Thanks for the great responses. I think we'll definitely focus on 2001 and newer. We are from Moscow, ID and the market here is basically small and not competitive. There is one subaru dealer and it is $$$.
Unfortunately, I'm not finding a lot of private sellers around here, or even in a 100 mile radius. I guess its a good sign that no one wants to sell their Imprezas

We'll also be heading over to Portland, which will provide a much larger market.
Does the fact that we aren't financing the purchase give us any additional price negotiation power?