1. How did you come to the decision of buying this car?
I sell cars for a living. Subarus (and Saabs but that's a different story) have always sort of been my favorite. I sold Subarus for a few years but I had left to sell other brands. In March of 2017 I was on my third Subaru lease in a row (a 2016 Forester XT) and I didn't love that car. I am not an SUV guy. In that month I returned to a Subaru dealer as a salesperson/internet manager. As I perused my freshly printed rate sheets I noticed that the residual for a 36 month lease on an STI was "higher than the nuts on a giraffe" as some of us in the car business might say. Little background on leasing: the higher the residual the lower the monthly payment, as a rule of thumb. I had always wanted a WRX. I had always really wanted an STI, but it just never seemed attainable. But with the lease program they were offering it started to come into view. The next month the residual went UP by one point, making the program even better. A customer came in with a Forester one year older than mine, more miles, same package, and lacking the turbo motor that my (maligned) XT possessed. The amount my used car manager offered her on a trade was enough to make me take a closer look at it, and I had him appraise my own Forester. At the end of the day my payment was going to go up by about $100 per month with no money out of pocket. I asked one of my co-wokers if I should do it. He asked, "do you have a wife?" No. "Do you have kids?" No. "Then do it." That's what we call a closer in my business. I signed the lease on 4/20/2017. Nice.
2. What has your ownership experience been like?
Flawless. I have now had the car almost 3 full years and it has 35,5XX miles and it has not given me one single problem. If you read Consumer Reports, the WRX/STI models get Subaru's lowest marks for predicted reliability. I chalk that up to the owners who modify them, abuse them, and crash them. I have driven my car and driven it hard, but never abused it, and aside from tint, clear bra, and all-season tires I haven't changed a thing on it. It has never let me down one damn time. All servicing done on time as well, of course.
3. What is your fondest memory with this car?
Hard to say. Every single time I've ever driven that car, be it for five miles or 500 miles, it has put a smile on my face at least once. About three days after I got it I was looking out the window of my bedroom around midnight and it was parked right outside and I was just so proud to have it, so happy to have it. After reading about the original Bugeye WRX in Road & Track in 2001, Reading about the first US Spec STI in 2003, talking my dad into buying a 2004 WRX Hatchback, and selling dozens and dozens of WRX/STIs to other people, I finally had my own. I had made it. That is probably my favorite memory of that car.
4. Why do you love cars?
As a small child, I remember watching cars drive by on the street and being fascinated by the sounds the made, the exhaust sounds. As I got older of course, it was the freedom thing. I grew up in a smaller town away from the main part of the town and you needed a car to go anywhere/do anything. Having that freedom what just the best. Also, going somewhere while sitting down and putting minimal effort into it. I like that too....
Ed: And here's @hardworkrr12's YouTube channel.
---
If you would like to participate, just answer the above four questions and submit one to three photos of your daily driver to milhousevanh at geemail. Thanks and have fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment