I just got rid of an Automatic car due to the tranny breaking. I try to stay away from Autos because of the maintenance factor involved if you really want it to last, no matter what your driving style.

If something breaks after the 7/70,000, the manual will be easier to fix than the auto. I plan on keeping this car for a while and know I'll be breaking the 70,000 mark sometime so getting a manual was an easy choice for me.