Non auto-stick drivers can simulate this in another car with an auto trans, by putting the car in L2 L3 etc...I have been doing this my whole life in all of the auto vehicles I have owned. My Dad taught that trick to me when I was a kid well before I started to drive, so the auto-stick comes naturaly to me.

I don't mind up-shifting manually, but after down-shifting to 1 at a stop, I will put it in 2, and the the auto control the 1-2 shift, it does a better job than I can. Other than that it's nice to be able to put it in Drive sometimes for hands-free shifting, I only wish that the auto trans's would down shift more on its own. I like saving the brakes and reducing brake dust on the wheels. Also even in Drive, I can controll the up-shift prety well just with the throttle.

Another thing is the auto stick selection is 1) just a request to the computer and 2) acts only as a limiter.

So for example if you have the selector at 3, and come to a stop, you will start in first gear, the selector will still say 3, it will go through 2, and to 3 like it was an auto-trans. Then it will stay in 3 until either you change the gear, or hit the red-line.