I believe the tranny issues are only with the V6. I have a 97 2.2 with just over 139K miles that I bought at 80K miles, and I am only now having my first issue (O2 sensors, no biggie). Regular maintenance should make it last for a long time. It gets good mileage too, mid-20's around town and into the low 30's on the highway with cruise control. Good luck!