to add to that... i'd chose the auto if i had to chose stick or auto for a race with 99% of the drivers out there swear they know how to drive stick hehehe...

given example...

450 hp SRT-4 vs 300 hp SRT-4...

both owned by my friends ... one is a extremely great driver that knows how to maximize the potential out of any car, keeping traction in check, and being very rough on the car in the process ... the other, well, he drove automatics for most of his life and just is not that good with manual yet, but decent.

every time, the 300hp SRT-4 pulled ahead of his 150 hp richer competitor... why ? shift points, traction being kept in check with clutch modulation and slipping, shift speed...

a good driver does NOT lose boost or rpm between shifts with a manual... as most modern turbo cars, the SRT-4 has a wide open throttle shift feature where u can leave the gas mashed in between shifts and it retards the timing to prevent it from over revving ... so if you know what you are doing you get a quick precise shift without having to rebuild boost and no rpm lost... if you are a novice you get a 450hp srt-4 that can't keep up... if the car does not come equipped with a "anti-lag" setup (official term for the wot shift feature in tuning world) it would not be very expensive to add compared to a automatic tranny buildup...

it all comes down to driver skill in the end ... automatics win for consistency in my book ... stick shift win for low parasitic drivetrain loss, instant torque transfer, and overall strength...

BTW... my brother feels the same way you do and we have had this conversation often... hence me driving a 6 speed crossfire and him a 5 speed auto crossfire... hehe to each his own...