Audi or Subaru
I’ve got an obsession going on about getting an allwheel-drive car with a bit of performance. Looking through the classifieds, an old Subaru WRX is an obvious choice, but then there are a lot of Audis that look tempting (and maybe more luxurious) for the same money.
What do you reckon I should buy? Will I end up regretting it?
THERE’S A general feeling out there that early WRXs are going to be collectible, before we’re much older – some of the really special ones already are and get silly money thrown at them.
Okay, any all-wheeldrive system has extra components and complexity, so there is more to wear out and more to fix. That’s the price you pay for the extra grip.
Subaru knows its stuff and, if you manage to avoid an example that was driven like it was stolen – they were the country’s top choice as a get-away car for years – you should do alright.
Audis probably give you more luxury per buck, like you say. Without knowing exactly which models you’re looking at, I can only give you a few suggestions.
First, join a club – any specialist car is going to be a whole lot easier to buy and run if you have some people around you who know what you’re looking at. Oh, and they can hopefully steer you towards a decent one.
Second, take it to your local mechanic and get it up on a hoist before you hand over the readies.
Third, think about how sophisticated and/or complex the car is. The more high-end electronics that are on board (and now I’m thinking Audi) the more trouble it’s likely to be after the first ten years of its life. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Send us some pictures!
“THE COUNTRY HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE THEY STOPPED BUILDING THEM”