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I do remember a Motor Trend article or video that's probably 2 yrs old now. I think it was MT editor Joe Lieberman (SP?) and if not mistaken it was a report on their long term F30 328i. I remember him saying something to the effect that the BMW manual was not that good and he should have ordered the 8 speed auto for their long term car. And in the comparison of the 328i vs. the AST, they said the AST manual was terrible at the time. That should be fixed as it was likely a software problem.
So to me it's not just manual vs. auto, it's the quality of the manual. I drive an S2000, which has one of the best manual transmissions in the business, so I am biased. Test drove a Mazda6 manual on Saturday and it was quite good together with the handling and nice steering feel. I only wish the engine had a little more torque.
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