I don't get the talk about bad transmissions. I learned stick on my 2002, so the first 1000+ miles were HARD on that new car, but when I traded it in with 55000 miles on it, it still felt pretty new. I never beat on my car, or raced it, so maybe that is why, but I don't get what the fuss is all about. On the 2006 one I have now, the car feels stronger, and maybe they beefed it up because they realized so many people were driving the WRX hard. But I don't anticipate the tranny going bad on me.