I did the 4.44 conversion on my son's car and I definitely think it is well worth it, both in performance and durability. You do not notice much difference in cruising with the higher rpms. Throttle response is soooooo much better and off line power is very noticeable. AND, if anything, he gets better gas as the engine does not work as hard at cruising speeds. If you plan to keep the car for a lifetime like I am---used Legacy transmissions (4.44) are far more plentiful than SVX trans.
I might do the conversion on my runners if either has a trans problems. BUT, then again I have a parts car with only 2792 miles on the transmission AND engine.
