From what I know of the F30 platform to date (n20/n26/n55), the 8 speed auto is rated better than the 6MT - but real world reports seem to indicate they are the same or even that the 6mt does slightly better.
Now I would expect the 8AT to do better given two additional gears, IDK, but I do know that manufacturers more and more game the setup for government fuel economy ratings. And they can best do that with automatic transmission compared to manuals.
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