Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2nd Gen

The second-generation WRX STi officially landed in the United States for the 2004 model year, giving American enthusiasts the rally-bred hero they'd been waiting for. It featured the 2.5-liter turbocharged EJ257 boxer engine, a stout 6-speed manual transmission, and the trick Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD). The generation is defined by two distinct looks: the 2004-2005 "Blobeye" and the updated 2006-2007 "Hawkeye," both of which delivered an aggressive, all-wheel-drive performance package.

Collectors prize the second-gen STi for its analog driving feel and direct connection to Subaru's World Rally Championship dominance. It represents a high point of the tuner era, but that also means most examples were modified and driven hard. Finding a low-mileage, factory-stock car today is exceptionally difficult, and these rare survivors have become the benchmark for collectibility. Their combination of practicality and raw performance is a formula that's hard to find in modern cars.

The market for these cars has matured, with values for clean examples rising steadily. What was once an affordable performance car is now a true collector item, with an average sale price of $28,854 reflecting the premium placed on originality and condition. While high-mileage or heavily modified cars can still be found at the lower end of the market, the best cars command prices that rival new performance vehicles.

Prices range from $7,500 for project cars to an extreme outlier of $389,684 for a rare, collectible variant.