Hi Tony;
I have had a trouble-free year with my 2004 Subaru Forester 2.0 Turbo bought last June. Particularly this winter it was a joy to drive, it was unstoppable in the heavy snow we had. Permanent 4WD and a symmetrical drivetrain have definite advantages.

The Subaru mechanicals seem pretty simple, robust and straightforward. This does not necessarily include all aspects: changing the spark plugs is a nightmare, for instance. More importantly; some of the engine types used are renowned for head gasket problems, particularly the 2.5 N/A engines. Something to do with the open deck block design. If the car in question is a non-turbo 2.5, I bet it has had the head gaskets replaced at least once at 200K miles.

If you google for "Subaru head gasket problems" you get the drift. As for forums, I have found subaruforester.org excellent for my purposes. Go straight to the Engine and Exhaust section for engine issues. Here's a link to an interesting owner's poll:
http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f113/ongoing-polls-regarding-head-gasket-problems-27944

Good luck!
Erling.
--