Dear Lations,
I seldom post online but thought my two-cent worth maybe of use to some of you guys facing the same problem. I have benefited from the posts by other members too.
Few months ago, my 2006 Latio started to have a problem with the reverse gear. The problem had been described by other members in the forum: when I shifted into R, it took a while before the reverse gear was engaged with a jerk. If I shifted to D and immediately shifted back to R, the reverse gear will be engaged smoothly. If I drove for a while, the same problem would happen. At first it was still bearable as the delay was around 2-3 s. When it became more than 10 s, I thought it was time to just pay - both for safety and for the joy of driving. :)
As described by other members, the two main solutions are either overhaul (open up the gearbox, replace damaged parts and assemble back) or change to a second-hand gearbox. Most workshops quoted $2k-$3k for the job with warranty ranging from 1 to 8 months. Tan Chong quoted $3.5k-$4k for overhaul with 1 year warranty. I decided that overhaul is a better option and went to Ellipse Auto Transmission for the job last week. Decided to choose them as they specialize in gear repair (my understanding). Cost $2.2k before GST and comes with 6 months warranty. The tech was humble and friendly. Nice of him to drive me to take public transport (with my car). The job took 2 full days.
I am very happy with the repair as of now. The car is a lot quieter and responsive. The reverse gear now engages immediately and smoothly. It is a very nice feeling getting the problem solved. I feel that the money spent is worth it - if the repair cost is spread over the 3 years left to drive, it is about $800/year.
Thank you for reading and hope this is useful. :)