see the problem is you dont know the tire history on the car. The peoblem shows up more on automatics, beut on an automatice there are things you can do to correct it. Also the automatic is a bit more foregiving, since you can disable the awd. Also the automatic system is deisgned for some slippage.
The manual has a simplier but far more complicated (parts wise) system. The manual is not forgiving at all. There have been posters on here driving on a low tire for 20 miles and frying the viscous coupling. If ever a car needed a tire pressure monitor this is it.
Unfortunitly you dont know the history of the car, and the dealer on the 1999 gave you an extreemly high figure, i think its the same cost to fix the manual as an automatic. the dealer wanted to make a sale. The 1999 had some problems but this was not one of them.
All the (manual) trannies are the same pretty much in the way they operate., just they are very sensative to low tires, mis matched tires, or flats.
Part of the probelm is the design of the vss and where it is. They use an open diff. The problem with a diff is that if you hold one wheel, the other wheel turns twice as fast. What seems like is a minor speed differnce is actually twice as fast, so the VC sees alot more heat then we realize.
i would go someplace else for the repair. Also i would *************** at the dealer just too see what happens.
i dont know if the wear on the VC is culmalitive, meaning if somone drove on a flat someplace in the cars life, if that starts a slippery slope of destruction.
With manuals, (well its a good idea with any car) walk around the car at least once a week and make sure the tires are still round.
nipper