Originally Posted by
StanSeven
I laugh when I hear this. I'm as much a car guy am a bike guy. Automatics out perform manual transmissions in every way except maybe fuel economy, and that's slight. Quarter mile acceleration time differences are several te the of a second difference in some models. The intelligence on a race course or twisting roads on gear selection can't be matched except for the very top professionals. For braking or just slowing down, you can select a gear just as easy in an auto than a manual.
The problem with this is in the execution. While autos work well on very high priced cars, when it comes to something I can afford, automatics usually = an expensive way to be in the wrong gear most of the time.
When we were last test-driving cars (2012) I tried some cars with automatics (my wife doesn't fancy a manual) and found everything from lethargic shifts to overriding my gear selection to sometimes even ignoring my gear selection altogether. But beyond that, it's not always a performance issue. I just like that feeling of being connected. When I ease off the throttle, I can feel the engine start to pull the car speed down. I don't get that with an automatic, at least not in the cars I can afford.
Sure, someday that tech might trickle down to all cars, but right now, I'm stuck with a VW TDI with a fancy dancy DSG transmission that takes expensive fluid and is barely discernable from my mom's 2006 Honda Civic in how it shifts and feels.