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This thread is certainly more interesting than any Creation versus Evolution thread... 
But besides YSSMAN, who tried to bring up the topic a few pages ago, no one is talking about the transmissions themselves, anymore.
I find it kind of pointless arguing about how good a driver is if they're a manual/automatic driver or about how manuals concentrate you on the act of driving... because I've had experience in both directions in this manner.
An automatic can relax you to the point where you're not paying attention... if you're the type who does... but defensive drivers, like me, do not require clutchwork to maintain concentration. Keeping an eye in front, to the sides and on the three rear-view mirrors at all times, reading the flow of traffic, etcetera... is enough for me to maintain concentration. In fact, a bad manual can act as a distraction... double-pumping the gas, heel-toeing to keep the engine alive, fighting with a balky shifter, these are all distractions.
On the other hand, a good manual will not interfere with the driving process, at all... will allow you to merge, overtake, coast and coast down more easily and etcetera than a conventional automatic.
But your modern automatic will allow you to do all of those things nearly as well... while providing less torque interruption (with DSG) than a manual in shifts, smoother running.
It's encouraging to see makers predicting that Dual Clutch boxes will become cheaper and cheaper to make, and may overtake traditional automatics and CVTs in terms of market share in the future. They have less drivetrain loss than torque-converters, can handle more torque than CVTs, and, apparently, don't cost as much as CVTs.
The only problem is, Dual Clutches aren't in vogue in the US (loves traditional automatics) or Japan (love CVTs), but hopefully, that'll change.
But besides YSSMAN, who tried to bring up the topic a few pages ago, no one is talking about the transmissions themselves, anymore.
I find it kind of pointless arguing about how good a driver is if they're a manual/automatic driver or about how manuals concentrate you on the act of driving... because I've had experience in both directions in this manner.
An automatic can relax you to the point where you're not paying attention... if you're the type who does... but defensive drivers, like me, do not require clutchwork to maintain concentration. Keeping an eye in front, to the sides and on the three rear-view mirrors at all times, reading the flow of traffic, etcetera... is enough for me to maintain concentration. In fact, a bad manual can act as a distraction... double-pumping the gas, heel-toeing to keep the engine alive, fighting with a balky shifter, these are all distractions.
On the other hand, a good manual will not interfere with the driving process, at all... will allow you to merge, overtake, coast and coast down more easily and etcetera than a conventional automatic.
But your modern automatic will allow you to do all of those things nearly as well... while providing less torque interruption (with DSG) than a manual in shifts, smoother running.
It's encouraging to see makers predicting that Dual Clutch boxes will become cheaper and cheaper to make, and may overtake traditional automatics and CVTs in terms of market share in the future. They have less drivetrain loss than torque-converters, can handle more torque than CVTs, and, apparently, don't cost as much as CVTs.
The only problem is, Dual Clutches aren't in vogue in the US (loves traditional automatics) or Japan (love CVTs), but hopefully, that'll change.
