In my country manual used to be the default until as recently as 5 years ago; now automakers as well as customers are shifting towards automatics in a big way.

In my country manual used to be the default until as recently as 5 years ago; now automakers as well as customers are shifting towards automatics in a big way. They're just super convenient in crowded cities. Whether I want a manual or an automatic depends on the nature of the car. If it's a small fun-to-drive car — like a Mini Cooper, BMW 3 series, porsches etc — I prefer manual. But if it's a large luxury sedan or large SUV, then I will opt for automatic.