Is it a trap to buy a used WRX? I know new it's a good car but used I have no feedback from people around me...

Evos are the non-Samsung or LG androids, they may perform but let's be honest, who wants that off-brand shit.

>buying something that is worse for brand recognition

Subaru fans really are the Apple fans of the car world

This, sadly.

The only reasonably priced ones are going to have some sort of looming issue that the owner is itching to get away from.

I bought my WRX in 2011, forget exactly the number I paid for it but I think it was 25,xxx or thereabouts.

Drove it, thought it was great, got extremely hospital-tier sick for year or two and barely drove it.

5 years later it only had 16,000 miles on it and I'd kept it in autistically well maintained shape with minimal mods (when I wasn't busy dying)

Sold it to a dealer (as a trade) for 20,000.
They turned around and put it on the lot at 26,000.

Seeing as how you can buy a brand new one for about that much, the only reason would be if you had a hard on over the "wide body" hatchback style of 2011-2014.

I'd buy a 2015 WRX. New and more efficient engine and transmission. You can buy a 2015 base trim for ~20-22k with around 30-40k miles.

This is what you look like coming home with a newly bought Evo.

...

I have a used WRX that's my dd and beater, so I'll try to give some input

I assume you're looking at ~08s; mine's a 2007, I got it bone stock and it was a 1 owner, mechanically sound aside from needing brakes. They're fun to drive and relatively reliable, and if you do preventative maintenance recommended on NASIOC they'll last you many miles.

Obviously the STi is better (DCCD, not locked at 50/50, other goodies etc) and I would have gotten one if I didn't already have a fun week-end car and if I wasn't parking in bad parking lots. I just couldn't justify getting an STi and paying the extreme mark up that comes with it just to dd it and have it put up with abuse.

My advice to you if you're planning on buying one would be
>avoid clapped out/modded ones at all cost
>determine your needs; if you want a reliable dd, get the wrx if you want a fun car get the STi
>be aware STis are heavily vape taxed
hence why I said before if its a dd get a wrx; you wouldn't want to spend a large sum on an STi just to have it put up with the abuse a dd does
>check maintenance history of the car you're buying (like any other)
>watch for rust
Probably not too common on the 3rd gens, but on anything before check the rear quarter panels, rear doors and under the front rocker for rust. That's where they usually go first. If it has rust run away.
>don't rice it out, some aftermarket is ok but don't make the mistake of becoming a typical vape master

OP here, thanks for the genuine inputs.

They're good cars when you take car of them and don't do retarded aftermarket parts. I wouldn't let the stigma deter you from purchasing one, but as always drive one before you make your decision.

Oh yeah, god help you if you want a WRX hatch. Your only option is used of course and you'll be paying a hatch-tax on top of the WRX-tax. I'm hopeful though that they'll reintroduce the WRX hatch based on their new "global platform" that debuted under the 2017 Impreza. I almost wanted to buy a 2017 Impreza hatch sport but I already own an n/a Subie and hate how under-powered it is. The new Impreza rides and handles pretty good but the dogged acceleration is a buzzkill and yes that's even with the 5MT. Obviously you can't bitch about sluggishness in a CVT, that's expected of them.

To add, be wary of upgraded turbo's and stage-whatever-the-fuck "tunes". A clean stock one is worth the penny rather than some twenty year old's beat to hell shitbox that he's selling off to pay for school or whatever. Maintenance records are great to have too.

This, absolutely. When I was buying mine I ran from anything with mods on it. Even a simple COBB AP should be enough to make you run away. It's not worth the risk.

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To be fair Cobb's OTS maps are really conservative, so a WRX with an AP that's been properly installed is not necessarily a risk in an of itself.

However it should be a red flag worth investigating more, because there's no guarantee they even ran a test log to see if their OTS map was hitting appropriate target boost, or that they didn't get their "bro" who "does tunes" to mangle the thing.

>there's no guarantee they even ran a test log to see if their OTS map was hitting appropriate target boost, or that they didn't get their "bro" who "does tunes" to mangle the thing.

That's essentially why I avoided them, just didn't want to risk having one the owner messed up with. Although I may be a hypocrite because I've tossed around the idea of getting a COBB AP for my wrx

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If I were in the market I would say talk to the owner as opposed to dismissing outright.

Ask "what map are you running" to start. If it's an OTS ask them about how they figured out if they needed the high, low, or normal wastegate map. If they look at you like you've grown three extra heads, walk away. If they were "tuned" by anything other than a top notch reputable shop, walk away.

TL;DR If you get coherent answers from what seems to be a well adjusted human being you probably have little to risk. If you get vape-bro mouth breather dodging the questions with shit like "I dunno but its fast yo," run.

Will keep in mind if I ever purchase another WRX or STi in the future. But still that's good advice for OP

>If you get vape-bro mouth breather dodging the questions with shit like "I dunno but its fast yo," run.
kek

>gasket blowing
That's only the NA 2.5 from 1995-2004.

t. I own an NA 2.5 that blew it's headgaskets

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Even the 2007s have HG issues. Not catastrophic internal leaks, but I have one that leaks a lot of oil/coolant from the HG. But nothing internal

>looks like a fucking samurai helmet
>"ugly"
shit opinion, desu

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Just past 160k on original head gaskets deal with it nerd

>rally car
>this low

how do you even get that thing around

Do you actually believe production cars meant to be street driven are rally cars?

>muh brund recognition

holy shit, shut the fuck up you nigger-sucking faggot.

It's probably on airbags

When I bought my WRX my uncle said: "I thought Subaru only sold to lesbians?!"

So I blew a vape cloud in his face and said: "I like pussy too."

If anyone ever makes this joke at me (hasn't happened yet) my plan is to reply "yeah I'm a lesbian" then flex a 'cep and blow a vape cloud to drive home the point. I don't vape tho so I gotta take care of that.

Any vape tips? Every time I go shopping for a setup I fall into analysis paralysis =/

is this yet another layer of irony for you or are you being serious?

(1/2)
I have a 2017 WRX for a DD.
1k mile brake in at variable revs under 4500rpm. I was really disciplined. After break in, I never went full throttle until 5min after the coolant gauge hit operating temp.

At 5k miles I put on twin boomba catch cans. Drained cans at 8k, got a drop out of the low side and a couple teaspoon from the high side.

At 9k miles I put on Cobb AP3 Stage 1 93 octane tune. I should have got the Accessport day one. Drivability is so much better without rev hang. On stock tune the throttle is progressive, with AP3 the throttle is 1 to 1.

Buying used: Ask the owner direct questions, and turn on your bullshit detector:
Did you break the car in?
If yes, ask how he did it.
Ask for maintenence records.
Ask about mods and when they where done, and by who.
Ask to be driven by the owner, ask the questions during the ride.
Observer the sellers behavior, driving habits: Shifting, where/when he shifts, at a stop, does he put it in neutral foot off the clutch(good) or does he leave it in first and hold the clutch down for the red light(bad).
If he is driving like a grandma ask for him to do a pull. If he drive like a maniac, ask him to drive as smooth as possible, so you can listen how she cruises.
Turn the radio off, say you want to hear it run while he drives. If it makes a weird or unfamiliar sound don't acknowledge it to the seller. Just take note: he might say something he may not.

*I started this post with the level of detail the seller should be able to talk about casually.

Then ask to drive the car on the way back. Drive polite first. Ask to do a pull from a soft launch. Do this on a straight. You never know what the seller may say, but you'll probably get a lot of hints. On the straight and level talk hand off briefly, accelerate moderatly, then brake moderately, check for pulling/drift/alignment. Let' the suspect, I mean seller run his mouth or give excuses, listen for the ring of truth.

You're a trap buying a used WRX. But traps aren't gay.

(2/2)
Don't argue or challenge the seller if he sounds like he is lying, trust your gut. Silence on your part may make him try to win you over, and even lower the price at negotiation.

Get his story as much as possible. Ask if you can take the car to a mechanic. If yes corroborate the story. If not, inspect the vehicle as best you can after the drive. Bring a flashlight. Walk around the whole thing. Now is the time to ask about damage, accidents, scraps dents dings missing parts (populist etc.) Ask how these anomalies occurred, again don't challenge the answers he gives. TRUST YOUR GUT.
Good luck.

Jokes aside, I don't vape. I smoke cigars but not in my car. No food or drinks in my ride either. Tar is a Sonofabitch to clean from tinted windows.

They're good cars. People just like to sell them at stupid fucking high prices. Pull the trigger. You should like it.

>t. Mustang driver.

I ment to type 'pop clips' not populist...

Cars are already broken in-factory, it's one of the oldest myths that doesn't seem to die.

WRX's of all years have a real thing for destroying brake rotors. I barely use my brakes at all on my 05 sedan and have somehow managed to warp 2 sets of rotors in just 8 months. The pads look virtually unused, but the rotors get fucked up. It's just a matter of time... budget front rotors 2x into your yearly upkeep costs.

Get better pads. Your rotors aren't fucked, your pads are just leaving deposits on them.

Or just get Autozone Duralast Gold rotors with the lifetime warranty.

Do this, I wouldn't bother paying $12-18k for a 2009-14 WRX when I can pay a little more and get a newer, more reliable FA20 WRX or a Evo X. Especially when they're still VERY similar all around to 02-07 WRXs going for $5-8000 all day long.

cars101.com/subaru/maintenance-2017.html

youtube.com/watch?v=wahIlGFtgbs&list=PLEoPoBP_WOO6iP4pExYOJD2Zzxti341Fz&index=2

Get on my level.

Cool video.
youtu.be/oklqJnm7_TY

Isn't that the faggot who tried telling us you should double clutch on a manual? Kek

Honestly though this kind of applies for any car - but I get your point that it's especially important when it comes to modified cars.

He might be... Faggotry aside, double clutching in a synchro mesh trans should not be necessary, but can be useful in specific conditions(when your trans is shitty).

I had a 2010 Gen Coupe RSpec. The Rev hang was so fucking bad through all of the gears, 5-6 gear synchro was bogus, plus sloppy dmf, and general drive train lash; I would double clutch just to drive smooth. Alas double clutching should not be necessary, but may be useful in sub part shitbox.