Looking to buy my first WRX, need some advice on what year though..

Brice · 03-11-2007, 11:11 PM

This is my first post so bare with me, right now I own a 1996 BMW 328is with about 80,000 miles on it, I love the car but I live in Alaska, and my buddies drive WRX's that will leave my ass in winter. And I am really not looking forward to replacing parts on my BMW as it nears the 100K mile marker. So enough about that.

I figure I could get around 10K for my car, which would be a reasonable down payment on anything. But I am torn between buying a slightly used 06, buying a brand new 06 or 07, or waiting for the 08's to come out. I deffinitely want one of the newer models with the 2.5 liter turbo in it vs. the 2.0. I want to keep the price down as much as possible, and STI's are out because of the hefty insurance premium over a WRX. I am not in a hurry to buy a car so I do have time to weigh all the pros and cons, but I would deffinitely enjoy some feed back from an educated group of people, instead of the damned car salesmen/women. (NOT MEANT TO OFFEND, I DO NOT WANT THIS THREAD TAKING A TURN FOR THE WORSE OVER THAT)

Thanks for everybody's time,
Brice Miller

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

dibblejr · 03-11-2007, 11:13 PM

The best advice you will ever get;

No matter who you are buying it from (dealer or Individual) take $100-200 of your own money and ask to take it to an independent inspector. If the dealer/ individual does not let you do this simple walk away.
The dealer 1000 point inspection is no good and usually bogus. The small things that they claim to inspect is only done to try and convince you to take the car "as is".
You also want to get a compression test done, this may be done at the same place you get it inspected.
Do not act like you need the car (desperate) they've got you then. Test drive the hech out of the car without the radio on. This is another dealer stunt. Turn the radio on so you cannot hear the engine/ tranny. It is cheaper to replace the stereo then to replace a motor/ tranny.
If you take your time, find the car you like best and do what I mentioned above you will turn out ok.
I almost forgot, do not trust CARFAX, it is only as good as the seller/ insurance company. Many accidents get oaid out with cash therefore no CARFAX was ever submitted.

Good luck
Jay-R

jumpman1887 · 03-11-2007, 11:18 PM

id say either 07 or wait and get an 08

XtremePsionic · 03-11-2007, 11:24 PM

Want a car now? get a used 06, thats what I bought. Great fun, crappy interior.

Really like a new car that no one else has? Wait for an 08, but it'll be expensive since dealers won't give you a deal on a brand new model.

Brice · 03-12-2007, 02:15 AM

Thank you for all the input.

I was wondering if anybody, actually knows where I could find "actual" information about the 08 models, because I am planning on having this car for a while, and I would agree with the previous statement about the crappy interior of the 06/07, no offense to anyone, but personally i cannot stand the look of the head bolsters on the seats.

mccallrl · 03-12-2007, 03:28 AM

If you can wait I would suggest that you keep driving the BMW for now, wait and see what the 08's look like and test drive one. That way you can test drive all the cars you are considering and the 06 and 07 are just going to be even cheaper by the time the 08 comes out.

Brice · 03-12-2007, 05:29 AM

Thats what I was kind of thinking, are there any differences between the 06s and the 07s?

Ghosthound · 03-12-2007, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brice

Thank you for all the input.

I was wondering if anybody, actually knows where I could find "actual" information about the 08 models, because I am planning on having this car for a while, and I would agree with the previous statement about the crappy interior of the 06/07, no offense to anyone, but personally i cannot stand the look of the head bolsters on the seats.

most of the threads regarding the 08 were made up of hearsay... the only thing i know for sure it will have over the previous models is tire pressure monitoring, and thats because of a federal mandate on all 08 model year cars. aside from that, the world debut of the 08 impreza is at the ny autoshow... which starts on april 9th. so DEFINITELY WAIT. its less then a month away +- a couple days.

Brice · 03-12-2007, 06:55 AM

Cool cool, thanks for the info on the autoshow..

Unabomber · 03-12-2007, 07:46 AM

www.cars101.com for differences.

I vote for the 05. It has the best/strongest tranny of all the WRXs. The 06+ tranny is pretty weak, so if you plan on modding your WRX, it may crap out on you.

Brice · 03-12-2007, 10:04 AM

That sucks that the tranny is weaker, put a bigger block in and put a weak link somewhere else. Is it the actual tranny that is weak or is it in the clutch? I have a buddy with an 04 WRX with only 40,000 miles on it and few mods that destroyed his tranny, but he drives like an ass so that is pretty much irrelevant.

nicholam · 03-12-2007, 10:14 AM

2005 wrx FTW

Overlord2kx · 03-12-2007, 10:21 AM

IMHO, The 2005 has the best looking interior and exterior of the GD imprezas, but the 2006/7 have the 2.5L engine and a few other performance upgrades. I went with a used 05 myself, but the 06/07+ are nice as well. Either way, im sure you will be extremely satisfied.

nittanybri · 03-12-2007, 10:37 AM

Buy the newest model year you can afford. Getting a used car checked independently is never a bad idea.

andrew12 · 03-12-2007, 11:10 AM

Got a MY04... my tranny and clutch are working just fine... but i dont drive very hard i guess...

OP i'd say rock a "new" 06/07 whenever the 08's come out, hold out a bit till it happens and get a great deal on a brand new car. i feel like i got a great deal on MY04 when the 05's came out and the dealer was pushing to get rid of it so the price was really nice. goodluck!

~chile

Warrior325 · 03-12-2007, 06:22 PM

I'm in the same boat as you bro. Really want to get into a WRX now, but I figured i'm not in that big of a hurry so i'm waiting for the NY Auto Show. If I don't like what I see with the 08 WRX, i'll get an 06/07. Goodluck!

armand1 · 03-12-2007, 06:46 PM

The main problem with getting a used 06/07 is the lack of supply. They're too new to be coming off lease in significant numbers, so any used ones will be those the owners didn't like for some reason. That reason might have been a problem with the car, so have it thoroughly inspected if you go this route.

dalesd · 03-12-2007, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrew12

OP i'd say rock a "new" 06/07 whenever the 08's come out, hold out a bit till it happens and get a great deal on a brand new car. i feel like i got a great deal on MY04 when the 05's came out and the dealer was pushing to get rid of it so the price was really nice. goodluck!

~chile

Good advice. I'm looking to buy an 07 WRX Wagon in June, but I can wait if the '08's are going to be imminent.

When I do buy, I'm going to try the Motley Fool approach, and not even step foot in a dealership.
http://www.fool.com/car/car12.htm

03-11-2007, 11:11 PM	#1
Brice Scooby Newbie Member#: 143130 Join Date: Mar 2007	Looking to buy my first WRX, need some advice on what year though.. This is my first post so bare with me, right now I own a 1996 BMW 328is with about 80,000 miles on it, I love the car but I live in Alaska, and my buddies drive WRX's that will leave my ass in winter. And I am really not looking forward to replacing parts on my BMW as it nears the 100K mile marker. So enough about that. I figure I could get around 10K for my car, which would be a reasonable down payment on anything. But I am torn between buying a slightly used 06, buying a brand new 06 or 07, or waiting for the 08's to come out. I deffinitely want one of the newer models with the 2.5 liter turbo in it vs. the 2.0. I want to keep the price down as much as possible, and STI's are out because of the hefty insurance premium over a WRX. I am not in a hurry to buy a car so I do have time to weigh all the pros and cons, but I would deffinitely enjoy some feed back from an educated group of people, instead of the damned car salesmen/women. (NOT MEANT TO OFFEND, I DO NOT WANT THIS THREAD TAKING A TURN FOR THE WORSE OVER THAT) Thanks for everybody's time, Brice Miller * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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03-11-2007, 11:13 PM	#2
dibblejr Scooby Guru Member#: 94070 Join Date: Aug 2005 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Dirty South Vehicle: 05 LGT PSM	The best advice you will ever get; No matter who you are buying it from (dealer or Individual) take $100-200 of your own money and ask to take it to an independent inspector. If the dealer/ individual does not let you do this simple walk away. The dealer 1000 point inspection is no good and usually bogus. The small things that they claim to inspect is only done to try and convince you to take the car "as is". You also want to get a compression test done, this may be done at the same place you get it inspected. Do not act like you need the car (desperate) they've got you then. Test drive the hech out of the car without the radio on. This is another dealer stunt. Turn the radio on so you cannot hear the engine/ tranny. It is cheaper to replace the stereo then to replace a motor/ tranny. If you take your time, find the car you like best and do what I mentioned above you will turn out ok. I almost forgot, do not trust CARFAX, it is only as good as the seller/ insurance company. Many accidents get oaid out with cash therefore no CARFAX was ever submitted. Good luck Jay-R

03-11-2007, 11:18 PM	#3
jumpman1887 Scooby Newbie Member#: 135139 Join Date: Dec 2006 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: va Vehicle: 04 sti blue stg 2	id say either 07 or wait and get an 08

03-11-2007, 11:24 PM	#4
XtremePsionic Scooby Newbie Member#: 138057 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Calgary, Canada Vehicle: 06 WRX	Want a car now? get a used 06, thats what I bought. Great fun, crappy interior. Really like a new car that no one else has? Wait for an 08, but it'll be expensive since dealers won't give you a deal on a brand new model.

03-12-2007, 02:15 AM	#5
Brice Scooby Newbie Member#: 143130 Join Date: Mar 2007	Thank you for all the input. I was wondering if anybody, actually knows where I could find "actual" information about the 08 models, because I am planning on having this car for a while, and I would agree with the previous statement about the crappy interior of the 06/07, no offense to anyone, but personally i cannot stand the look of the head bolsters on the seats.

03-12-2007, 03:28 AM	#6
mccallrl Scooby Newbie Member#: 133165 Join Date: Nov 2006 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Middletown Ohio Vehicle: 2004 WRX 2.5 hybrid 19t td04 Jr tuned @ P&L	If you can wait I would suggest that you keep driving the BMW for now, wait and see what the 08's look like and test drive one. That way you can test drive all the cars you are considering and the 06 and 07 are just going to be even cheaper by the time the 08 comes out.

03-12-2007, 05:29 AM	#7
Brice Scooby Newbie Member#: 143130 Join Date: Mar 2007	Thats what I was kind of thinking, are there any differences between the 06s and the 07s?

03-12-2007, 06:55 AM	#9
Brice Scooby Newbie Member#: 143130 Join Date: Mar 2007	Cool cool, thanks for the info on the autoshow..

03-12-2007, 07:46 AM	#10
Unabomber Big Ron Super Moderator Member#: 18062 Join Date: Apr 2002 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: I can save you a ton of cash Vehicle: on car parts so PM me b4 j00 buy	www.cars101.com for differences. I vote for the 05. It has the best/strongest tranny of all the WRXs. The 06+ tranny is pretty weak, so if you plan on modding your WRX, it may crap out on you.

03-12-2007, 10:04 AM	#11
Brice Scooby Newbie Member#: 143130 Join Date: Mar 2007	That sucks that the tranny is weaker, put a bigger block in and put a weak link somewhere else. Is it the actual tranny that is weak or is it in the clutch? I have a buddy with an 04 WRX with only 40,000 miles on it and few mods that destroyed his tranny, but he drives like an ass so that is pretty much irrelevant.

03-12-2007, 10:14 AM	#12
nicholam Scooby Specialist Member#: 133936 Join Date: Dec 2006 Chapter/Region: W. Canada Location: In the far far north. Vehicle: 2005 WRX Wagon Stage 4 Silver	2005 wrx FTW

03-12-2007, 10:21 AM	#13
Overlord2kx * Banned * Member#: 138443 Join Date: Jan 2007 Chapter/Region: South East Location: West Palm Beach, FL Vehicle: 2005 Impreza WRX Silver	IMHO, The 2005 has the best looking interior and exterior of the GD imprezas, but the 2006/7 have the 2.5L engine and a few other performance upgrades. I went with a used 05 myself, but the 06/07+ are nice as well. Either way, im sure you will be extremely satisfied.

03-12-2007, 10:37 AM	#14
nittanybri Scooby Newbie Member#: 1394 Join Date: May 2000 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Harrisburg, PA, USA Vehicle: 06 WRX Wagon WRB	Buy the newest model year you can afford. Getting a used car checked independently is never a bad idea.

03-12-2007, 11:10 AM	#15
andrew12 Scooby Specialist Member#: 67787 Join Date: Aug 2004 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: North Carolina Vehicle: 2008 STI Hatch SWP	Got a MY04... my tranny and clutch are working just fine... but i dont drive very hard i guess... OP i'd say rock a "new" 06/07 whenever the 08's come out, hold out a bit till it happens and get a great deal on a brand new car. i feel like i got a great deal on MY04 when the 05's came out and the dealer was pushing to get rid of it so the price was really nice. goodluck! ~chile

03-12-2007, 06:22 PM	#16
Warrior325 Scooby Newbie Member#: 114002 Join Date: May 2006 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: New York City	I'm in the same boat as you bro. Really want to get into a WRX now, but I figured i'm not in that big of a hurry so i'm waiting for the NY Auto Show. If I don't like what I see with the 08 WRX, i'll get an 06/07. Goodluck!

03-12-2007, 06:46 PM	#17
armand1 Scooby Guru Member#: 10309 Join Date: Sep 2001 Chapter/Region: NWIC Location: Seattle, WA Vehicle: '02 OBS 2-tone! White	The main problem with getting a used 06/07 is the lack of supply. They're too new to be coming off lease in significant numbers, so any used ones will be those the owners didn't like for some reason. That reason might have been a problem with the car, so have it thoroughly inspected if you go this route.