I also have a Plus Four with manual gearbox.
You're absolutely right, the ratio is very long. I only use gears 1 to 5, 6th gear is only needed on the highway.
However, thanks to the high-torque turbo engine, I don't find the gear ratios a problem, you only use the first 5 gears, no problem for me.
I previously had Plus 4 and Plus 8, which also only had 5 gears.
So go for the manual gearbox if you prefer manual gearbox, otherwise go for the automatic gearbox.
