Those of us who prefer a manual transmission (used to be "standard") in a car have our own good reasons -- your mileage may vary. Over 35 years of driving, I have identified the automatic transmission as a big, expensive thing that (1) I don't need and (2) is highly likely to break. I have experienced a broken clutch cable exactly once, but I have seen many a dead tranny in my time.

Also, if you live in a place that gets seriously bad, icy weather in winter, you will find some dangerous situations easier to get out of in a vehicle with a manual transmission.

However, with a manual gearbox, you must actually learn how it works. You can't get away with "aim and steer" driving.