Looking for suggestions for a winter beater

[TORONADOXS]

Dave-- I'd try to stay under 150K, but that's true with any car. I've got several customers with well over 300k on thier Subies(my niece has 450K on hers). Try to get maintenence records if you can. AWD vehicles will usually have T-case problems over 100k if they are not maintained (read:Jeep) but Subaru's AWD system is integrated into the tranny so they have WAY less problems in that regard. Subaru actually switched BACK to SOHC from DOHC in(I think) 2001, which is a better engine IMO. The biggest thing is the timing belt maintenence. More correctly, the timing belt idler pulleys. I've seen the idlers fail before belts do. Make SURE the tensioner and idlers get replaced when the belt does. This is the easiest timing belt you will ever do, by the way. If you can get used to the flat four's funky vibration, you'll LOVE it. They also offer a 3.0L flat six, but this is a chain driven engine, and very complicated, so I'd stay away from the 3.0. Anything else just let me know. Good Luck!!