Always start with the "the hardest to drive" and it makes you a better drive and you can drive anything. I really think you should be required to know how to drive a stick to have a drivers license. If you are not coordinated enough to know how to shift, maybe you should take the bus, or carpool. If your reaction and coordination can't figure out shiftin, I don't have much confidence in your emergency avoidance manuvers or lane changes even. Plus, if you are ever in an emergency situation and you need to get from pointA-pointB like a hospital, and you are with someone who drives a stick as a passenger, and they are injured in some way, how are you gonna get anywhere? It just makes you a more attentive driver, and it will be like breathing or walking, you do it without thinking.

The fit is my first vehicle out of 5 that has been automatic, because I bought it for stop and go commuting, and my left leg was numb in my accord from 2+ hours stop and go with a light flywheel and exedy clutch. Since getting the fit, in May of last year, its got 22k on the fit, and 2k on my accord.

Stick makes you a better driver honestly. Teaches you launching skills, knowing your gear selection. AT makes you lazy. I feel lazy in my fit, and then I get bored and start messing with the paddle shifters because I miss shifting. You get better mileage in a stick, trannys tend to last longer, and you always will have more power to the ground in a stick than an auto due to parasitic loss of the drivetrain. Get the AT if you are lazy, or dont wanna worry about driving much while getting road head, otherwise, get the stick.

EG EK or EP hatch would be a good one for you, or a mazda protege5 hatch(the ones that look like the MP3, not the new minivan thing) The protege have 130hp or 140 but they handle really well, lots of bracing in suspension. Plus its really low, and has huge fog lights. It is a great alternative to a fit, and much cheaper