[elhigh]

I'm a little late to the party, or I would have warned you off the '97 Outback. Subies are pretty good cars in my opinion - I won't go banging on about the three main bearing boxer engine - but the Outback that year was available with the 2.2 or the 2.5.

It's too late to matter here but I'm just going to throw it out there: avoid like the ever loving PLAGUE all first-gen Subaru 2.5 liter EJ25 engines. They are an endless fount of misery and sadness, and occasional unexpected hiking opportunities.