A Sedona Red four-door sedan with AWD isn’t usually something a lot of folks think of when they think of a sports car, but Subaru’s Impreza WRX is a quick, fun little pocket rocket capable of surprising even a lot of new cars. This 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX is posted here on craigslist in Richland, Washington, and they’re asking $8,995. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
First things first: this car apparently has a “rebuilt” title, but we don’t know any more than that. The seller shows a photo of the VIN, which is nice and unusual for a craigslist ad, but they’re a dealer so they must know that buyers want to know more about that title situation. Is that a dent or gouge in the bumper above the driving light in the photo above?
I’m not sure if this car has been repainted, but it appears to at least have been debadged, which is always a head-scratcher for me. At least it looks unmodified otherwise, with the original wheels, rear wing, no ultra-camber, and other things you often see on a two+ decade old WRX. The early second-generation bug-eye Impreza WRX is the one to have, in my opinion, made from 2000 to 2002. A wagon version would be even better.
Some of the photos are a bit fuzzy, and there isn’t one from the driver’s side of the interior, but otherwise, there’s a nice bunch of photos for a craigslist ad. It’s hard to tell the condition of the interior with the out-of-focus photos, but it seems to be in good condition. The back seat photo is equally fuzzy, but looks equally nice… Here’s a brochure showing the 2002 Subaru Impreza lineup, including the WRX.
These little rockets are powered by Subaru’s EJ20, a 2.0-liter DOHC boxer-four turbo, and they were rated at 227 horsepower and 217 lb-ft of torque. This one has a five-speed manual, and the drivetrain sends power to all four wheels as needed. They were good for a 0-60 time of just over 6 seconds, pretty fast for 2002 and good even for today. Plus, they have Subaru’s reliable AWD system and are fun to drive-a-plenty. Now about that title… Have any of you owned an early WRX?
The price for this is in range for a WRX with this mileage and in good shape. But with a rebuilt title these are selling between $3,000 to $5,000 depending heavily on the quality of the repairs and the car’s modification history. Not only did you spot a hole above the driving light on the right side, when zooming in and comparing the left side photo, you will also notice the bumper is cracked as well.
This was hit hard in the rear, as the pics on this website show:
https://cars.autopartner.by/v/JF1GD296X2G519644#gallery-1
I had a 2003 WRX hatchback. The most solid car I’ve ever owned, and endless fun.
It begs you to drive it. Loves to rev. Very balanced and sure footed.
I still miss it, but it was time to move on, with close to 200k miles.
Many of these WRXs are still pretty pricey, as there is a solid fan base for them, even though most have been run pretty hard. And go-faster parts are readily available.
Not sure about a salvage car but, there’s surely a boy-racer out there who will work with this.
“Terror” XD XD XD
One of the best factory exhaust notes I’ve ever heard. 👍
This one is gone, did one of you grab it?