Personally for me I will
always buy a manual tranny (in a sports car). Ya, you'll never miss a shift in an auto, but shifting
IS one of the more fun aspects of driving a car (to me). Plus I love the control I have with a 5 speed. I can keep the car in a lower gear to make sure I'm under the speed limit
, and if you ever drive your car in slippery conditions (snow, ice or freezing rain) a manual is better. I know because I've driven in some of the harshest Canadian Winters.
But the choice is yours. One thing I do dislike is being in traffic with a manual. Always on the clutch because your going too slow to be in first, but too fast to roll. If you drive in that situation a lot get an auto.
My wife learned to drive a manual in a couple days. In fact with in 2 weeks you could almost not tell she had never driven a manual transmission before!
Choose what you want, just pick something that fits your driving style and don't be afraid about learning to drive a stick!