Yeah if I was talking about cars I would say manual is always better.
Discussion
depends on what you mean by better.
technically CVT is best, followed by DCT.
automatic is better than manual for average skill level driver.
even with expert driver a 6 speed manual will only be better than a 6 speed automatic, but worse than 8, 9 or 10 speed automatic.
as for what is more "fun" ?
motorcycles are more fun than cars. but are they better ?
NO.
CVTs get a bad rep because they are found in trash cars
EVs and Hybrids used to be in the same boat - people assumed Hybrid is Slow ( when Prius was the only Hybrid ) and EV = Shit Box ( when Nissan Leaf was the only EV )
Now most cars over 1,000 hp are Hybrid or EV
Will the same happen to CVTs ? NO. But the reason people look down on CVTs is the same.
people can't understand physics and are driven purely by emotions and tribalism.
luckily i am here to provide guidance for you my children !