What should I do? I need help ASAP.
 

Hi Guys,
I'm in the market for an 86 (GTS). I have narrowed my searches down to two cars. Both of the same colour, both manual. Is it worth choosing one over the other? vehicle description below.

Car 1
2013 model
26xxx kms
$28k

Car 2
2015 model
46xxx kms
$30k

Your input would be much appreciated as I'm not sure which to move on, they are both in immaculate condition its just a matter of choosing. I would like to buy one very soon.

Thanks

From the info you posted I would say the choice is obvious.

And that is......

Based on his profile pic, I'm thinking it's the left one.
I really have no idea though.
Early 2013's had some minor problems(check the warranty section) that were fixed in the later models. I would personally wait for a 2015 with less kilometers on it, although I'd be happy with either. 2k does buy some mods... But a car in warranty buys some peace of mind for such a big purchase. These cars are pretty reliable though. Go with @Tcoat 's choice. :thumbup:

That is the one that is better!


There is no way to answer based purely on year, mileage and price. We have no info to go on to make an informed choice to advise you.
Personally I would always go for the newer one even if it does have more miles but that could be the wrong way in this case. Do you have history's on the two cars? Know anything at all about them?

The newer one imo

They both have a clean history no accidents nothing. Both drive well. They are identical both the same in every aspect apart from year and kms. The year and kms are the only deciding factors as the rest of the details are the same.

There isn't any real solid input that anyone can add at this point but I will reiterate what has already been said,

All other things being equal it would be wise to choose the newer one. 13 was the first year for the car.

Thank you for some actual solid input. Why would you go newer? The fact that some things have been revised and improved? It does have higher kms. I'm not really sure.

Not sure about Aussie market cars, but in the US, 2015s had a nicer dash trim and audio unit. I think the two year newer model will hold value slightly better than the older car in the long run.

I had a similar decision and went with the 2015 because of the updated dash/audio.

In that case I revert back to my original statement. The choice is obvious. The answer is whichever one you like better. We can't make your mind up for you.

I bought a BRZ literally the moment that they hit the lots and I can say that in the 2 years I owned it (mind you I only sold it to get a larger vehicle, circumstances changed) I had 0 issues. Others were not as lucky, if you head over to the warranty section of the forum you can go down the list of issues most of them being very minor, generally subaru and toyota make solid cars and this car isn't an exception.

What you will find is that many of the incidents are more common in the 13' it could be because those cars have had more of a chance to age at this point or perhaps subaru/toyota have been making silent revisions over the years to fix certain things.

As a side note, Mileage is not a very good indicator these days of "life left" in a vehicle. With advancements in materials and processes it has become sort of an antiquated way to process the projected life of a vehicle.

So to sum that all up, you probably can't go wrong with either vehicle but if it were my money I'd put it on the younger of the two cars. BTW try to get a look at a service schedule for the FRS before you buy. You'd hate to buy a car and very quickly after it needs new brake pads for example.

Good luck!

You need to choose based on condition, not year and mileage (err.. kilometerage?) So go out to where each car is and take them apart if you know anything about cars. If not, take them to a mechanic and pay them $100 to look each car over. It's best to have them on a lift and give the shop an hour to give you a report on what the issues with each car is.

If you are handy, search the car over stem to stern, take the wheels off, take measurements and borrow a good scan tool and see what the ECU/TCU tell you- read codes, look for shady shit like codes cleared this morning or whatever. Also go for a test drive- but have the seller do the driving. You can look at Torque Pro while they drive and watch HOW the seller drives. If they tailgate, drive like a maniac or generally beat on the car, you know the car has been beat on. Turn off the radio and listen for problems. Enjoy the crickets.

If I was in your situation I would go with the newer one. Also Im pretty sure you can talk that dealer down to 28k

My 13 has had a few problems including a bad engine. Spend the extra $2k and get the newer car. It's financed anyways right? What's another $2k? Like 10$ on your payment?

No not financed they would be brought out right.

If you have the cash then fuck it. If you don't then just wait for another $2k

Have a mechanic look at both. If not too worried about resale ....I would choose the 2013 with fewer miles. The cars are essentially the same. the difference in price could be pocketed for future repairs or for some neat mods now.

Then buy a new one if you're gonna pay cash for it. Just my 2 cents. ;)

Probably doesn't want payments and doesn't have enough to buy a new outright. Just guessing.

Buy a new car if you intend to keep it 10+ years. If you are going to replace in a few years, buy 2015.

What Month is 2015?

The 2013 will have the EPS Recall, 2015 Cars built passed March are OK

whichever one you can negotiate down to the lowest price? Try and get them bidding against each other.

Have you driven each of them? They drive quite differently as the suspensions were changed between the two years. The 13's are much more tail happy.

$28k or $30k is a lot of cash. IMHO what's a few thousand more to buy a new one. I bought mine new for 30k. ;)

A new GTS goes for around $40K AUD
You can get a new GT for around $30K AUD

I would get a brand new GT if you can live without a few GTS options(17" wheels, SATNAV etc).

Just my 2c

What was the problem with your engine?

Thanks for the reply. I'm buying the GTS for the options, even though I can swap out the head unit, push button start and keyless entry are worth having to me.

Fair enough, they are nice to have and you can get a great deal on a used GTS now.

Good to see you are choosing a manual :D


I'd go the newer one though...

IMO mileage is also an important factor, there's a difference of 18000 kms between the 2013 and the newer 2015. 2015 will get you a better re sale in the long run. Personally I go for low mileage second hand cars more than the year. You need to see the cars and check things such as were they used on the track? (Check the tires and if the edges are worn thats usually a sign that they've been drifted hard) make sure the car you're buying is accident free, full service history, any warranty? Warranty is very important and the 2015 should still have it, in that case 2015 is a better option since u can send it to the dealer to fix anything that comes up. So many things to look at when buying a used car. Look underneath it using a flashlight if u cant do it properly, check for damage there, check the gear. Basically get it thoroughly checked, get them both thoroughly checked its well worth investing in that because once u sign the dotted line its your headache

Oil valve went bad and starved the crank. Quite a few 2013 list their engines under warranty. Obviously not all of them but I'd just get a newer one to be safe

Fark haha what a shame.

It was a pain to be sure. Dealer had it for a month trying to figure it out. Had to bring in a regional technician from 500 miles away for 2 weeks. Turns out Toyota doesn't know how to work on these engines and deal with the complications and intricacies with the Subaru components

I would choose lower mileage (and the older car will cost less in taxes and insurance forever...) assuming you aren't borrowing at a worse rate to get that car. I might be more worried about a car with many more years but not a couple.