I have a 99 Outback (auto). Two friends have a 03 Outback (stick) and a 06 Outback (stick).
My mom has a 04 A4 Avant 3.0 (6 cylinder).
After driving them all, god damn do I love the Audi. The new subies with XT are sweet, but if you are getting a 3.0 avant, it just feels so much powerful.
New subarus are nicer inside, but again, cannot compete with the audi.
The subaru are bigger though, so if space is an issue, maybe go with the subaru or look for a A6.
If I had the choice, I would get the A4 in a second. They are just that much nicer.
The new subaru are pretty nice though, and they are a lot cheaper on gas and labor. So...if you can afford it, get the audi. if you are like most people on NS, I would say in the long run the outback would be cheaper and last longer.
O. And if you get an audi, look for one coming off a lease at around 25,000 miles. Sell it @ 75,000, no questions asked, when the warranty runs out. Keeping an audi above 75,000 miles is just stupid IMO.