What a tragic yet great story. Glad all of you made it out OK. Terribly sorry about the Crossfire though!

Anyway, I've driven the auto and 6 speed Crossfire and I just could never get into the auto. Driving the stick gives you a connection with a car that no auto in the world will ever give you. You are the master and it is the slave, doing every single little thing you tell it to.

Why not head to a dealership and give a manual one a test run and see what you think? I would also investigate new models. They're selling so cheap!

If you really enjoy the auto, maybe even look at the STR6?

Best of luck!