New to the forums.. been checkin you guys out and reading up here a lot lately.. mainly because I REALLY want to get a WRX...
I do have many questions though so hopefully I won't be too much of a pain..lol

My first question is about the turbo on the WRX... I have heard from many people that a turbo can really reduce the life of an engine.. this is alright with me, but since it comes from the factory like that is this a fact or is this only valid if you put on a turbo from an aftermarket company?

I will most likely be getting a used WRX.. is there anything I should look out for, keep in mind...etc anything like that? What is TOO high of miles? I can actually quote you a quick email quote I got from a local dealer.. just your thoughts on if it's too high or not?
"Thank you for your interest in
our WRX. We currently have the 2003 WRX in stock. The MSRP on this vehicle is $ 26,482. It is equipped with the following optional items-spoiler, carbon fiber trim, arm rest extension, security system upgrade,turbo gauge and short throw shifter. You may purchase this vehicle for $23,432 plus tax, plates and fees."


I love cars, but I'm not into them as far as modding... I can change the heatlights to the cool looking ones.. stuff like that, but as far as actual mods, engine tuneup performance parts, struts.. etc., are they hard to do on this car or would it be better to have a shop do it? Is there anything that needs to be done to the car to actually take advantage of it's performance?

I think that's it for now...heheh

Hope to be a future WRX owner!!!

Thanks :-)
-Nigel

 

:-(


-Nigel

 

Ells,

Thank you for the reply :-)


Is there anything that I should look out for when looking at Used WRX's? Besides from the obivious condition..etc, When I pop open the hood, anything that I should look specific for or take it to a mechanic?


Thanks again,
-Nigel

 

Firstly, according to your "letter from the dealer" are you going to be buying the 2003? or would you be getting something with some miles on it?

Check these things before buying:
1) Clutch shudder...try "test drving" the car in the morning, if it's still relatively cold.

2) Tires...if they are RE92's, get rid of them soon.

3) As far as mileage...well, depends...but most people would tell you to get a "new" car, because you never know how the other person drove the car. They may have abused the clutch...they may have had problems with it...etc. etc. I have had my wrx wagon for almost 2 years now, and I have about 31K on it...but I drive just to drive

4) As far as "modding" the car, there are endless possibilities...uppipes, downpipes, UTEC, Vishnu, Turbo back exhausts, gauges, rims, tires, other engine managements tools, and the list goes on and on an on...as far as your wallet allows.

5) Other than that, usual wear and tear is acceptable, but used WRX's are going for a fairly cheap deal, with the intro of the '04 model...so I am sure you will be able to bargain...remember, a car that sits on a dealer lot is as good as paying rent for a place you don't live in...a useless expense. They will go down, if they want to make the cost of the car back, since they will have to pay off the bank...so haggle, give them a 22000 offer on the car that is sitting there...I am sure they will come down to at least 22500 approx.

Well,
happy hunting,
i.

 

I test drove one yesterday!!!! Unfortunalltly the dealer went with my gf and I... so I couldn't really tell the power of it.

It did have the short shifter, that took me a few mins to get used to, but I like it! The steering is nice! I actually test drove a 2003, brand new for around $23,000. It had the short shifter, carbon fiber trim, spoiler, and turbo gauge on the steering wheel.

inthedeck,

For those tires how do I find out what brand, or the model? Do I ask the dealer or would it be listed on the tire itself?

I checked out some specs of it, and the car weighs about 3000lbs.... Is this really heavy? My friend has a civic that he is tricking out and his car only weighs around 2300lbs...

I am going to test drive more WRX's so I can get a feel for them, but so far it's GREAT! :-)

-Nigel

 

definitely check out the clutch shutter. it's most prominent when starting out slowly in 1st gear when the car has not warmed up. i had an 02 wrx that had the shutter problems for the two years i owned it. you can learn to drive it without that, but like when the car's been sitting and you start out it'll shake pretty bad. it also happened from 1st to 2nd gear for me.


there's a thread about it in these forums, and it's a known issue now recognized by subaru and replacement parts are being sent out.

as far as buying a used one, personally i'd shy away from it. most likely the guy who traded it in beat the crap out of it. i traded in my 02 and did so b/c i thought i needed the extra money from a low car payment more than the enjoyment of owning a wrx. i talked with the guy who bought it. i really took care of the car, not beating it or anything. i had it 2.5 years and only had about 18-20k miles on it. so the guy was lucky to get it. besided, with financing rates so low now, a new one could only cost like $40-$50 bucks a month more, though that is not an insignifigant amount to some people.

the only other thing that was odd, which has been mentioned in these forums somewhere is the strong smell of gasoline/exhaust whenever the air temperature would be below 20 deg. F. it just started happening this year, the dealer said they couldn't find a problem, but i knew there must have been something under the hood. the thread about that said a few people had the same problem and found a loose hose or cracked hose or something. it doesn't appear to have happened to many people though.

finally, the driver's side door window broke and ended up tearing the frame the window motor was mounted to! the dealer commented that he's seen that with one of the other wrx's in my town, but i've never seen any official statements from subaru about it, and i'm not sure if anyone else here has had that.

other than that i loved the car! as far as tires, well take what's on there but just earmark some cash for a cool new set like yokohamas or perellies, good year or firehawks.

 

"For those tires how do I find out what brand, or the model? Do I ask the dealer or would it be listed on the tire itself?"

Well, just look at the sidewall of the tire. If it reads "Bridgestone Potenza RE92" then definately think of getting something better (if the car is used). Many people will tell you that tires are the first upgrade that should be made to the car. I have Dunlop Sp 5000's, and so far, they have been better than the RE92's by far.

"I checked out some specs of it, and the car weighs about 3000lbs.... Is this really heavy? My friend has a civic that he is tricking out and his car only weighs around 2300lbs... "

In response to that one, well, even a modded civic won't hang with a WRX, unless the guy has engine conversions, supercharger, nitrous...etc. Plus, even with all that, take him out on some twisty roads (at a track), and you will see him getting lost in your rearview mirror (I do not condone public street racing...it's too dangerous). The AWD feature of the WRX coupled with the awesome stock power leaves almost nothing to be desired from this car...however, there are TONS of mods that you can make to the WRX, that will only make it an even more beast of a machine than it is. Just be safe when making mod's to your car, because if certain things are installed without care, there could be some serious issues.

Hope this helps.
i.

 

well, i should have said that i would have guessed it was something undere the hood in the engine compartment rather than knowing it. i would get the smell when standing at a stop light and it would come through the ventalation system. then when i would drive off, nothing. also, after pulling into a parking spot i shut the car off then jumped out and sniffed around the front of the car and could smell it there, after walking around to the back end, it was really faint.

i never thought of the reformulated gas thing, that makes sense.