Ok, gone full circle and am looking at Subie again...here's some thoughts

[tuco]

A while back I had posted a lengthy message on my experience with testing the RSX and WRX (diff. username though). Anyhow, am in need of replacing my leased vehicle soon and took another look at the Subie...but this time I left with a feeling of Holy Chit...I'm kind of digging this car.

For starters, the sales guy at Renneck in Fullerton, CA is an idiot (maybe because he was also a Caddie sales guy too). But my initial impression with the Subie was with the poor seating. I felt like I was on the floor and tilted back...yet everyone in the mags always said the seats were awsome. Well drove one last week at the Irvine dealer and whatdaknow! The f'n seat has a lever to raise it. What a difference. Also, the Rennick one had a short shift kit and there just had to be something wrong with it as it was very notchy. The Irvine one only had a shift knob and no kit...and I didn't have as much of problem of slipping into gear.

So here I am with the brochure on my desk...but am having a problem with buying a new one as I looked at used prices online over the weekend and you can get an '02 for $18k!!!! Damn that's a lot of loss for just one year. Checked with the dealer and if you lease, the residual is 50% (pretty low...even most GM junk is 52% or so).

So the question to the group, I'm seriously thinking of getting a used one and wanted to get some input on items to look for during the inspection? Also, what's the group's take on getting one that has been modified. My first impression is that if it's been tweaked, it probably has been run hard.

Finally, when doing the test drive at the Irvine dealer, I had the sales guy asking me who my insurance provider was (this was a first) and he proceeded to tell me how recently a customer had totaled a WRX. I guess they were doing about 100 and wrecked (don't know if they hit someone). Anyhow, I guess the sales person has been fired, the dealer is suing the customer, and of course the customer is suing the dealer.

T.