Well certainly not better with rust preventative measures. Or common problem fixes, but that's obvious since they fix things as they go along. I do prefer the more aggressive look of the 97-03 exterior. The 04+ is more rounded and more modern. I do like the 04+ interior due to the more sporty appearance. 04+ was my original intention to buy when looking for a car, but after looking at 3 04+, I looked at the first 97-03 style and got it.