Maybe getting a wagon for my work car - a 2000 Subaru Outback Limited

I have the same car as your but a sedan with 275,000 miles-have had it since new. Mine has some rust issues but at the mileage I am not going to bother with it. I have been doing oil changes every 3,500 miles like clock work and do all the fluids every 30,000 miles.
I worked at a Subaru dealer for close to 11 years and it was my observed experience that these cars do not react well to synthetic oils. I don't wish to start any debates about synthetics but these cars like oil changes done around 3500 miles. I use a normal boring no synthetic and can't remember the last time I ever added oil between changes-it's been years.
In regards to the head gasket issue there was a recall that your car might have fallen under. It was adding a stop leak to the cooling system as there would be a coolant seepage on the cylinder heads-especially the drivers side. When you do a coolant system serice you need to add the cooling system additive. You can buy it at your local Subaru dealer.
Other than that-mine has been the most trouble for car I have ever owned and is a great handling car in bad weather-snow and also rain.
Enjoy your car-it's a great looking wagon.

 

Thanks. Well I do not actually have the car any longer. I updated this saying I had sold it the other night. lol. Yes, I like the sedan versions as well.

Being a southern car, mine didn't have any rust issues, but a lot of these did as most were purchased in the snow belt areas. Mine originally came from the mountains of western North Carolina, which does get some snow, but nothing like they get up north.

Oh yes, the engine was very solid in mine. I never had to add a drop of oil between the 3000 mile oil changes. It always stayed right on the full line, even at the 3000 mile mark, pretty impressive for a car with 202,000 miles. I know that head gaskets were issues on these, but mine were dry and my mechanic had showed me where to keep a look out for them. Mine had obviously been replaced in the past he said. I didn't have any coolant issues either, but I had read about the Subaru coolant conditioner (that you mentioned) to use as a precaution, so I had put some of that in as well shortly after I bought the car. I did have to put in an new thermostat, which was easy and I didn't lose much coolant when I did it. As it started getting cooler in the late fall, I had noticed my temperature gauge would go up to about 3/4 way, whereas in the summer, even on scorching days with the a/c on, it would run cool. Turns out the thermostat was going bad. I was told to use only a Subaru brand thermostat replacement, which I did and it was perfect. My gauge never went above 1/2 way. The one that was in there was some strange name thermostat, it was not the original. Motorad or something like that?

Mine actually turned into the most troublesome car I had ever owned, lol. I had to do a lot of normal maintenance (which can be expected), but I also had a lot of things starting to fail. Bushings, ball-joints, sway bar links and bushings, alternator, seal in the power steering pump, etc. I think I just happened to buy the car when a lot of those things were needing to be replaced... then I had to put on a new brake caliper on the right rear when mine started sticking. I had one rear wheel bearing replaced, it still roared... my mechanic said maybe the other side was bad too, or he replaced the wrong one, but then he said he thought it was road noise?? I don't know, but I was done dealing with it, lol. I also only averaged around 21 mpg and that was mostly highway driving.

We do not get much snow here... we average 12-13 inches of snow per year, which isn't much, but we live on a hill in a rural area, so there are times it can be a problem for me a few times out of the year, so I bought this car for that reason... well so far we haven't had a flake of accumulating snow and I told my co-workers today it will snow everyday now that I sold it, lol. My dad has a '94 Toyota 4x4 truck I can use now however, but still like having my own vehicle. I am using my '91 Cadillac now and it is front-wheel drive, so it may go ok in the snow.

I do miss my weather radio and heated seats in the Subaru!