THE standard five-speed manual transmission is carried over from the previous Forester range and features double cone synchromesh on second and third gears. All manual transmission models are equipped with a dual range transmission with a 20 per cent low range reduction that can be selected on the move. The optional four-speed automatic transmission is now the same unit as used in the rest of the Subaru range, albeit with some minor changes to the programming of the transmission control unit (TCU) to better match the Forester's engine performance characteristics and vehicle specifications. It features a stepped shift gate and buttonless shift lever, which supersedes the traditional T-bar automatic transmission. The auto transmission is electronically controlled with fuzzy logic and features three modes - Normal, Power and Hold - operated via a switch next to the shift lever.