Originally Posted by
StanSeven
As I mentioned earlier, I understand and appreciate that view. But here's another.
Many automatics don't take away from that same driving experience. I can shift gears very quickly and responsively from either the shift levers or paddles. From that point, the transmission picks out the right gear and shifts faster than just about anyone. So if you seek performance, this is hard is hard to match. Except for doing heel to toe foot action, the automatic takes away nothing and makes improvements. I can still shift whenever I like and it's quicker.
The other thing is manuals don't often work for me. My commute to the office takes 45-60 minutes for 11 miles. The automatic allows me to drink coffee, eat, and whatever.
I'll give you the traffic jam thing. But other than that, automatics are just boring to drive, sticks are fun. Running up and down the gears is fun. If I don't enjoy driving (and I realize many people don't, there's nothing wrong with that) and just want to go somewhere with the minimum amount of effort, then an automatic is great. If I'm driving for the enjoyment, a stick can make even a boring car at least somewhat interesting to drive. Who cares if it takes me .05 seconds longer unless I'm racing someone?