the transmission and engine are just like every other car. They will last for a long time if properly taken care of and not beaten on daily. Its the little things that break. 2g's are also known to crankwalk, but not as many of most ppl think. If u want to know about that, go do a search somewhere.

If your not going for speed, get a fwd, or maybe even an N/T. Id stay away from awd because of the extra wear and tear, but it doesnt sound like u need it anyways.