Mercedes does make diesels with manual transmission....only issue is, they're euro only.

You have no idea what I would do for a wagon W210 CDI with cloth interior, knob AC and stickshift.

The $5k box of magic, as you say, turns out to be one of the best transmission ever designed, imo. Damn near bulletproof, very smooth, great delivery, and best of all, it's everywhere, thanks to the daimler-chrysler merger.