The manual trans will be a major benefit over a CVT. The rest is fairly straightforward. There are no major deficiencies with the general design of a Vue. It is a different vehicle from a W body, with a short wheelbase and higher CG, but if you can adjust to that there is nothing generally wrong with the design.
A couple of oddities I've experienced with the Vue are the aftermarket brake parts can have fitment issues, particularly with the rotor/caliper positions.
The front stabilizer links are a unique design and subject to wear. It's not a major task to replace them, but they seem to fail often. Good quality replacement parts can resolve that.
The front door interior trim is quite thick and heavy, and if the doors are slammed, the lower edge can jar loose. The position they take at that point can cause them to drag and bind on the threshold, making them difficult or impossible to open. The note here is to NOT slam the doors. I've seen several with very long sheet metal screws and trim washers added to the lower trim as a permanent "fix" to that potential problem.
Again, nothing major or drastically wrong with the design, and having a manual is a big benefit over either of the auto transmissions.