Epic story! Real shame about the X3 and I can't imagine what you felt when it turned up all bashed in.
Just my 2 pence worth... Subarus can be fun if you have the right model. In the UK we had the Imperza 2000 Turbo replaced by the Impreza WRX. Both 2.0 injection, inter cooled, turboed engines with permenant 4x4. 215bhp as standard that was 'tuneable' up to silly BHP. We also STi and Prodrive variants all getting up to 300bhp and over.
How do I know this... I've owned 3 and each one was just a superb driving machine. A bit raw and ready sometimes, but great fun. I actually picked up my 2nd one 3 days before my daughter was born and it was our family car for 4 years. I tuned that up 265bhp with 270lbft. It was rather quick for a family estate car and my wife was always complaining about the whiplash it gave her on acceleration.
Oh and yes we did have Outbacks and Legacy's in the Uk... but they were for old men
J.