As stated, it can be difficult to find a standard transmission in the US. On new vehicles, you'll mostly find them only on sports cars or some very cheap cars. I would say that I prefer a manual transmission, but there are times I do like an auto as well. When I had my Charger, I really wanted a stick shift. It would have been a blast. It had the auto stick (automatic, but with buttons for manual shifting and no clutch), but for a muscle\sports car it just doesn't have the same feel. I now have a pickup truck, and prefer the automatic for that. Some mentioned control concerns. With the truck, I can put in manual and control the gears with buttons, and also use the buttons in auto to limit the maximum gear. I do this often on hills. For weather issues, lightly applying the brake is the same as pushing in the clutch to remove power.
The differences in thoughts on this from different cultures is interesting. Any small gain in mpg, is seen as negligible in the US. And I'm guessing that we probably drive more as public transportation is worse here. And I have heard of very few issues with auto transmissions, apart from mfg defects covered by warranty. A manual transmission is fun, but it does make it more difficult to drink my coffee, shave, and check my phone all while shifting.
The differences in thoughts on this from different cultures is interesting. Any small gain in mpg, is seen as negligible in the US. And I'm guessing that we probably drive more as public transportation is worse here. And I have heard of very few issues with auto transmissions, apart from mfg defects covered by warranty. A manual transmission is fun, but it does make it more difficult to drink my coffee, shave, and check my phone all while shifting.
