It's faster, it's more fuel economic and it reduces engine wear
(I agree though, since I don’t drive a semi or dump truck.)
Also, FWIW, they don't just pick between 18 gears with a single shifter. They have multiple inputs that allow shifting between multiple combinations of gears, some requiring clutch to change and some not, as they gain speed. Most trucks still only have 6-ish positions for the main gear shifter to slot in to.
In what < $15K econobox? :)
Nissan Versa at $15.5k: https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/cars/versa-sedan.html
Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent aren't too far off at $16.5k: https://www.kia.com/us/en/rio
According to the figures in the manual for the 2016 model revision (https://mitsubishi-motors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1...), the CVT is indeed supposed to be slightly more efficient, according to the figures for the 2019 model (https://mitsubishi-motors.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1...) on the other hand the CVT is consistently slightly worse than the manual transmission.
(Also somewhat interestingly, in some cases the auto engine start-stop system actually seems to increase nameplate consumption/CO2 emissions.)
/s
The related context is that automatics can’t predict what gear you’re going to need before you need it. This leads to a lag that doesn’t exist with manuals that automatics compensate for by having oversized and overpowered engines.
This is most noticeable when overtaking or driving on twisty mountain roads. One way people work around it is by tapping the brakes as a signal to the transmission to shift down.
Another way to notice this weird behavior with automatics is to see how much noise american cars make when trying to take off fast from a stop light. Lots of noise thanks to wide open throttle, not much acceleration because the (cheap) gearbox keeps shifting up and reducing torque.
You don't get the sensation of letting the clutch go at juuust the right revs, but hey, there are always motorcycles.
Of course, front wheel drives can do this with left foot braking but I never got the hang of that.
I used to do this in my mom’s Kalos. Super fun. Makes it feel like your car is on rails.
WHat has changed, at least in performance bikes (broadly stated) is autoblippers/quickshifters. A skill you could learn (clutch less shifts) of course but never as fast as these.