[Ricky_Bobby]

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People don't override superior systems to implement inferior systems.

The implication is that at least in some situations the manual transmission is superior.

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Since the default is automatic wouldn't that imply that automatic transmissions are superior in most situations then.

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Something that I meant to post earlier but forgot. In cars with automatic transmissions that allow the driver to shift manually, it is has been shown in most track tests that straight line performance numbers are better with the car in full automatic mode.

While some may take this to mean that manual shifting is inferior, all it really shows is that manual shift options on automatic transmissions are really only there to allow people who are too lazy to operate a stick to play around with the manual mode. There is no performance benefit present in any of the auto/stick transmissions (remember, I'm talking about automatics, not paddle shifted manuals), except that they allow the driver to downshift going into a corner the way a manual would.

Manual shifting autos are a gimmick. The fact that a transmission designed to shift itself does better in automatic mode than it does when the manual feature is engaged does not imply that manual transmissions are inferior. There is really nothing to be gained by comparing auto/stick transmissions to manual transmissions.