It actually very much depends on what you are looking at. I had
the same delima like you when I was deciding to get a car and
was considering lancer and TS. I then went to rent with a company
and try it out.(comapring stock to stock)
1) Handling + Speed.
2) Maintainence + FC
3) Overall outlook.
1a) Speed + Handling.
Lancer- Lancer will start "floating" when it hits 150km/hr mark.
Handling really poor in the context of higher speed. Was doing
160km/hr on a slight bend, it feels as if the car will flip
anytime. Top speed 170-185km/hr without passengers.
TS- TS will not float even when it is at it's top speed. It's very
glued to the ground. Handling is awesome in the contect of higher
speed. Was doing 160km/hr on the same slight bend, it feels very
much rooted to the ground. Top speed 170-180/hr without passengers.
However, Ts is a 4wd, thus explaining in the loss of power. Pickup
is not as fast as Lancer, but not too far away as far as
transmission is concern (MT). If it was AT vs AT, I think TS will
lose out slightly.
2a) 2nd hand TS- As we all know, Ts is labelled for the "ah-beng"
car for a reason. People esp bengs don't really know how to
maintain the car after they loot them. After a track session, there
are many things to do to recover your ride. Similarly after a race
at AYE, there are many things to maintain so that the car wont be
hurt. Sad thing is these beng only know how to loot and not
maintaining. So when buying a 2nd hand subaru esp those MT ones,
you have to be ready for a lumpsome of bucks. FC is real bad, the
best my TS did was 9km/L for the way I drive.
2nd hand Lancer- Lancer GLX is also known to be the bengs car esp
to the malays. In my opinion, compared to TS lancer will have less
maintainance because it is less looted. But no still its 50/50%
chance. Not like buying a toyota altis which will not be loot. FC
for lancer is way better , achieve 11km/L for the way I
drive.
3a) Overall outlook for Lancer- Lancer will always be a lancer. No
matter how hard we try t o mod it, one look others can tell it's a
lancer. It will be way far away from a evo look. Instead you will
get named "poser." If talking about engine swapping etc of high
performance modification, lancer chasis will not be able to take
it.
Overall outlook for TS- TS can be a WRX. Simple modification of
changing to sports rims, hooded bonet,exos and a WRX label at
the boot will transform your TS to a WRX. There is only 1 way to
find out by the outlook which is the axle that holds your back
wheel together weather if there is strip or not.(for those who know
how to differentiate from outside) If talking about engine swapping
etc of high performance modification, TS chasis will definitely be
able to take it. I'm already driving one of bhp near 400.
It's what you want. If you want a high profile, a TS will make
it.
If you want budget yet sporty, a stock lancer will be good
enough.
I've posted my car's spec back then in this forum, if you would
like to try how it feels for a transformed TS, can ask me out for
kopi (:
The 'strip' on the rear axle, I think only applies to the STi,
the WRX and TS don't have that feature, IIRC.
Actually the simplest way to differentiate a TS and a Rex is to
see the road tax disc 
But yes, the stability of the TS is more or less undisputed,
because of the SAWD drivetrain.
