Desperate car choice
 

Question, really need some help and input.
If you were buying for yourself
2016 RS 2.0, 57k miles, 2 owner, babied, no known motor failure, all the creature comforts, oil done by owner, been run on E85 with flex fuel and a stage 2 OFT tune. Will be removed and reflashed to stock if I were to buy.
Or
2013, 27k miles, 1 owner, babied, potential for valve spring failure (it’s not a recall car but… 2013’s amiright), no creature comforts, oil done by technician.
Total cost difference is $2400 including insurance.

Same color?

Look at service history through Toyota owners of both are frs.

I personally have 2013 and done the recall and it’s been great.

For resale alone I would choose the RS 2.0. While it may have more miles, it's not plagued with the stigma of being a 2013. That, and the limited edition trim is too pretty to pass up. Just my 2 cents. :cheers:

I agree. RS2.0 all the way.

OP’s initial post didn’t mentioned it was RS2.0

resale aside, is there any other reason? If its just a resale thing, id go with the 2013... Im just not sure how common the valve spring failure is in reality. Im having troubles finding actual numbers as there were so few that actually initiated the recall so its hard to say how many failures were to actually happen.
Also im just not sure what damages may have occurred using e85 and a tune. Im just a super paranoid buyer, I just want a car im not afraid to enjoy haha.

Where do you live? I live in California and it won’t let me renew my registration until the recall was done. I did it and was really nervous at first since I babied my car but it was fine.

What’s the price for each?

let me preface this by saying, I need a car, the market is bad, any car I buy will look like a shit deal.
21,5 OTD shipped to my doorstep for the 2013
23,1 OTD for 2016, but I have to fly out and drive it home 13 hours.

Wow so pricey. Buy mine for $19,500. 2013, dark blue, 47k, one owner. Trd parts Lol

Yeah, just add 2000$ to the value of any car, and thats the market right now. So RS 2.0 with all the goodies in the interior, or 2013 with none of the goodies with money to spare for a valve spring replacement.

Wow. Ok I’m seriously going to close selling mine. Might post it this week and see if there will be bites

so what's your pick. 2013 or 2016. still RS 2.0?

Yeah RS.

See if you can reverse the tune to stock

perfect time to get a beater for reasonable money that needs simple work. do the work, and wait for the market to cool down, then get the car you really want at more normalized pricing...

overpaying for a car you want is just asking for buyers remorse later when you attempt to keep it, and realize just how much you overpaid, and it quickly becomes a boon to the enjoyment of the car itself.

Why would I spend 2k more on a beater?? its 2k now or wait until 2023 when the market normalizes. I witnessed someone buy a Honda Civic with 190k miles for 9 grand last week while I was sitting in a dealership... As long as people are buying, the prices aren't gonna go anywhere.

play your cards right, and it's $2k now, $2.5k back in your pocket after some work later, and after the market normalizes, which makes your new car cheaper.

As much as I love my 2013, (and it has been trouble-free for 191,000 miles) I would not pay 21.5 for a 9.5 year old $25,000 car no matter how bad the market is right now. Maybe if it had zero miles and still came with a factory warranty because it was never titled....

As mentioned above with mine, you can get a perfectly serviceable car for cheap. My 2013 FRS values at <$4,000 right now just because it has 190,000 miles on it. I have no concerns about using it for 3 to 5 more years.

$9,000 for a used Civic with 190K on it was a very bad buy.

Just for another data point, I paid 17,500 for my 2013, w/ 24k miles on it, in 2015. After having the recall done at 72K, and the engine subsequently blowing up and being replaced by the dealer at no cost to me, I now have a 2013 with 92k on it, but only 20k on new engine. Great shape. Make me an offer. No WAY would I pay the prices you've been quoted,

I suggest you get a Miata.

:scared0016:

really tough call, because those are some shit prices. who really know how long this semiconductor/hot used car market situation will last but I too would lean on the side of either get a beater or just don't get anything right now until everything cools. 1st gen twins should lose a bit of value once the market is normal and the 2nd gen is being shipped out.

And finding a beater that is cheap and ain't gonna be a total PITA to keep running is real hard right now. I prowl through my local craigslist and japanese cali listings on yahoo and ever since Covid started I've only managed to flip a measly PT Cruiser for good money! everyone thinks their used toyota/honda worth $$ and the rest pretty much got bought out by carvana. it is a pretty tough market right now if you need a car...

I mean come on!
They even have ugly sweaters.
https://i.etsystatic.com/16133904/r/...25244_glia.jpg

i think i went to high school with that dude.

Used is used, any price is possible, but again you're getting into someone else seat (and you know they farted on that seat at least once) !! Hopefully they maintained properly .. and didn't beat her up too badly.

Make the drive, buy the RS2 , and be done with it.

Very true, but yet people (plural) seem to buy... buy Tacoma's with 200k+ miles , for $10-14k all day long. Is that right... or wrong??!! Tacoma is like the new gold standard

I don't know of anyone who has had trouble with long-time use of E85. It does add significantly to performance. There are only a few tradeoffs. Sometimes it's hard to find and you can't drive quite as far on a tank.


That Miata motor is as close to bulletproof as you'll find. OEM hardtops for NAs and NBs are still available here and there, if that's your preference. My Mazdaspeed Miata had 100,000 miles when I sold it, and I wouldn't be afraid to run it another 100,000. Much as I like my '14 Monogram edition, I'm still not sure I made the right decision.

Can you negotiate the price? Or is this already negotiated down?


As far as models go, not really thinking of price, I'd go with the 2016 for a few reasons:
1) 2016 > 2013 ( no recall, better head unit, backup camera )
2) RS 2.0 Looks
3) More unique - Personally, I buy cars that I keep for a long time - (forever) and would rather have a more unique model than a basic b&tch


However as far as price, if I couldn't get a decent price, ( and the prices you listed are not decent ) I'd just wait until it cools down, or even possibly just get a 2022 at this rate if you can get one that's not ridiculously marked up.

Anybody who specifies they babied a sports car did not do that at all.

there's one for sale near me, I'll go pick it up for you and trade it for your FRS ok? you won't have to cry about it anymore

Miata may always be the answer, but I've never really understood the question.