[yohnka]

I use to by stick shifts when my children were young now all are married. Only one, my youngest daughter ever purchased a standard shift vehicle. I sometime get tired of driving and would like someone else to drive. Some people say they can drive a manual shift vehicle. Very few really know what they are doing. Riding the clutch dumping the clutch. This variable speed automatic in my Yaris is the smoothest tranny I've come across... If I knew I'd be the only one driving my yaris I'd say stick but I've seen to many people go in to a hilly area and not know how to hold a car on a steep grade until you can move again........auto for me and only 1 mpg difference. God can't always be your copilot.