It seems over here in Aus, that near all vechicles are automatic boxes. These are ok, I suppose easier to maintain, with the fact that auto boxes can be filled by a small bottle under the hood usually. Manual ones, need you to get right into the guts underneath and undo a plug, then pump in fresh oil using a hand pump usually... Anyways, i'm used to manual boxes. When driving in snow or ice, i'd prefer a manual definatly. It's a small known fact, if the weather comes down, as in snow, in a manual, you should go into a higher gear, as in, if you are in 2nd gear doing 20mph on a slippy road, best go into 3rd gear and just go hell slow, as less torque to the wheels in the higher gear, saved my life countless occasions in the ice. Aus. doesn't really have this problem, so the driving style is different, very coast along, usually pretty good.