Car shopping soon...advice?

[Becky]

DH and I are on our 3rd and 4th Subarus, an 2008 Outback and a 1996 Legacy. Once you buy one, it's hard (IMO) to buy anything else. The AWD really does make a difference, it has a decent amount of cargo space but it's still low enough for short me to rack bikes on the roof, and it's holding its value very well.

As for mileage, I routinely get 29-30 mph on long trips as long as there are no bikes on the roof and I'm being conscious about mileage. Around town, I manage 24-26 mph, which is still quite a bit better than its EPA rating. Driving stick and being aware of starts and stops both help. Could it be better without AWD? Sure. Am I going to give it up? Nope

Edit: Did I mention their awesome life spans? #1 ate it in a car accident at 205K miles, #2 made it to 180K before I donated it, and #3 is still kicking at ~150K.