Hi! I’m a 17 years old girl trying to decide if I should by a Subaru WRX 2013. It has 170 k in mileage,it has a manual transmission and it is sold by a guy that got it from a car dealer. I do know it is a gamble as the engine or the transmission might not last long so I was wondering what I could do to know if it is in good condition or not. What should I be looking for? I did test run with someone who knows Subarus and it seemed pretty good at first glance.
Welcome new member!
And, No No No! Absolutely not. Under no circumstances buy that car.
Don’t get me wrong. The ‘13 Rex is a very appealing car. And I have nothing against WRX’s in general. In fact I just traded in my 2018 Wrx earlier this year. And as we speak my son is dropping a JDM motor in his 2016 STI. They are great hobby cars and a lot of fun to drive.
But I can guarantee you that if a guy is selling a 10 year old WRX, it has a problem. The fact that it was recently flipped by a dealer makes it an even bigger risk.
Also, I am sincerely not trying to patronize you. But it’s a difficult car to drive, especially for an inexperienced driver. It has a lot of turbo lag and a lot of turbo boost. Heck, I’ve been driving a stick shift for 35 years and I almost wrapped mine around a tree a couple times.
If you want to ease yourself into some flat four goodness, see if you can find a BRZ in your price range. Just as fun and way more forgiving. And a little cheaper to work on without the turbo. Then in a couple years, once you understand Subarus, you can start looking for a good WRX.
Good luck!
Thank you for your response, I will take this into consideration in my search of a good Subaru!
Those have the 2.5L EJ255 engine. Its not the best engine, but its past the classic Subaru headgasket issue era. They can go for awhile if probably maintained and not abused, but that's where the issue comes up. Most WRX owners are young and drive like pissed off teenagers, constantly spooling up the turbo and doing small launches for no reason (yeah I do that too, its fun). So finding one that wasnt abused can be pretty difficult. With that being said, id bring it to a good mechanic that can do a compression check, make sure there are no signs of a blown headgasket, and look thru the cars computer too. Also look at the clutch, make sure thats not ready to be replaced, and that the gearbox feels good too. I would also ask if it had ever been tuned, or if service records are available. I know thats alot but its a wrx with 170k miles, alot to make sure is okay. Their AWD systems are typically pretty stout, but look for rust too.
How much are they asking for anyway?
Thanks for your reply it’s very useful! I will look more into the things you mentioned as I don’t want any bad surprise coming my way! They are asking for 11k in Canadian and I did look for rust but the exterior seemed very well taken care of as well as the interior! My biggest worry is the engine and I would like to bring it to a Subaru dealership but it’s pretty expensive
That's a fair price if its in good shape, WRX's hold their value. I suggest an independent mechanic over a dealership though.