[justjohn]

I think changing the transmission a little too big a job for me, and I don't love my current car that much. It's a tiny bit smoky smelling and the speakers aren't great.

It's not necessarily that I don't want to spend the money, I just want to make a smart choice. I would consider purchasing a brand new vehicle if it make the most sense.

So I expanded my research a bit. Looks like the market really is just high right now. And I wasn't kidding about not many echos. Check this out:

I live near the WI/IL border. There are for sale by owner on craigslist,
Manual transmission Echos in WI or IL: 0
Manual transmission Echos within 300 miles of me: 3
Average asking price on those 3: almost exactly double the blue book

So. Makes me not want to buy because prices are bad, but gas is going up so I'll be annoyed sticking with the auto as well. Kind of leaning toward the dealer echo now, since their price is suddenly looking a lot better.