Both my daughters were not thrilled with my requirement that their first cars be manual transmissions. Years later, they are very happy I did. My youngest told me just just last weekend that she is the only one of her friends that can drive a stick......she likes that.
In 2004, I bought a 1998 Frontier regular cab with 100K on it for my teenage daughters to drive to school and work. Yes, they needed to learn its 5-speed. We started with driving in my 1971 VW in the high school parking lot, then moved onto the Frontier. The regular cab was so that could only have one passenger, and 5-speed also saved 2 months of insurance payments until I deemed them ready to get their licenses. At the HS, not only were they the only gals who could drive manual, they were the ONLY ones !
Anyway, after youngest eventually graduated college and bought a needed 4WD (1998 Pathfinder), she returned the Frontier to us; at 211K it's still running fine, on all 4 cylinders, original AC !!!
Suggestion: look in local Craigslist, see who's selling an old VW, offer to pay them to teach you.
All my 5 vehicles are manual transmission: '98 Frontier, 2004 Frontier, 1988 Mazda b2200 truck, 1971 VW convertible, 1970 VW sedan. Mrs. Cusser has a 2005 Yukon (automatic).