No. The method of action is different. An automatic transmission using a torque converter loses more energy in the form of heat than a traditional manual gearb

No. The method of action is different. An automatic transmission using a torque converter loses more energy in the form of heat than a traditional manual gearbox. The only gearboxes that have the same efficiency regardless of whether or not they're manually shifted are true automated manual gearboxes like BMW DCT or other such auto-magic boxes that use clutches rather than viscous (liquid) coupling to facilitate gear changes.