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To an '05+ LGT from an '00 RS. Thoughts? Who's done it?


Siper2

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Now I know there's been similar threads in here, there are in every car forum. :D I did a couple searches and didn't see anything though, so here we go.

 

(Yes I'm aware of the FAQs and "New Members'" threads, etc. :) I'm not really new, just don't post much.)

 

I have an '00 RS ... that I'm thinking of selling in order to buy an '05+ LGT. There's a couple I'm looking at in here, a couple elsewhere. I've mostly made up my mind about which I like best.

 

I'm weighing my choices, right now. Looking for some opinions, mature or otherwise. :D Here's my pro/con list thus far.

 

PROS to buying an LGT

Newer

Safer

Bigger

Possibly a wagon (and I looooove wagons and hatchbacks!!)

Arguably better-looking

Possibly still under warranty

FASTER

Power mods do much more than RS ones do

Better OE brakes

Payments wouldn't be bad

 

CONS to selling my 2.5RS

I paid it off in '04 (first owner)

No major problems (yet)

I love it since I've put so much into it

Swap potential

 

 

That's the major stuff. Let's talk costs. Like I said, I own my RS outright. Assuming good-to-excellent condition, KBB values it at $6300-6800. Not counting any mods that an enthusiast may consider valuable (STi suspension & parts, very high-quality audio). A nice used LGT, '05-'06, let's say $17-20K, aiming for the low end.

 

I'd end up with a ~$10K loan, after kicking in a little extra myself. The basic math on a 5-year would be $166/mo., not including interest. So right around $200/mo. is my guess. For comparison, my RS brand new was $21K and for 4 years, at $400/mo. at 7% APR. My wife's '01 OB LL Bean wagon we got in '05 for $14K and change, that's $260/mo. (about half paid off).

 

My credit is north of 800, so that's not a worry. Long story short, the decision is mine, but I'm a 10-year vet of car forums and highly value the opinions of what are basically my peers. :) We are a two-income family (no kids yet), though my wife is a doctor who worked for a couple people after graduation, and opened her own place a year ago. Right now we're building it, and living 90% off of my income (which is median).

 

She contributes when needed, but our goal is to put most of her money back into the business loan and savings. As it grows, she can afford to take more out. I don't think buying a car is going to hurt us, I'm just not really antsy about car payments again.

 

Thing is, I'm planning on a swap, but living on my income alone doesn't really allow me to put say $500/mo. aside. I was hoping to be ready this year, but we've been busy. I love my RS, but it's a Northeast car, with some underbody rust and stuff, and a couple minor paint/rust blemishes. Still, I know it'll need paint within a couple years. I know I'll need a swap to keep me happy, and that's $4K for an EJ205 if I do it on my own (which would take forever), or $6K at ECS, Area1320, etc. swap shop.

 

Or...

 

There's the LGT. Which I've admired since '05. It's bigger, it's prettier, it's got more balls than my RS would, even POST-swap. A wagon would be enough to carry a ton of stuff around in, and then we'd have TWO wagons. Plenty... more than plenty. I want a truck, but I wouldn't need one as soon. And as we all know, turbo mods to a **lot** more than N/A ones do. For less cost, to-scale.

 

So! What say you? I don't want payments, but all considered, paying what I estimate to be less than half of what my RS cost for four years, is a pretty decent price for all I'd get, with an LGT (particularly with a Limited). And as things ramp up for us, we can pay the cars off much faster than the term of the loan.

 

Mods. Short answer: hell yes. :D My considerations for "immediately" are a nice catback (considering Prodrive, Cobb, Autospeed... Leonardo is trying to talk me into a GReddy...!...), Subaru Sport grille, Hawk HPS pads (if needed), and appropriate tires. The rest to follow, like possibly a Cobb AP as the "New Members" thread suggests.

 

Like I said, just pokin' for opinions. Obviously the RS25 guys say no, mostly, since it's a 2.5RS club. Here, well you can figure it out. :D But that's the idea, just to talk!

 

=S2=

RS25.com - Moderator

NASIOC.com - Scooby Guru

 

 

EDIT 9/4/08: I'm back. :D And I've found an '05 that may be mine, soon. See post #61...

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My only advice would have been to buya a good maintained used LGT, but since you are thinking about tha talready, then you are on the riht track. Let someone else pay for the depreciation.

 

X

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Yeah I always lean toward private sales on forums, as it's a much better chance of getting a car that's been cared for. If it's been raced, you know it because you post with these people. :p

 

One thing I don't want to give up is the aftermarket audio, since LGTs are so tough to do new head units with. But, the factory 6-disc is nice, and I can swap out speakers for starters. Already have them picked out. ;)

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I personally wouldn't buy a used turbo car of any type. If the previous owner slacked at all on the maintenance or performed some ill-advised modifications, you could be buying a bag of snakes.

 

If I were in your situation, I would save up a bit more or take on slightly higher payments and go for a new WRX - maybe even a leftover 07 (although the 08 is nicer IMO and more like the Legacy).

 

Also, check www.nada.com for the value of your RS, KBB's trade in values are always extremely low.

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OP: IMHO, if you have a nice car that is paid off and still runs well, I would keep it. You could easily do a engine swap and make that RS faster than any LGT could ever be.

 

LGT's are nice, I love mine, but in your situation, you would be better off keeping your RS. Thats just my 2 cents.

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The cars I'm looking at are mostly stock, if not completely. All service records, mostly done at dealerships.

 

I checked NADA for my RS and it was actually quite a bit less than KBB.

 

They may be mostly stock now... You have no way of knowing what modifications were performed and then removed. It just seems too easy to do long-term damage to a turbo car.

 

This is the first I've heard of nada offering a lower value for trade in than kbb. NADA is a true average of what dealers are allowing for a given vehicle in a given region so is typically fairly accurate but I would try to use the higher kbb value to my advantage if I were you.

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Yeah much better. Stock was 10.7" front (dual-piston, vented) and rear was 10.3" (single-piston, solid). I upgraded them to 11.4" rotors front ('02-'05 WRX) and 11.3" rear ('00-'04 Legacy). It requires only the appropriate caliper brackets and rotors. Very common Impreza upgrade.

 

 

eles1,

Well as I mentioned I think, there's one that's a member here. Car's still under warranty as well, and I like Extended warranties so I'd probably pick one up from Subaru.

 

Your concern is very genuine and understood, just saying that, though any used car is a risk, I've done the best homework I can. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Haha. I've loved the new LGTs since they first came out. They're big but they don't look it. I've always loved hatchbacks and wagons, so.... it'd be great for me. I would miss my car, but probably not for long. :D
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Sounds like you're past the impreza part of your life now, which happens. This forum is no stranger to Impreza run-off. That said, expect a few things:

 

1. Your 2.5RS from your description is not good-excellent condition if it needs new paint and has some underbody rust. You should be considering marginal-good condition instead. No well researched consumer or dealer is going to pay a price in/near the 'excellent' bracket for a car that is going to need some work.

 

2. You're right about the sound, although there are solutions. Cleansweep is one possibility, you can also put a headunit in the cubby. Personally in my LGT I put a sub in a stealthbox in the trunk and then replaced all the speakers with polk 650s and put dynamat in the doors. That made a world of difference, the car is so much better now that I have a better sound system. The factory HU isnt perfect, but this makes it much better.

 

3. The extra space will do you well. This is a definite upgrade for you, and the legacy platform will give you extra mod potential when you decide to go that route. The legacy also gives you room as your family goes, which may or may not might be in your future (down the road some albeit). Its a safer car which is nice all around too. Plus a $166 payment isnt much at all.

 

4. Expect your NASIOC buddies to not give a damn about your legacy, regardless of mods. They're never interested in us when we see them at meets. To each his own, obviously we prefer our platform, and they prefer theirs, just making you aware that your scene might change (depending on how involved you are, anyway).

 

Good luck to you, and let us know what you end up doing!

Go Cardinals!

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I could care less what NASIOC thinks, I don't hang there much anymore. I spend most of my time on RS25, where I'm a Mod anyway. NASIOC got too full of cocky trust-fund babies who own STIs at 17. I'm too genuine a person to deal with keyboard warriors out to make the place feel like high school all over again.

 

So, I cut back my NASIOC time quite a bit. RS25 is a weird niche of people who are still in love over the GC/GM/GF bodystyle, but mostly are a polite, objective crowd who can appreciate *any* good car (or, well, Subaru :D ).

 

 

As for my RS, "needs paint" is a tough call. I think it does, because it has some chips and two very small rust spots. And I know that Subaru's paint is thin and I'd like to have it repainted. But, compared to a neglected 7-year-old car, which was never washed, vacuumed or waxed and has faded paint and parts missing, the car's in tremendous shape. It's clean but has typical wear-and-tear for a Northeast car. Underbody rust happens when you drive on salt.

 

 

As of right now I'm still considering a couple of LGTs that I like. However a house that my wife and I were looking to buy a few months ago, recently was relisted for less money. We're thinking of making an offer, and if we do buy the house, a car purchase takes the back seat.

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