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You don’t buy the Subaru WRX STI for the car to hold its value and make money when you sell it. Performance car enthusiasts buy the sports sedan to have fun, modify it to improve performance, and for its rally-bred driving dynamics. Who cares about Edmunds retained value awards?
If you plan on keeping your STI for a long time, then you don’t really care what happens to its value in 3 or 4 years. Many WRX STI owners will keep their cars for many years, especially if they modify them and put all the best performance parts in them. You have too much invested to sell it to someone else to enjoy your hard work and money you invested. And those that purchase a limited run or special edition STI like the S209, may never sell their sports car.
STI value
Edmunds recently came out with their Best Retained Value for 2019 list and the 2019 Subaru WRX/STI scores “Best Sports Car” again. In the UK, the WRX STI is in the top 20 vehicles with the slowest depreciation rates among all cars. Who should care if your STI has the best residual value?
If you bought one on a lease and you plan on upgrading to a newer model or the next-generation model in 3-4 years, it will make a difference. Being tops in retained value means the WRX STI will help you maximize your money at trade-in. It also helps you get lower lease payments if you don’t purchase it. When you trade your 3-4-year-old STI in on the next-generation model when they hit showrooms in late 2020 as a 2021 model year, you will get more trade-in value for your sports car. If you sell it to a private party, you will be able to get more.
This is all dependent on if you keep your STI completely stock. If you add thousands of dollars worth of performance parts, it changes everything. You likely won’t get back even close to the amount you spend and your return will be cents on the dollar.
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Comments
How long will you keep your
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How long will you keep your WRX STI?
Dont modify and the car will
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Dont modify and the car will cost less then 2ish dollers depreciation per month.
Since my friend went through
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Since my friend went through 4 engines, I stay far away from subarus
People buy STI's so they can
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People buy STI's so they can litter them with Hoonigan stickers, slap on a China-made toe-hook, some cheapy Motegi wheels, a Pokeball/dildshifter, at least 5 Black Ice air fresheners, a bunch of random silicone hoses, whatever intake is on sale at Pep Boys, an Invidia blue-tip catback held together with wingnuts and carriage bolts, never get it tuned, then wonder why their EJ is burning oil when they visit the dealership 2000 miles past-due for service and a tech finds a 3rd party lubeshop sticker and a Fram filter installed, meanwhile the owner (Not the bank, but the driver) is throwing a fit about why the dealer isn't paying for the shortblock replacement in their untuned modified STI with a broken ringland that was serviced at Valvoline. Then the customer claims Lemon Law and the dealer buys the car back. 99.9% of new STI owners. Fact.
Your comments show that you
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In reply to People buy STI's so they can by AV (not verified)
Your comments show that you have no idea about STI or WRX. One of the few cars that have a cult following. Performance brands and shops can have a business solely on one car and make profits. I have owned 5 of them with a combined miles of over 350k and not one issue. Not modified. If modified incorrectly you can put to much pressure on the 4th piston which has an unequal header and cause ring failure. A true car who manufacture keeps to it roots by keep the mechanically feel of its original model for 2019 I only hope the next model keeps the tradition alive with the turbo lag and hydro steering. All new performance car including the new WRX have electric steering which gives a fake response to the driver.
263K Miles tuned Baja Turbo
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In reply to Your comments show that you by Chris (not verified)
263K Miles tuned Baja Turbo 300 whp. Rebuilt stock w iconel valves after CE light wouldn’t stay off. Teardown showed burnt exhaust valve cylinder 4 above sti turbo and miltek catted downpipe.
No engine maintenance other than care about oil both checking on long highway runs and changing at 3K as EJ engines dirty oil quick
263K Miles tuned Baja Turbo
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In reply to Your comments show that you by Chris (not verified)
263K Miles tuned Baja Turbo 300 whp. Rebuilt stock w iconel valves after CE light wouldn’t stay off. Teardown showed burnt exhaust valve cylinder 4 above sti turbo and miltek catted downpipe.
No engine maintenance other than care about oil both checking on long highway runs and changing at 3K as EJ engines dirty oil quick
My friend, I totally agree
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In reply to Your comments show that you by Chris (not verified)
My friend, I totally agree with you from an enthusiast standpoint. I've been a dealership Subaru tech for years and my comments are merely a comedic attempt at reflecting the vast majority of what I have seen and continue to see on a regular basis. These things are all stereotypes where I'm from, and they are consistently proven true with, realistically speaking and comedy aside, 75%+ of the WRX/STIs that we see. I consistently see stock STI's coming in with broken ringlands, rodknock, oil consumption pre 30k miles. A large amount of our heavy duty work is warrantying shortblocks, head gasket jobs, cyl head service from warping and/or burnt valves, etc. Oil consumption tests are done on a large number of STI's regularly.It is extremely common for us to see those things. Most of these STI's are absolutely hammered and ran through by customers that have little to no understanding of how to maintain and/or treat a vehicle, let alone a performance vehicle like the STI. I am in California, so that may or may not have anything to do with it; I'll let you be the judge of that lol. Just know that I am a huge Subaru fan, have been for years and my comments are stated from both a standpoint of personal experience and poking fun at the customer base and brand. I meant no harm to anyone here; just a technician's humor, that's all haha.