deadonkey

hi,

I was originally after a 2005 widetrack, Ive posted threads on here before regarding the real world use of DCCD etc.

The price of widetracks has increased to a level that sees every well priced car fly from the dealers in a matter of hours.

for example a 2005 widetrack was at a dealer in aberdeen last week, went live on autotrader and within 5 hours someone had put a deposit down on it without even seeing it.

Its becoming more unrealistic that im going to ever be able to get a widetrack with the overpriced examples and the speed at which well priced examples sell.
Im not willing to put a deposit down on a car that ive not seen and i cant instantly view a car due to having a life and working.....

this got me thinking about the 2003 2004 cars.
There seems to be a far wider selection of these around and forgetting about the wider track DCCD different dash etc are essencially the same car.

I very much doubt im going to drive the car hard enough to take advantage of the wider track or the DCCD.
the other advantage is they are very much cheaper around £2-3k

but although I may be better suited to a 2003 or 2004 car, the thing that is worrying me is that these cars are getting a bit of age about them now.

What condition can I expect a 2003 car to be in, or is it simply a 2003 car with 70k miles on should be in a similar condition to a 2005 widetrack with 70k miles on.

what im essentially asking is:

does the extra 2-3 years make any real world difference in the visual and mechanical condition of these cars?

rb5 stu

No.

scoobyman2012

iTrader: (1)

A looked after 2003 will be in better condition than some 2005, but if you originally wanted a wide track I would still look for one , as you will always want one, plus they are always easier to sell and hold there money better

jacob360

iTrader: (6)

few things it will depend on but essentially no, as long as its well maintained it should be good. but i take into consideration area you are buying it from, i break cars for parts and scottish cars are always the worst from seized bolts and rust comming through- just something extra to think about

b3nmw

Gd car the v8 non widetrack.

romford-boy

The extra two years won't make a difference. Do all the usual checks for damage/rust etc etc.

I rarely ever use the DCCD, when I do it is usually to lock the diffs in snow.

However, I do prefer the slightly different look and interior of the DCCD cars.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

2003 JDM STI (with DCCD) is far more the car than a UK widetrack.

daz1968

iTrader: (13)

I have a jdm widetrack and the increased resale value is worth it if you can stretch to one

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

I concur, top of the blobs (not a fan of Spec C , I like sound proofing in my doors)