[Landshark]

Originally Posted by Kelvin

Not really. It's like the difference between a bike with one speed and 18. With a manual, you GENERALLY (excluding weird lexus cars) get MORE gears, which allows for faster acceleration, higher top speed, and a lower cruising RPM, which translates into better MPG. Plus you save weight, and reduce drivetrain losses.

i have a *5*EAT .... many (mo' expensive) cars now have 6,7,8 speed autos, that i'm sure we'll see become more commonplace. i came extremely close to buying an STI, but in hindsight, i'm really glad i didn't.

i'll give up 10-20hp (which i've already made up for and then some) to not have the headaches when i creep through the tunnel to the city everyday in rush hour traffic on the way to work.
if i'm feeling frisky, the Prodrive-designed Sportshift is fun to play with, and will shift faster than any non-SMG manual.

i look forward to the new EVO with its paddle-shifty SMG tranny - which would be the best of both worlds for me. i'm pretty much ruling out the STI, based on its hideous looks.