When I first started driving the X, I did not like the idea of shifting too much. I was not confident that I would be in the mode or gear I thought I was (This being my first automatic).
Now, I almost always keep it in Auto (D) mode unless:
- I am accelerating onto the highway; then I will use (S) mode
- if I am slowing from highway speed to get off the highway, then I use manual mode to shift down through the gears instead of braking
- I also use manual mode to climb or slow down on mountains