infront of me....if I see road debris, I avoid it (in a safe manner ofcourse)...the key is to just be more observant to your surroundings. So it really doesnt matter what car you drive....these things will happen to an 05 too if your not careful.

-Ted

 

Ted,
You are 100% correct, some of these things are avoidable and I kick myself for that, but I use my car for business and don't always have the time to be so careful - but now I realize I need to make the time if I want my car in good condition. Even with getting it broken into, there are ways to prevent that.
At this point I would like to get a new one, rather than drop $1000+ to repair the damage.

Do you know any differences between an 03 and 05? Or even about the 06's that coming out?

 

if you have to get one, get the '05 since it looks better (IMO.)

the '06 WRX has slightly better torque, but that's neglible.

is your car paid off? what is the resale value as it sits? that would be more of a concern to me. if you're taking a huge depreciation loss (likely the case since yours is a less than perfect condition '03 model) AND you're still making payments, i wouldn't bother upgrading. even if it has been paid off, i'd be reluctant to take the depreciation. an investment loss is unrealized up to the moment that you sell it. LOL.

 

I would say go for the newer car. On July 9, I picked up an '05 WRX wagon to replace my '03 WRX sedan and I wouldn't even think of going back. The interior in this car is worlds nicer, the AC is so much better. Things look nicer, the doors close nicer, I really like this car.

As for differences - there are some differences in the suspension. From what I've been told, the tophats have changed due to a difference in spring diameter between '03 and '05 models. The steering rack bushings on the '05 are solid (so no upgrading them because there's no need). The stock ECU map sucks on this car - a bit less aggressive than the '02/'03 and it has the OL/CL delay issue, which is easily fixed with an ECU reflash.

I personally would go with an '05 because you can get awesome deals on them with the '06s coming out so soon.

However, the '06 models are supposed to have the 2.5 in them and I have heard they get the FHI 4pot calipers. Might be worth the wait if you can spare the additional money.

 

Well, IMO...the 06's are fugly....I dont like the new nose.....I've never driven on 05, and have only driven an 04 STi....the 04 I did NOT like the gearbox....it felt too sloppy for me, and the clutch was waaay too mushy for my taste. That could be a 6-speed issue though. I like my clutch to be crisp and solid, not soft and mushy. Same with the gear shifting....some say that the WRX gearbox is notchy, but for me....I like that defined "notch" letting me know the transmission is fully in gear. Then again, I am the type that would sacrifice comfort for performance. So these are all just my opinions...the only real, true feedback that will really mean anything to you, is to actually drive these cars yourself. Esp. since everyone's opinions differ significantly, You may not like the way my car feels if you drive it, but you might like someone elses setup better. Just a difference of opinion.

-Ted