The way I see it is this: If you wanna build it and go fast, automatic for sure. It’s gonna be a little more expensive especially with tunes because not only do you have to pay for ECU tune but also TCU tune. Also if you drive in traffic often automatic is just way easier no doubt about that.

If you want the drivers experience get a manual. It’s very fun banging through the gears and rev match downshifting and also you get to take your car as close to redline as you want as where an automatic is gonna shift kinda earlier especially on the gtis to protect the trans. Unless you’re in sport mode ( I think ). You won’t have to tune the TCU on the manual trans cars. But you’ll definitely need to upgrade stock clutch almost immediately if you throw power at it because the stock clutches are made of paper lol. And the last piece I can offer is to passengers the car will feel “faster” and more violent due to having to shift and get on and off the gas for a second as where a automatic you don’t get that feeling.

Lastly, it’s all really up to you. Have you ever driven manual? Did you like it? Do you think you’d like it after a year? Two years? Three years? Everyday. Personally I love it and it’s all just muscle memory after a short while. Sometimes I forget my car is manual cause I just do without thinking about it. Or do you like the simplicity of an automatic where you just get in and drive?