NEVER BUY A CAR AT NIGHT! Have Car Inspected Hi, I am looking to buy a car and it just so happens a friend of my dads is selling his Subaru Impreza RS 2.5L MY02 Manual Sedan. Go on, scratch that itch. The early engines can suffer from bottom end failure if they’re been neglected and driven hard, while the later units tend to suffer with piston slap, but it all depends on the service history: Nik says he’s encountered engines which have started to sound rattly at 50,000 miles but also units which have been fine at 140,000. We’re giving away the Subaru Impreza Series One Turbo 2000 AWD pictured at TRAX Silverstone this October 6! Things to look for - 04 Impreza GX Wagon. Power came from a 2.2-liter boxer engine that generated a 135 horsepower. Are you thinking about buying a Subaru? 59 60 61. 5 things to do before purchasing your used Subaru: 1. TOP SPEED:   137 mph The size of the engine enabled a better fuel efficiency. By Alisdairsuttie / … Call Subaru of America 4. If possible, bring a mechanic buddy with you or get it checked out by a shop. The age of the units these days means that head gaskets are often past their best, but replacement can often reveal other problems related to the age of the castings, like stripped studs and cracked heads. The Impreza was given stick by contemporary road testers for its hard, shiny plastics and unadventurous ‘generic Japanese minicab’ interior styling but the trade-off is that those hard shiny plastics were durable in the extreme. It takes a fair bit of abuse to wreck the interior of one of these cars, so if you find a tatty one then assume it’s had a hard life. When it comes to modified cars, it all goes out of the window and it’s really an unknown quantity, depending on the state of tune and the way it’s been driven and serviced. While the first of Subaru's homologation hot-rod were unobtainable for the first decade of production, the STI now has more than a decade's history in the US. There was no additional cladding, no elevated ride height, just a 2-tone paint job, an upgraded interior and Outback badges. Look for rust behind the plastic undertrays on hawk-eye models. At the end of the day always buy the Impreza on condition not mileage. We’re giving away the Subaru Impreza Series One Turbo 2000 AWD  pictured at TRAX Silverstone this October 6! Be sure to also examine the tires. Most Subarus run timing belts that require replacing evry 100,000kms this job combined with the replacement of the water pump is a pricy service item so when looking at a second hand subaru take note of the milage on it and if its close to any of 100,000, 200,000 ect then you will have to budget for the replacement of this is the future.The second item in the ‘you should know about” catagory is the … In 2002 Subaru decided to import their newest Impreza which was the GD body style "bugeye" which has become quite a cult favorite in the… If the car came from a snowy state, odds are that it will have a lot of visible corrosion underneath. Unless you want a project though, it’s probably best to walk away from these and budget on around £4000 upwards for which you should be able to bag a nice standard example. The question gets asked repeatedly on numerous car forums around the net, "I want to buy a Subaru Wrx what things should I look for when buying them ? " The chassis legs are designed to crumple and as such are easily distorted so need checking. The result is an engine running too lean under boost and before long a damaged or melted piston. Karen Czajkowski Answered . This is the easy part. These are all things that you need to make sure to ask about and look into before you purchase the car. Archive View Return to standard view. This checklist is provided in good faith by the site members. 2019-11-30 18:59:02 2019-11-30 18:59:02. If you've been thinking about buying one, you probably should. Subaru Impreza WRX and STI: PH Buying Guide Want a 'proper' four-door or wagon Impreza but want something more modern than the classic? Elsewhere, leaky cam covers can also cause a burning smell. That of course is with a standard engine. Once you look under the hood, you’ll see that the Impreza has a flat-four 2.0L engine which allows for 28% reduced friction and a more efficient power as a result of refinements and lighter pistons. Subaru. I am interested in buying a blob eye Impreza Wagon. You can enter to win it here. You can enter to win it here. Successful sales convinced Subaru they were on to something, so in 1996 the Outback gained a taller ride height, more aggressive tires, oversized fog lights and gray lower body c… Overspray on window rubbers suggests crash repairs, as does wrinkled metal under the bonnet. What should I look for when buying a used Subaru Impreza? Service records are nice, make sure reg oil changes were done. Buying the sensible performance saloon which gave the Cosworth a run for its money. Buying heavily modified examples can be a bit of minefield so it's best to get these looked at by a Subaru Tuning Specialist who can advise you accordingly. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. If you guys could come up with some things that would be very helpful. Have various service records with various parts replaced. 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