Anything I should know before buying it?

Can't be worse than the one I have now. How often should I change it?

Dude. No. The head gaskets will go out on that car within 15k I guarantee it. Don't buy unless you're willing to replace them, then they are solid cars

Demand a receipt for the timing belt change. If not, the instant you get it, have that done. Beware that it will eat oil. There is a chance it will practically change it's own oil for you. You will need to keep oil in the car at all times and check it at every other fill-up.

Well it's really cheap so I got some extra money to throw into it

Based on what I know it's safe to assume An ugly butch dyke knuckled someones grandma in the backseat.

Make sure the head gaskets have been done. If they haven't, budget in at least $1500 or a lot of hours. Other than that, great cars.

>Single cam non-turbo.
Literally the only EJs to have gasket issues, and it's the one you're looking at.

If the timing belt and gasket cap are good do your think it'll last me?

No lol.

The fact at some point the designed the head gasket to leak out instead of in shows their effort to bandaid the head gasket issue.

I had a 2001 Forester for a time and have had a lot of experience with subarus of that era, they're good cars but maintenance intensive

buying one with an auto is retarded, the auto AWD system is a shitty FWD biased atrocity

Either buy one with a documented head gasket change or be prepared to spend at least $1500 for the service, on top of an overall reseal

pass on this one OP, better yet just get a 4runner

Subaru reliability is a meme. If they weren't Japanese no one would think they are reliable. It might be OK but it's no Toyota/Honda.