Your current car!

[jakeroot]

I usually just find a semi to sit behind in traffic. Manual + traffic is probably something that no one loves, but few true enthusiasts actively hate either. 30 years ago, I think you saw more "I can't wait to get rid of this manual...I hate traffic"; now, it's more "I want a manual, and I really don't care about traffic". At least for me, life is bigger than sitting in traffic. 90% of the time, I'm driving in free-flow conditions. I'm not going to buy an automatic for that 10%.

[formulanone]

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

I've had at least one vehicle with a manual transmission in my "fleet" for the last 30 years and I've noticed that, until recently, there were 4 main reasons why people chose a manual over an automatic transmission:

• Manuals are more fun.  Driving a manual engages you more completely than an automatic.  It connects you with the car in a more personal way. You feel more like a part of the whole mechanism that is propelling the car forward.

This is pretty much the main reason left to drive a manual. I still enjoy a manual transmission and clutch in a world of reduced tactile control and automation of everyday objects. Another reason is that gear choices are left to the driver's discretion, which is preferable for climbing or descending hills and tackling corners. Another preference that's long gone is that you used to have 3 or 4 forward gears in the 'box, whereas a 5-speed was an increase in either acceleration performance or fuel economy (depending on the gear ratios).

Automatics vary a lot in shift control and logic; some are more responsive or designed for driver input than others, though far from ubiquitous. I'll concede that much as improved over the years. Some also allow a range of drive modes from sporty to economical, others seem to have selections of forward, low, and reverse. Even CVTs are starting to mimic a variety of driver habits, instead on one-gear-fits-all.

Here's my '09 Scion xD, 96K on the clock and hasn't missed a beat: