Strange that they maintained the interior. Usually that's one of the first things trashed. The last two manual cars I've had (Focus ST and Civic Si) have had transmission troubles. My FoST has 2100 miles on it an has trouble engaging 1st,2nd,3rd and 6th gears. It hates shifting up or down into second. Unless you rev match perfectly when shifting down (and I mean PERFECT) it jumps. Even if off by 100rpm. Shifting up you have to granny shift or it jumps. Revs drop too slowly. It locks you out of first when stopped and sometimes third and sixth when rolling. The Civic Si was even worse. It popped out of gears, had an inconsistent clutch engagement and rev hang for days. You had to shift so slow you held up traffic, and the drive by wire throttle system in it was so weird you couldn't rev match a shift. One time it may take a slight tap to raise 500rpms per say, next time it may take half way to the floor. I hated my Civic Si. My FoST doesn't even have a dead pedal. I wish it did, there is no good spot to place your foot. I don't have any of those issues on my WRX or RX7. I think its a lot of new ECU stuff not meshing with the driver changing the gears. I'm glad your protege drives well otherwise. Crazy how someone could've neglected the brakes that badly. Think maybe the synchro is bad for 5th on your car?