Montana Jones

"Formerly owned by a rental car company that I am assured only rents to little ol' ladies for Sunday drives"

As someone familiar with the rental car industry, this statement makes me cringe. The Outbacks are a big hit for rental companies in MT, especially in the winter because people like AWD in the snow. They are also a big hit in the summer for tourists going fishing/camping/abusing the vehicle.

This car probably received a lot of use. Even if the mileage is not high, you have to take into account that it has had many different drivers. There are a lot of quirks to a vehicle that take getting used to for anyone not familiar with the model, and each new driver might be driving an Outback for the first time. For instance, if you happen to have the sport model, a lot of people (especially little 'ol ladies) don't know how to shift or switch to automatic. They assume it is auto (why wouldn't it be?) and end up driving around town in 1st gear wondering why the RPMs are high and they can't get over 30mph. Also, it's my experience that rental companies tend to be lax on oil changes and maintenance (except for washing it, which they do in excess).

Anyway, I don't want to take the wind out of your sails. Subarus are great cars, and I wish I owned one myself. I just wouldn't buy a rental.
 

when i came back to montana last fall i flew into Glacier International...grabbed the keys to my rental car...and was pleasantly surprised to fine a lovely brand spanky new subaru outback sport as my chariot for the week. No one told me about the sport going from manual to automatic..and it took me a good ten miles on the highway before i figured it out. i put five hundred plus miles on in in seven days...i drove it through a field and got stuck in a ditch...i frequently had it up over 90 mph...it was fun. i hope that you did not buy the car that i treated like crap for a week.