If dependability is important, and when isn't it, forget the Jeep and go for the Suburu. My cousin has a 96 Cherokee 2wd bought new which has been nothing but trouble. Consumer Report also gives Jeep a poor rating on dependability.
My daughter had a little well-used 2dr Suburu when she was in college. It rode like a truck, the seats were hard, and the interior was very noisy at highway speed. But the thing was unbreakable.
Well, I'm going to disagree with that. Your cousin may have gotten a lemon, but reliability is not a problem with the Cherokee. Consumer Reports has a well-known bias against American car manufacturers.
We have lots of potholes here, unpaved roads and lots of snow in winter, so I would like something that would hold up. I don't care about anything fancy, as around here vehicles get beat up pretty fast anyway. I am really leaning towards getting a Subaru. I think I will call car dealerships in Anchorage to find out about getting a used one that is not too terribly expensive. Dependabilty is very important to me. So now I will look into the different models of Subarus. Thanks for your imput, that was helpful!