I think most have some type of manual operation. Mine for example - just push the lever to the right from Drive to a different gate and then forward to change down, backward to change up. Most of the time I only use it for engine braking going down hill.
The only difference to a manual box is that the change is quicker because no clutch is required and it won’t let you put is it say first when you are doing 100kph.
I have had quite a few different cars. Some auto and some manual. The automatics were, on the whole, much more thirsty. The Jag XJS V12 the worst in that respect. On a long journey I sometimes got up to 20 mph. Around about 10-12 was more usual.
More recent was my Honda Accord EXEC. All the bells and whistles. Regularly 60 plus mph, sometimes 70 mph on a longer trip. And of course it has a six-speed manual box.
Is that a CVT automatic transmission Bruce?
Truth be told, my Honda Accord sucks petrol but she’s pushing almost 400,000 kms yet purrs like a kitten. Still a good drive! Have to order parts from Japan though.
Manual transmission drivers are not scared of Clutching at Straws.
An automatic for me every time . Why bother with that rubbish of gear changing , then of course the bugbear of hill starts ,life is too short to be worrying about such nonsense . IMO
The truck drivers must have hated you on the motorways.
No, my previous car had CVT but that gearbox only had two modes, normal or sports.
You can’t change gear in a CVT gearbox, one of the oddest thing was to accelerate and watch the revs on the engine go down while the car went faster as the gearbox did the work.
If you wanted t use the gearbox to brake you had to go into sports mode otherwise the car just went faster down hill the gearbox in normal mode offered no resistance at all - it was designed that way for fuel economy.
That car had a 1.5litre engine (it only weighed 0.75 tonnes) and got about 44mpg whereas my current car is 2 tonnes, has a 3 litre turbo diesel and gets 33mpg. My Morris 1000 was lucky to get 25mpg (ish)
Continuing the discussion, manual/stick or automatic transmission?
What’s your favourite?
Manual. Only ever driven manual, apart from a month or so when I borrowed a friend’s automatic.
Second nature, so probably not a preference and more a what I’ve always done.
Have never had an automatic but it will be a must in any other car I might buy.
Automatic. It’s a no-brainer for me.
A long time ago I had an automatic for the day when my own car was in for servicing, I didn’t like it at all. Recently though I had another one when my car was being serviced. What a difference from the old one of yesteryear, so smooth and almost impossible to feel the gear change. Out of choice though I still would not have an automatic, preferring instead a manual gear change. 
Manual it is then
You won’t regret it
Hi TAT, so nice to ‘see’ you.
For once we agree!
Wow Baz, I figured you would prefer automatic. Interesting!
Now how did you figure that out and come to that conclusion Minx, just wondering? 
At a guess many ex-motorcyclists wouldn’t like automatic gearboxes. 
I have always driven a manual…I drove my friends automatic once and nearly went through the window, I could not get used to it.
I just figured you’d prefer it as you got older - I was wrong
