Wising up and ditching the KIA

[01SpectraGSX]

I've been looking at a few 02-04 WRX's in the area and have decided that I'm going to ditch the KIA before it gives me trouble. All I know is that the WRX has a boxter 4 cylinder, 227 factory crank hp and takes premium fuel. If anyone has anything else to inform me about (good or bad) pls let me know. I want to be as informed as possible before I make a purchase. Thanks in advance.

[BKgen®]

Hang on to the Kia for a while and pick up an '09 Hyundai Genesis Coupe when it comes out next year.

[itsnotarex]

Stay away from the 02 if you plan on modding it as the transmissions are weak. Some 03 models have beefed up gearsets as they changed partway through the model year, but make sure to check if the car you're buying has them.

All 02-04s are 2.0L and there are lots of mods available. All subaru 5 spds are somewhat fragile so take that into consideration. When I say somewhat fragile I mean don't launch it, and 300-350whp may be too much for it. If you mod lightly (downpipe, tune, ic, etc) and don't drive like an idiot you'll generally be fine in an 04. If the car shows signs of being driven hard don't buy it as it'll give you trouble (transmission grinds or doesn't want to go into gear normally...car hops or binds around tight corners. Reverse is always hard in a subie...so disregard that.).

Also, these cars go through tires faster than normal...just fyi. Also, if you bust one tire after more than 10,000 miles you'll have to replace all 4 to avoid screwing up your differentials as tire diameters must all be within a certain tolerance.

Also, don't put an aftermarket BOV on them. it's terrible for the car unless you tune for it.

PM me if you have any other questions. GL! :)

[90_ACCORD]

yeah i think anyone could have told you to get rid of a kia
not to be hating on you or anything but you can do better

WRX would be nice as hell
go for it

[mocha latte cupcake]

YEAH what he said ^^^

wrxy's are sexy... but just keep it all in mind... they are some what.... "particular" and trust me you'll know the difference in driving a HEALTHY wrx and a BEAT THE CHIT out of wrx..

[Alan®]

id keep it simply because of gas at this point.

[slostang]

scoobys have been prone to tranny problems...

[JITB]

get a MS6

[Alan®]

^^^X2

[BlkCD5]

wise choice. My friend has a 04 spectra and as of right now the gas door handle lever broke and an door actuator went out. When she took it to the dealership, they said they couldn't help her. One shop i was in, i overheard them preparing to do a brake job on that kia minivan. The cost of repairing it turned out to be more than the car's value. :screwy:

[csmiths]

idk ive heard mixed emotions about subys. i love them to death, but i just dont want to get stuck with one of the ones that is problem prone.

[atlxpat]

wrx transmissions are limited to ~300whp but sti transmissions are almost unbreakable. tq #'s atleast for the 06-07 are underrated from the factory, 06 wrx made 205whp and 247wtq at batlground the other month. Test drive one and see if you like it, good luck

[yerrow]

scoobys have been prone to tranny problems...


scooby's are known to have owners that abuse the tranny's by dropping clutches and slamming gears.

[slostang]

scooby's are known to have owners that abuse the tranny's by dropping clutches and slamming gears.


and tranny problems.

[scottyb]

can you afford the gas? in all seriousness, in comparison to your kia you are going to hurt at the pump unless you travel highway constantly. insurance will also be high.

otherwise they are pretty stout cars besides what others have said -- the tranny just can't handle being treated like you're trying to break it, so don't do that. they are nice, fairly simple cars with a huge aftermarket and huge community. they're also practical and sound sweet as hell. world rally blue is one of the best colors ever btw.

good luck, do your research.

[JITB]

is there anything wrong with the kia?

[01SpectraGSX]

No, nothing wrong with it. Just want an upgrade. Have always wanted a WRX.

[01SpectraGSX]

Well, I thought about the WRX and I'd really rather have an EVO. Of course they are a little bit more pricey then the earlier WRX's so I ll wait till the price of them goes down. In the meantime I got a 2005 Saturn Ion Redline. It is chili red with Recaro seats. It's pretty quick (coming from someone that drove a Kia...LOL)