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Old 11-02-2006, 02:45 PM   #1
Boo Radley
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Member#: 130938
Join Date: Nov 2006
Default Thinking about buying an 2002-03 wrx

Hey everyone im new here. I am contemplating buying a car right now and a wrx is one of them. Now I have some questions for everyone about their WRX's. Here goes:

- How's the reliability? I plan to do some light modding (I don't need crazy power and would probably stick with an ecu reflash, suspension, exhaust, etc, nothing big). This would also be my primary daily driver. I drive to school, work, do any errands, and hanging out with friends. That being said I like to beat on my car (toss it around, lots of redlining, and any all around aggressive driving when the conditions are ok to have some fun). I know with my car little problems come up now and then but the daily reliability of it is good, its a Nissan 200sx SE-R and its driven everyday and I pretty much drive the car into the ground. I also try to keep up on all my maintenance. That being said would a WRX stand up to normal daily punishment along with some fun driving punishment?

- Honestly, do you feel like you made the right choice with your car? If so tell me how you drive it and what you use it for.

- Aftermarket, is it easy to find parts?

- Is it costly to maintain and mod?

- Is there anything in particular I should look for when purchasing a used one?

I'll probably come up with more questions later. But, thanks to anyone who can answer any of my questions.
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Old 11-02-2006, 02:46 PM   #2
prophet413
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Member#: 53054
Join Date: Jan 2004
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: western mass
Default

you get from a car what you give to a car. beat the **** out of it and it wont like you.


there are countless companies that make a ton of parts so there are many options for each part usuually.
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Old 11-02-2006, 03:16 PM   #3
chrisarella
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Member#: 35584
Join Date: Apr 2003
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: www.chrisarella.com
Vehicle:
1965 FFR Roadster
Coyote + TR-6060

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relatively speaking it cost more to mod a WRX then say a honda civic, but you get a lot more out of it. You can't beat the bang-for-your-buck factor!

Reliability is only an issue if you neglect or excessively abuse any car for that matter. Generally speaking, Subies are very reliable. NEVER redline it and dump the clutch... it's AWD and totally unnecessary to launch it like that.

And do yourself a favor... read all of the stickies and FAQs. Then buy a wrx that your mechanic has inspected and enjoy.

Personally, I'm going to be buying Subarus for a lifetime. Everyday that I walk outside and see my sonic yellow wrx sport wagon is still there puts a smile on my face.
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Old 11-02-2006, 03:21 PM   #4
MannyMohawk#5
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Chapter/Region: SCIC
Location: The Mullet Mafia
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1999 RSTi
RHD BF5 & BJ6

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IMO, you should go buy a Civic.
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Old 11-02-2006, 03:40 PM   #5
strohausii
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Member#: 26770
Join Date: Oct 2002
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Tampa
Vehicle:
'02 WRX
midnight black

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buy a miata, go to flyin miata.com get the turbo kit, and you will have a cheap fun car that can take a beating with an inexpensive parts base.

If serious about the 02-03 wrxs look up cobbtuning.com, and spend time in the tranny forum here.
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Old 11-02-2006, 04:08 PM   #6
CynicX
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Member#: 48199
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Maryland
Vehicle:
06 WRX
WRB

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-Extremely reliable, but if you beat like you are describing you might end up breaking something....transmission probably

-Yes, daily driver and mild tracking....I'm pretty hard on the car

-Extremely easy

-Can get costly to mod, easy to maintain...

-I personally wouldnt buy a modified vehicle....
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Old 11-02-2006, 04:20 PM   #7
Boo Radley
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Member#: 130938
Join Date: Nov 2006
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MannyMohawk#5 View Post
IMO, you should go buy a Civic.
care to elaborate or are you just trying to be a dick?

anyways thanks for the answers. ill check out the faqs and stickies while im at it.
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Old 11-02-2006, 04:22 PM   #8
wrxwhat
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Join Date: May 2005
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Long Island NY
Vehicle:
97 Supra / 17 GTR
16 Z06 / 07 STI / 05 Evo

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Quote:
Originally Posted by CynicX View Post
-Extremely reliable, but if you beat like you are describing you might end up breaking something....transmission probably

-Yes, daily driver and mild tracking....I'm pretty hard on the car

-Extremely easy

-Can get costly to mod, easy to maintain...

-I personally wouldnt buy a modified vehicle....
I'm with him. ^^
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Old 11-02-2006, 04:29 PM   #9
isis
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Member#: 73283
Join Date: Oct 2004
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Vehicle:
05 OBXT & CTS-V
03 Z1000

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boo Radley View Post
Hey everyone im new here. I am contemplating buying a car right now and a wrx is one of them. Now I have some questions for everyone about their WRX's. Here goes:

- How's the reliability? That being said would a WRX stand up to normal daily punishment along with some fun driving punishment?

- Honestly, do you feel like you made the right choice with your car? If so tell me how you drive it and what you use it for.

- Aftermarket, is it easy to find parts?

- Is it costly to maintain and mod?

- Is there anything in particular I should look for when purchasing a used one?

I'll probably come up with more questions later. But, thanks to anyone who can answer any of my questions.
Reliability = good

I've killed two of them. One stolen, one rolled. I'm in timeout. I drove them hard and they loved it.

Change your oil and take it easy on the ham-fisted shifts should be the only care needed.

Make sure it shifts smootly, especially at high-rpm shifts and downshifts.

Can be modded for uber-cheap, if you stay away from brand new Cobb parts.
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Old 11-02-2006, 04:52 PM   #10
02dubRX
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Member#: 127787
Join Date: Oct 2006
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: westchester
Vehicle:
2002 WRX
metalic silver

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I just bought a used 02 and its deff a fun/nice car but if u are lookin to get a wrx i think u should go to a 2004+ cuz i always wish i had that lil extra torque but if ur modding then i guess it doesnt matter..

If I were able to change the car i would deff get a luxury car b/c i already had a 5-speed sports car before this and i beat it up big time so all that is out of my system and i want this car to laaast. I would like some leather seats, an auto (even though i do perfer 5-speed for saftey and fun but i have gotten older and lazy) and a easy smooth pimped ride.

But I dont regret buying the wrx cuz i will always be able to get a luxury after it finally dies hopefully in a long time and everytime i have to go drive somewhere and i see my bugeye parked and waiting for me iam like "hell yeah"
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Old 11-02-2006, 05:26 PM   #11
isis
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Member#: 73283
Join Date: Oct 2004
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Vehicle:
05 OBXT & CTS-V
03 Z1000

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06 has the torque you speak of. 04 and 05 are the same motor as 02-03
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Old 11-02-2006, 05:35 PM   #12
02dubRX
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Member#: 127787
Join Date: Oct 2006
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: westchester
Vehicle:
2002 WRX
metalic silver

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oooh my bad you are correct....
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Old 11-02-2006, 09:54 PM   #13
imma_stocker
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Member#: 97043
Join Date: Sep 2005
Chapter/Region: TXIC
Location: Tomball Tejas
Vehicle:
08 STI
02 Z28 - project

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this is still in my top five favorite cars.
i used to drive mine like a [phallus]monster but i've calmed down. that being said it took a lot of bad driving and even more idiotic mistakes to start breaking down. 57500 miles now and the motor and almost everything else is still good as new. tranny went when a friend(who neglected to tell me that he had already blown 3 2wd trannies prior) borrowed it for the weekend. rear diff went after getting stuck in the mud for exactly 24hrs and ~800miles past tire rotation checkpoint.

paint sucks and so does uber lightweight thin Al sheetmetal full of chips and dings, but other than that she's one tough cookie.
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