I have a 2004 Premium Manual V35 Coupe. I like the manual, pretty easy to drive to me even in traffic and certainly gives you a feeling of being more in control of the car. Years ago the cost premium for a manual was about $5000 over the auto, but like you say, they are now under $30K, so good value.
Best handling car I have driven, way better than BA and BF, XR8 and XR6 Turbo's that I have had.
Brembo's are great.
Only downsides are the window and CD player issues that are common, as mentioned above. Even if you buy one of these without those issues, there's no guarentee, they won't arise soon after you buy it! Factor it into your budget.
I have replaced the drivers window motor, and rather than fix the cd player, fitted a iPod adapter that allows me to control the ipod with the steering wheel controls or Stereo buttons.
For the money, they are the complete package to me.
I may upgrade mine in a month or so, so if you are in Qld, keep an eye out for it in the For Sale section of SAU.