My first new car was a 1972 Subaru FF-1 1300G 2dr. sedan in British Racing Green. This car was purchased for $2100 out the door including tax and prep. This car traveled with me across the US from Upstate NY to Arizona and back 7 times and never skipped a beat. Car was so far ahead of its time with front drive,independent suspension,fanless engine cooling,aluminum block and head,flat piston arrangement,and spare tire kept in engine compartment so that its very large trunk would be completely useful. In over 106,000 mi. that I owned it it never required a brake job because of the inboard brakes. Other unique features of the car was a small rheostat light with dimmer located behind the front rear view mirror, bolt on hubcaps, parcel shelves, 2 piece lap and shoulder belts, a manual flip lever on the air cleaner for summer or winter that would pre-heat the air going from the air housing to the intake manifold a retractable radio antenna right where you could reach it from the drivers window,reclining seats and good rear passenger space.
This car was probably the best car I ever owned for going through snow, better even than later Subies I owned or even the current Suzuki SX4 AWD.
With 80hp from a 77cid. engine it was powerful for its class and used regular leaded fuel(cheaper) while returning 30+ mpg. Because of its roomy layout I was able to travel across the country with 2 extra friends to scope out my eventual college(ASU) and carry all my worldly possessions and even some of my friends stuff when we all moved out west.
Mechanically,the only events I ever had were a broken rear torsion bar and a front CV joint, neither problem stranded me. I gave the car to my future wife before we were married and she learned to drive a stick on this car like me and neither of us lunched a clutch.
Eventually moved back to the land of winter salted roads and the underbody simply rotted out, but even the day I sold it for junk it was still running strong. I guess like most, the first is always the best.