Power Shot A520

I love my a520, but the 4mp is a killer. I love the ease of use and the manual mode a lot. What are your suggestions to an upgrade that won't put me out $1000, but will still give me the ability to manually control my camera?

I like the cannon brand, they have treated me well so far.

The best inexpensive current Canon camera, in terms of image quality is the SD4000.
It has the same x4 zoom as your A520, only wider (28-105mm). Its controls are different
than the A520, though it provides full manual control over aperture and shutter.
It also has a functional optical zoom during video and stereo sound.
The best part about it is its wide maximum f/2.0 aperture, for low light conditions.
Another option is the simpler, larger, SX130. It has all the mentioned highlights of the
SD4000 except for the wide aperture. It also has a much larger x12 zoom range.
If you can afford a higher budget, the new ELPH 500 is wonderful,
and of course, the S95 is the best of them all.