I'm deffinitly a fan of the manual for the fun factor. I have only driven an auto a few times (rental cars, etc) and I hated it. Id slam on the brakes and my left foot would go to the floor too... you just get so used to it. I would say manuals are much cheaper too assuming you can drive worth a damn. I have 170K on my original transmission WITH original clutch and I have no slip. As long as you know how to drive, you can strech a cluth life out to 200K + miles. Autos VERY rarely make it this far, and when things start to go, its much more expensive to fix. Plus gas mileage for manuals is considerably higher... i can routinely get 35-37 mpg on my 94.