I feel, like EV's, automatic gearbox get a bad rep because many people just don't understand it and/or have not tried the latest ones.
Dual-clutch autos are lightning fast, when you use it right (most of the time, see below)
Traditional autos are now also very good, especially the ZF ones used in BMW and Jag.
Avoid automated manual (aka single clutch auto) like a pledge though.
CVT is a good idea for economy and efficiency. But it will take some getting use to, perhaps too big a leap from manual (which is why it's not popular despite the efficiency benefits)
I personally don't take any particular pride in doing something manually when a machine could do it just as well, or better.
I suspect we're more than 20 years away from that for cars (although modern driving capability seems to be diminishing rapidly, so perhaps they'll meet heading in opposite directions). You wouldn't use a camera to take a portrait just relying on 'smile detection' etc to choose when to fire the shutter, so it is that I would expect human drivers to be capable of handling a car better in extreme situations than an automated system. I enjoy mechanical, technical challenges, and driving a car provides some of the challenge that I enjoy.
A manual car offers the driver - probably an average driver - more fine control over speed, especially when driving in traffic compared to an automatic. Not everyone will use small amounts of engine braking to adjust their speed in the general flow, but *in my experience* lifting off an auto results in the thing effectively free-wheeling, with less control of speed. I end up driving autos whenever I'm in North America, and while some European models are definitely better, it just makes things a bit less certain, a little less safe.
I'm pretty sure Stewart is talking about the gearbox
I'd have to say especially in traffic, driving a manual is sooooo cumbersome and tiresome. My left leg felt like doing a leg-day after a 2 hour congestion into Glasgow, back in 2000's. I personally don't take any particular pride in doing something manually when a machine could do it just as well, or better.
In my DSG car, I can regularly use engine braking by putting the gearbox into sport mode (quick pull on the leaver). It'll shift-down and engine brake if you are not on accelerator. Total control of speed without the leg-day workout, perfect for a lazy sod like me.
I like vag dsg, my next car will have it. But a manual change will always win for balls out performance.
I have a DSG in my dirty diesel Skoda Octavia 3 now, it's not as good as people makes them out to be. Biggest problem is when cruising along at 50mph in top gear behind a slow car and decide to slip into a gap in the fast lane. The kickdown needed to drop down 2 gears, taking second(s) rather than the instant downshift it promised.
But that was due to coming from EV, I was used to instant power at drop of a hat. If you put it into sport mode before you kick-down, it would have dropped a gear imminently and ready for another gear drop when you kick-down.