At $25,500, Is This 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi A Built Bargain?

The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice STi claims to have over $40K invested in its hotter mill, carbon fiber add-ons, and billet shift knob. Let’s see if we can get over it being someone else’s build to determine whether its price tag makes that investment a good deal.

Whether a school kid or a working-class schmo (or schmoette), everybody loves Friday because it marks the start of the typical two-day weekend. The American broadcaster ABC once acknowledged this with its TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) lineup of sitcoms, perfect for Friday night viewing.

With Friday on our minds, we need to look back at the 1994 Porsche 968 convertible that passed judgment on Thursday. That arrest-me-red drop-top would make for a near-perfect weekend ride, with Friday night spent planning rallying points and polishing the paint. I say almost perfect because there was one fly in the ointment in this hypothetical scenario: the Porsche’s $18,000 asking price. That proved a toss-up in the comments and the voting. When the dust settled, though, the Porsche proved victorious in a narrow 53% ‘Nice Price’ win.

Yesterday’s Porsche was rated at 240 horsepower and, when new, was considered one of the best-handling cars on the planet. Today’s 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STi came from the factory with 293 horses, permanent AWD, and an unquenchable desire to kick the Mitsubishi EVO’s butt. This car, its seller claims, has more of everything to make that task all the easier.

Audi may have mainstreamed AWD for professional rally racing, but it was Subaru and Mitsubishi that brought all-wheel-drive rally racers to the masses. And by masses, I mean people who wear flat-brim caps and say “yo” a lot.

OK, I’m stereotyping, and to be fair, this WRX looks more mean and menacing than a fast-and-furious wannabe. This is the last year of production for the second-generation Impreza and, hence, has the last-of-the-line look, commonly referred to as the “Hawkeye.” Earlier versions were dubbed “Bugeye,” and “Blobeye,” so just on name value alone, this one is the best.

It’s described as being in “like-new” condition and rocks a mere 93,000 miles on the clock. That’s something of a moot point concerning the engine, however, as it is claimed to be “built,” though the description offers no details on what went into the internals of that build or just exactly who built it.

According to the seller, the engine work, along with the other upgrades listed in the ad, amounted to a $40,000 investment. That has resulted in a car that impresses on paper and in the pictures. All of that money seems to have gone into practical upgrades, leaving goofball stuff like smoked headlamp lenses and “look at me” vinyl wraps off the table.

Mechanically, both the engine and suspension have been given upgrades. The motor now breathes through a larger-bore turbo, which, in turn, feeds a bigger intercooler, relocated from atop the flat-four to just behind the front bumper. That makes the huge scoop in the aftermarket carbon fiber hood a bit unnecessary. There are tons of other engine updates, which the ad name-drops in its lengthy list.

As for the suspension, the car rides on adjustable coilovers, has upgraded sway bar bushings, and sports a shock tower cross bar for chassis stiffening.

It makes the grade in the appearance department, too, looking to be in great shape both inside and out. The menacing black paint appears flawless, right down to the alloy wheels wrapped in new Cooper tires. One odd choice for the seller was to offer a picture of one of those wheels with one lug nut missing. Come on, people, we want to see all your nuts!

Nothing appears missing inside, and in fact, there are add-ons here, too. Extra gauges have been elegantly integrated into the steering column, while an AEM water/methanol injector controller lives tidily in the ashtray. Just behind that is the skinny, tall, billet shift knob, which must be fun to use in hot summer months. 

Everything else, save for an updated stereo head unit, looks stock and in great shape. There’s no staining in the upholstery, and while the driver’s seat does seem to be splitting at the seam on the outer bolster, it’s not too far gone yet to need replacement rather than repair. A clean title closes out the car’s bona fides.

This WRX seems to have everything a fan of the marque could want and none of the embarrassing elements favored by its more energetic acolytes. Yes, it is someone else’s vision, and there’s no mention of the quality of the work that has gone into bringing it to fruition, but that’s just part of the decision-making process in considering the car’s $25,500 price tag.

What do you think about this “built” WRX STi and that not insubstantial price? Is that a fair asking price for the model in this condition with this many modifications? Or was that forty-grand investment a fool’s errand in making this car less marketable by way of its mods?

You decide! 

San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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