looking to close a deal on a 2004 Subaru imprezza WRX, deal or no deal?

[michaelwoodcock]

Hey guys, I found a 2004 Subaru WRX and was considering buying it.  when we test drove it everything seemed smooth, engine, transmission, and brakes.  The engine/idle bounced a little on one occasion when we were stopped and I did not have the clutch pushed in all the way.  There was little to no rust and no dents on the undercarriage.  The car had a exhaust system, a cold air intake, and a boost gauge installed so I do know that it hasn't had the easiest life but it is in pretty good shape.  no obvious oil or coolant leaks and the boost picked up strong around 4K give or take RPM.  it feels like it has every bit of power that it should come with, as one of our previous cars was an acura 3.0 CL with 200BHP and this seemed a little faster.  

 

The car can be seen here: http://www.graingerhonda.com/inventory-details/title/serving-savannah-ga-used-2004-subaru-impreza-sedan/vehicleid/552413638-hp6962a

 

I have had a hard time deciphering what a good deal is on one of these cars.  I have seen some sell on ebay for more than we will be paying, and some for less than we will be paying.  Is mid to high 6k's a reasonable price for a wrx with no obvious issues, and a 2k mile/6 month warranty?  let me know what you guys think

 

Cheers,

Michael W. 

[MR_Loyale]

The car may be totally worth it, but my gut say $6K for a car that has 172,000 miles is a bit too much. Before buying I would get it inspected by a professional mechanic. If you are totally clueless with a wrench and do not plan ever to do work yourself,  you should pass because the potential for things to go wrong can easily eat up a few grand if the work is paid for by a shop.

[lvsarge]

I'd say around $5k is a fair price for it. You're taking a gamble on a turbo car over 100k miles. Chances are things will wear out pretty fast on you if there are still stock components, and the WRX 5spd gearbox is notorious for failure, especially if the car was creeping over 325-350 whp at some point in it's life. But, the owner may have maintained it well, and just because it was modified doesn't mean he was dropping the clutch at 6000 rpm's from a dig, or going 10/10 through every gear. Used cars are a gamble. Especially ones fun to drive, like the WRX.

[idosubaru]

You're taking a gamble on a turbo car over 100k miles.

 

+1

they're great cars.  as long as you're okay with higher chances of maintenance, issues, and cost than a non-turbo vehicle, go for it.  if you're going to be upset about high repairs or a blown engine (the turbo motors are $$$$$) then walk cautiously.  there's a billion "my turbo engine blew up" threads:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/blown-turbo-60k-now-seized-engine-74k-171767.html

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/another-blown-engine-2005-legacy-2-5gt-turbo-162696.html

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/might-have-blown-turbo-long-can-drive-117644.html

 

or search NASIOC for "blown engine" - and read all week long.

 

they're good motors but they aren't forgiving. 

 

it needs a complete timing component kit too - not just the belt. Gates kits on amazon are very reasonable.

 

was it always run with synthetic oil?  subaru requires it and turbo's run without synthetic are prone to issues.

 

turbo's have more parts, more heat, more stress on oil and cooling - and are much less forgiving of non-turbo vehicles just based on simple physics and math.

 

if turbo seals, bearing, oil and coolant feed lines are in new condition - it's a great and reliable and low cost vehicle.  guaranteeing those things on a 10+ year old vehicle with that many miles is anyone's guess.

 

 

***As long as you know all that and the nature of a forced induction engine, you're golden.  Some people buy a FI engine and are floored when things happen.  If that's not you, then no worries.

Edited June 25, 2014 by grossgary