I test-drove both the auto and the manual. It all boils down to personal preference. When the rubber meets the road, it is YOU that has to be happy with what you purchased. Personally, I preferred the smooth shifting of the automatic. Since I work uptown, I would constantly be going between 1st and 2nd gears, and I really wasn't that pleased with the manual in that gear range. But again, you have to get what works for you.