I think the easiest way to decide is to see if the manual drives well or not. The manual variant isn't necessarily better than the automatic for every car.
For example, when I shopped for the Golf GTI, the manual version to me clearly sucked ass so I opted for the DSG version which was much more enjoyable to drive.
But for the BRZ with its short stroke clutch pedal and short throw shifter, it was a no brainer for me.
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