are there any major differences from a 93 and a 96 besides a 1.8l and a 2.2l??? i found a 93 for about $1500, and a 96 for $3700 both manual awd and 4 doors. which one is better? which do you recommend?

The '96.

There are some differences in body moldings, but the real reason I say to get the later one is the '93 was the first full year of Impreza and by '96 a lot of the bugs would be worked out.

I'd personally go with the '93. The car is obviously in OK shape mechanically to have survived 12 years of wear and tear. The $2200 you'd save buying the '93 could be used to repair pretty much anything on the car that's broken or about to break. This is all assuming it's a daily driver and not a racer. If it's going to be a racer, then the bigger displacement will be helpful.

go with the 96 due to obd2 and its ease of pointing out problems. you can also use the port to run tuning sessions if you ever get that far. try and buy above 95.