IMHO, manual transmissions are like hand-crank windows. Automatic (windows and transmissions) are more performant (with less "manual" intervention). That being

IMHO, manual transmissions are like hand-crank windows. Automatic (windows and transmissions) are more performant (with less "manual" intervention). That being said, I tend to prefer the manual option for both of these, especially on vehicles I plan to own long-term. They just work. If they do break, they do not take a rocket scientist to fix (or require totally replacing a component.)