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It's a very complicated question.
You have traditional automatics, with six / seven / eight speeds... and you have CVTs... and you have automated dual clutch boxes like the Fiesta's.
Then you break down the CVTs into CVTs with dry clutch packs or starter clutches and CVTs with traditional torque converters... and dual clutch boxes with dry clutches and those with "wet" clutches.
Best for economy I've ever seen is Honda's CVT with the dry starter clutch... but that one's infamous for breaking down and leaving you to buy a new surplus box.
Honda's newer CVT uses a torque converter. This grants you nearly the same economy when moving, but is less efficient in traffic.
dual clutch boxes, from what I've seen, come closest to manuals in traffic... the Fiesta's is good, but the ones we get here have a 6th gear that's way too short for my taste. The new Honda Fit CVT, on the other hand, has a lower "7th gear", and in full auto mode, runs 500 rpm lower than even that at a cruise.
And that's one thing to look out for if you do a lot of highway miles. However fancy your gearbox, if your top overdrive ratio sucks... it sucks.
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