the removal of auto-face is rather stupid. This isn't Starcraft, where the game intentionally micro-taxes people just for the heck of it.
No.
There are certain conditions where one would not want to auto-face, such as when there is a singular unit on one flank that's already dealt with, and one knows that a larger enemy force is coming at the other area.
This puts more control in the hands of the player.
But, yeah, the APM economy ought to be taxed as little as possible.