I have the 6 speed. It's just like any other manual transmission. You start out in 1st. You can start out in 2nd or even 3rd just like with any other manual, although I don't know why you'd really want to. The GTO does have the skip shift on the manuals, and it's a pain in the a**. If you're not going fast enough when you start off in 1st, instead of being able to shift into 2nd, it shunts you over to 4th. Anyway, I wanted the manual simply because I think they're more fun to drive. As far as having 6 gears, it's really not that big of a deal. I only use 5th and 6th when I get to highway speeds. It's really pretty cool cuz you're cruising along at 75mph and only turning about 2000rpm in 6th. Lots of goat to spare.

Keep in mind too that if you choose the automatic, you'll pay the $1000 gas guzzler tax. It all boils down to preference though. If you have to deal with a lot of stop and go traffic, you might rather have the automatic. I live in Charlotte, NC and deal with a HUGE amount of traffic but I still wanted the manual.