Manual transmissions may be cheaper to repair PER BREAKDOWN
OCCURRENCE,but in my experience they were always breaking down more
often than any automatic transmission I have ever had.I would say that
automatics have a higher rate of reliability overall due to the fact
that you are not over-revving or under-revving the power bands as much.I
guess it has more to do with the driver and his driving style.Just an
opinion,as this can also vary by make and/or model of vehicle.