ZHP vs WRX

http://billionauto.com/View-Used-Vehicle-2007-Subaru-ImprezaSedan-65014

http://bmwofminnetonka.calls.net/used-Minnetonka-2004-BMW-3+Series-330i-WBAEV53494KM06692

Here are the two options. Both are relatively near by. I feel I would have more bargaining room on the WRX...however it is more expensive to begin with. I will be trading in a 1986 325es with 186xxx miles, something that the BMW dealer is not interested in ironically.

Curious to hear the opinions of the two cars so light 'em up!

BMW fan here. I just don't like the feel of Subarus in spirited driving. The ZHP is as close to an E46 M3 four door as you can get.

Based on the subaru pictures I'd be a little wary of it. It has a custom grille badge, wheel center caps and an aftermarket exhaust. To me that screams that a very young person owned it. I would make sure you do your due diligence prior to purchase.

+1 for both above comments, WRX was probably owned by a riceboy and may be under-maintained...also Imprezas have a hint of "offroad rig" feeling to them, if you do some rallying/rallyX they're a good choice but for a track-only car there are better choices.

I've owned both (2002 WRX) and vastly prefer my 330 ZHP (MY 2004) for DD duties. It's such a great driving car. The WRX was much more kart like (had suspension, tune, exhaust, etc) but the ZHP is wonderful.

That said, I'd keep shopping around for one. That price seems high to me for the mileage.

Check e46 fanatics and here Bimmerforums.

ZHP is an awesome car. Great balance of performance and refinement. The WRX really is fisher price quality in comparison. When I was 20 I"d have gone for the WRX, past 30 and it's the ZHP all the way.

Forgot to post a picture of mine.

If you have never driven a BMW in anger, you will never understand what great cars they really are.

If you want a WRX, DO NOT buy that particular example. As others have said, it has all the characteristics of a car owned by a Brotato.

Painted Center caps? Check

"i" badge in the grille? Check.

Aftermarket fart can exhaust? Check.

Abused-looking top mount intercooler that was probably stored under a pile of parts in the garage while an aftermarket unit was on the car? Check.

Greddy BOV? Check.

That's what you can see in the ad. Who knows what tune the car is running, what's under it for suspension, etc. This is not a good example and you will lose your shirt on it quickly.

They make everything under the sun for the 02-07 WRX to do whatever you want to do with it: rally, autocross, drag racing, ice racing, etc. Keep in mind that if it's going to get tracked and abused that you will eventually have to put a short block in it, and possibly more. Using your old heads and going the cheap route, you are probably looking at $2500-3000 with everything doing all the work yourself (including a new Subaru factory short block assembly) when that happens. GRM dealt with this reality recently, so you can see it all play out in the magazine or on their online build page.

On the ZHP... I really want one. Those are super cool. All the ones I've found up here are overpriced and have crazy high mileage.

In reply to dyintorace: the WRX was waay better with those coilovers gone. (Lol-spell correct keeps changing WRX to SEX). I would probably still go ZHP. It's a better car.

You can buy a 2005 M3 for $17k these days.

Unless you really need 4 doors... it's well worth the cost difference.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: You can buy a 2005 M3 for $17k these days. Unless you really need 4 doors... it's well worth the cost difference.

Where? And that's not a rhetorical question. I've been shopping e46 M3s pretty hard over the past month or two, only to be depressed by the seemingly high prices. Folks around here often ask $17k for MY 2002 cars.

I agree that the ZHP is the better car of the two. I'm glad you warned me on the WRX, I had thought it looked fairly clean to me and thought it would be the cheaper car to own!

Both of these cars are INCREDIBLY hard to find around here, especially at dealers. Even the Subaru dealer around here only ever seems to get STI's.

dyintorace wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: You can buy a 2005 M3 for $17k these days. Unless you really need 4 doors... it's well worth the cost difference.

Where? And that's not a rhetorical question. I've been shopping e46 M3s pretty hard over the past month or two, only to be depressed by the seemingly high prices. Folks around here often ask $17k for MY 2002 cars.

Put 2005 M3 into autotrader. There are a bunch in the NE.

You are comparing two vehicles that started off in completely different classes.

My 02 bugeye in the summer is a reasonably tight sounding vehicle. The winter is a completely different story. It creaks and groans and rattles and even has the occasional loud crack. The colder weather loosens it up. It is at the base, an economy car built to a low price point that has been optioned and powered up to a higher class.

I have never driven a BMW, but I assume that they are not like that - a luxury platform built for a much higher price point.

As others have pointed out WRXs are easily modified and not always well. This can lead to less than stellar reliability.

Owned both - ZHP all the way.

The great thing about buying used is that depreciation is the great equalizer. There's a reason the WRX started out at $25k and the BMW started out at $50k. Now you get the nicer one for the same money.

I agree with others on the price though - you should be sub-$10k for a 100k+ mile ZHP. Search the entire country and roadtrip! The guy that bought my last one came from Alabama to CA to pick it up.

Also, don't buy any car, ever, from the dealer that has the WRX. Any dealer that drenches the engine bay and interior in armor all is automatically disqualified.

In a WRX interior, you'll never get that crap out of the dash/door cards. They're ruined.

If it doesn't snow where you live (and I mean a constant amount of snow on the ground for a couple months), go BMW. In Alberta, I would say the WRX as the awd makes life so much easier 6 months of the year. On the coast in BC? BMW all the way! RWD is more funner in the end ;)

HiTempguy wrote: If it doesn't snow where you live (and I mean a constant amount of snow on the ground for a couple months), go BMW. In Alberta, I would say the WRX as the awd makes life so much easier 6 months of the year. On the coast in BC? BMW all the way! RWD is more funner in the end ;)

Came to say this. Although I would still take the BMW over the WRX even with lots of snow.

In reply to clutchsmoke:

E46's + snow tires are awesome.......m3's become makeshift snow plows.

yamaha wrote: In reply to clutchsmoke: E46's + snow tires are awesome.......m3's become makeshift snow plows.

This is very true, my e36 M3 never got stuck and I definitely tried to get it stuck a few times!

In reply to dyintorace:

What is cost of ownership like on ZHP's?

Joshua wrote:

yamaha wrote: In reply to clutchsmoke: E46's + snow tires are awesome.......m3's become makeshift snow plows.

This is very true, my e36 M3 never got stuck and I definitely tried to get it stuck a few times!

I got my 318ti stuck once.. running Star Specs in 6 to 10 inches of snow. The Factory LSD made a -huge- difference

Did the zhp come with a factory lsd? I know at some point lsd became available on m cars only.