Why you doing Spaceman’s lines Evil?, and then only 7 of the buggers the content of which doesn’t mention either of the three words that cannot be used in the same sentence? 
The MAN box is pants because its ZF’s Arsetronic box which is blood diabolical, used for ages in DAF MAN and Iveco, job to know which is the worse fitment, in DAFs the clutch operation is an on/off switch, in Ivecos you could cook a three course gourmet dinner while it ponces about at junctions deciding what gear it might offer up**, in MANs when having to do some real manouevering heavy it judders and ponces about (no engine guts) and at junctions its slightly better than Ivecos fitment, but only slightly IMO.
You can override and perform manual changes (if you have Profi version) which improves things especially loaded, but its not a responsive system that lends itself to manual shifting such as a Scania does, and unless you select manual at rest or once up to cruise speed in top it often reverts back to auto after about 20 seconds has lapsed.
Mercs version, i haven’t driven a new cab shaped fitment yet and from previous experience have no wish to do so, its a ponderous bloody thing at best, ruins an otherwise good torquey lorry, plus if when you are manouevering or hitching up the air drops you can be stuck in gear with the clutch trying to engage and the only way out the predicament can be getting some air from another tractor line to line to get the stricken beast out of gear to blow the air up again, seen it happen in yards with blokes trying to hitch up, so if you get one keep and eye on the air, bloody gearshift is in an odd place too.
**oh yes Iveco/Arsetronic and hill hold…Jesus wept, don’t rely on it cos if you do the hill hold will sometimes release about a couple of seconds before the poxy box has given you another gear and resumed what it laughingly assumes is powah, and you’re rolling back.
Personally i switch all hill hold devices off when i get in a vehicle, to me they have no place in a lorry the job of controlling the vehicle at junctions on inclines is the job of the driver (helps if the park brake is in the right place and not helpfully nailed behind the seat…MAN i’m looking at you…but remember i have a big willy apparently 
and will confirm i am a Luddite so my suggestion comes from a different viewpoint to many others, who will no doubt think different.
Agree that Volvo’s auto is superb (so Renault likely to be as good) and the only automated manual box i’ve used that almost never needs any driver input.
