Thanks for the post, CarloSW2.
I've actually got an automatic transmission - probably the biggest thing I left out of my first post.
I live in a not too big town, so somewhere between Urban and Suburban. I live about 6 miles from work, and my girlfriend live about 10 miles from me. Usually I don't go more than 30 miles at a time, but there are times where I need to.
Most speed limits around here are 55, then drop to a 45. Most back roads have a limit of 35, rarely do I hit a 25 or a 15. From home to work, there are 8 lights.. and from here to my girlfriends, I want to say there's 20.. but I could be off on that by a few.
I'll usually avoid traffic by taking some back roads at peak hours, one cuts through town and is a 35 all the way through, so I can relax and take it at 32 MPH most of the time. I used to be a speed-demon, gotta go type guy... that stopped when I got a hefty ticket late one night. Now it's time to conserve and save my money, it's going in too many places.
The most time I've spent in my car - driving at one time - probably no more than an hour, unless there's an accident and I can't avoid it. I don't go on the highway at all, if that helps any.