Would have picked the stick, just because I used to be a heel and toe junkie. The lady of the house, who will drive "Nasty" on occasion, said automatic. Surprise! We got an automatic. I use the autostick a lot, and you can redline it in all the gears if that's what you want. I will concede, too, that the automatic is a lot less fiddling around in city traffic. The only drawback is a sllght delay after the shift in autostick. It has to do with fluid pressure in the transmission (as I remember) but why mess with the warranty? It's a fairly fast car. It'll do for now.