I'm thinking about a new daily driver, kind of interested in a WRX, but scared of dealing with ringland failures. I have a BMW 330i ZHP and an E46 M3 now, I'm looking for something that will cost less, have less maintenance required, be more fun in the winter, and be able to haul more than the BMWs. I'd like to be able to have a little fun with the car at an occasional track day or autocross, but it doesn't need to be competitive in a particular class. I'm looking to spend $10-15k, ideally for a car in the 40-80k mile range, 2004+ body style. Heated seats and climate control would be big plusses. (I'm getting soft after being spoiled by BMWs!) Here's the thing... I hear so many stories about ringland failure, it makes me want to buy a car with forged pistons or somehow otherwise have that taken care of up front. Does anyone have a car that meets some or all of this they're interested in parting with? Is there a way I can tell if this is taken care of on random dealer/autotrader ads? Please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot, and please don't hesitate with details on why, how, and when. But if you could couple that with some helpful suggestions, that would be pretty great. thanks! Matt
Welcome Matt! I can honestly say that, although valid, you are worrying too much. I have a 2002 WRX with a 2010 STi EJ257(bone stock) motor in it with a VF48 turbo running 19psi. I purchased the motor from the dealer new with 100% stock internals and had RS Motors in Burnsville do the assembly, installation, and tune. I have had zero issues with it. To boot, at 10k miles the car was under 3 1/2 feet of water from a summer flood in 2011. Motor got pulled back out, flushed/cleaned, and reinstalled. I now have about 70k on it and it is running strong with even compression numbers across the board. I am NOT saying that if you buy a Subaru with an EJ257 block in it that it will not fail. But i am saying that it shouldn't be a requirement for you as you browse used cars. It's a crapshoot no matter what, but i'd do it again if i had to. Just keep an eye out for "unmodded" ones...they ARE out there! Aftermarket intakes, BOV's, intercoolers, exhausts, etc. are warning signs of modifications. So keep an eye out for that. Aside from that, try to find a good deal and set aside $4-6k in a rainy day fund in case something does happen. But mostly, keep it maintained and make sure that, when you do buy, there are maintenance records for the car from the previous owner! You could also buy a used block that is rebuild able and have it built while you enjoy it with the working motor that comes in it. I highly recommend JM Automotive in Osseo for your motor build. http://www.jmautomn.com Jesse and his team are great at what they do and customer service is outstanding! RS Motors(built mine) in Burnsville is super solid and i trust them completely also! http://www.rsmotorsinc.com You'll be in good hands with either one! JMA could probably hunt down what you're looking for as they are a dealership also. Good luck and we look forward to you joining the family! Hope that's helpful! -Josh
There is a 1998 on CL that is a STEAL right now. I don't even want to say this as I'd like to buy it myself. $6,500 with a built motor. I think it's exactly what you need. Plus it's way under your budget. Just buy it tomorrow. You'll be happy and I'll wonder what might have been...
Or a Saab 9-2x aero might fit your needs nicely. You can get one for cheap and make it your own. Most of them have heated seats and climate control. Leather or cloth, both heated. I'm a huge fan of heated cloth seats. Instant heat!
That's got the 2004 WRX 5 speed manual. That same car was on here for sale for over $9,000 about 10,000 miles ago and I know it sold for right about that much. As it sits you're getting a $2,500 discount from that price. (built engine, turbo upgrade, full exhaust, full WRX swap including: engine-tranny-brakes-wiring-suspension), sti seats, bbs wheels, stereo upgrade. The car has a lot going for it and its pretty unique. That's why I call it a steal. Looks to be about what the OP wants. Wagon, built engine, (you could call it a 2004 plus LOL). Its way under budget so he could add heated seats and clean it up too.
04-05 wrx will have the 2.0L motor that doesn't have the issue you're referring to (you'll want to focus attention on the heads as a potentially expensive hidden cost). 06-07 wrx has the 2.5L motor with the issues you're talking about. The limited trim will have the comfort items you mention as well as leather, etc... and might be closer to what you're wanting. 08-09 wrx has same 2.5L motor and available hatch body style (both sedan and hatch have way more rear leg room if that's a concern) and night be available at the very top of your budget or slightly above. 05-09 legacy GT has the same 2.5L motor and much more refined interior. The legacy is about as close as Subaru got to mimicing a 3 series. Worth a look and within budget. There are other potentially expensive failure points to look into with these (turbo, oiling, etc) but for the money, you get a lot more value from these cars and it'll probably check more of your boxes than a wrx limited. Outback, Forester, Baja XT etc... similar to above but trade comfort for utility. re: motor failure... pay to play. Leave it stock and keep it well maintained and it'll (probably) last. There's a shortblock for sale here for $1500. Probably about as cheap as you'll find one so there's a data point. re: maintenance. It's a 10+ year old turbo econobox that you want to have fun in... maybe budget $50 a month for potential repairs as you might with most out of warranty vehicles... or look for one with aftermarket warranty and cross fingers. re: random dealer/online ads... you could request 3rd party ppi and specify wanting compression and leakdown tests. Worth the extra $2-300 if it otherwise checks all your boxes.
JM Auto is only worth it if you're willing to spend almost twice as much for work, than comparable shops. Just my $0.02.
