Auto transmissions don't last? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! That's the funniest thing I've heard all week!
Read this reliability chief:
Chrysler fwd minivan: tranny upgraded for additional cooling (well known design flaw) Over 150K miles currently, still running GREAT.
Ford AOD transmissions (3 cars, all Lincolns, 2 Mark VII, 1 Town Car) 160K, VII totaled in wreck. 120K, VII still running strong, original engine too. 250K!!! Towncar parted out, transmission installed into Ford Country Squire (Station wagon, same 302 engine) STILL GOING STRONG at OVER 300K MILES!!!!
TH400 3-spd auto in a super-duty application, 454 engine 6 ton RV: 180K miles, ORIGINAL TRANNY going strong.
Jeep 4x4 GC, 120K, still running strong.
As you can see, I have a bit of experience with high mileage engines. So your comments about a manual being "better" for long-term usage are purely bull. An auto will last longer than the engine it is mated to, provided 2 things happen: You NEVER exceed the transmissions rated input power. This is not a big deal on most production cars. Unless you are a tuner and a racer, your engine is FAR below the rated torque of the auto behind it. They are designed that way.
Second, MOST IMPORTANT, and the usual culprit in a tranny failure: The tranny was allowed to overheat, the fluid turned to crap, and the bands disintegrated and ground up the clutches. Why does this happen? Because GM decided back in the 50s that money could be saved by removing all the gauges that the dumbest driver would never understand, and removed the tranny fluid temp gauge. The others followed. GM also saved money by putting the tranny cooler inside a hotdog-sized bottle INSIDE your radiator, instead of giving it it's own radiator grille. So when your engine overheats, you are actually damaging your transmission LONG before that little needle gets to the "H" on the gauge. Starting at about 220*F, transmission fluid thins severely, and damage can start to build. Especially if you are climbing hills or towing, it can happen at a lower temperature.
Put an aux cooler on your tranny, and a gauge. Keep the tranny filled with Mercon V full synthetic or ATF+3 full synth, and your tranny will thank you with a lifespan longer than your TDI engine.
--Jim