[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

The biggest complaint I've heard is that the clutch is hard and the shifter is notchy.

The clutch is not hard in this car. In fact, I thought the official whining was that it was too soft. What you need to do is try your best to erase what you've read about the clutch from your head and drive it yourself without making any plans in advance to modify it based on bitching and moaning from clueless idiots on the internet. IF you buy the car and find the clutch to be annoying in some way, it can be adjusted. But personally, I have no issue at all with this clutch and never found any need to modify it.

Now, about the notchy transmission, SOME are. SOME aren't. My transmission was smooth as butter until I had an engine replacement. When I got it back with the same transmission, it was notchy as hell and didn't feel the same at all. I've gotten used to it and don't really mind it.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

I did drive a stick Jeep last summer and I was okay except for a weird stall when my leg started getting tired and I clutched out too quick.

I was in the same boat as you. I went more than 20 years without driving a stick, then bought this car. Some muscles I hadn't used in a long time complained for the first few days. Now the car is like an extension of my body.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

I live west of the NYC metropolitan area, so we do get some snowy winters. That would be the job for the Outback. It's also interesting to note I've never run winters.

Mine has spent its entire life in the south, so I have limited experience with driving mine in winter weather. However, a lot of our northern members get a set of steelies and put blizzaks on them, then switch to the winter tires for the season and keep driving it. The general consensus among those who actually drive it in the snow seems to be that the car itself handles snow just fine with the right tires.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Is it worth considering a certified pre-owned BRZ from a few years ago, or are the newer ones vastly improved to warrant the expense?

The newer ones are basically the same car with minor performance upgrades. If you're not interested in the upgrades between Premium and Limited, you're probably not going to get much out of the changes year over year either. If this is truly going to be a second car, let someone else take the first year depreciation, save the money and get a used one.

These can be great urban cars because of how nimble and maneuverable they are. There's a chance you'll love it so much you'll drive it more than you thought you would, and it'll become your first car. If that happens and you start wishing you'd bought a new one, you can get most of your money back out of the used one in a private sale, then pick up a new one at that point.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

What about a lease, while I learn to get my "feet wet" again?

I'd consider it a waste of money compared to a used one. Leases are for "subscription" car buyers, people who just want a new car every few years and only consider the monthly payment in the "can I afford it" question.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

My commute is about 10 miles through a city - brutal on a stick - but I'd probably take a highway toll road route that will be about 20 miles each way to be easier on my left leg and my throw-out bearing.

Personally, I prefer a manual in city traffic, with the exception of going up long hills with traffic. With a manual, you can creep along, you can coast, you can take it out of gear and rest. With an automatic, you're always fighting the car's urge to pull forward, and traffic NEVER crawls at the same speed your transmission wants to pull you at idle. I just don't really get the complaint about driving a manual in traffic.

This car in particular behaves very well in traffic jams. Once you learn how to use a light foot on the accelerator, you can actually crawl this car at around 5-6 mph in gear on flat ground without lugging the engine.

I get the sense that people who complain the loudest about driving a manual in traffic don't actually drive manuals in traffic.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Questions that popped up from Reddit:

Screw Reddit. Those people are clueless. Most likely the overwhelming majority of the "advice" you've seen there came from people who just read about the car on auto blogs.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Is the clutch hard to learn? Is it forgiving?

This is a very easy car in which to learn/relearn to drive stick. It is quite forgiving, and it rewards good habits and tends to punish bad habits. The biggest legitimate complaint I've heard (and encountered a little myself) is that the clutch bite point can be a bit difficult to find at first, because it doesn't just grab hold and jerk your teeth out like a competition clutch or a 60s sports car. But keep an open mind and give it a couple of days to get used to it, and it's not an issue.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Should I consider another brand?

There's not anything else out there that offers this combination of performance, practicality and low cost.

I bought mine for lengthy commutes and traveling. I'm putting more than 30K miles per year on it. I can afford a whole lot more sports car, but I don't see anything out there that will feel like this car while providing the same level of comfort and enough room for bags when traveling in a sub-$30K package while getting more than 30 MPG (or, at least it did before I put the Pilot Super Sports on it). So four years in, I still don't see any reason to consider a new car.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Are there any special maintenance or preventative maintenance things to watch out for?

Not really. The big surprise for a lot of folks is that having the spark plugs changed is rather expensive, in the $600 to $700 range. That's because the plugs are on the bottom of the engine and can't be reached without disconnecting the motor mounts and exhaust and raising the engine four inches.

Other than that, it's not a very demanding car and not that difficult to keep running.

Originally Posted by Pilot1226

Thoughts on changing the summer performance tires to an all-season tire?

The stock tires are fine. However, upgrading to a stickier performance tire will significantly increase the cornering ability of the car. You'll see a lot of people suggest their favorites on here. I run Michelin Pilot Super Sports and couldn't be happier even though my fuel economy dropped and the PSS don't last nearly as long as the stock tires.

In your situation I would seriously consider what I noted above, getting a set of simple steel wheels with winter tires and swapping them for the season. You can buy a second set of TPMS modules for the winter set and get an ATEQ Quickset to flash them to the car so that you don't get a CEL. Or you can just live with the light through the winter.

Bottom line, go drive one. If you like it, buy one. The problem with this car as a "second car" is that in addition to being fun, it's just too practical. I suspect you'll find yourself using it as your first car a lot more than you anticipate.