So my sister calls me up last night and says that she has a co-worker that wants to sell his 2004 Silver STI with 32K miles on it. He's offering to me for 16K. Is that a good price for this car?

I would consider getting it to replace my current winter car as the F sits in the garage covered all winter. Only problem is the car is in Hawaii and i'm in Nebraska. I'd have to ship the car

What do you guys think?

 

there's no STI around your neighborhood? kind of a hassle having it shipped when there are many in your area I'm sure

 

There aren't any near me at that kind of price. At least not through AutoTrader.

 

plenty on nasioc.com

 

Too much to worry about shipping also. Talk with any independent car dealer and they will find you a car and have it shipped for free. The consumer is really in the power position at this time if your looking for a car.

 

ive heared from a subi guy that 04 had quite a few problems..
i dont exactly know the details but you should check out subaru forums before buying...

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate the replies.

 

don't do it. it's not worth it.

2004 STI 20K MILES $19000

i would buy this. no shipping headaches and only 20k miles. this is no brainer.

 

Do you trust the previous owner, and how well he took care of the car? STI's, like Mitsubishi Evos, tend to be driven on the hard side, particularly in non-congested areas where traffic allows.

I'd be more concerned about the car's condition more than the 16K price, especially engine, transmission, clutch, and brakes.

Anyhow, since you already know the mileage (32K), once you find out the car's overall condition, and standard/optional equipment level, here are two good web sites you can use to determine a fair price....Kelly Blue Book and N.A.D.A. With KBB, you would be using the Private Party value....with NADA, somewhere betweem wholesale and retail.

http://www.kbb.com/

http://www.nadaguides.com/home.aspx

And........welcome to CL. I see you are an almost brand-new poster.

 

I have a friend that spent some time working in Hawaii. She had her old car transported there and back at the expense of her employer. She later admitted that not selling it in Hawaii was one of her dumber moves.

 

The problems usually stem from people trying to go to Stage 1, Stage 2, etc. But MMarshall is right, the clutch is what I would worry about in a vehicle like this. I can tell you that I spent $1200 replacing my clutch, master cylinder, CV boots on my Legacy and that was in 2005.

My buddy has over 100k on his 2.0L WRX and it's running fine. I think that is worth evaluating whether or not you really need the STi over the WRX. If you're getting this as a weekend car I would go for the STi. But as your primary vehicle, well an '06-'07 WRX would probably be more worthwhile for around the same price.

 

Usually we go the other way around. Buy the car from the mainland and have it shipped to Hawaii. Cars sell for a good price in Hawaii so normally you can find a better deal on the mainland and it will still be cheaper after the $1500 or so in shipping cost. I would have sold her car in Hawaii too as she probably would have gotten a lot more money.

 

Im a regular on Nasioc, this might help...

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1679821

My own advice- the 04 Sti's are the most raw of the USDM Sti's.. stiffer suspension, 5x100 bolt pattern (as opposed to later 5x114), interior changed in 05. They changed A LOT in the 05 EG. Helical front LSD, wider stock BBS, wider fenders, yaw sensor, climate control etc etc. If your just looking to jump on this one deal and you think its worth it, go for it, but if you really want an sti, i would look at 05-06 My's.

 

I had an 02 WRX, modded to the gills, did all the work myself, drove it over 40k miles, hard miles running 18-19psi all day long. never once did it even hiccup. sold it at 82k still running perfectly. even the clutch is no big deal, you can change it in a day.

 

Good friend of mine has an 04 STi, bought used at 45k miles, spun a bearing at 60ishk miles. only mods were lightened pulleys and flywheel. Now he had to sink 15k into a new motor. He did drive it hard on occasion, but nothing like taking it to the track and beating it. I don't know if he did something stupid and is too embarrassed to say, or if it was flogged those first 45k miles, but I guess my point is to be careful about buying used.