there is no way in the world that your car is faster when you shift gears on your own with an auto transmission. the only thing that is happening is you are letting the engine rev higher before it changes gears which, yes, will hurt the tranny and the engine. and about that autostick transmission in the acuras.....that thing is junk. the response time is so slow when you change gears and it downshifts for you. what a joke. i'll take my 5 speed any day over an automatic.