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I did lots of research before buying our TC - The big question I needed answers to was did I want the 2.0 with the 4 speed auto or the 2.5 with the 6 speed. Hands down, that's a no-brainer, so we went shopping for a used 2014 or 2015 . . . . whatever we could get the best deal on - Once I did the research, we never looked at a Gen 1 We cruise at 2250 RPM at 70 mph and the torquey 2.5 can pull it OK up most hills without down shifting to 5th. 6th is a true 'overdrive' as 5th at 70 mph gets you 3,000 RPM and at that RPM it will pull just about any grade without needing to downshift again The fact that they advertise the transmission as 'maintenance free' is actually a good thing, IMO. If they don't expect transmission problems for those who bought the Ford extended warranty and don't do any maintenance, imagine how reliable it will be for those of us who are doing regular fluid changes. I do wish they had given us a dipstick to check the level though - The procedure we need to use is a bit labor intensive . . . . but then, it's only needed once every 25K The 6F35 was jointly developed by Ford and GM and it's an awesome transmission in my opinion. The ability to put it in any gear you like and keep it there has already come in very handy. Also, if you have the cruise control set and go down a steep hill, the computer will downshift automatically for more engine braking so you never exceed the speed you have it set for - I love that feature. I've never driven a better combination of small engine/transmission than the 2.5 mated with the 6F35. I'm 100% happy with it. I've driven several cars with small 4 cylinder engines mated to 4 speed transmissions and always found them lacking - You just need more gear ratios to get the best from small engines, even in small cars - Buying a 2.0 four mated to a 4 speed automatic in a 3500 lb van (maybe pulling a trailer, which we frequently do) would have left me kicking myself for not doing more research Don