He knows he doesn't want the STI. It's too much power and totally unnecessary for him (his own words and conclusion). The WRX is rated for 227hp with the 2.0L at the engine, according to wikipedia. More than my cruiser :(
Good to know about the 5spd being easy to R&R. I've never worked on a transmission before, so that will be a learning experience. There is a pretty good Scoobie club and forum here in Eastern Ontario so hopefully he can get a lot of info and help from them (I dunno if it's as good as 'mud
)
Narrowing it down to the second generation WRX with the 2.0L and 5spd (2001-2005 for the engine) are there any particular years that were better or worse? Wikipedia list some model year differences but it's definitely not exhaustive. Any features in specific years that make them a better or worse choice than another year?
Thanks for all the help so far guys!