I love your page. I consulted it before I purchased my 98 Outback Limited 5 speed. I was particularly interested in the section about automatic vs.5 speed. I did my own little comparison and I thought I'd share it with you.

I live just outside of Tahoe City, California at an approximate elevation of 6,900 feet above sea level. Lake Tahoe is at approximately 6,229 feet above sea level. The closest Subaru dealer is in Reno, Nevada. They let me test drive an outback from their dealership to my house and back.

They only had the automatic available so I couldn't complain. I drove west on Interstate 80 to Truckee, California. This has many uphill areas and the automatic was a chore to deal with. It made the drive more work than I wanted to deal with. Constant gear hunting and shifting. I was really disappointed in the power and torque.

I got back to the dealer and made my disappointing experience know. They found a 5 speed and let me try it. WOW, what a difference. Night and day. The 5 speed took the same grade in 5th gear with no problem. I didn't have to downshift at all and found myself in Truckee in no time. It was a much more relaxing experience not having to deal with the automatic.

I purchased the 5 speed and saved some money at the same time. It is apparently geared lower than the automatic and has much more acceleration and passing power. This thing is awesome. Roads that I used to have to downshift with my 92 Toyota 4x4 with 4 cyclinder, are no problem with the Outback. It is a dream to drive.

So this is a comparison for people like me that live in an area that has uneven terrain. The roads in Tahoe are twisty, uphill, and downhill. The 5 speed makes the driving alot easier.

Another point to consider is the snow up here and we get a ton. (Over 20 feet annually). The 5 speed, as you know, distributes the power evenly between the front and rear axels, then favoring the one that is gripping if the other should slip. Where as, the automatic has more power to the front under normal driving conditions. I prefer the 50/50 plan.