Which one is better?

[NewSubieOwner_01]

I'm looking at 2 BAJAs. one is a 2003 sport with the NA 2.5 the other is a 2005 Turbo with the turbo 2.5. The 2003 161162 miles and the 2005 has 141322. Both have a manual transmission. I don't know too much about Subarus, but i do know that certain years was plagued with the famous head gasket issue, i just didn't know which years. Also the 2003 is $14,786 and the 2005 is $15,065

[greymud]

Those are some high prices, unless they are in spectacular condition.

[anarchy1024]

I'd say, the "better" one would really be the one in the best condition. Manual turbos are pretty rare; IIRC fewer than 2000 were built? Obviously, turbo if you want more power, but there are more things to go wrong (just the nature of having a turbo), and requires 91 octane fuel (87 for NA).

Rust (especially in places with snow), unusual noises, leaks, maintenance history (if available), milkshake oil/coolant, etc. are what I'd be looking at.

[Twempie]

Those are some high prices, unless they are in spectacular condition.

+1 - I have a decent 2006 Sport with about 110K miles, had it since day one, well cared for and still in good shape. The value of my Baja isn't even close to the prices of those two options. My advice is to walk away before you regret it