Just to second sairose- Subarus are EXCELLENT cars to buy, and they REALLY retain their value. My mom's 4 year old Impreza is worth probably around $10K still, and it wasn't an expensive car to begin with. VW also hold their value well, at least jetta's do (i wanted a jetta, they were all out of my price range).
__________________ Yes, I will judge you for your tackiness.