As others have posted .... I would try the manual 1st to make sure you don't make the same mistake as before. I personally would wait 1-2 yrs until the next upgraded model comes along. You are going to lose money either way regardless of when you decide to sell or trade in. Keep the miles low and do not mod. Mods do not add value to the car. My 0.02.

Sell yours, buy mine. Only 3500 miles!

In my OPINION and this is from a guy who always said he would rather have AIDS than drive a slushbox, I would tell you to keep the auto.

This car is just not as much fun to row as it should be. I think if it were a 5 speed it would be a better exerience. The driveline has a fair bit of lash in it so if you live in a place where stop- and- go traffic on your commute is common, it is not much fun.

Or I am just getting old!:iono:

100% drive one first before doing anything. I drove both the MT and AT before buying my MT. My last car for 7 years was manual. The shift feel is awesome in the FRS - that's what sold me. The clutch, however, I am still getting used to and still don't like - 1500 miles in. I agree with NOHOME, it's not as much fun as it should be (maybe with a supercharger it will be). Manual is a commitment, especially when you hit stop-and-go traffic - it is almost unbearable. If only you could have both...

I don't think doing a manual swap later is a realistic option. It will cost $$$ and it will probably still have quirks being originally auto.

Wait until the 2014 model

Get the Standard. This is a car you buy to have fun with. If you aren't having maximum fun, who bother?

this is good to know! was unaware of this as my test drives were NOT in heavy stop and go.you are right,with a lot of driveline lash (play) it is NOT fun at all drivin' stick i just recently drove a "slush" box again,and i came away impressed "again" car's a blast with either tranny,but i really do like the manual slush,even though i been drivin' stick for over 40 years...just sayin'

Im not sure if its been brought up yet but have you tried driving the car around in manual mode only? I regretted my decision for awhile until I switched to manual mode every where I go and to be honest I don't regret it anymore. Its still fun. And every day when I get stuck in traffic for 45 minutes on the way home I switch it back to auto. So try it for a week. I know the auto is slower but the car isnt even fast to begin with.

I have had nothing but sports cars my entire life and this one was the first automatic I have ever owned. I used to tell people I would rather masturbate with a cheese grater than buy an automatic sports car. After test driving both the 6MT and 6AT, I went with the "new" technology.

If I'm honest, I do miss being able to launch hard when autocrossing, but that AT just shifts so precisely and quickly, I have a hard time even calling it a "slush" box because it really isn't. My wife's tC has a "slush box" and I HATE it. The FRS AT is just so much better.

Scott

This. Commit to using the manual mode for a week or so and you'll find out like I did how fun it is. I leave it in full auto for my stop and go work commute.

Get quotes from dealers for a trade-in.
IIRC (please correct me, if this is wrong), in california you get a trade-in value credit on a purchase of another car, so you don't pay full sales tax.
So if you trade it in now and buy new you won't be losing much relative to selling to a private party now and buying used/new later.

Another option: If you're prepared to lose $2-$4k - buy a Miata to satisfy your craving for a MT. There should be a ton of those in Cali in this price range.

How about trading it up for one of those 2014 Series 10 FR-S's? Then you could justify the upgrade as more than just a transmission swap - you'd get HID headlamps, auto climate control, and keyless access with push-start. That's what I would do, personally. Don't take any $#!t about your trade-in value, blame Scion for making you trade in because they released "the car you really wanted" a year after you bought yours.

BAM!
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/w...-10-Series.jpg

Find out what you owe on your FR-S first and then compare to what the market value is. If you are only about 2-3k upside down, I say get the manual FR-S. If you are higher than that, keep it and pay off the negative equity first and then trade it in. You might even get the 2014 with the upgraded LED headlights and some imperfections already fixed from the first model year. Get what you want but don't do it if it will strain your wallet. I work for a car dealership and I seen this happen too many times with people who bought the wrong car and want to get out now. They get what they want at a price that isn't what they can afford which makes them unhappy.

Wait it out, don't get into an accident and keep the miles low. It is worth the wait.

Go talk to your dealer about reserving a 2014 model year and see about getting a guaranteed trade in value that makes sense. Your dealer will be more than happy to trade in your year old car for a new one. I have a feeling having a truly brand new car will be worth it, even though the 2014 changes are miniscule. Good luck. (Side note: I love my MT, and it's the first manual I've driven on surface streets. It's an agreeable transmission, especially if you practice and get tips from people who already know how to drive with it.)