LadyJean .... some belated advice here. I'm a Subaru fan. I'm on my 2nd, a Subaru Outback with an automatic transmission ... I've always driven a standard up until now ... why the switch to an automatic ... because my previous vehicle was a Subaru Forester ... Subarus make great cars but stay clear of thier manual shifts .... my transmission burnt out at 45K, the replaced one was starting to go at 85k, I then traded it in ... it is (apparently) a common weakness with Subarus. Shifting on a Subaru reminded me of shifting gears on an old Massey Harris tractor.

sIx