[DurangoDave]

John, what I'm saying is, if you want to have some fun actually driving the car, get the manual. There's nothing like running along through some nice twisty, hilly, country roads on a nice sunny day, where you upshift and downshift through the gears. You're actually part of the process of driving; you're not just "riding along". You've got to watch the tach and listen to the engine and find the right power band all the time; not so with an automatic, it does all the thinking for you. What fun is that?

If you want to just line up next to somebody and blast away when the light changes, get the automatic.

If you're going to be driving in stop-and-go traffic all the time, get the automatic....hell, get a 4-cylinder econo-box, you don't need anything else!

You're a young guy, get a car you can have fun driving. That's why I vote for the manual! The days of the Family Truckster will come soon enough.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.