Ok... heres my ordeal:
I'm about [ ] that close to buying a WRX.... But i've been doing alot of thinking about getting it, or keeping the max, fixing the tranny by putting in a 5th gen tranny, and then turboing it in a few months....
Sooo, my question for you is: WHAT WOULD YOU DO???
1.Fix the tranny in your max, and turbo it, along with a good bit of other mods
OR
2.Buy a WRX STI for around 31,000, and have a 72 month loan to pay off???
I mean, i've been driving one for about 3 days now, and its just freaking incredible, and I know I can never get the max to handle like it, or even like my old RX7... But I could get it to go ALOT faster than the STI for ALOT less money...
Let the rambling and all the opinions begin!!!

 

... too much debt for me ... I'd stick with the Max.

 

yeh, u may enjoy it now, but wen u gotta start paying that loan and interest off its gonna suk. take the money and make the max handle as best it could and run as fast as it could. plus, at the track the guy in the other lane expects a fight out of the wrx, i u got a fast max u can surprise em.

 

My opinion...

Go with the WRX. I would. Why spend the money swapping out a transmission and then supercharging a 9 year old FWD car? Not only does it raise reliability issues, but really how much longer do you honestly plan on keeping the Maxima.

Spend the $ and go with the car that stock is already head and shoulders above a decently modded maxima without any real reliability issues.

I like my Max, but my vote is for WRX.

 

stay with the max....you will be better off not owing any money..then owing it in the future. anything could happen.

 

WRX>Maxima Hands down a far superior car. If you can afford to drive a WRX without having to live on just cereal and air for the next 6 yrs, go for it. If not, just live with the max for a few more yrs. That's what I'm doing with mine. Just living with it til I can afford a real turbo charged car. Since I'm stuck with it, I'm doing a few mods to keep me entertained, but nothing serious.

 

You could buy a used wrx, like a 2003 with very low miles for a lot less than 31 grand, Thats what i would do.

 

Well depending on how much you make a year- If you make 80k+ then I'd say WRX it. Otherwise I'd say keep the Max stock and save more for cash down on the WRX. 9 year mark, I'd say the Max is going to start to have problems- one right after the other (bang, bang, bang). A new car is nice- its got a warranty, and a warranty...

 

if you got the money, get the sti.

 

lol is this a question??

sell the pos grandma car and get a real fawkin car. dont spend your money on a garbage *** 4 door fwd non turbo. compared to brandnew dont have to worry about anything awd TURBO BABBY. no point in turboing out this old max. plus they dont hold boost well past 10lbs... not even 8.

GET THE STI, Equals, fun and biches homie

i soo badly want a new car bro, i mean with this car shiets always happening to it, i just want something i could put gas in and drive and not worry about anything.

if your trannys gone what makes you think everything else on the car wont go?

most ppl who buy new cars lease them anyways so go for it homie!!


btw enjoy life and have fun, its time to move on.. i know i will

 

Ultimately he's going to end up spending a lot of money to get his Max to the level of the STi. Hate to say it but his Max is at least 6 years old. The Max is bound to have more problems as the mileage increases and the money he would have to spend could end up costing as much as the WRX. Also, he'll be paying the loan over 72 months which can't to "TOO" bad. So WRX hands down!

 

i think the wrx is ugly as sh*t the max looks better,and you can spend some money doing a 3.5 engine swap and 2000+ tranny swap . and who cares how old the max get. just keep modding it and keep it as a classic even. i plan on having my max as long as i can (meaning until i die or it gets totaled,or stolen,or if a alien comes down and says hey i like your max and takes it )

 

Do you ever plan on owning your own home/condo/whatever, or would you just rather be car poor for the rest of your life? You can't afford the WRX so forget about it. And forget about turboing your 96 Max. Just fix the tranny (it shouldn't be shot at 60K), do whatever required maintenance there is, and quit driving it like you don't own a bolt in it before you break something else.

If you quit abusing your car, it will last for years to come. There are .orgers with 200K+ more on their 4th Gens than you and they're still going strong.

Just my $0.02.

 

keep the max. get the wrx and become a homing beacon for hwy patrol.

 

I'm sure I drive my car way harder than most people on here and I have over 3 times the miles you have on your '96 and my tranny is still intact. you are doing something wrong. fix the maxima and sell it so that you don't ruin it any further and buy a WRX. If you have to question owning the maxima and modding it then you shouldn't own it.

 

Disagree, the max will never handle, brake, or outperform the STI. With a ton of money, lot's of headaches, and countless hours wrenching, the max can be pretty fast, I admit. A max could become as fast as an STI, but you add 5k to the STI, and the max will never be able to touch it. In short, if you have the money, get the STI! Boost with a warranty, you can't beat that!

 

It's evident he doesn't have the money or he wouldn't be financing it over 6 years. What is the car going to be worth then? Continue to operate the Maxima until you have some serious walking around money, then reconsider your options. By that time you will have grown out of the WRX and may in fact have more worthwhile priorities.

 

^^^ That's not what he's asking DAD. I know you're trying to look out for him, but his finacial situation is irrevelant to his question.

 

Then he would be better off buying a 2 or 3 year old car with an extended warranty and let somebody else take the big hit on depreciation! A WRX might be fast, but how comfortable are they cruising on an extended highway trip? And his Maxma only has 60K on it. I have a 95SE, 5-speed, with 59K on it and it looks and rides like it did when it was new. A fool and his money are soon parted, lol!

 

Thats an excellent point.

I know for myself I will always keep the max, but plan to hold onto it until I have some nice bank, and then purchase another car. Sit down and work it out if you can afford the payments and insurance with still having money left over at the end of the month then go for it. I would say fix the max and sell for extra change. Get an org member to helo you install a new tranny, you'll save a lot more than going to any shop.

Plus once you upgrade that exhaust from 2.5 to 3" you'll see a nice jump in performance. (I dont know why subaru put such restrictive piping on there )

 

If you can swing it, get the STI and keep the Maxima as your project/toy/track car. That's gives you a plan B if the STI ever breaks....Maybe scale back the turbo and tranny swap to smaller stuff until your $$ are right so you can do it properly when the time comes...

 

I'm not sure if its will all subaru dealerships but they give you a year free with your local scca club. So you can go tracking it with you new subaru for free if desired.

 

Have you looked at the Lancer EVO? It's not as funny looking as the WRX. Or, you could get a 3.5 to go with that tranny and turbo.

 

The new ploy dealerships do is let you keep the car a few days, 98% of people they do this to buy the vehicle. You start falling in love with it and you won't want to let it go. When you get this car you will want new wheels, then you will want more boost, upgraded intercooler, carbon fiber hood, coilovers, catbacK exhaust, all this on top of a $460 month payment for about 6 years, that can get old real quick, especially if you won't have enough money to mod. You're in NC so insurance isn't as killer as up further up north but still you have to(are supposed to) carry full coverage, depending on age you are looking at $120+ a month.
Sooo $700 a month car and insurance, after 6 years thats about $40,200 vs.
Tranny fix, turbo kit,carbonfiber hood and probably K sport coilovers thats about $8400, 1/5th the cost of the STI. I would keep the max. Our VQ engines can be had on ebay for about $400. If you are worried about boost, go to redlinemax.com and read up on the world's fastest max and see what the vq boosted AND juiced at the same time can take.

 

you dont have the money for an STI....72 months!??

go buy a 5.5th gen instead...probably close to the same to the wheels.

i think STIs make like....240whp...not so sure...and the 5.5th gens make ;ike 220??

im talking about the 3.5 6spd....correct me if im wrong fellas.


anyways...gas is better too and besides you won't get people wanting to race you all the time...trust me...it gets really old.

 

Ok, bobo...
Look.
1. you don't know who I am.
2. I have a different look at things: I'm going into a 4 year mechanics program. 2 years of Automotive Systems Technology certification, then going into a program to get my ASE certification.
3. I'm getting my dealers license through the help of a good family friend who owns River City Auto( one of the most profitable used car lots in Penn.)
4. I may be getting a 60-72 month loan to pay for it because I don't have that much cash up front to pay for it, but I have a friend at performance Subaru in the finance department that is going to be getting me an ultimately unbeatable finance rate. I plan on paying the loan off in less than the actual loan to A. get a good credit report earlier in my life. B. Have a reliable car, with a warranty, PAID OFF before I leave college, so that I will have ZERO debt and reliable, fast, and fun transportation, so that I can buy a house.
You don't know my life plan, nor do you know how much money I make right now, or will make in the next 4 years.
Lastly, don't you EVER tell me I abuse my cars. This is my 6th car, not because they broke, but because every time I sell a car I make ALOT of profit because I know how to find a deal, and sell it right. My first maxima had 180K miles and when I owned it there was nothing wrong with it except it needed some CV axles. I've owned an RX-7 and done a complete S5 swap in it, and basically made it an NA beast. Went to a supra, put a fully built 7MGTE in it, threw on a Garret 60 trim turbo, and sold it for over 4k what I bought it for.
None of these cars broke down on me, and I did all the building to them myself. There is nothing I did to this max to make the transmission go bad, so don't you tell me I abuse my cars.

Everyone else, thanks for your input... I'm still trying to decide what i'm gonna do...
I'm looking into a base WRX, 02-04, and modding it a little bit... but who knows....I might end up staying in the maxima community

 

How about this option.

Pay less, and get a used, low mileage, Infiniti G35 6-speed Coupe? Just a thought...

 

Also.. I didn't say I could make the max handle like the STI... that is almost impossible in my mind.. hahaha
But I can make it go faster in a straight line... it'd be expensive, and probably really unreliable, but I could do it non the less
0-60 in 4.6, and skid pad numbers that are incredible, and a 1/4 mile times that are in the 12's.....man

 

Cus I need a 4 door to be able to fit my drum set in the car.... Trust me, I test drove an SRT-4, EVO VIII, G35C, 350Z, RX-8, and STI... For my needs, reliability factors, and downright, straight from the factory power.. the STI came out way ahead.
The EVO's not an option because I don't want to own a Mitsubishi because that company is in a bad rut, and not to mention their engines are no where nearly as reliable as Scoobies...

 

Mdeezy- I will have a little over 175 a month left over after insurance, car payments, and a few other expenses after the end of every month... With that I would plan on doing basic exhaust on leaving it at that, because the STI is incredible fast as it sits now.

 

Don't single me out, several people have told you not to buy the car, with affordability being the main reason. The reason I suggested you beat on the car was because I haven't heard of anyone losing a tranny at 60K before.

I was merely broaching the subject of home ownership because that should be a priority, particularly as you say you are going to college. What does a dealer's licence have to do with anything? I have seen the fact pattern you are demonstrating play itself out many a time, leading to one being car poor,

If you don't want to take my advice so be it. But just remember "denial" is not a river in Egypt!

 

yeah I would say stick with the max, dont go to the dark side Luke

 

What about saving for your home down payment? Where did that go? Ask anyone over 30, what they would do in your situation given you are just going off on a 4-year program and I bet you 90% plus would say forget the new car. But oh no, you want the feedback of a group of people under age 25. I'm sure I'm going to be flamed for this one, lol!

What does your girlfriend think about all this? How much are you going to spend on her at the end of the month?

 

I feel like everybody else. If you really feel that you will be happy paying all that dough then go ahead. I would personally worry more about getting a house as you said than a faster car.

 

no reason to single Bobo out after all the title of your thread does say '...all opinions welcome!'


and there is my opinion.

 

What I would like to know is what his parents think about him buying a new car when he is just embarking on a 4-year educational program?

No parent, relative or friend (over the age of 30) with any common sense would encourage him to do that at this stage of the game, given his earning power hasn't even started to ramp up yet.

Again just my $0.02.

 

My 2 cents:

Financially it just doesn't make sense to buy the STI.

However,

Sometimes you learn from your mistakes. Yes, you will get many hours/years of joy driving the STI, BUT there is always the chance that somewhere along the way you find the payment hard to make, or end up wishing you had never bought it.

Without a doubt, when you are a little older, maybe around 30 and perhaps married or have kids, you will look back and enjoy those memories, but realize that it was not the financially sound thing to do.

When making decisions like this, try to keep your emotions out of it. Sometimes being practical is no fun, so you have to bend the rules a little. In this particular case I am with all those who vote against the purchase.

It's good to see you are thinking about your future and are planning to get a good education.

Cheers and best of luck, whatever you decide.

 

Mike - heres my humble opinion. As quickly as you change your mind about things (which isnt bad) i think you going to get several months into this payment and want something else - and then your stuck w/ at least 6 YEARS of payments. This also means that you will prob be able to do absolutely no mods for several years bc youll be paying off the car. Now granted it is a WRX and you dont really need to do much to it from the factory, but if your like me and alot of others who are enthused about modding, youre definitely going to want to mod it somehow. Thats why I waited a couple years till I had enough money to totally buy my max, have money for insurance, and still have several thousand for emergency repairs and a few beginning mods. The max is a great car and will last awhile. Not to mention 1. you will be more of a cop target 2. insurance will be waaaay more 3. the max is cooler in the sense that it is a less modded, more unsuspecting (sleeper if you will) kinda car. Im not going to buy my next car (EVO/STI/ and im considering an Audi twin turbo S6) until im well into my career and can more easily afford it. I just hate the feeling of being in debt. wait a few years - i think youll appreciate it more then, i know i will. just a friends .02.

 

I have owned a lot of cars. Eleven cars in as many years (three of them were toys, the other eight were daily drivers). They were older, cheap, and sometimes I made a profit selling them (or at least a very small loss). It sounds like you buy cars with this mentality too. Get a hell of a good deal on your purchase and find a good way to sell it. Great, congratulations.

That won't work with the WRX. You could sell that car in two months and get nowhere near your $31,000 back. If money is a consideration (which it inherently must be, or there would be nothing holding you back), bear in mind you will be losing a lot. I don't know your age, but most people in college are rather young, so if you have had six cars, it means you haven't owned any of them very long. Will you grow tired of the Subaru in a few years and want to sell it? Will you be upside down in your loan if you spread it out over six years? I don't think I could ever have the same daily driver for six years. Will you honestly be okay with driving a six year old car six years in the future when you will probably be in a better financial position?

A friend of mine who makes horrible financial/automotive decisions just traded to a dealer a Chevy Imapala with well over a hundred thousand miles for under $2,000, and he owed $10,000 on it! Now he has one car, but is paying for two.

As a recent college graduate, my one piece of advice is to make no assumptions whatsoever about your financial situation after college until you have been out of it for at least a year. You might not find a job, you might hate your job, you might get laid off. A lot of unpredictable things can happen.

My opinion: you like the Maxima, but love the WRX (or at least have lust for it). Fix it. Keep it. See if the infatuation passes.

If you wake up every day and wish your car had a little constellation of stars on the steering wheel instead of a hamburger, save the money you would spend on it for one year. Your payment, difference in insurance, everything you can think of. If you still want the Subaru, one year from now, you'll have a great down payment waiting and you'll know you can make the payments with no problem. Then, buy the same WRX you like now. That's right, a used one that is one year old. It will cost so much less than new. You love it now, so you should love it then. With your big down payment and a used car rather than new, you'll enjoy a huge cost savings. Huge!

 

keep the max... its your. you don't owe anything on it... when you feel a very big temptation to drive a fast and fun car rent one for a coupla days.. you won't feel bad for it if it breaks down or when you're driving extremely hard.
+ correct me if im wrong but in 6 years that subaru that you'll end up paying 35-40k will cost (best case) 8-9k.
keep the max untill you have enough money to put a large down payment. at least 50% of the car.
i know that feeling... i was about to buy a new Acura CL 3 years ago.. already had the checkbook out to write a check... THANX GOD I thought twice be4 doin it.