Well, I'm going to get an automatic (I can hear the groans now).  I can't drive stick...I don't know how.  Everybody says I can learn within a day or two but I'm afraid I'll mess someone's car up.  But an automatic is great for me because how would I change gears and pat my dachshund (weiner dog) all at the same time?  TOO MUCH GOING ON!   

Mine's auto! I do use the sport/sequential/manual (w/e they call it) mode occasionally just for added xB fun.

LIke he said, get what is best for you.  The xB is a friendly, relatively simple way to get from point A to point B.  I personally like the manual, didn't like the auto.  Of course, I've been driving for over 45 years and have owned only three cars with auto.  Seriously, it's your car and your life, get what you want, what you are comfortable driving.  I just love my manual xB. 
 

I wish they had an actual center console.  something big enough to fit my GPS and holder.  I would get rid of the silly swing down armrest..More outlets..I had to buy an attachment so I can plug in my cell charger, my GPS and the DVD player for my boys.  It would have been nice to come with an overhead compartment. 

Over all the car is great..I love driving it.

I cant stand the single reverse lights. I wished i can trade my tail lights from a 11 to my 10. Im also for a bigger arm rest, bigger center counsel, more power at take off, standard overhead counsel, and standard floor mats. I hated to pay for those, but they really look good in the car!

The hood/bonnet doesn't bother me.  Of course, . . .  my Miata's is aluminum, so the xB2's seems "beefy" in comparison.

I heartily agree on the colours.  The stock 6 tend to be BORING!  Where is yellow? bright blue? a good green (I mean a real green, not a blue-green-gray teal- a nice color but not really green)?  I can't believe I'm saying it, but may favorite real colour so far is the purple . . . and the red . . .

Why aren't there some bright stock colors, not just on one-off (yearwise) RS ones?
One day, I'm likely painting mine either a kelly-to-Lotus Racing Green or a deep, rich, royal blue (somewhat close to a Red Bull can in shade).

I love my xb. Everything about it is awesome. Only a few minor things that I dont like which are mostly just bein nitpicky.

1. Cig socket is switched power not constant (fixed that when i was running my remote start, i ran a 12 gauge constant wire with a 20a fuse to the socket so I can charge my phone when the cars off)

2. no light or lock on the glove box, worry about my ipod being in there sometimes

3. the reverse bumper light, and on the 2011s the reflectors in the bumpers

4. more space under the rear seats in the storage area, wanted to put amps there but there was not enough room

5. black housed stock headlights from the factory, hate the ugly ass chrome and really dont wanna have to take my headlights out and disassemble them to black them out

6. Lower stance and some increased stiffening to prevent body roll.

a few gripes... all of them for the most part can be done with a little bit of work but otherwise i love my xb. ive taken it from california to washington state and back. It was an excellent drive, even on the up and down windy roads of the shasta mountains. It never struggled going up the hills.