Im planning on buying a used WRX soon but the thing is, how can I tell if the engine has been broken in properly and it doesnt burn too much oil, I mean, if I only spend like a half hour with the car, how could I tell? Would a good mechanic be able to tell?

Can anybody recommend a good Subaru mechanic in the Orange County area?

 

Can anybody give me any advice as to what to look for when I go look at this car? Any trouble spots? Certain areas I should focus on?

 

I don't know how you could tell if it's consuming oil in only 30 minutes. But you can ask the seller for maintanaince records. If they ever paid for an oil change, it should say how much was drained out of the car and how much was added (so you'd know how much oil they lost over a time period).
Figuring out the break in is harder, I guess you just have to ask if the owner kept it under 4K for 1K miles and believe his answer. Sorry I can't help more...best bet is to find a Subaru mech in the OC that can check out the car before you buy it.

Definatly shift through the gears and listen for anything strange, the 5MT can be problematic on these cars.

 

Is it an '02?
If so, take a look at where the front, driver's side half shaft meets the transmission. The early '02's had a defective design which leaked from that spot. You might also check the records to see if the fuel lines have been fixed, so that you don't leak raw fuel on cold days.

Other than that, follow your instinct. Does the previous owner seem like a ham fisted fast and furious type or a more level headed individual?

 

Watch the smog test. You can see the car blow smoke (white in color if the oil is clean) from the exhaust when the car is tested under load. The printed smog test results will not necessarily tell you if the car is burning oil, but you can watch for it during the load portion of the test.

If it's a fairly warm day, do your road test and get the car fully warmed-up. Let it idle for a good three minutes, then watch for smoke if you rev it quickly in neutral... that can produce billows of smoke if the engine is burning oil. Or, drive it off and watch for smoke in the rear view mirror when you take off or shift. Look for oily deposits inside the tail pipe.

 

They don't do dyno testing for smog on full time awd vehicles, as the smog stations only have 2wd rollers.

If you have a friend, they can look out the back of the car under load, though.