I got a rental car with that entertainment system and I hated it - i could never figure out how to do simple stuff like turn on the a/c or adjust the fan, and it was distracting too since it was so unintuitive. I found myself looking at the display for far too long trying to figure stuff out when a simple twist of a knob or a quick button push would have sufficed.
As far as the transmission issues - i've gotten rental focuses that have a auto/clutch combo and i hated that as well. Lurching operation, refusal to downshift, and often being in the wrong gear were disappointing.
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