Conflicted
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While shopping used cars with my brother, I came across these two listings.
My initial reaction was what the hell are they smoking down in Winter Haven to be asking that much for these... then I started to consider how it could impact me... I just bought my 2021 STI last August for 38k$, it presently has 5,000mi on it. I thoroughly enjoy it, as it is the 'last stand' of fun four-doors that are manual and aren't FWD. Assuming 55-58k is not a fluke or pie-in-the-sky demand as a result of the car market being a tragic comedy, that could be a rather large profit for driving a car for a year.
Another data point, my brother just sold his 2017 Abarth 500 to Carvana for 18k. 1,000$ more than he paid for it three years ago, and after he racked up 30k miles on his own.
I don't really want to get get rid of the STI, after all, what would I replace it with? The most-viable alternative for long-term desire is the Pontiac G8 GXP, which has been out of productions for over a decade. Used models are both expensive and rarely in near-new condition. The Chevy SS is another with an even higher cost of entry for not much substance over the G8...
It was much easier when I thought I'd lose money on the car so keep it forever.
Stitch for your time:
Reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy SAAB.
STI M1 XJ
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Jeeps
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Discovery II
c900 Turbo
Alfa Spider
C30 Polestar
S-Type R (for sale) -
@orneryduck said in Conflicted:
I don't really want to get get rid of the STI, after all, what would I replace it with?
Don't. You'll pay up for anything you're going to replace it with too... and it probably won't be as fun.
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@AkioOhtori I've been co-pilot in a soft top TJ at 105 mph... Terrifying.
E46 M3 | 1502 Hotrod
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@orneryduck said in Conflicted:
The Chevy SS is another with an even higher cost of entry for not much substance over the G8...
@davesaddiction Shots. Fired.
Car #21 2007 Porsche 911 Carrera S
Car #22 2005 Porsche Cayenne Turbo -
@AkioOhtori The JL is pretty good on the road for a Jeep..... keep that massive qualifier in mind.
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I mean, that one, in particular, is auto only.
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@orneryduck Keep it. Even if you net some $ by selling it and settling for something cheaper you'll miss the fun and how special it is.
There will never be another STi like yours, and with time this car will only become more special. If you're thinking you'll be kicking yourself over it already, you'll really be kicking yourself a decade from now. At a minimum keep it for a few years, enjoy it, get it out of your system and move on when you know it's actually time to do so.
Of course this is all the enthusiast take on it. If from a practical perspective doing this means you get a chunk of change in your pocket that you can put to use to wipe off debt, buy a house, etc. and will help you rest easy at night then of course that's a perfectly valid decision to make as well.
11 WRX Hatch
Past: 89 E30, 03 S2000, 05 LGT Wagon, 05 ZHP, Spark+Bolt EVs -
@Tripper I actually did lose a friend trying to drive his Jeep like a hot rod, many years ago. Death Wobble is aptly named.
Mr.Ontop. Keepin' it real since before your were you were born probably.
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@SSfancy Also stickers for almost $80k
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I'm very happy with my car, but honestly, there's no way I'd pay 8 grand more for it than I did (what it's worth now, with 18k additional miles, according to listings). I do think prices are past the peak and softening some on these, fwiw.
But I also wouldn't buy a G8 GXP (at this point).
If I hadn't bought the SS when I did, I'd probably still be putting miles onto and money into my M3.
Those prices have to be CP, right? It is the last gas-powered STI, but damn...
You own my son's dream car. I told him if he gets a full ride and keeps it, I'll buy him one when he graduates.
Hope I didn't write a check my ass can't cash. LOL -
@Just-Jeepin - sorry, JL’s do meet the spec on paper but ‘fun’ as defined here is more sports car. I cannot deny that Jeeps are fun in a unique way nothing else is.
I’ve never wanted a Wrangler as much as I have the JL, but the type of JL I want doesn’t exist because I’m an idiot with questionable tastes (IE: Very OPPO). Give me a manual Sport, with 4xe, in Bikini Pearl or Tuscadero. — the JL is a non-starter as it’d eat up all my profits.
I’d consider a couple older cars as a payment-free alternative to the STI, but… both the Mustang and our XJ Jeep are ‘broken’ right now, leaving me uninspired to not have the only car I trust.
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@ZHP-Sparky-the-5th said in Conflicted:
@orneryduck Keep it. Even if you net some $ by selling it and settling for something cheaper you'll miss the fun and how special it is.
There will never be another STi like yours, and with time this car will only become more special. If you're thinking you'll be kicking yourself over it already, you'll really be kicking yourself a decade from now. At a minimum keep it for a few years, enjoy it, get it out of your system and move on when you know it's actually time to do so.
Of course this is all the enthusiast take on it. If from a practical perspective doing this means you get a chunk of change in your pocket that you can put to use to wipe off debt, buy a house, etc. and will help you rest easy at night then of course that's a perfectly valid decision to make as well.
It is a fair take. I've regretted selling so many cars (and one bike) greatly and sadly they will never come home again. It could be argued that they made way for other worthwhile experiences, but the void still persists for some more than others.
-1987 Nissan 200SX XE (S12)
-1995 Nissan 240SX (S14)
-1994 Mazda RX-7 Touring (FD3S)
-2009 BMW 335i M-Sport (E92)
-2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club (ND)
-2004 Triumph Speed TripleI would regret selling the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT, but it had undisclosed crash damage and there was no point trying to make it what I wanted it to be.
I do fear the STI would be another notch in the belt of disappointment if I let it go. Perhaps if I had a clear vision of what could replace it, I'd be less concerned, but I don't have any idea, and the cars I 'lost' aren't magically coming back to meet me. The first time I saw an STI was a post-FatF car meet in Orlando, where three of the 2004 model consistently showed up. I admired them and thought how rad they were for being practical and performance-orientated. It was a slow boil to where I am today as an owner. I will forever be preferential to FR cars, especially small and light ones, but the STI, like the Skyline, Evolution family, and a handful of others stand well on their own to be a unique experience worth having.
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@Mr-Ontop yikes! Sorry to hear that.
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@orneryduck 55-58 seems pie in the sky to me. I would list it at like $50-52k. “If you come up with it I’ll sell. Otherwise I won’t.” Collector cars are hitting the skids hard, and a 2021-22 STI is more of a collector car than a driver at this point. $14k is a lot of money and buys you a lot of car until whatever ignites your passion next. The saying among enthusiasts right now is “keep your powder dry.” Sell the STI, get something with your profits to last what 2-3 years and keep the rest of your powder dry.
I say this as a guy who’s looking to YOLO SEND IT and get like an incredibly irresponsible exotic just to be sure I have no regrets before gasoline goes bye bye. I get the fun factor. But 2 years from now you might be bored with it anyways and have a car worth half of what it is today. Cash it out and get a cheaper car - if you’re upside down 50% on a $14k car that’s a lot cheaper than a $52k car. If you want something exotic and cheaper and given you clearly don’t care about fuel consumption, and still slightly practical, you can get a clean first gen RX8 for well under $20k. It’s not as fast as the STI in a straight line, but it’s a nifty car that’s past the bottom as more and more buyers want them for occasional use and not dailies.
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@orneryduck
I bought my truck with 40k miles in March 2017 for $30k. Today at 72k miles.... worth $30k. The used car market is insane. Ordering new at sticker is the only logical move. -
@orneryduck I have a 2019 Abarth with just over 10000 miles, fully loaded except for one option. I wonder what they'd would give me...
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@orneryduck said in Conflicted:
-1994 Mazda RX-7 Touring (FD3S)
Jealous. I wish I had of got one when I had the chance. I think that ship has sailed now...
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