Memes

I believe they're just cheaper and technically they allow you to get a bit more from your car, but yea apart from that, not much

In some countries there are more manual cars so I get them, but trashing on automatic is just dumb. It's much more enjoyable (people I know told me that). Most manual drivers have muscle memory so it's not really something that takes too much place in their mind, but I guess having to remember less could make you more focused on the road.

Disclaimer: I have an automatic driver license, and no manual driver license haha

At some point in time it was argued that manual allowed finer control of engine efficiency to automatic which simply shifted at certain speeds or rpms that weren't always ideal. So properly driving a manual meant you saved gas.

I dare say in the decades since that argument began, automatic transmissions have gotten way better and reasonably as efficient as the average manual driver.

Also, when manuals were more generally common, they were generally cheaper than automatics. I don't know if that's true anymore, but I think the average person will have a hard time finding a manual new (consumer grade) vehicle in any given dealership in the US these days -- you'd have to get it ordered.

I like automatics but I have driven manuals all my life and I prefer them especially in the winter when encountering icy roads. And I like overtaking with manuals more because I have control over the rev range and torque. If I were to live in a mild climate with lots of wide multi lane roads I’d get an auto for sure.