I find that a used Auto is usually in a better mechanical condition
than a used Manual.
It compensates for the useless or lazy driver and reduces the wear
and shock loading that they put on the drivetrain.
If they are not slamming the clutch off and shocking every bearing
from the Big Ends back to the diff, they drive lazy in too high a gear.
Remember back to when you used to ride a push bike. Can you remember
the creaks and groans you used to subject your crank to, when you tried
to ride up that hill, or along the flat at too slow a speed, without swapping down a cog or two?
Now transpose that into the loading on your car's engine and drivetrain
when the lazy or incompetent driver does that to his car.
Driving a car in too high a gear will do more damage than the typical typecast
'yoof' in a baseball cap revving the nuts off his 'personalised' motor.
An Auto is always driven smoother with the optimal engine/drivetrain loading
controlled by the car's electronics/autobox, and will have been subjected to
far less abuse and shock loading.
Don't really see the point of manuals, myself. You spend most of your time
cruising motorways/dual carriageways without changing gear,
or stop starting in town traffic pumping your left leg up and down on the clutch.
Why not just use an Auto and go to the gym to exercise your left leg.
