Time marches on and so does technology, it ain't your daddy's torque converter anymore! For mpg, check out the VW diesel which I think may be one of the most fuel efficient passenger sedans in the US. As for performance, awhile back the auto trans versions of the tuner Corvettes and Porsches were actually putting down faster straight line numbers than the manuals, but there's no doubt that they'd be lost in the turns. Audi's continuously variable auto trans looks interesting.