The key to getting miles is to keep that left door closed,and keep on driving.I have driven fast trucks and slow trucks,and the big difference is the speeding tickets you get with a fast truck.
Auto trannys have a manual mode. Push a few buttons and you get 1st gear starts, 2nd gear starts, and hilltop downshifts. It's no Porche Tiptronic, (or even a Dodge Auto-stick) but you live with it every day and you figure out the bugs.