>>28581571
There are a few factors at play here:
>Manuals are cheaper
Not the case anymore up front, but they're still easier/cheaper to fix and rebuild
>Manuals keep you in the peak power band better
Used to be the case when autos had 3-4 speeds and manuals had 5-6 speeds. Still sometimes the case if your automatic transmission is tuned for fuel efficiency instead of power
>Manuals switch gears faster
Used to be the case, not anymore
>Manuals give you more control over power delivery
This will always be the case until CVTs become good or flappy paddles + tiptronic/DCT transmissions come stock on every car
>Manuals are more fun
Factually wrong assuming you're a blank slate driver, but some people (boomer/europistan enthusiasts) are more familiar with clutch pedals than paddles and prefer them as a result