PROS OF A MANUAL TRANSMISSION by an American writer. 
1. Better Gas Millage – Drivers with a manual transmission have more control over how their vehicle drives. A stick-shift driver, with skill and practice, can reduce how much gas their car burns. Typically, manual transmissions have a 3-4 miles-per-gallon advantage over their automatic rivals.
2. Easier to Maintain – With fewer moving parts, a stick shift has the advantage of being easy to maintain. Manual transmissions require less servicing to remain functional and don’t need the same type of oil as an automatic transmission. Cars with a stick-shift usually last longer than an automatic of the same make and model.
3. More Control – Perhaps the number one reason drivers prefer the manual transmission is the sense of control they feel over the vehicle. A stick-shift can give drivers an advantage in bad weather conditions or on a hill, as they can shift to the best gear at will.
4. They are much lighter than automatic transmissions, a key factor in power-to weight on small lightest cars. Morgan are the one of the lightest cars in the world.
5. A manual tranmission requires much more driver interaction and forces more focus on car control and therefore are safer. However, some feel this is a con rather than a pro. There is a vast difference between sports car and touring cars. People, even owners, confuse the two constantly and driver skills has declined with technology.

Many drivers also feel more connected with their Manual gearbox car, making driving far more enjoyable. That is why most sports car drivers prefer manual tranmissions. However, as driver skills drop, many sports cars (better labelled touring cars) have automatic transmission. These convey (falsely) to onlookers that the driver/owner has a skill level they could not otherwise as easily pretend to. They certainly do not match the aesthetics of a vintage-look sports car. That being said, I have on two occasions worked for weeks helping handicapped moggers find a way to drive their Morgans.

WEBMASTER WATCHPOINT: Automatic transmissions now come with many gears, where they used to have far less than a manual transmision. They are painfully expensive but can change gears faster than humans, giving them better acceleration and mileage. They may be less fun but they are more efficient, analogous to a player piano rather than a concert piano. To remove a feature which requires skill  and replace it with something “automatic” is against the definition of a sports car. Automatics are better on drag cars and supercars, where all that matters is numbers. When you bring sport into the equation, you remove a substantial amount of it by removing such an integral part of the experience.
CONS OF A MANUAL TRANSMISSION
  1. Harder to Find – One of the major downsides is that manual transmissions are becoming less popular overtime. As a result, there aren’t as many manual transmissions being produced. Most stick-shifts are now found in small cars or sports cars.
  2. High Focus – Manual transmissions require a greater amount of focus and thought while driving. New drivers and those who can’t multi-task have a much harder time with a stick-shift. Some people also aren’t physically able to handle a clutch while driving, making a manual transmission potentially more dangerous.
PROS OF AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
  1. Easier to Drive – One of the biggest reasons drivers prefer an automatic is that they are easier to drive. Drivers are able to focus on the road rather than on which gear they are in. Different traffic situations, like stop-and-go traffic, can be easier to handle because there is no need to keep shifting to match the speed of surrounding cars. An automatic is relaxing to drive, as you don’t need to use every hand and foot to drive the car.
  2. More Power – Automatic transmissions are able to get more power out of their engines than manual transmissions. Automatics set up the gears differently to increase the amount of surface contact between each gear. This spreads out the torque load, increasing the engine’s overall power.
  3. Better Acceleration - Modern automatics have better acceleration than manual transmissions. By using the best computers, automatics change gears faster than a human can. Automatic transmissions can propel the car faster than a manual can.
  4. More Innovation – Because automatics are in higher demand, there is more innovation for automatics. They might even catch up to manual transmissions when it comes to performance. The assumption that a manual will cost less or have better fuel efficiency is already being challenged by new models of automatic transmissions.
  5. Greener – Many of the new hybrid cars only offer an automatic transmission. If you want a manual transmission, you are limited to a select number of models. Oftentimes, you must order a hybrid with a manual transmission, which significantly increases the price of the car.
CONS OF AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION