I am looking at an outback or forester as a first vehicle for my child in a price range of about  5,000 or less, and am not sure of what to look for when purchasing a used Subaru. Any info would be greatly appreciated 

Spend even less. 

 

A good used Subaru with a 95-99 2.2 motor will last forever.  Put them in an Auto as they are learning to drive.

 

Solid car, they will most likely dent it anyway.  No Torque bind, shifts well.  Clean fluids and good brakes and tires.

Spend even less. 

 

A good used Subaru with a 95-99 2.2 motor will last forever.  Put them in an Auto as they are learning to drive.

 

Solid car, they will most likely dent it anyway.  No Torque bind, shifts well.  Clean fluids and good brakes and tires.

Well said, both my daughters had fender benders their first year of driving. Stupid stuff, one wreck caused by daughter changing stations on the radio, negligent result was rear ending the car in front at a stop light.

 

Agree 2.2 motor in a 95-99 is bullet proof. A good choice.

Hi Griz;  Legacy 90-95  2.2 non interference motor , great first  car  96-99 2.2 is an interference motor still a good car, 96-99 dohc motor used in outback, interference and bad head gasket issues. . Outback 2000-2004  good car has seeping head gasket issues (not bad)  Foresters have same motor with same issues,  some people love them... I think they are too boxy.

Forester might be slightly easier to park.

 

more important on used cars to find one with known good prior care and good present condition - the older the car, the less important the brand or model.

griz,

 

As the guys have suggested, both the Forester and the OutBack are good choices.

 

Both have the same engines and drivetrains for the same model years. The difference is the Outback is a larger car by dimensions, has more room inside, and because its bigger, it should stand up better in a crash by a little margin. But every little bit helps.

 

By comparison, the Forester is a taller vehicle and not as wide as the OutBack, meaning it has a higher chance to roll over in a fast turn or crash.

 

But as a first car for a young driver, they can't be beaten. The all wheel drive will help to keep them out of trouble because of the grip in wet and icy conditions, BUT ..... that extra get up and go grip does not translate into more stop. Subies get going faster from a dead stop in ice and snow, and will resist loss of traction if handled intelligently, which means much less white knuckled driving in bad conditions. But they still have no more stop than any other car on ice and snow.

 

A lot of people get into trouble with all wheel drive cars because they can get going faster, and have more traction than everyone else, and that leads them into the false thinking that they can stop quicker on snow and ice, which isn't true.