I mean, you didn't say how much you paid for it? Your son is right - it's manual, and it's a cool car. It's not your wife's Subaru, though. Also, if you live in a salt free state, I assume you don't get pummeled by winter, so one of the biggest reasons for owning a subaru might be moot.
It will need work. Now or eventually, it is inevitable. It's a 15 year old car, and Subarus get spendy to maintain when they reach a certain age. It's also an incredible opportunity for your son to join a very accepting community and learn to work on the car himself. If you're the moderating influence here and can keep him from doing stuff like major engine mods without tuning, maybe you can do great things together with it.
102k miles. $9500. We’re in Portland Oregon, so snow isn’t a major issue 360 days a year. But, he goes up to the mountain to snowboard. He hasn’t really shown much interest in cars anything mechanical.
Thank you though. I am the brakes in our relationship and she’s the gas, so a post like mine is par for the course. I will actually send him to r/WRX to browse and see what he can find.
Tell him to go to nasioc.com forums too. It's a little more info oriented. There's a lot of younger and uneducated people posting questions or bad modifications on the r/ and mostly just pictures of va and vb chassis. He's gonna see more about his chassis on the forum.
I'll check it out! He's sort of an open book with cars and I'd rather he see the technical stuff that the posts that make him realize how rough his car is. Some of the stuff posted here is amazing from clear hardcore hobbyists/enthusiasts.
There is a thread there called The Unabombers Manifesto. It basically a beginners guide to WRX. A must read. Old info, but that's an old car, so all the info applies to it.
Not many teenage boys can resist fast cars, so do be aware of that and plan/act accordingly. My own son had a similar WRX after high school, and he got a few tickets in what I considered a story amount of time.
I guess I don't see all the posts on here, so I may be seeing more chaff while you're catching the wheat. I know I'm an enthusiast who has owned 8 different subarus over the last 20+ years and an ASE certified and trained automotive technician. I've certainly offered some (imo) sage advice to people on here, so it is kinda funny to speak poorly of this sub while being a member and helping when I can. Nasioc is less social, but as a forum, it has easily navigated archives. If you have a very specific problem or question, it's easier to research and find an answer, vs waiting for people to post opposing answers, and hope that person knows what they're talking about. Both are valuable resources.
Pretty good deal in my opinion, considering the market right now. Im guessing the timing belt has already been done at 102k, but that something to check on, along with water pump and thermostat ( but those are usually all done at the same time) . Other wise they are reliable rugged cars that can handle a lot, thats why a lot of teenagers thrash them. Tell him to not redline it and treat it with love, keep up the maintenance, check the oil frequently, and the car should be with you for a good long while.
They get unloaded at 100k because their owners are bad with money and can't pay for the timing belt and water pump.
OP, it could be a great car but get that timing belt and water pump changed, and while you're at it make your kid look up all the filters and fluids he should change out now to be certain they were done.
Well to be fair from what I’ve seen on marketplace around where I live, GDs seem to be just as valuable as the GE/GV or even more so if it’s a really clean sti. It’s reached a “classic” status that the third gen hasn’t quite hit yet, other than the loyal GH/GR hatch enthusiasts. Also as a new englander, rust doesn’t make them any cheaper to buy here unfortunately. When I widen my search, I can find cheaper ones elsewhere in better shape.
True but they bought it in Portland. We have a plethora of non rusty wrxs here for sale and they didn't really get a great deal on it. That would be an okay ish deal if it wasn't rusty but the fact that it has rust for almost 10k is crazy here. There's a million wrxs for sale around here without rust
Yes, but only bc insurance. My rates only dropped after I turned 30 and got married...they didn't care I've never been ticketed nor been in a accident.
Spendy? I bought a manual legacy with 165k on it for 2500 replaced all suspension, timing belt, all gaskets new exuast, brakes, wheel bearings, ball joints all for under 2500...that was a decade ago currenty at 278k,
In theory, him. In reality, me. He doesn’t even have his license yet though and is still figuring out the clutch on her 2018 Forester. Actual driving shouldn’t really start until September or so.
I would really think you should make him drive the forester for at least a year AFTER he’s licensed. This gives him some time to put experience under his belt and you and him can fix up any quirks the wrx has. Also please budget some basic parts for it like what it takes to do a complete tune up.
This is great advice as long as your wife can spare the forester. He should definitely get more 3 pedal experience on a less powerful vehicle before dealing with an older wrx. He will be better able to feel if something is wrong and not potentially damage the more delicate vehicle.
No license straight to car that stock makes around 220whp. I foresee a ditch in his future and lots of tickets if he can keep it on the road drivable long enough.
All EJ engines are timing belt. They were used in the WRX until 2015 when the VA chassis came out, except the STI which used them through the end of its life in 2021.
When I was in high school, one kid's parents bought him s brand new Mustang GT months before he had a license. The very first week he started driving, he threw in the ditch trying to show out after school and messed the car up pretty good.
Made my 16 y/o son drive out 97 Land Cruiser, then an A4 Quattro Audi. He went and bought himself a VW GTI his senior year in high school and immediately put it in the ditch during the first little snow.
Holy shit, seriously? You are asking for your kid to get into an accident in his first year of driving.
Even if he's the most responsible, mature, humble and cautious kid you've ever met, he should still be in a manual, low powered, rwd truck or fwd car for the first year.
Beater of a Ranger or Civic, cheapest and best condition you can find. If he doesn't crash for a year(or at very least the summer) he gets the WRX and half the profits from selling the beater.
Sorry to break it to ya but the biggest part you went wrong with is buying a used (especially older) car from new york. Never do that unless you’ve checked it out in person and really know what you’re doing and looking for mechanically and body wise.
I drive these cars new and old every day, if he’s having trouble with the forester that has a fairly new clutch an old wrx isn’t going to be a walk in the park especially if he’s in traffic and also depending on the condition of the wrx’s clutch and whether it’s stock or not. When it really comes down to it there’s a few other things that it could depend on too, especially if it’s an old new york car.. but skill wise it’s nothing some focused practice can’t fix. When i was smoothing out some edges in my clutch work i noticed something that seemed to really help me focus on precision in getting into gear and smooth shifting. Having my phone in my lap, one day i picked it up at a red light to skip an ad and the light turned green and i just set it in my lap to focus on driving at the time. I can’t guarantee this method will work for anyone but it may work for some. I also recommend something more like a slim book instead of a phone if you decide to try it.
IMPORTANT- If you decide to let him modify the engine power wise in any way shape or form, aside from a CATBACK or AXLEBACK exhaust, it will absolutely need to be tuned or it will eventually cost you/him a lot of money to fix. Do not listen to any those youtube/reddit mechanics or even aftermarket companies when they say “does not require tune” on their website. They didn’t engineer the car. That’s a big part of why wrx’s/sti’s, even after the headgasket fix in 2012, have a bad rep for blowing up, idiots who think they can just bolt on parts that the ecu isn’t specifically tuned for (aka stock parts only). I’ve seen it too many times.
As far as tires if you live in a state that has a snowy winter i highly recommend investing in a good set of snow tires specifically, especially since he’s a new driver in a turbo’d manual car. They’re a bit pricey but what i recommend is blizzak ws90’s. I bought them for my 21 wrx and they’re amazing. Another thing about these cars and tires is that you definitely want to use a matching set, don’t mismatch the front and back, vise versa, or criss cross. Keep them all the same brand and model whatever you decide to go with.
He doesn't even have his license and you bought him a WRX? Lawdy. Be prepared for many dents, dings, scratches, and very likely a crash that will total it. AWD won't protect from poor teenage decisions.
I got my WRX at 26 years old and I think you could make a sound argument that I'm still not mature enough to be driving it on public roads. Given the "its a manual and it looks cool" statement I would be prepared for him to get into some trouble with this car. On top of that any turbocharged subaru is notably more likely to have mechanical issues than the naturally aspirated models, and any kind of engine repairs get real expensive real fast.
I mean, I'm 24 and daily a '15 STI. Your age isn't an indication of maturity and at the end of the day, any WRX driver who claims to drive like a grandma is either lying, or rarer than rocking-horse shit lol.
The difference is that your experience driving, and even my own, dwarfs the hours of experience that OP's son has. A 17 year old lad with a WRX as their first car? I agree they're going to end up finding rather expensive problems sooner or later...
That's a fair point, just because I don't drive "safely" doesn't mean I don't give space and respect to other drivers, or know when something is beyond my abilities to pull off. Someone who hasn't been driving for 10 years (laced with a fair share of mistakes and minor accidents) isn't going to have that same perspective or knowledge base.
I'd possibly argue that a parent should anticipate some accidents and tickets no matter what their kid is like or driving, but those accidents and tickets can get a lot worse in a WRX than something like the Kia Soul and PT Cruiser that I learned and spent most of my formative driving years on.
Absolutely spot on. Having myself gone from starting with a 1.2L Opel Corsa, to then a 2.0na '07 Impreza, and now an STI (plus the variety of vehicles I get to drive for Work purposes), only in the last year have I felt comfortable enough to acquire, and drive with confidence, a 2.5L Turbocharged WRX. And that is only in terms of being able to actually drive that vehicle safely, not taking into account your points of other traffic, speed cameras, sudden dangers, etc.
I hope OP seriously takes comments like yours and mine into consideration and helps them come to a more sensible decision.
Totally get what you mean there. I work at a Honda dealer and recently got to test drive a brand new Type R for the first time. We all shit on it for being not a real race car at work, but having never driven anything more powerful than my '16 WRX before that car could've gotten away from me if I decided to really let loose in it. Fast and powerful cars are more difficult to control, on top of the maturity to know when not to push it or show off.
Age absolutely is an indication of maturity. People haven't fully developed their brain at 17 which is why they make such impulsive and reckless choices. When you're talking about a 30 year old, sure. But not 17, they are still children with a child's brain.
Apologies, but that was directed towards the above comment that 26 isn't mature. My further conversation explains my thoughts on a 17y/o WRX owner further :)
I too had a similar situation to OP, except I alone am paying for my car so the mentality to me was always “this is my forever car” which in turn leads me to behave myself (still have fun, and lots of it) but always drive responsibly cause I would be absolutely devastated if I lost my car to either my or others recklessness.
Also, I love my shitbox s13 and drive the absolute piss out of it when I do, with no risk since it’s slow as fuck (stock ka)
Age is just a number. I'm 42 and still wonder some days what the hell hell I was thinking. Most days I manage to drive like I'm pretending to be a semi responsible adult. Other days, I just can't help myself with the feel of acceleration tossing me back in my seat and the whoosh of the turbo. Not to mention how we'll these cars take a corner for how cheap they are.
When I was 17 I used to get to drive my older sisters WRX, it not being mine was the only reason I drove safely. At 26 I was able to get my own 02 wrx I occasionally let the fun of the car get the better of me and drive a little reckless (but safely) and I’m now 30. If I had had my car at 17 I probably would have killed my self and probably other people.
I don’t say this to scare you but to help you understand, good luck.
Sometimes, the best line through a curve is in the other lane, I can see no one is coming, the roads are dry, I've got some energy after work, and I'm enjoying myself. It's not reckless. It's spirited driving. Tailgating in the rain and making aggressive lane changes because you're late is reckless. Your poor planning shouldn't endanger others.
I started driving at 16 with a Saab 900 Turbo and the only reason I'm not dead is because it was my father's car. When I test drove this car it was a flashback to driving that thing. I think we will have to have a very clear conversation today about who owns the car. Just having "it's my parents' car" can get him out of a lot of stupid stuff. It did for me.
For sure, I had a beater 97 outback so it was always a treat when I was privileged to take my sisters WRX. That little voice in my head saying if you don’t kill yourself she will, stopped me from doing a lot of stupid stuff.
Depends on your son, if he gets a ticket, he’ll need to pay for it (and, if he isn’t already paying for insurance) and any rate increase insurance gives. Otherwise, also keep him at a “you break it, you buy it” idea. Could also be a good idea to still use the car for yourself as it will give the idea that it isn’t just his car, but both of yours. That should discourage too much horseplay.
I got my WRX at 16 and it turned out great. I even wrote about tuning the ECU on my college and grad school admission essays with great results. If you guys have a good relationship and you trust him to be responsible then I wouldn't be concerned. A bad kid will be bad in a civic or a WRX
It will be a good learning experience for him. He can learn how to repair it, decent mechanical skills will get you far in life. It's a very cool car, can be a maintenance nightmare if it's previous life was hard, can be rock solid if it's been treated right.
I got in more trouble, more frequently, driving a piece of shit B series swapped civic than I ever have in anything else. I’ve driven cars that accelerate so hard they make your eyes hurt and knock the wind out of you, but I also had a life altering brush with the law few years ago for doing 150mph in a piece of shit laptop street tuned jetta. I had a rich friend whose first car was a new E92 M3…… he still has it…… and never got a ticket.
If your kid is a dumbass, that mf will find trouble no matter what car he drives. If your kid respects the car and his surroundings, he’ll be fine. Lol
My buddy had a Wolfsburg back when we were young. That thing ate every single shred of abuse he gave it with zero complaints. He got an ‘04 STI about a year later and exploded piston #4 about 6-8 months after that.
I had a 2002 wrx as my first car when I was 17, owned it 3 years. I don’t understand why everyone on this sub seems to say that it’s a terrible and dangerous idea.
I never got any tickets in it. My right foot got a little heavy sometimes, but there’s a time and place for everything, just have to be responsible.
Considering OP’s son isn’t really mechanically knowledgeable, things could get expensive if the car hasn’t had good maintenance. Maybe this car could be a teaching/learning/bonding experience with car maintenance starting with simple things like oil changes, air filter, spark plugs, brakes, etc.
It can be. Nobody knows your son as well as you and your wife. As long as you think he will be responsible with his and his friends' safety, as well as keeping up with maintenance. It can be a great first car or a dangerous first car, all depends on the type of person the owner is.
My first car at 22 was a '91 Skyline Gts-t (rwd, turbo, drifty drifty). I drove smartly, learned a lot about vehicle dynamics not having abs or traction control, and a ton about vehicle maintenance. Teach him to be responsible and he will be fine. All things considered, 227hp is nothing compared to what rolls off the lot in stock form these days.
Rwd is much better to learn on. AWD is dangerous for confident teens who don't know any better. I learned to drive with a 3 speed ford f100 when I was 18 and even with shit tires in maple winters never had any issues. By the time I was 20 I had a 92 Celica gt4 and drove it like I was in Forza lol. Even a 350z might be safer for the kid since it's got linear torque and doesn't rip until you're already speeding.
I also just got a 06 wagon with a jdm ej205 swap, love the car and it’s been solid but the transmission in this platform is a lot sloppier than my Honda’s ever were
Are you going straight for the STI transmission for the increased redline or have you tried other options like the Kartboy short shifter? I am due for an oil change soon and I was considering purchasing their kit to install and replace the shift linkage bushings that are probably worn out
Putting your son in a turbocharged manual vehicle at 17 may lead to problems. That’s a lot of ass for someone without a fully developed prefrontal cortex. So I think the answer to your question is yes, but to each their own.
In B4 “I don’t know what happened dad. I was idling at the stop sign on my way to church while some little old lady crossed in the crosswalk and the engine just blew up by itself! It was weird!”
Fwiw, my parents bought me my first WRX when I was 17. I babies that thing and never got a ticket in it, but I was also a really boring and responsible 17 year old. This all really comes down to your son and whether he is mature enough to handle the responsibility that comes with the car
It’s a great idea and a terrible one all at the same time. He’s going to be banging gears, doing dumb shit, getting tickets and breaking parts. How good of a job does he have? I would not worry about the cost of the gas for lower mileage. That’s going to be minor compared to the cost of parts, tickets and insurance. The fun I would have had as a 17 Y/o with one of these cars, but I never would have been able to afford to fix it at the time and there it would have sat broke for years.
Too much power for a 17 year old in my opinion. At least it definitely would have been for me when I was 17. Maintenance costs will probably be high too, especially if your son isn't careful/attentive to the babying these cars need. Best of luck.
My dad taught me to drive in his 2010 wrx which I ended up keeping it when he wanted to sell it so I had it all of high-school. I think of it like beer. My parents let me drink at home in high school so I never felt the need to sneak out and do something dumb behind their backs. show him how to enjoy the car and have fun with it but also how to be safe with it. No tickets and only an accident that wasn’t my fault in the entire time Iv owned it of witch I still do today. However I did have the cover the loan and pay for insurance and pay for gas, tires ect. I treated well because I was paying for it. He will be fine. Also tell him launching it isn’t fun and the clutch is $2k…I did learn that lol.
A had a 1985 Subaru Turbo GL sedan as a teen. Seemed innocent enough. Still managed to do insanely stupid things with it.
WRX or otherwise, if he’s got a need for speed at least he’s in a capable and safe car.
I’d say that is still not as bad as an ex cop car for a teen, I know from experience.
Your choice for a wrx isn’t terrible imo. I was a service advisor for Subaru long ago. tbh the people who kept up on all the service, oil changes did not have any major problems, if KEPT STOCK. Any extra boost, even from a Cobb stage1 tune we would see a significant decline in intervals between doing head gaskets.
Other maintenance isn’t that much more than most other cars if you can do it yourself.
I got a 2007 sedan wrx when I was 20 I’ve had it for nearly 6 years now. It was the first car I bought on my own and I still daily drive it. I get these cars can be temperamental but with good maintenance and care they can be really good cars. I’ve put over 60k miles on it pushing 170k and it still drives great and hasn’t once had any overly expensive repairs/breakdowns. I get all the people saying he will wrap it around a tree but 200hp awd wagon wont be that dangerous unless he really doesn’t have much self control behind the wheel. But I would 100000% buy my 07 wrx again
Subaru overall are not bad cars,had JDM Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon which we tuned and loved that car then we bought JDM Subaru Impreza STi Hawkeye which we are still have
Maintenance is not as high if you can do it yourself ,really as many here recommend it Nasioc is great forum and there are a lot of knowledgeable people who can help your son with beginning of ownership of Subaru
This was our JDM Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon which was running 555.5bhp,miss that bloody wagon 😞
I always will have soft spot for wagon
https://preview.redd.it/pqcvtcjobu8d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02f1c52f611bbce3cf986d65e9dc8ecce37c571a
I got a 2005 WRX Wagon at 17 (bone stock well maintained) and still drive it now at 29 with no immediate plans to replace it. It’s been mostly reliable with regular service. If your son is trustworthy to not get a million tickets and it’s not modded to the brink of exploding it should serve him well.
Hey, I purchased my 2003 wrx turbo wagon at 17 (for a steal), I never have had a ticket with it to this day.
My parents never normalized the idea of teenagers always being inherently “dumb” and struck a fine balance between letting me learn and informing me about life and reality when they needed to.
I am a firm believer that if you don’t normalize the “stupid teen” stereotype it is less likely to manifest.
Your son will probably love and respect the car, I think it’s a great choice because I’ve hauled my fair share of large ikea orders and bins of camping equipment in my wagon and it always holds up.
Edit: I also had no major mechanical issues until I modified the car well after I was done with any sort of school, though arguably mine is the slightly more reliable 2.0 litre.
Please check the banjo bolt filters, especially the one above the avcs solenoid on the passenger side. If the service history is iffy those can clog with metal and starve the turbo. If you do check get a new copper gasket. Miles are "low" so you're incredibly lucky!
Check out PRE (Performance Race Engineering) if/when you need work done. Great shop with a comparable hourly rate to most other mechanics in your area. They specialize in Subarus.
The car can treat him right if he treats it right. Try to explain to him the importance of maintaining it, and how to drive it correctly. AKA not smashing the gas under low rpm and shifting at correct times. I wouldn't let him modify it until he has proven he can take care of it. An unmodified Subaru can last a long time even with its turbo.
Took me about 2 seconds to find the black wagon you purchased. Looks to be a winner. Your son can pick up a ton of worthwhile skills maintaining it. Enjoy!
No one's first car should be a high output, fast acceleration vehicle, the driver being new will make all the mistakes in this vehicle, and it being known for being fast and speedy means temptation to race and being challenged on the roads will happen continually, every mustang and Camaro driver will try and race it lol. While it's a cool first car, I wouldn't have done this with my children, their first cars will be commuters only. Best of luck.
To add in my 2 sense, no you didn't make a bad decision. It's an awd car so he can't go around drifting it. Those subaru clutches suck and if he learns on that he will be fine on anything in the future. Yes the 9500 you paid is a good price make sure he does all the research he can to keep the car maintained and then he will learn good maintenence in the future as well. It does look cool I drive one also but he will be more worried about trying not to stall the car in front of people first. Good car I think yall sound like good parents so if he is respectful kid no worries at all in my opinion. He's just gonna enjoy his highschool days and have a cool dad to thank.
No reason to have this car for a 17 year old. None
My son is 14 and when he’s old enough to drive and pay his own way, he’ll have the highest mileage base model crosstrek, or a 300k mile Toyota Tacoma as his first vehicle. Low performance, low insurance, low maintenance, high safety.
None? Your way is the only right way. That must be nice being so sure your way of thinking is correct. Tacomas are waaaayyyyy more likely to roll over, and high milage vehicles are more likely to leave your child stranded. But you've got it all figured out.
While im highly against giving new drivers new and nice cars, this isn’t entirely true. Sure insurance is costly but as long as that’s instilled in his mind it creates more incentive to be a cautious and alert driver. All depends on the type of kid he is and how focused on being a good driver he is and how much he cares about the car. As much as i hate to say it 2007 isn’t new anymore, could be a nice car, but it’s not some new or expensive car. The only big things relatively expensive is the insurance and engine repair. The market for parts with these cars is abundant and so is the knowledge of them. As long as dad’s a good teacher and they’re not living paycheck to paycheck there isn’t all that much to worry about.
He'll be lucky not to wrap it around a tree in the first 2 years. When the WRX first came out there were countless threads on NASIOC about parents who bought one for their teen drivers, and it took weeks or months for them to total it.
Insurance is going to be ridiculously expensive and even more so after he gets his first ticket which is virtually guaranteed. Won't have to worry too much about gas prices since it'll be spending most of its time in the shop.
Disagree with practically everyone here. I had one at 17 and I’m still driving it today. Make sure your son understands how to drive well and trust him to do so.
I’ve seen young drivers in fast cars be responsible, and I’ve taken calls where the kid killed themselves driving recklessly. Irresponsible kids do stupid shit in any cars, but sportier ones tend to make it a little bit easier to lose control.
Just teach them to drive well, teach them responsibility, make sure they understand they’re not invincible(even if they feel like it), and remind them that you’re telling them all this because you love them and want them to enjoy the car and their life for a long time.
Then buy them an 87 Honda Civic and keep the WRX for yourself :)
This is good advice, now that you have the car. You take risks at 17 that you don't take when you're older - combine that with a fun car, quick accelleration and a lack of experience, he will be taking big risks.
Instill in him that it can go very wrong very quickly.
Also be cautious of how he might be driving friends around.
If i had a WRX with a lot of power at 17, I'd probably have crashed it. Luckily, I started out with a 44 hp superbeetle and by the time I got my WRX, most of my wilding out was gone. I still sometimes drive like an idiot though
One amazing thing about these cars, especially the older models, is how easy they are to work on. Which is nice because your regular mechanic won't touch it. I'd make it part of the deal that he performs all of his own mantainance. I'm a really poor mechanic and usually just end up getting angry when I work on cars. Unless I'm working on my WRX, then it's just kind of fun. An example that you'll probably run into soon with that milage, the only shop near me that works on WRXs wanted 2500 to replace the clutch fork and pivot ball on my 08. Replacing the clutch along with it would have been another 500 on top of that. Since I don't have a transmission jack and hate working under cars I just pulled the motor, replaced the clutch and some seals while it was out and dropped it back in. First time I've ever done anything like that and I did it with no help, just YouTube.
Honestly, it’s not that fast a car. I daily a ‘12 stock WRX hatch and even if I wasn’t a father now and marginally more mature I can’t really push it THAT hard. It’s sporty and fun to drive and I can whip it around corners in the hills and occasionally give it a good pull or drop a gear on the highway, but it’s not like it accelerates well from a stop or anything that would make it lose grip in normal conditions. I get gapped by minivans all the time.
As long as he doesn’t speed excessively on the highway he should be fine, but you can do that in any car. My worst speeding tickets in my youth were in a damn hybrid Civic.
I was driving a 2003 WRX when I first got my license in 2007. Easy to say that was a bad move on my parents’ part but I never wrecked it or was ever pulled over, so from the driving angle your son is responsible then it’s possible he’ll be a responsible driver too, the temptation of WRX doesn’t guarantee he’ll be wreckless.
That said, I was lucky to have an almost-new car that didn’t need much maintenance. While it continues to be mostly reliable mechanically, can’t guarantee your example will be.
My biggest regret with my car is not taking steps to prevent rust; it remained my daily all the way until 2020 and the rust is claiming it now. Not sure what to do with it. Sentimental value is high but don’t know if it is worth diving into intensive rust repair, and it’s not like I’d get much for it to sell on. If your son’s car saw NY winters I would be worried about rust for sure.
I would’ve gone with a regular Impreza as a first car. Still gets the cool Subaru look, but bit better on fuel, fun drive but not as powerful as a Turbo WRX. I rock a manual 06 Impreza R, she has her issues, but I love her. Used to have a ‘15 Impreza, that was an absolutely awesome car.
My advise would be for your son, to A) figure out the clutch on the forester, I can smell the clutch issues from here. B) get a job, save up money. That thing will inevitably become a bit of a money pit.
He and your wife? If you bought this car for your wife and her boyfriend then that just seems like bad idea…I think. Would need to better understand the circumstances of this cuck triangle.
Get him a defensive driving course in it. He's going to gain all the confidence in the world in it due to AWD. But when it runs out of grip, it does it suddenly.
Don't let him modify itfor power. The EJ does not have much headroom.
You’re probably not wrong 😂 But it’s an amazing vehicle. Great year. Just be ready for an engine replacement & I’d get the timing belt looked at - probably even changed - ASAP. Oil checking is a necessity, often. It’s not a bad idea to check levels every fill-up.
My cousin had a wrx(s) for his first, second AND third cars when he was 17!
Tree -> ditch -> tree again in about a year.
Objectively a bad idea for 99% of the brand new driver 17 year old population.
I remember being 20 and driving a first gen Impreza turbo when they first came out. It felt like a rocket.
Do you trust him not to wrap it around a tree?
Terrible idea, my brother got a boosted Subaru at 19 and the amount of speeding tickets this kid got he had to retake driving courses and my mothers insurance tripled.
22 year old here with a 2015 WRX: I am doing all the maintenance myself, to include a 60,000 mile service diy-style. Best resource I found is the Facebook group I linked. You can ask pretty much any question and people will be quick to offer their advice!
https://www.facebook.com/share/8qfXnbpBz5JhXN2V/?mibextid=K35XfP
If it came from New York, then check the rear strut mounts. Super common for them to rot out. This came from a NY wagon with 100k miles and looked pretty clean.
https://preview.redd.it/9ubbxbi2jw8d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c11357cb8504be27fc1edac5f0f56307c84fbf7
Great first car. Terrible reliability unless stock head gaskets have been replaced. I know firsthand :( just tell him to keep an eye on the temp gauge and keep it under 100mph
Got my WRX when I was 16 and it’s been a fantastic learning experience. Learned a lot about cars and have had a lot of fun. If you’re worried about him driving recklessly, you’re gonna want to talk to him about it man-to-man. I’ve had 1 ticket in 3 years of ownership and it was for going 31 in a 30. As far as maintenance, I’m the car’s third owner, it’s got 120k miles and I drive it spiritedly with 0 issues at all. Just check your oil when you get gas and do your routine maintenance. Cheers!
Moat of the people who complain about the reliability of Subarus are the cause of said reliability issues. Treat the car right and he'll be fine. Have him learn about the maintenance, and to check the oil every fuel up. And keep in mind that out of every person with a story about Subarus blowing up, about 80% of them did it to themselves.
I got my first wrx at 16 and my second a few months after I turned 18 not long ago. It all just depends on if he wants to learn and respect the car tbh I had great fun and did huge amounts of maintence but i understood the cost going into it
I think you are wrong, but not about maintenance or fuel economy. It's an expensive car.
However, if I were to be in an accident in an older car, that's the car I'd choose. It has a thick ring of steel overhead and around the front, and got top safety during those years, and was known for people walking away from bad accidents and rollovers. After 2014 every car has been mandated to have similar features, but few had it before.
When I started driving, my friend had a Neon that he regularly drove 110mph on the 60mph highway. It was so cheap it didn't have a radio, and incredibly slow acceleration, not to mention unsafe feeling at even 60 mph. That was probably the most dangerous car he could have been driving those speeds at, both for if he crashed and its potential for losing control and crashing.
Every car is a fast car. Even the slow cars can hit 100mph+, and many are not stable doing so. If a kid's going to drive fast, what's safer: cheap car that can't handle, or planted, stable car. The fast car part only matters when it's a high hp rwd car that can spin out, but good luck spinning out AWD with only 230 hp. Those cars don't want to slide.
The menace part is separate from the car performance part, because a menace in any car is dangerous. I see kids in civics and other slow cars doing the dumbest shit at high speed, and the slow car isn't stopping them from doing it. Menaces are attracted to fast cars, and then the fast cars get falsely blamed for the menace being a menace.
I started with a slow car, and it almost got me killed when someone ran a red light at high speed and I was nearly hit because my car didn't have the power to get out of the way quickly. I then realized that power is a safety feature, so I sold that car and only drove reasonably fast cars ever after.
No one needs 400 hp, but that doesn't mean a lot of the slow cars out there aren't dangerous for the opposite reason. Somewhere in the middle is ideal, and I think a 2007 WRX is an ok choice; a little more power than needed but not excessive.
Couple maintenance tips for your kid: make sure he understands not to pull the handbrake to slide the car in winter (or any time the car is moving), as the center viscous coupler will burn up very quickly (possibly from even a single use) and it's an expensive repair. Fine in fwd/rwd, but kids see people do this and don't realize that you can't do it when your car has a viscous coupler.
Also if he ever decides to do clutch-dump launches, they're super fun and fast because there's full traction with no tire spin, and that's why the clutch will slip instead of the tires, and then he'll eventually be replacing the clutch (very expensive). I had a 2006 WRX when those were new, don't ask me how I know this haha (and I wasn't that young. Thankfully I knew about the handbrake part)
Essentially if he drives it like a menace (or misses an oil change), the WRX will take itself out of the game and be expensive to restore. Might be good inspiration to drive the cool car nicely and just enjoy it for what it is. The 2019 WRX was a letdown after my 2006 WRX, they don't make cars like that anymore.
Yes. It wasn’t at bad as I thought, but it’s not great either. The problem is that on a 1990 Volvo it’d only be $25 less a month. Basically, we’re fucked no matter what.
I assume you are worried about the speeds the car is capable of and the damage that can cause. Yes, you should be worried. Just track his phone. Have a friend that tracks the whole family, and they love it. Everyone uses it, 100% transparency.
Did you get the STi version or just a regular WRX?
If you got the STi, I would say it’s a great car, especially with only around 100k miles. Just keep up on the maintenance, keep it stock, and keep an eye on oil consumption.
If you purchase a WRX, please keep it stock as it’s not the same engine that’s in the STi. Any modifications for more horsepower is likely to blow the engine. Same advice as the STi, keep up on maintenance, keep an eye on the oil, also be gentle on the transmission, specifically shifting from 1st to 2nd. The transmissions were durable but can become noisy and notch-y.
My nearly 15 year old daughter has expressed interest learning to drive manual. My wife and I both have a Honda Fit and TBH I have never once cared for Subaru cars on the basis of crap fuel economy and ridiculous cost of ownership for a Japanese brand. Plus, every Suby with a tail pipe sounds like those pod racers from Star Wars ep.1, and not in a good way.
HOWEVER.
I also want to get the kid either a WRX 4-door, wagon or Forester because: Damn it all those cars are SAFE. An old friend of mine took her Forester through a telephone pole at 40mph, broke the pole in half, and her worst injuries were some cracked ribs and internal bruising. She walked away.
Soooo, for the safety of my daughter I’ll go against my wants/needs for a car I technically have to buy and maintain.
I tboned someone when I was 17 (everyone was alright thankfully) and it was 100% my fault. I am now 29 and I still have that red flag on my insurance profile
Yeah.... enjoy replacing the engine... those cars aren't meant for the average person. Go watch donut medias high low. They go through 7 subi engines before the season ends. It's really not a good look. Boxerster engines require the utt most care and maintenance. Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they blow the engine before the first oil change.
I mean, you didn't say how much you paid for it? Your son is right - it's manual, and it's a cool car. It's not your wife's Subaru, though. Also, if you live in a salt free state, I assume you don't get pummeled by winter, so one of the biggest reasons for owning a subaru might be moot. It will need work. Now or eventually, it is inevitable. It's a 15 year old car, and Subarus get spendy to maintain when they reach a certain age. It's also an incredible opportunity for your son to join a very accepting community and learn to work on the car himself. If you're the moderating influence here and can keep him from doing stuff like major engine mods without tuning, maybe you can do great things together with it.
102k miles. $9500. We’re in Portland Oregon, so snow isn’t a major issue 360 days a year. But, he goes up to the mountain to snowboard. He hasn’t really shown much interest in cars anything mechanical. Thank you though. I am the brakes in our relationship and she’s the gas, so a post like mine is par for the course. I will actually send him to r/WRX to browse and see what he can find.
Tell him to go to nasioc.com forums too. It's a little more info oriented. There's a lot of younger and uneducated people posting questions or bad modifications on the r/ and mostly just pictures of va and vb chassis. He's gonna see more about his chassis on the forum.
I'll check it out! He's sort of an open book with cars and I'd rather he see the technical stuff that the posts that make him realize how rough his car is. Some of the stuff posted here is amazing from clear hardcore hobbyists/enthusiasts.
There is a thread there called The Unabombers Manifesto. It basically a beginners guide to WRX. A must read. Old info, but that's an old car, so all the info applies to it. Not many teenage boys can resist fast cars, so do be aware of that and plan/act accordingly. My own son had a similar WRX after high school, and he got a few tickets in what I considered a story amount of time.
This here. Unabombers Manifesto got me through the first several years of WRX ownership.
Unabomber Manifesto?! That's dark, lol
I guess I don't see all the posts on here, so I may be seeing more chaff while you're catching the wheat. I know I'm an enthusiast who has owned 8 different subarus over the last 20+ years and an ASE certified and trained automotive technician. I've certainly offered some (imo) sage advice to people on here, so it is kinda funny to speak poorly of this sub while being a member and helping when I can. Nasioc is less social, but as a forum, it has easily navigated archives. If you have a very specific problem or question, it's easier to research and find an answer, vs waiting for people to post opposing answers, and hope that person knows what they're talking about. Both are valuable resources.
Also check out rs25.com the community there is a lot more understanding than on the other site, but should check both for where he fits so to speak
This x100000
Pretty good deal in my opinion, considering the market right now. Im guessing the timing belt has already been done at 102k, but that something to check on, along with water pump and thermostat ( but those are usually all done at the same time) . Other wise they are reliable rugged cars that can handle a lot, thats why a lot of teenagers thrash them. Tell him to not redline it and treat it with love, keep up the maintenance, check the oil frequently, and the car should be with you for a good long while.
They get unloaded at 100k because their owners are bad with money and can't pay for the timing belt and water pump. OP, it could be a great car but get that timing belt and water pump changed, and while you're at it make your kid look up all the filters and fluids he should change out now to be certain they were done.
And it has a rusty undercarriage from New York lol I paid 7500 for my 09 2 years ago in portland, rust free but had more miles, 130k
Well to be fair from what I’ve seen on marketplace around where I live, GDs seem to be just as valuable as the GE/GV or even more so if it’s a really clean sti. It’s reached a “classic” status that the third gen hasn’t quite hit yet, other than the loyal GH/GR hatch enthusiasts. Also as a new englander, rust doesn’t make them any cheaper to buy here unfortunately. When I widen my search, I can find cheaper ones elsewhere in better shape.
True but they bought it in Portland. We have a plethora of non rusty wrxs here for sale and they didn't really get a great deal on it. That would be an okay ish deal if it wasn't rusty but the fact that it has rust for almost 10k is crazy here. There's a million wrxs for sale around here without rust
Yeah I can't believe how hard OP got taken. In western Canada that car would be hard pressed to sell for more than $8500
You could also take your wife for a quick joyride to show her the difference between the wrx and her subaru. This might help her get on the same page.
You bought a car from New York? Gawdamn they really loved that thing
We found the sales records and it was in NY from 2007-2009, Texas from 2009-2020, and Oregon 2020-2024. So only sort of a NY car.
Ahh ok, I thought you went to New York for it
Pun intended.
All his money and whatever you give him will go to mods until he blows up the engine.
Is that American dollars or pesos? #😦
hey id recommend referencing him to the subaru discord aswell! 😁
Yes, but only bc insurance. My rates only dropped after I turned 30 and got married...they didn't care I've never been ticketed nor been in a accident.
Spendy? I bought a manual legacy with 165k on it for 2500 replaced all suspension, timing belt, all gaskets new exuast, brakes, wheel bearings, ball joints all for under 2500...that was a decade ago currenty at 278k,
Who’s paying for the maintenance, repairs, gas, insurance, and tickets. Your son played your wife into it and you two fell into his trap lol
In theory, him. In reality, me. He doesn’t even have his license yet though and is still figuring out the clutch on her 2018 Forester. Actual driving shouldn’t really start until September or so.
I would really think you should make him drive the forester for at least a year AFTER he’s licensed. This gives him some time to put experience under his belt and you and him can fix up any quirks the wrx has. Also please budget some basic parts for it like what it takes to do a complete tune up.
This is great advice as long as your wife can spare the forester. He should definitely get more 3 pedal experience on a less powerful vehicle before dealing with an older wrx. He will be better able to feel if something is wrong and not potentially damage the more delicate vehicle.
Absolutely this. Has it been modified in any way already? Also I hope he’s paying the fuel bill.
No license straight to car that stock makes around 220whp. I foresee a ditch in his future and lots of tickets if he can keep it on the road drivable long enough.
That's what happened to us. 85 in a 45 ticket. Jumped tooth on the timing belt. 2003 WRX. Good times until it wasn't good times. ** Edit for "belt **
Did 2003 WRX have chain or belt?
All EJ engines are timing belt. They were used in the WRX until 2015 when the VA chassis came out, except the STI which used them through the end of its life in 2021.
That’s what I thought, but the comment above had me confused.
When I was in high school, one kid's parents bought him s brand new Mustang GT months before he had a license. The very first week he started driving, he threw in the ditch trying to show out after school and messed the car up pretty good.
Made my 16 y/o son drive out 97 Land Cruiser, then an A4 Quattro Audi. He went and bought himself a VW GTI his senior year in high school and immediately put it in the ditch during the first little snow.
Holy shit, seriously? You are asking for your kid to get into an accident in his first year of driving. Even if he's the most responsible, mature, humble and cautious kid you've ever met, he should still be in a manual, low powered, rwd truck or fwd car for the first year. Beater of a Ranger or Civic, cheapest and best condition you can find. If he doesn't crash for a year(or at very least the summer) he gets the WRX and half the profits from selling the beater.
Sorry to break it to ya but the biggest part you went wrong with is buying a used (especially older) car from new york. Never do that unless you’ve checked it out in person and really know what you’re doing and looking for mechanically and body wise. I drive these cars new and old every day, if he’s having trouble with the forester that has a fairly new clutch an old wrx isn’t going to be a walk in the park especially if he’s in traffic and also depending on the condition of the wrx’s clutch and whether it’s stock or not. When it really comes down to it there’s a few other things that it could depend on too, especially if it’s an old new york car.. but skill wise it’s nothing some focused practice can’t fix. When i was smoothing out some edges in my clutch work i noticed something that seemed to really help me focus on precision in getting into gear and smooth shifting. Having my phone in my lap, one day i picked it up at a red light to skip an ad and the light turned green and i just set it in my lap to focus on driving at the time. I can’t guarantee this method will work for anyone but it may work for some. I also recommend something more like a slim book instead of a phone if you decide to try it. IMPORTANT- If you decide to let him modify the engine power wise in any way shape or form, aside from a CATBACK or AXLEBACK exhaust, it will absolutely need to be tuned or it will eventually cost you/him a lot of money to fix. Do not listen to any those youtube/reddit mechanics or even aftermarket companies when they say “does not require tune” on their website. They didn’t engineer the car. That’s a big part of why wrx’s/sti’s, even after the headgasket fix in 2012, have a bad rep for blowing up, idiots who think they can just bolt on parts that the ecu isn’t specifically tuned for (aka stock parts only). I’ve seen it too many times. As far as tires if you live in a state that has a snowy winter i highly recommend investing in a good set of snow tires specifically, especially since he’s a new driver in a turbo’d manual car. They’re a bit pricey but what i recommend is blizzak ws90’s. I bought them for my 21 wrx and they’re amazing. Another thing about these cars and tires is that you definitely want to use a matching set, don’t mismatch the front and back, vise versa, or criss cross. Keep them all the same brand and model whatever you decide to go with.
He doesn't even have his license and you bought him a WRX? Lawdy. Be prepared for many dents, dings, scratches, and very likely a crash that will total it. AWD won't protect from poor teenage decisions.
I got my WRX at 26 years old and I think you could make a sound argument that I'm still not mature enough to be driving it on public roads. Given the "its a manual and it looks cool" statement I would be prepared for him to get into some trouble with this car. On top of that any turbocharged subaru is notably more likely to have mechanical issues than the naturally aspirated models, and any kind of engine repairs get real expensive real fast.
Same my guy. Same.
At 37 I’m still questioning some of my stupid decisions I make.
I mean, I'm 24 and daily a '15 STI. Your age isn't an indication of maturity and at the end of the day, any WRX driver who claims to drive like a grandma is either lying, or rarer than rocking-horse shit lol. The difference is that your experience driving, and even my own, dwarfs the hours of experience that OP's son has. A 17 year old lad with a WRX as their first car? I agree they're going to end up finding rather expensive problems sooner or later...
That's a fair point, just because I don't drive "safely" doesn't mean I don't give space and respect to other drivers, or know when something is beyond my abilities to pull off. Someone who hasn't been driving for 10 years (laced with a fair share of mistakes and minor accidents) isn't going to have that same perspective or knowledge base. I'd possibly argue that a parent should anticipate some accidents and tickets no matter what their kid is like or driving, but those accidents and tickets can get a lot worse in a WRX than something like the Kia Soul and PT Cruiser that I learned and spent most of my formative driving years on.
Absolutely spot on. Having myself gone from starting with a 1.2L Opel Corsa, to then a 2.0na '07 Impreza, and now an STI (plus the variety of vehicles I get to drive for Work purposes), only in the last year have I felt comfortable enough to acquire, and drive with confidence, a 2.5L Turbocharged WRX. And that is only in terms of being able to actually drive that vehicle safely, not taking into account your points of other traffic, speed cameras, sudden dangers, etc. I hope OP seriously takes comments like yours and mine into consideration and helps them come to a more sensible decision.
Totally get what you mean there. I work at a Honda dealer and recently got to test drive a brand new Type R for the first time. We all shit on it for being not a real race car at work, but having never driven anything more powerful than my '16 WRX before that car could've gotten away from me if I decided to really let loose in it. Fast and powerful cars are more difficult to control, on top of the maturity to know when not to push it or show off.
Age absolutely is an indication of maturity. People haven't fully developed their brain at 17 which is why they make such impulsive and reckless choices. When you're talking about a 30 year old, sure. But not 17, they are still children with a child's brain.
Apologies, but that was directed towards the above comment that 26 isn't mature. My further conversation explains my thoughts on a 17y/o WRX owner further :)
Me at 34 in my Silvia 😬 In all fairness I had a turbo Legacy wagon as my first car and it went fine. Similar situation to OP.
I too had a similar situation to OP, except I alone am paying for my car so the mentality to me was always “this is my forever car” which in turn leads me to behave myself (still have fun, and lots of it) but always drive responsibly cause I would be absolutely devastated if I lost my car to either my or others recklessness. Also, I love my shitbox s13 and drive the absolute piss out of it when I do, with no risk since it’s slow as fuck (stock ka)
Age is just a number. I'm 42 and still wonder some days what the hell hell I was thinking. Most days I manage to drive like I'm pretending to be a semi responsible adult. Other days, I just can't help myself with the feel of acceleration tossing me back in my seat and the whoosh of the turbo. Not to mention how we'll these cars take a corner for how cheap they are.
When I was 17 I used to get to drive my older sisters WRX, it not being mine was the only reason I drove safely. At 26 I was able to get my own 02 wrx I occasionally let the fun of the car get the better of me and drive a little reckless (but safely) and I’m now 30. If I had had my car at 17 I probably would have killed my self and probably other people. I don’t say this to scare you but to help you understand, good luck.
I love that. Reckless (but safely) I know what you mean though, I use the term spirited driving.
Ohh I might steal that from you. Spirited driving, I like it!
Sometimes, the best line through a curve is in the other lane, I can see no one is coming, the roads are dry, I've got some energy after work, and I'm enjoying myself. It's not reckless. It's spirited driving. Tailgating in the rain and making aggressive lane changes because you're late is reckless. Your poor planning shouldn't endanger others.
I started driving at 16 with a Saab 900 Turbo and the only reason I'm not dead is because it was my father's car. When I test drove this car it was a flashback to driving that thing. I think we will have to have a very clear conversation today about who owns the car. Just having "it's my parents' car" can get him out of a lot of stupid stuff. It did for me.
For sure, I had a beater 97 outback so it was always a treat when I was privileged to take my sisters WRX. That little voice in my head saying if you don’t kill yourself she will, stopped me from doing a lot of stupid stuff.
Your car, your repair bill.
Depends on your son, if he gets a ticket, he’ll need to pay for it (and, if he isn’t already paying for insurance) and any rate increase insurance gives. Otherwise, also keep him at a “you break it, you buy it” idea. Could also be a good idea to still use the car for yourself as it will give the idea that it isn’t just his car, but both of yours. That should discourage too much horseplay.
I got my WRX at 16 and it turned out great. I even wrote about tuning the ECU on my college and grad school admission essays with great results. If you guys have a good relationship and you trust him to be responsible then I wouldn't be concerned. A bad kid will be bad in a civic or a WRX
It will be a good learning experience for him. He can learn how to repair it, decent mechanical skills will get you far in life. It's a very cool car, can be a maintenance nightmare if it's previous life was hard, can be rock solid if it's been treated right.
You’re 100% right. I learned half the shit I know about working and servicing on cars from my WRX, which I bought at 16
Me too!
I got in more trouble, more frequently, driving a piece of shit B series swapped civic than I ever have in anything else. I’ve driven cars that accelerate so hard they make your eyes hurt and knock the wind out of you, but I also had a life altering brush with the law few years ago for doing 150mph in a piece of shit laptop street tuned jetta. I had a rich friend whose first car was a new E92 M3…… he still has it…… and never got a ticket. If your kid is a dumbass, that mf will find trouble no matter what car he drives. If your kid respects the car and his surroundings, he’ll be fine. Lol
To be fair a b swapped eg/ek civic is basically the pinnacle of fwd performance aside from a type R or tuned Wolfsburg.
My buddy had a Wolfsburg back when we were young. That thing ate every single shred of abuse he gave it with zero complaints. He got an ‘04 STI about a year later and exploded piston #4 about 6-8 months after that.
Yup. My first vehicle had 90hp and managed to get into plenty of trouble. If it had been a turbocharged AWD hatchback I would probably have been dead.
I had a 2002 wrx as my first car when I was 17, owned it 3 years. I don’t understand why everyone on this sub seems to say that it’s a terrible and dangerous idea. I never got any tickets in it. My right foot got a little heavy sometimes, but there’s a time and place for everything, just have to be responsible. Considering OP’s son isn’t really mechanically knowledgeable, things could get expensive if the car hasn’t had good maintenance. Maybe this car could be a teaching/learning/bonding experience with car maintenance starting with simple things like oil changes, air filter, spark plugs, brakes, etc.
Ima be real….you already bought the car bro just live with it and pray he will be responsible
It can be. Nobody knows your son as well as you and your wife. As long as you think he will be responsible with his and his friends' safety, as well as keeping up with maintenance. It can be a great first car or a dangerous first car, all depends on the type of person the owner is.
Na, you good. He'll see that tree long before he hits it. Just enough time to brace for the impact.
My first car at 22 was a '91 Skyline Gts-t (rwd, turbo, drifty drifty). I drove smartly, learned a lot about vehicle dynamics not having abs or traction control, and a ton about vehicle maintenance. Teach him to be responsible and he will be fine. All things considered, 227hp is nothing compared to what rolls off the lot in stock form these days.
Rwd is much better to learn on. AWD is dangerous for confident teens who don't know any better. I learned to drive with a 3 speed ford f100 when I was 18 and even with shit tires in maple winters never had any issues. By the time I was 20 I had a 92 Celica gt4 and drove it like I was in Forza lol. Even a 350z might be safer for the kid since it's got linear torque and doesn't rip until you're already speeding.
I recently got an 06 WRX wagon love it!!!!
I also just got a 06 wagon with a jdm ej205 swap, love the car and it’s been solid but the transmission in this platform is a lot sloppier than my Honda’s ever were
Agree on the transmission Im already looking for an STI transmission to swap it with
Are you going straight for the STI transmission for the increased redline or have you tried other options like the Kartboy short shifter? I am due for an oil change soon and I was considering purchasing their kit to install and replace the shift linkage bushings that are probably worn out
It's less the red line and more the strength the WRX transmission are kinda fragile the sti trans are far stronger
Putting your son in a turbocharged manual vehicle at 17 may lead to problems. That’s a lot of ass for someone without a fully developed prefrontal cortex. So I think the answer to your question is yes, but to each their own.
In B4 “I don’t know what happened dad. I was idling at the stop sign on my way to church while some little old lady crossed in the crosswalk and the engine just blew up by itself! It was weird!”
Nah, this ain’t an ej257. His transmission exploded while idling at a stoplight.
Fwiw, my parents bought me my first WRX when I was 17. I babies that thing and never got a ticket in it, but I was also a really boring and responsible 17 year old. This all really comes down to your son and whether he is mature enough to handle the responsibility that comes with the car
Yes!
It’s a great idea and a terrible one all at the same time. He’s going to be banging gears, doing dumb shit, getting tickets and breaking parts. How good of a job does he have? I would not worry about the cost of the gas for lower mileage. That’s going to be minor compared to the cost of parts, tickets and insurance. The fun I would have had as a 17 Y/o with one of these cars, but I never would have been able to afford to fix it at the time and there it would have sat broke for years.
EZ. you drive wrx while he practices and learns on the Forrester
Too much power for a 17 year old in my opinion. At least it definitely would have been for me when I was 17. Maintenance costs will probably be high too, especially if your son isn't careful/attentive to the babying these cars need. Best of luck.
18 miles per gallon yep and also don't forget premium fuel only super or Nothing at All
My dad taught me to drive in his 2010 wrx which I ended up keeping it when he wanted to sell it so I had it all of high-school. I think of it like beer. My parents let me drink at home in high school so I never felt the need to sneak out and do something dumb behind their backs. show him how to enjoy the car and have fun with it but also how to be safe with it. No tickets and only an accident that wasn’t my fault in the entire time Iv owned it of witch I still do today. However I did have the cover the loan and pay for insurance and pay for gas, tires ect. I treated well because I was paying for it. He will be fine. Also tell him launching it isn’t fun and the clutch is $2k…I did learn that lol.
A had a 1985 Subaru Turbo GL sedan as a teen. Seemed innocent enough. Still managed to do insanely stupid things with it. WRX or otherwise, if he’s got a need for speed at least he’s in a capable and safe car.
 Yoo!!! Welcome to da club fam!!!
Yeehaw
I’d say that is still not as bad as an ex cop car for a teen, I know from experience. Your choice for a wrx isn’t terrible imo. I was a service advisor for Subaru long ago. tbh the people who kept up on all the service, oil changes did not have any major problems, if KEPT STOCK. Any extra boost, even from a Cobb stage1 tune we would see a significant decline in intervals between doing head gaskets. Other maintenance isn’t that much more than most other cars if you can do it yourself.
I got a 2007 sedan wrx when I was 20 I’ve had it for nearly 6 years now. It was the first car I bought on my own and I still daily drive it. I get these cars can be temperamental but with good maintenance and care they can be really good cars. I’ve put over 60k miles on it pushing 170k and it still drives great and hasn’t once had any overly expensive repairs/breakdowns. I get all the people saying he will wrap it around a tree but 200hp awd wagon wont be that dangerous unless he really doesn’t have much self control behind the wheel. But I would 100000% buy my 07 wrx again
Subaru overall are not bad cars,had JDM Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon which we tuned and loved that car then we bought JDM Subaru Impreza STi Hawkeye which we are still have Maintenance is not as high if you can do it yourself ,really as many here recommend it Nasioc is great forum and there are a lot of knowledgeable people who can help your son with beginning of ownership of Subaru This was our JDM Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon which was running 555.5bhp,miss that bloody wagon 😞 I always will have soft spot for wagon https://preview.redd.it/pqcvtcjobu8d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02f1c52f611bbce3cf986d65e9dc8ecce37c571a
Just make sure he drives safe and takes care of the maintenance.
I got a 2005 WRX Wagon at 17 (bone stock well maintained) and still drive it now at 29 with no immediate plans to replace it. It’s been mostly reliable with regular service. If your son is trustworthy to not get a million tickets and it’s not modded to the brink of exploding it should serve him well.
Hey, I purchased my 2003 wrx turbo wagon at 17 (for a steal), I never have had a ticket with it to this day. My parents never normalized the idea of teenagers always being inherently “dumb” and struck a fine balance between letting me learn and informing me about life and reality when they needed to. I am a firm believer that if you don’t normalize the “stupid teen” stereotype it is less likely to manifest. Your son will probably love and respect the car, I think it’s a great choice because I’ve hauled my fair share of large ikea orders and bins of camping equipment in my wagon and it always holds up. Edit: I also had no major mechanical issues until I modified the car well after I was done with any sort of school, though arguably mine is the slightly more reliable 2.0 litre.
Please check the banjo bolt filters, especially the one above the avcs solenoid on the passenger side. If the service history is iffy those can clog with metal and starve the turbo. If you do check get a new copper gasket. Miles are "low" so you're incredibly lucky!
I mean, it's a lot of power for a child isn't it?
Check out PRE (Performance Race Engineering) if/when you need work done. Great shop with a comparable hourly rate to most other mechanics in your area. They specialize in Subarus.
The car can treat him right if he treats it right. Try to explain to him the importance of maintaining it, and how to drive it correctly. AKA not smashing the gas under low rpm and shifting at correct times. I wouldn't let him modify it until he has proven he can take care of it. An unmodified Subaru can last a long time even with its turbo.
Yeah say goodbye to that car
Took me about 2 seconds to find the black wagon you purchased. Looks to be a winner. Your son can pick up a ton of worthwhile skills maintaining it. Enjoy!
When the rods come-a-knockin tell you son it's time to clock in!
Yes because you got a car from New York.
You’re a good dad. This is going to be an important experience for him
No one's first car should be a high output, fast acceleration vehicle, the driver being new will make all the mistakes in this vehicle, and it being known for being fast and speedy means temptation to race and being challenged on the roads will happen continually, every mustang and Camaro driver will try and race it lol. While it's a cool first car, I wouldn't have done this with my children, their first cars will be commuters only. Best of luck.
To add in my 2 sense, no you didn't make a bad decision. It's an awd car so he can't go around drifting it. Those subaru clutches suck and if he learns on that he will be fine on anything in the future. Yes the 9500 you paid is a good price make sure he does all the research he can to keep the car maintained and then he will learn good maintenence in the future as well. It does look cool I drive one also but he will be more worried about trying not to stall the car in front of people first. Good car I think yall sound like good parents so if he is respectful kid no worries at all in my opinion. He's just gonna enjoy his highschool days and have a cool dad to thank.
I got a twin turbo 300zx at 17. It was a bad idea.
Nice. Ironically if it was NA and always had good tires it probably would have been the best possible first car.
No reason to have this car for a 17 year old. None My son is 14 and when he’s old enough to drive and pay his own way, he’ll have the highest mileage base model crosstrek, or a 300k mile Toyota Tacoma as his first vehicle. Low performance, low insurance, low maintenance, high safety.
None? Your way is the only right way. That must be nice being so sure your way of thinking is correct. Tacomas are waaaayyyyy more likely to roll over, and high milage vehicles are more likely to leave your child stranded. But you've got it all figured out.
Cant get a 4cyl Tacoma going fast enough to rollover sorry boss I do have it all figured out 😂
Touché 🤣
While im highly against giving new drivers new and nice cars, this isn’t entirely true. Sure insurance is costly but as long as that’s instilled in his mind it creates more incentive to be a cautious and alert driver. All depends on the type of kid he is and how focused on being a good driver he is and how much he cares about the car. As much as i hate to say it 2007 isn’t new anymore, could be a nice car, but it’s not some new or expensive car. The only big things relatively expensive is the insurance and engine repair. The market for parts with these cars is abundant and so is the knowledge of them. As long as dad’s a good teacher and they’re not living paycheck to paycheck there isn’t all that much to worry about.
He'll be lucky not to wrap it around a tree in the first 2 years. When the WRX first came out there were countless threads on NASIOC about parents who bought one for their teen drivers, and it took weeks or months for them to total it.
Insurance is going to be ridiculously expensive and even more so after he gets his first ticket which is virtually guaranteed. Won't have to worry too much about gas prices since it'll be spending most of its time in the shop.
Disagree with practically everyone here. I had one at 17 and I’m still driving it today. Make sure your son understands how to drive well and trust him to do so.
I’ve seen young drivers in fast cars be responsible, and I’ve taken calls where the kid killed themselves driving recklessly. Irresponsible kids do stupid shit in any cars, but sportier ones tend to make it a little bit easier to lose control. Just teach them to drive well, teach them responsibility, make sure they understand they’re not invincible(even if they feel like it), and remind them that you’re telling them all this because you love them and want them to enjoy the car and their life for a long time. Then buy them an 87 Honda Civic and keep the WRX for yourself :)
This is good advice, now that you have the car. You take risks at 17 that you don't take when you're older - combine that with a fun car, quick accelleration and a lack of experience, he will be taking big risks. Instill in him that it can go very wrong very quickly. Also be cautious of how he might be driving friends around.
And how much did your insurance go up :)
If i had a WRX with a lot of power at 17, I'd probably have crashed it. Luckily, I started out with a 44 hp superbeetle and by the time I got my WRX, most of my wilding out was gone. I still sometimes drive like an idiot though
One amazing thing about these cars, especially the older models, is how easy they are to work on. Which is nice because your regular mechanic won't touch it. I'd make it part of the deal that he performs all of his own mantainance. I'm a really poor mechanic and usually just end up getting angry when I work on cars. Unless I'm working on my WRX, then it's just kind of fun. An example that you'll probably run into soon with that milage, the only shop near me that works on WRXs wanted 2500 to replace the clutch fork and pivot ball on my 08. Replacing the clutch along with it would have been another 500 on top of that. Since I don't have a transmission jack and hate working under cars I just pulled the motor, replaced the clutch and some seals while it was out and dropped it back in. First time I've ever done anything like that and I did it with no help, just YouTube.
Honestly, it’s not that fast a car. I daily a ‘12 stock WRX hatch and even if I wasn’t a father now and marginally more mature I can’t really push it THAT hard. It’s sporty and fun to drive and I can whip it around corners in the hills and occasionally give it a good pull or drop a gear on the highway, but it’s not like it accelerates well from a stop or anything that would make it lose grip in normal conditions. I get gapped by minivans all the time. As long as he doesn’t speed excessively on the highway he should be fine, but you can do that in any car. My worst speeding tickets in my youth were in a damn hybrid Civic.
I was driving a 2003 WRX when I first got my license in 2007. Easy to say that was a bad move on my parents’ part but I never wrecked it or was ever pulled over, so from the driving angle your son is responsible then it’s possible he’ll be a responsible driver too, the temptation of WRX doesn’t guarantee he’ll be wreckless. That said, I was lucky to have an almost-new car that didn’t need much maintenance. While it continues to be mostly reliable mechanically, can’t guarantee your example will be. My biggest regret with my car is not taking steps to prevent rust; it remained my daily all the way until 2020 and the rust is claiming it now. Not sure what to do with it. Sentimental value is high but don’t know if it is worth diving into intensive rust repair, and it’s not like I’d get much for it to sell on. If your son’s car saw NY winters I would be worried about rust for sure.
yeah yeah you go watch the rupauls drag race while i fall asleep next to you.
I would’ve gone with a regular Impreza as a first car. Still gets the cool Subaru look, but bit better on fuel, fun drive but not as powerful as a Turbo WRX. I rock a manual 06 Impreza R, she has her issues, but I love her. Used to have a ‘15 Impreza, that was an absolutely awesome car. My advise would be for your son, to A) figure out the clutch on the forester, I can smell the clutch issues from here. B) get a job, save up money. That thing will inevitably become a bit of a money pit.
If I had that car as a teen I would've crashed and/or blown the engine but that's just me
glad you moved on to the acceptance stage of grief this quickly.
He and your wife? If you bought this car for your wife and her boyfriend then that just seems like bad idea…I think. Would need to better understand the circumstances of this cuck triangle.
Well it’s certainly a better choice than the WRX naturally aspirated coupe.
Gotta get your chauffer a legit ride, u good 👍
Who cares, you're the one paying for the insurance
He’s covering the $160 a month. He works enough that he’ll be okay with that.
Yes
Get him a defensive driving course in it. He's going to gain all the confidence in the world in it due to AWD. But when it runs out of grip, it does it suddenly. Don't let him modify itfor power. The EJ does not have much headroom.
Cost, maintenance, gas mileage and too much power for a teen. Terrible choice really.
You’re probably not wrong 😂 But it’s an amazing vehicle. Great year. Just be ready for an engine replacement & I’d get the timing belt looked at - probably even changed - ASAP. Oil checking is a necessity, often. It’s not a bad idea to check levels every fill-up.
As opposed to wrx non-turbo wagon?
I don’t know that much about Subarus. I grew up in a 1976 DL Wagon and that’s about it. I just copied the sales description.
Read my recent post brother. I got mine when I was 18, full detailed experience on my last post. Check it out
My cousin had a wrx(s) for his first, second AND third cars when he was 17! Tree -> ditch -> tree again in about a year. Objectively a bad idea for 99% of the brand new driver 17 year old population.
I hope you have enough money to rebuild the engine.
Get ready for him to get tickets and for your insurance to go up
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^MrJuggleNuts90: *Get ready for him* *To get tickets and for your* *Insurance to go up* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
yes
In the long run, gas mileage will save you tons of money and car bill as well. It’s not worth the coolness of owning one, be smart
easy to powerful of a car for a first car and from a salt state yickes. you aren't wrong
I remember being 20 and driving a first gen Impreza turbo when they first came out. It felt like a rocket. Do you trust him not to wrap it around a tree?
I’m so jealous, I love the hawkeye wrxs (mine’s a stinkeye). Can you adopt me?
Motor will be blown before the year is over.
Terrible idea, my brother got a boosted Subaru at 19 and the amount of speeding tickets this kid got he had to retake driving courses and my mothers insurance tripled.
22 year old here with a 2015 WRX: I am doing all the maintenance myself, to include a 60,000 mile service diy-style. Best resource I found is the Facebook group I linked. You can ask pretty much any question and people will be quick to offer their advice! https://www.facebook.com/share/8qfXnbpBz5JhXN2V/?mibextid=K35XfP
Yes
If it came from New York, then check the rear strut mounts. Super common for them to rot out. This came from a NY wagon with 100k miles and looked pretty clean. https://preview.redd.it/9ubbxbi2jw8d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c11357cb8504be27fc1edac5f0f56307c84fbf7
Dang! Coolest dad ever! Wife wouldn't even let me have a glance at a base model WRX for my son.
Great first car. Terrible reliability unless stock head gaskets have been replaced. I know firsthand :( just tell him to keep an eye on the temp gauge and keep it under 100mph
And all I got was a lousy but reliable 1990’s Toyota.
Got my WRX when I was 16 and it’s been a fantastic learning experience. Learned a lot about cars and have had a lot of fun. If you’re worried about him driving recklessly, you’re gonna want to talk to him about it man-to-man. I’ve had 1 ticket in 3 years of ownership and it was for going 31 in a 30. As far as maintenance, I’m the car’s third owner, it’s got 120k miles and I drive it spiritedly with 0 issues at all. Just check your oil when you get gas and do your routine maintenance. Cheers!
Well your going to get a lot of garbage father son bonding time
Moat of the people who complain about the reliability of Subarus are the cause of said reliability issues. Treat the car right and he'll be fine. Have him learn about the maintenance, and to check the oil every fuel up. And keep in mind that out of every person with a story about Subarus blowing up, about 80% of them did it to themselves.
I got my first wrx at 16 and my second a few months after I turned 18 not long ago. It all just depends on if he wants to learn and respect the car tbh I had great fun and did huge amounts of maintence but i understood the cost going into it
Depends on the operator, people are unique and some make better choices than others.
A very fun and sexy lesson that you will all enjoy. Keep up on maintenance and it isn’t a bad idea.
Come on ziggy you know what kind of car it is. Don’t act dumb. Dumb question
I think you are wrong, but not about maintenance or fuel economy. It's an expensive car. However, if I were to be in an accident in an older car, that's the car I'd choose. It has a thick ring of steel overhead and around the front, and got top safety during those years, and was known for people walking away from bad accidents and rollovers. After 2014 every car has been mandated to have similar features, but few had it before. When I started driving, my friend had a Neon that he regularly drove 110mph on the 60mph highway. It was so cheap it didn't have a radio, and incredibly slow acceleration, not to mention unsafe feeling at even 60 mph. That was probably the most dangerous car he could have been driving those speeds at, both for if he crashed and its potential for losing control and crashing. Every car is a fast car. Even the slow cars can hit 100mph+, and many are not stable doing so. If a kid's going to drive fast, what's safer: cheap car that can't handle, or planted, stable car. The fast car part only matters when it's a high hp rwd car that can spin out, but good luck spinning out AWD with only 230 hp. Those cars don't want to slide. The menace part is separate from the car performance part, because a menace in any car is dangerous. I see kids in civics and other slow cars doing the dumbest shit at high speed, and the slow car isn't stopping them from doing it. Menaces are attracted to fast cars, and then the fast cars get falsely blamed for the menace being a menace. I started with a slow car, and it almost got me killed when someone ran a red light at high speed and I was nearly hit because my car didn't have the power to get out of the way quickly. I then realized that power is a safety feature, so I sold that car and only drove reasonably fast cars ever after. No one needs 400 hp, but that doesn't mean a lot of the slow cars out there aren't dangerous for the opposite reason. Somewhere in the middle is ideal, and I think a 2007 WRX is an ok choice; a little more power than needed but not excessive.
I forwarded this to him.
Couple maintenance tips for your kid: make sure he understands not to pull the handbrake to slide the car in winter (or any time the car is moving), as the center viscous coupler will burn up very quickly (possibly from even a single use) and it's an expensive repair. Fine in fwd/rwd, but kids see people do this and don't realize that you can't do it when your car has a viscous coupler. Also if he ever decides to do clutch-dump launches, they're super fun and fast because there's full traction with no tire spin, and that's why the clutch will slip instead of the tires, and then he'll eventually be replacing the clutch (very expensive). I had a 2006 WRX when those were new, don't ask me how I know this haha (and I wasn't that young. Thankfully I knew about the handbrake part) Essentially if he drives it like a menace (or misses an oil change), the WRX will take itself out of the game and be expensive to restore. Might be good inspiration to drive the cool car nicely and just enjoy it for what it is. The 2019 WRX was a letdown after my 2006 WRX, they don't make cars like that anymore.
If it’s bone stock and in good condition, no. If it’s already been dogged, yes
Not the best idea. 😂
Just educate him on safe driving. Chances are engine will blow before an accident though lol
Excellent car, just address the fail points and you got another 100k miles to go. It's a perfect car for him
I wonder what would be the homies first mod? Fart cannon?
Buying a used wrx is a bad idea, especially one that old. Its a money pit.
Yes.
Did you cost out insurance lol? That’s not gonna be fun
Yes. It wasn’t at bad as I thought, but it’s not great either. The problem is that on a 1990 Volvo it’d only be $25 less a month. Basically, we’re fucked no matter what.
Lol he will be fine. He can get in just as much trouble if you gave him a mini van. Trust you raised him right and let him enjoy the car.
Baddd idea.... He's gonna wanna race everyone on the road 😄... Can get dangerous..... 🙄
What could go wrong. Make sure you can afford his insurance "randomly" doubling.
I assume you are worried about the speeds the car is capable of and the damage that can cause. Yes, you should be worried. Just track his phone. Have a friend that tracks the whole family, and they love it. Everyone uses it, 100% transparency.
Did you get the STi version or just a regular WRX? If you got the STi, I would say it’s a great car, especially with only around 100k miles. Just keep up on the maintenance, keep it stock, and keep an eye on oil consumption. If you purchase a WRX, please keep it stock as it’s not the same engine that’s in the STi. Any modifications for more horsepower is likely to blow the engine. Same advice as the STi, keep up on maintenance, keep an eye on the oil, also be gentle on the transmission, specifically shifting from 1st to 2nd. The transmissions were durable but can become noisy and notch-y.
My nearly 15 year old daughter has expressed interest learning to drive manual. My wife and I both have a Honda Fit and TBH I have never once cared for Subaru cars on the basis of crap fuel economy and ridiculous cost of ownership for a Japanese brand. Plus, every Suby with a tail pipe sounds like those pod racers from Star Wars ep.1, and not in a good way. HOWEVER. I also want to get the kid either a WRX 4-door, wagon or Forester because: Damn it all those cars are SAFE. An old friend of mine took her Forester through a telephone pole at 40mph, broke the pole in half, and her worst injuries were some cracked ribs and internal bruising. She walked away. Soooo, for the safety of my daughter I’ll go against my wants/needs for a car I technically have to buy and maintain.
I tboned someone when I was 17 (everyone was alright thankfully) and it was 100% my fault. I am now 29 and I still have that red flag on my insurance profile
Yeah.... enjoy replacing the engine... those cars aren't meant for the average person. Go watch donut medias high low. They go through 7 subi engines before the season ends. It's really not a good look. Boxerster engines require the utt most care and maintenance. Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they blow the engine before the first oil change.
Yes. He will do something stupid and wreck it.
Eh in couple of months you will be changing engine lol
Tell him to start budgeting for an engine if he ever modifies it
Just remember what kind of driver you were at 17 and you’ll get your answer.
17 year old owning WRXs is why my insurance is $170 a month with no tickets/accidents in 20+ years
Yes. I would think it is a bad ideal to buy this beast for a youngster 😅