That's correct, here in Europe the standard trans is manual and the luxury is an auto. This is slowly changin in favour of the auto though.
I myself drive tractor/trailer so I get all the shifting I wan't in my job and therefore only buyrs with autos in them, very comfortable.
The strange thing is that they are more expensive to buy new and give's less resale value compared to an manual equipped car.
A driving tip!
Starting from a deadstop on a incline.
Use your handbrake so you won't have to push the footbrake and thus can use your right foot on the gas.
Then release the clutch and give gas to the point where you feel the car want's to go and slowly release the handbrake and your on your way
This way you can start your car in steep incline with a loaded trailer behind it without putting stress on the drivetrain or making funny noises/smells.
It's a riot checking out people pulling up their boats from the boatramp if they aren't familiar with this technique.
