My first VR was a manual which i loved,my latest VR which i've had now for over a year is Auto. I was a bit dubious intially but read good reports about them and found that it does suit the engine really well. The performance feels just as punchy and the kickdown is superb,i'd say my fuel economy is only around 20 miles per tank worse than the manual. So overall i'm pretty chuffed with it,especialy in monster traffic jams!!