I'm a Brit. This means I grew up in a land where we drove on the wrong side of the road, and for the first decade of my driving I drove a stick. Probably 80% of British cars (or cars in Britain) are manual.
I have to say, having lived for ten years in the US, I don't understand the excitement people have for manual transmission. Modern automatics are a totally different ball game to the automatics of even five years ago. We are talking six or more gears, highly intelligent computer controlled shifting. It's not your grandfather's auto.
The sad reality is that for the most part a computer in a car is now better at selecting and changing gears than you. Sorry to hurt your ego if you think you are a great driver and all. But really, a computer can kick your ass.
So for me, despite a decade of stick driving, and a decade of auto driving under my belt, I would always pick an auto. Especially here in the US, where the roads are so big and mostly straight.
The auto lets you concentrate on the road, on enjoying the vehicle, and having fun. The stick is just something you constantly have to do, and while it once gave you the best driving experience, I really believe that this is rarely the case any more.
Just my 2C. Or as we say in England; 2P. Although honestly, we don't have that expression in the UK at all...
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