Buying a 2003 Impreza Automatic?

sbgoree

I'm a brand new driver. I bought a 2002 Impreza 2.5TS Manual. Got in an accident two days later, and the damage was enough to total the car even tho it was drivable. I bought it through a private sale.

I'm thinking of buying a 2003 Impreza 2.5TS Automatic that is at a Subaru dealership here. But I know my Mom and Aunt who had 90's Subaru's w/ automatic transmissions had nothing but problems.

I'm thinking an automatic may be safer for me. I like that I could share the car on road trips with friends, and it may be more logical for a new driver who wants to live in a downtown area of Denver.

My concerns:

I want it to do well in the snow. I've heard manual means better control but Subaru's are AWD so maybe it doesn't matter.

I want it looked over by a reputable mechanic since they have some negative service reviews, but I don't know how to go about that with a massive dealership.

I'm also paying for it with savings. It has 118,883 miles, the one I bought before had 169,524 miles on it.

So any advice?

jd_24

Transmission should be fine. I have a 2001 Outback wagon with over 210,000. Tranny has been fine. Have the mechanic check the head gaskets. Those are more likely to fail.