I know how to drive a stick-shift, but I wouldn't want one to drive in rush hour traffic. My sister drives a 1994 Honda Accord with a stick shift and my mom used to drive a 1971 VW Cabriolet with one as well, and that's what they say is the only downfall to it. To me, there's already too many crazy people to look out for driving out there, all close together in rush hour, just add shifting and clutch depressing, and well, it's best to look out for crazy drivers with an auto tranny, so I can have both hands on the wheel in case I need to perform an extreme manuever quickly. Manual transmissions are better suited for open highway driving or racing in my opinion. As for the longetivity, as long as the transmission filters are changed at regular intervals along with a good, synthetic fluid, you can get a long life out of one.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.