JeffSpeed25: get the M/T. $hit happens, and you can't let that hold you down. I remember my first experience driving standard; one of the plastic bushings that connected the clutch pedal to the slave cylinder broke off. Obviously I freaked out, and I don't know how I got home, but I fixed it the next day and I've never regretted driving standard since.
I don't know how much parasitic drivetrain loss the A/T has over the M/T, but it WILL be there. But beyond that, also remember that the A/T weighs more than an M/T, and you'll have more options to improve the M/T over an A/T
I don't know how much parasitic drivetrain loss the A/T has over the M/T, but it WILL be there. But beyond that, also remember that the A/T weighs more than an M/T, and you'll have more options to improve the M/T over an A/T