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Old 09-04-2006, 04:35 PM   #1
prokhy007
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Default Pros/Cons of a WRX. Questions from a newb.

Hello Everyone,
Just joined the Subaru community. I"m in the hunt for a WRX. Looking currently at a 2003 WRX, yellow, 32k miles, 5sp, $18999 out the door from a dealer. This is what he says:

- car purchased/serviced at teh dealership
- they have all records
- preivious ONE owner was a high 40s woman that never raced it and treated it well (the car does look good btw)

My questions:
1. What signs can i look for to see if the dealer is lying or not?
2. What do i look for in general, to determine the condition of the WRX?
3. Is 18999 out the door a good deal?
4. How is th WRX on gas mileage/reliability?
5. what kindd of gas do i have to feed it?
6. How sthe insurance rates?
Thanks guys. can't wait to join the community with a real Subaru!
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Old 09-04-2006, 04:39 PM   #2
Enriched
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#3 I think... THATS EXPENSIVE
#4 reliability is good, gas mileage um...sucks
#5 the best one they got at your gas station, probably 93
#6 it's Number 4 on the "Highest Car to Inusre List" Evo's being #1


lol, did i just ruin this for you?
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Old 09-04-2006, 04:41 PM   #3
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Enriched View Post
#3 I think... THATS EXPENSIVE
#4 reliability is good, gas mileage um...sucks
#5 the best one they got at your gas station, probably 93
#6 it's Number 4 on the "Highest Car to Inusre List" Evo's being #1


lol, did i just ruin this for you?
Ass.
Yes you almost did. So is that really expensive? What should I expect to pay? from looking at the car and driving it (the dealer let me take it on a test drive by myself) it is pristine!

ps. so what happens if i use regular 89 instead of 93?
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Old 09-04-2006, 04:49 PM   #4
skipperwrx
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it'll not run as good....and if your spending money on a car you should always want it to run as good as possible
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Old 09-04-2006, 04:55 PM   #5
575rider
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'12HondaFit, C Bronson

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that sounds like alot for the car. I paid 16,900 for an 03 2 years ago with 38K on it. I've seen them for 13-16 in the local Autotrader.
Mileage is around 20-22 mpg for regular driving, 7.5 mgp at the track, and somewhere in between if you're getting on it alot.
Keep looking or try to get a better deal on that one. Your area could be more expensive..????
Good Luck
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Old 09-04-2006, 04:57 PM   #6
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 575rider View Post
that sounds like alot for the car. I paid 16,900 for an 03 2 years ago with 38K on it. I've seen them for 13-16 in the local Autotrader.
Mileage is around 20-22 mpg for regular driving, 7.5 mgp at the track, and somewhere in between if you're getting on it alot.
Keep looking or try to get a better deal on that one. Your area could be more expensive..????
Good Luck
I live in Simsbury, CT, in farmington valley. IN general that's a pretty wealthy area. I'm moving a few towns over to start a new job. But it's still exxxxpensive.
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Old 09-04-2006, 04:58 PM   #7
Local_Skater
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Thats way overpriced for an 03'. Maybe if it had like, 300 mile on it. Keep looking. As far as pros and cons go though:

Pro: AWD, safety, power, reliablity, looks

Con: Insurance, gas milage
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:00 PM   #8
Local_Skater
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Also, heres how you can tell a dealership is lying to you...they're talking.
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:02 PM   #9
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Local_Skater View Post
Also, heres how you can tell a dealership is lying to you...they're talking.
hahaha..so true.
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:04 PM   #10
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Local_Skater View Post
Thats way overpriced for an 03'. Maybe if it had like, 300 mile on it. Keep looking. As far as pros and cons go though:

Pro: AWD, safety, power, reliablity, looks

Con: Insurance, gas milage
Well it is the special yellow color.
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:05 PM   #11
shvrdavid
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Ask the dealership to print you out the service history, then carfax the vin # to see if there have been insurance claims on it... Keep in mind that 19k is what they are asking for it... No said you cant offer the less for it... Go to Kellybluebook.com and punch in all the specs for the car, that will give you an idea of what it is really worth... Look at the "good" price, then look at the trade in price... The trade in price is probably the most they have in it...
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:07 PM   #12
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shvrdavid View Post
Ask the dealership to print you out the service history, then carfax the vin # to see if there have been insurance claims on it... Keep in mind that 19k is what they are asking for it... No said you cant offer the less for it... Go to Kellybluebook.com and punch in all the specs for the car, that will give you an idea of what it is really worth... Look at the "good" price, then look at the trade in price... The trade in price is probably the most they have in it...
Can the dealer refuse the carfax for one reason or another? Also could i request the name/number of the previous owner so i could speak with them about the car?
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:10 PM   #13
pdxsilverwrx
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Looks like your questions have mostly been answered. Price is a little high but not stratospheric. I got $16,000 trade in for my 03 with 32,000 on it. I got my STI at invoice so it's not like they made a big amount of money there. I heard they sold my car for $18,500. The 03 WRX's seem to be holding there value really well. Try talking them down a bit more.
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:11 PM   #14
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pdxsilverwrx View Post
Looks like your questions have mostly been answered. Price is a little high but not stratospheric. I got $16,000 trade in for my 03 with 32,000 on it. I got my STI at invoice so it's not like they made a big amount of money there. I heard they sold my car for $18,500. The 03 WRX's seem to be holding there value really well. Try talking them down a bit more.
What did you like/dislike about your 03 wrx?
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:14 PM   #15
sir_wagon
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91 octane or higher for the turbo engine. Otherwise it is going to ping like crazy when you accelerate.
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:15 PM   #16
prokhy007
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:16 PM   #17
fireball_jones
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skipperwrx View Post
it'll not run as good....and if your spending money on a car you should always want it to run as good as possible
Not run as good is an understatment
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:20 PM   #18
WoohooRX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by prokhy007 View Post
whoa, it's got leather seats? schweet

So if the sticker is at $19k, they probably bought it at $16-17k. I think $19k OTD is a little high. I'd go for $18k OTD
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Old 09-04-2006, 05:21 PM   #19
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WoohooRX View Post
whoa, it's got leather seats? schweet

So if the sticker is at $19k, they probably bought it at $16-17k. I think $19k OTD is a little high. I'd go for $18k OTD
Yeah....its something i wouldn't get as an option on a new car, but on a used car.....
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:03 PM   #20
prokhy007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fireball_jones View Post
Not run as good is an understatment
can ya gimme some more details? i'm not a car guru, and i know even less than that about WRXs..except that Iwant one.
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:10 PM   #21
snowman87
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yea that is a very high price, you should be able to get it closer to 16 maybe lower, the only two cons are the gas but 93 worth it to have that car and the second being the insurance, its horrible i fell in love with an 03 wrx but i couldnt do the insurace (my parents were buying me a car for commuting to school and i had to pay for everything else after the initial cost) so i went with an 06 2.5i, 5mt of course. its not a horrible alternative.
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:14 PM   #22
LastResort
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Quote:
Originally Posted by prokhy007 View Post
can ya gimme some more details? i'm not a car guru, and i know even less than that about WRXs..except that Iwant one.
Here is a hint; the manual says 91 Octane or better and you can use lower ONLY in emergencies.
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:14 PM   #23
Wannascooby
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The price sounds high, but if they have all service records and carfaxed then it sounds like a nice car. From the looks of it the car is in great condition, but you never know what a lil' elbow wax can do! Gas is bad and you have to put 91(at least) 93 in your area. The insurance is ridiculous for some and crazy for others. Get a quote before you buy and calculate car payments, insurance, maintanence, gas, and smiles per year. Happy buying!
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:15 PM   #24
udelslayer
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You can have.

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Tell the dealer you're serious. ....and then walk out. Give them a couple of days to sweat it because nobody else is going to bite on it. Yes, the insurance isnt cheap on the sedan, but the wagon I have is like 6 dollars more expensive than my Sentra. Gas mileage is so so. Around town driving is more like a V6's consumption....but you will learn that when the turbo spools, your gas mileage will suffer.

Dont let the hunger of wanting to drive one put you in a situation that you could do better in. I'd say 15K +/- for that 03. They're not going to want to keep the car much longer because newer models are showing up on lots all the time making it harder to sell. If you're going to modify (and you will, trust me) then I wouldnt even worry about an "extended" warranty service plan because thats a waste of time. Get some offers on other cars, MAKE the dealerships fight for your money because there are a lot of nasty tricks they will pull in order to squeeze every dollar imaginable out of your pocket.

Dont give them your "desired monthly payments."
Dont tell them you have a trade in, tell them you're thinking about it.
Do tell them that you're looking at 3 or more others that you're working with.
Do get them to agree on a price BEFORE going for financing.
Do get a financing quote from your own bank, they are often better.
Dont tell the dealer you're financing on your own. Until you agree on a price IN WRITING.
Then tell them you'll consider it, and sleep on it.

One last thing. Dont let them keep you for an hour at the dealership trying to bounce numbers back.... Decide what you'll pay based on your financing, be serious with them, give them 20 minutes of your time and contacts, and then go to another stealership.

Remember, these cars are often driven hard and the delear is almost always going to tell you it was driven by an older driver with all highway miles. Get a complete service history and then scrutinize. They may play hardball but I guarantee that he paid closer to 13k for that car to have it on the lot. 38K isnt bad as long as you get the factory warranty. Have them do all of the maintenance items BEFORE you buy it for FREE.
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:15 PM   #25
snowman87
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i just looked at the car your refering to on kbb, the back seat pics dont match i find that odd


ps, used wrx's move fast so dont wait too long but dont do this too fast
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