Okay, I'm slowing choosing Subaru>Volvo...

[PlasticWrapInYourFuture]

I've wanted my own personal car now & I know that something old needs to be sacrificed in order to gain something new. I've wanted another Subaru for a while & I'm a fan of the BD style Legacy body style so a GT or SUS is on my list of prey.

Here is what will be sold for the purchase:
My Volvo 850 GLT - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86RJsK5kX2w
My mother has agreed to buy it from me for $1500 & that's not bad considering what I put into it. It's up to speed with the parts that it needs (I can't sell her a piece of trash after all.)

Now I'm into the idea of a DOHC EJ22 but if I can skip that & go straight for a DOHC EJ25, then it will save me a lot of trouble with matching parts up. I like Legacy GTs & SUSes. I've always fantasized a dropped GT, Outback, or SUS & the money I get from my mother combined with what I have in the bank will ensure that I have one of these gorgeous cars. Now I'm stuck at a bit of a crossroad.
GT
SUS
Outback
Which of these Legacies should I get?

[ericem]

Outback is nice since it sits up higher.

GT is nice because it looks pretty cool. But then again the outback looks pretty cool too.

Do you want more ground clearance then the volvo, get the outback, if you want the same as the volvo get the GT!

Be prepared to do a headgasket job on the EJ25 just incase it happens. EJ22 its alot less common.

[evolutionmovement]

Outbacks are a dime a dozen around here. Good ones start at $2500 all day long and go to a little over $5k for mint Limiteds with around 70k miles. There's even more selection if you don't need to have a man's transmission. GTs are rarer, but they're out there as well. Seem to start about a grand higher. If you want an SUS, good luck as there aren't many out there. They were issued New England only for the first year, national after, and I've never seen many of them even here in New England. Some people didn't even believe they existed a few years back when I was talking about them. I personally hate that 2.5 engine, but they're the easiest thing to find by a long shot.

[PlasticWrapInYourFuture]

I like the SUS & I'd definitely drop it to match my Volvo's height (it's pretty low). I've seen a few on Craigslist & I missed my chance to grab the one being sold in Hartford for $800. That one had no body damage/good engine/good transmission & was @ 230k miles. Now the only one up is a mint Burgandy SUS @ $6990. That one is definitely out of the question. GTs are nice & I don't see them too much. Most of the Legacies around here are Outback wagons or 1st gens. We have the only L I've seen around here. I'm in the process of making it a poor man's SUS LOL!

[evolutionmovement]

Why buy an SUS to drop it? Just like the two-tone and the bumper? The bumper can be swapped to an L.

[PlasticWrapInYourFuture]

Why buy an SUS to drop it? Just like the two-tone and the bumper? The bumper can be swapped to an L.

Well, I had already bought an OB bumper for my L but I had to make small enhancements to it to make it fit. I also dislike 2 tone so I'd buy an SUS to drop it & modify it like most guys do to their JDM Legacies.

I tecnically have a poor man's SUS but I want something else so that my wife can have the L. I can't really let loose on it (mods) because she also needs it. I was also a hardcore Volvo fan as well but I found myself drifting towards Subarus for a while now. I'm currently in school for Automotive Technology & I've realized that I have a knack for working on Subarus.

[evolutionmovement]

Subarus are so easy to work on. I'm hoping a Subaru engine fits in my project car so I can put one in there. SUS are 2-tone, since it's an Outback sedan. GTs are already dropped a little and 99-99' Ls have the GT bumpers (sans fog lights), FWIW.