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If you know what to look for, high mileage WRX's and similar isn't an issue.
WRX's (and STI's) are well known for their ability to go high miles without problems, but as with any turbocharged vehicle, if it's been beaten around, it's going to need some work.
That said, I know of plenty of enthusiast owned WRX's with over 150k that are in perfect order.
My point is not that WRXs can't go that far, but that it's too easy to buy one that was badly abused by its first owner. In my case I had it checked out by a mechanic and he said it was in great mechanical condition. Not so much . . .
Fast cars with turbo are often abused. The original owner trades it in when they get bored of beating the crap out of it and the car gets unloaded onto some poor ******* (me) who gets to pay the huge repair bills.
Edit - I can't believe CD bleeps out the word *******?!?! They say it in pretty much every G rated movie I've ever seen.
I have two friends with 3-series in the range described above. It is interesting to hear how similar their maintenance experience has been.
Both have had power window problems that cost $300+ to fix.
Both have had a failure in the pressurized coolant overflow tank. $500+ to fix.
Both have had tie rod problems in the front suspension. I don't know how much it cost to fix.
The automatic car has a transmission failure pending maintenance indicator that will soon cost thousands to fix. The manual transmission car seems to have a very solid transmission.
Both of these cars are a bit over 100K miles. Both owners really liked their cars, but the recent avalanche of repairs caused one to sell his. The other is holding on for now, but his A/C just quit.
My point is not that WRXs can't go that far, but that it's too easy to buy one that was badly abused by its first owner. In my case I had it checked out by a mechanic and he said it was in great mechanical condition. Not so much . . .
Fast cars with turbo are often abused. The original owner trades it in when they get bored of beating the crap out of it and the car gets unloaded onto some poor ******* (me) who gets to pay the huge repair bills.
Edit - I can't believe CD bleeps out the word *******?!?! They say it in pretty much every G rated movie I've ever seen.
Having a mechanic look at at a stationary vehicle for a little while isn't always enough.
Did you research the vehicle extensively before buying? (using sources like NASIOC etc)
When you drove the car, did you go through the regular tests on a vehicle like this? (Reverse, full lock while listening for clanking sounds, white smoke on start up or hard acceleration etc. etc.)
When you buy cars of this nature, you have to be thorough, you have to know the ins and outs. I will say (though this can swing both ways), I would rather buy a car like this at that price range off an enthusiast forum, if the poster has a good standing in the community, and the vehicle seems solid, chances are it is.
EDIT: Point is, just cause you had a bad experience, doesn't mean everyone will, you just have to be thorough. Oh and, Subarus can be driven hard, as long as the driver knows how to.
I have two friends with 3-series in the range described above. It is interesting to hear how similar their maintenance experience has been.
Both have had power window problems that cost $300+ to fix.
Both have had a failure in the pressurized coolant overflow tank. $500+ to fix.
Both have had tie rod problems in the front suspension. I don't know how much it cost to fix.
The automatic car has a transmission failure pending maintenance indicator that will soon cost thousands to fix. The manual transmission car seems to have a very solid transmission.
Both of these cars are a bit over 100K miles. Both owners really liked their cars, but the recent avalanche of repairs caused one to sell his. The other is holding on for now, but his A/C just quit.
Most of these issues are well known to the enthusiast community, the electric window for instance is (allegedly) and easy to do DIY, at which point the cost goes down to roughly $75 dollars.
If you want an A to B car that required minimal maintenance, it's probably not a good vehicle, but if a potential buyer is willing to have a bit more active of a relationship to their car, it doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg.
Having a mechanic look at at a stationary vehicle for a little while isn't always enough.
Did you research the vehicle extensively before buying? (using sources like NASIOC etc)
When you drove the car, did you go through the regular tests on a vehicle like this? (Reverse, full lock while listening for clanking sounds, white smoke on start up or hard acceleration etc. etc.)
When you buy cars of this nature, you have to be thorough, you have to know the ins and outs. I will say (though this can swing both ways), I would rather buy a car like this at that price range off an enthusiast forum, if the poster has a good standing in the community, and the vehicle seems solid, chances are it is.
EDIT: Point is, just cause you had a bad experience, doesn't mean everyone will, you just have to be thorough. Oh and, Subarus can be driven hard, as long as the driver knows how to.
Yeah I definitely didn't go through a full battery of tests on the test drive. I love to drive but I'm not an enthusiast. I pushed the car a bit and it seemed great. It ran great for several months after I purchased it, but then the repairs just started coming one after another. One of the repairs that it needs are very common to late model Subarus and I had planned for it. The rest, not so much.
I'm agreeing with you, and I'm not saying that everyone is going to have a bad experience. I'm well aware of the many Subarus on the road with huge amounts of mileage that still perform admirably. That's the whole reason I went for a WRX in the first place. I wanted something that was fun to drive AND was known for excellent reliability. What I'm saying is that it's very easy to come across a WRX that has been abused by its first owner, and it's a bit risky even when you think you've done your homework.
If you want an A to B car that required minimal maintenance, it's probably not a good vehicle, but if a potential buyer is willing to have a bit more active of a relationship to their car, it doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg.
Most people can't or don't want to DIY the maintenance but even if they could I still wouldn't recommend a 3 series with over 100k miles unless it was a second car. At a certain point all that maintenance takes away from the enjoyment you get from driving them. Certain big ticket items like the auto trans, clutch, ABS, electrical gremlins etc. are beyond the scope of DIY and can be very expensive to repair. I was talking to the owner of a independent shop that works on only Minis and BMW's. He said he tells people to only buy/own BMW's that are under new or CPO warranty. I just sold my 2004 330i with 100k miles and I have to agree with that advice. My 330i was not unreliable by any stretch but it was expensive to maintain.
I'll throw the 2000-2006 Lincoln LS V8 in there, specifically the 2003-2006 LS V8 Sport. An LS in good shape with low miles can be had for $8-9K. Depending on how it was treated, they can be high maintenance, but I have had mine for the last three years and with regular maintenance it has been reliable overall. You'd be hard pressed to find a better handling sport sedan from that era...it even outhandled the 5-series in testing.
The 5-speed auto isn't the greatest (tends to hunt for gears)...the five speed manual is better but only comes paired with the V6, which is down about 30 hp from the V8 (stock V8 was equipped with a 252 hp 3.9L from '00-'02, and bumped up to 280 hp for '03). Otherwise, it is a well-built, good handling, well-balanced car (50/50 weight balance), very stable at high speeds, with a minimalist design that has aged well.
The sport models are distinguished by monochromatic bumpers, larger wheels, a revised lower air dam, stiffer dampers, and larger diameter anti-roll bars.
Most people can't or don't want to DIY the maintenance but even if they could I still wouldn't recommend a 3 series with over 100k miles unless it was a second car. At a certain point all that maintenance takes away from the enjoyment you get from driving them. Certain big ticket items like the auto trans, clutch, ABS, electrical gremlins etc. are beyond the scope of DIY and can be very expensive to repair. I was talking to the owner of a independent shop that works on only Minis and BMW's. He said he tells people to only buy/own BMW's that are under new or CPO warranty. I just sold my 2004 330i with 100k miles and I have to agree with that advice. My 330i was not unreliable by any stretch but it was expensive to maintain.
My stepson just sold his 325i E46 at 250k miles, and it was still good. I cannot understand the meantality of "I can't get my hands dirty, so since I have to take my car to a dealer and get raped by choice, it's too much of a hassle and costs too much."
The cost is a choice you made by not being involved in the community and doing the simple DIY it takes, not a choice the car made for you.
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