OT: Looking at a WRX, Subaru gurus chime in Options

[Part Pricer]

I've been looking at getting a new daily driver for myself. I was seriously considering a new STI and still am. However, someone local to me is selling a 2002 WRX with 38k miles that they state is in excellent condition. And, the price is very attractive.

Now, if I bought a new car, I wouldn't be concerned about some of the potential shortcomings with the car because of the warranty. But, this car is no longer covered by the factory warranty. So, I'm a little concerned.

I know that there are quite a few folks here that have considerable experience with Subarus. Is there anything that I should be on the lookout for when I go to look at this car? Are there any major issues with this year and/or model?

Thanks

[fiid]

Subaru gearboxes get a little grumpy (first gear) from too many launches and downshifts into first (aggressive city driving :-) ). The 2.0 engines are pretty much bulletproof from what I have heard. They have been around for at least 10 years now in their present form; I think all the bugs have been ironed out.

The problem with clutch drops is that the car is virtually capable of delivering ALL it's power to the road. The AWD works really well, so theres no release in the form of tire spin. This means your tranny gets the crap beaten out of it, as does the clutch.

As for the rest of the car - it's Japanese - which means the interior does degrade a little over time, but Subaru's seem to hold together pretty well. Build quality is generally pretty good. The Imprezzas particularly seem to have very few foibles.

I had a 2001 2.5RS which I bought in 2000 and sold last month. In the time I owned it the driver side window bound up a little when I first got it (was fixed under warranty), and the fan resistor module broke (which I fixed with a soldering iron and a pair of pliers).

My step father has owned legacys for at least 15 years (in the UK). He has towed 2-3 ton loads with them, filled them with sand, concrete, carried lumber on the roof (and hang gliders), run them on miles of dirt roads, in summer and winter conditions. He has had 3 in 15 years - he normally buys them with 60-90k on the clock and runs them until they literally fall apart. I think he had 250k (hard miles in his case) on the clock. He works in the building trade and uses it like a pickup truck. Remember that the UK gets a lot of rain, and also salt in the winter.