I asked this same question not too long ago when shopping
for a Westfalia.  It sounds like it's more a matter of
personal preference than anything else.

The automatics are easy and relatively cheap to rebuild;
the standards are not.  It sounds like the RPM per
MPH are about the same at highway speeds for both the
manuals and autos.  Mileage on all vans is about the
same -- the overriding factor here is that you're driving
a big square brick around, not the relatively small percentage
of efficiency the autobox robs.

For ME, I'm used to driving manuals.  (More than once,
when I've rented cars, I go to push the clutch in when
I stop, and accidentally hit the edge of the brake pedal!)
I prefer the control the manual gives me - if I see a
hill coming up I can downshift when I want to, and
when I'm going downhill I can choose a gear based on
if I want to speed up or slow down.  Also if you have
a dodgy battery or starter you can push start a manual,
not an auto.  I don't find shifting a chore; I find it
keeps me in tune with what's going on around me.  Also
at low speeds on back roads I can pick the most appropriate
gear.

If you're a lazy shifter, I suggest the auto.  If you like
to shift, I suggest the manual.

Good luck!

--tabe johnson
xtabe @ yahoo . com

PS Religion and all other personal details about listmembers
are completely irrelevant to our discussions.  Please make
this guy go away.  I'm so glad politics is hardly ever discussed
here!

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