I tried both the automatic and manual before leasing my 04 and in my opinion the difference is like night and day. I have owned some high performance sports cars and have always felt that there is nothing better then the power and control of a manual. This car is no exception. First gear maybe short but if you bring the rpms up a little when launching you will get a quick take-off and it only gets better from there. Just bring it close to the red line before shifting to the next gear and you will feel the car pull strong. I found the automatic to be very smooth shifting but it just does not have the grunt of a manual. If you have the experience of driving a manual and know how to shift one you will love this choice.