Manual versus automatic transmission

The author is misinformed about cruise control not being available with manual transmissions. I have a manual and cruise control in my car. The author is correct about the long distances that are driven in the US. I am from the West. It takes some long hours at 85 mph to get anywhere.

I agree with you: a 16 year old is not old enough to drive a car in public roads. Just think of all the stupid things people do (we've all done them) when they are in their teens and to give a license to these young people is pure insanity. I also agree with your comment about power cars. It is very, very different to drive daddy's '98 Chevy than driving a '08 Ford F-650 huge pickup truck, yet they require the same license. Personally, I wouldn't give a license to anyone under 20. (Admin)

This is an all American/Canadian debate, In Europe, automatics are very scarce, and often the only reason one would pick an automatic is if your disabled. There should definately be the divide in licenses to drive them. If you can only drive an automatic, you cant drive. Simple!. Turning the wheel and pressing a pedal is not driving. Manuals are superior to automatics 9/10 times. The only automatics worth any salt are the ones that come in 100k Ferrari's etc. Manual for the win everytime. I also think America and Canada need to rethink the driving age and test. 16 to drive a car is a joke, let alone the powerful weapons they get let loose in. The driving test is ridiculously simple too. Minimum age should be 18, and insurance for high powered cars at low ages should be impossible, 23+ I think for a powerful car.

Is there a way to start an automatic transmission car that won\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t completely turn over because it needs a tune-up? Battery is good. Engine cranks good. Timing is off, however...

Acutally some automatics have a second gear start option, such as Honda, for the snow reason!

If you are planning on buying a used 3000GT with a manual transmission, then you\\\'d better be ready to lose the use of 5th gear at around 95k or soon after. Other than that; the car is a beast and a great decision!

I love driving cars with manual transmissions. I more or less taught myself to do that so, when time came to go to a driving school in order to get my permit thru the right channels, I greatly resisted. After all, I already knew all there was to know, right? Well, not exactly. The 5 days I spent at that school taught me one of the best skills I\'ve ever learnt- I learnt how to keep the car running WITHOUT having to constantly depress the clutch. That\'s right, I have found a way to simply vary the car\'s acceleration and that will keep the car going- even creeping. Nowadays I only depress the clutch to change gears or just before the car comes to a complete stop. With this skill, I keep wondering why people say driving a stick is hard! The trick is to cleverly vary the acceleration and be sure to choose the right gear for your situation- that takes practice.

Thanks for posting comments about manuals having cruise control - maybe you could send a list of cars that do so I can post it in the main articles so other people would know about their options: Admin

Ever been stuck in the snow or mud wheels spinning ! Well, one positive advantage of a MT is getting out of a sticky situation. Chances are in 1st gear the wheels will keep spinning,however by changing to 2nd gear you will more than likely get out.The reason being,2nd gear puts less horsepower onto to driving wheels ------ Just not possible with an Automatic !

In the UK most people are taught in a manual so it would not enter there head to drive an automatic. Mostly the only people who drive automatic cars are disabled. As for manual cars being harder to drive changing gear becomes second nature after a while.

Speaking of fuel economy - AT uses a lot more fuel when in cruise control mode trying to keep within the pre-set speed range or at a given speed no matter what. Some mass produced MTs only use about 5.5-6 Liters per 100km while the same AT will use 7-8 Liters.

For your convenience here's how to convert liters/100kms (L/100) to miles per gallon (MPG) Liters per 100 to MPG

I want to buy an Audi A6 FSI with tiptronic - anybody has some advice for / against this?

I am from Europe. Lived there for over 30 years and travelled all over the world. It's not true how you generalize "North Americans" versus "Euroepeans". The market is more diverse than you make it look like. And what about the rest of the world? Maybe somebody can reveal some info about transmissions who lives elsewhere?

Been a racer since i was 16 and i never drove an automatc. Not that i didn't have a chance just because i do believe that manuals are simply superior any every way. It's not true that it requires extra attention to drive them. Maybe for the first little while but it becomes such a strong instinct that you will forget about shifting gears and it will come just as natuarally as breathing. I talk on the phone with the pit boss all the time during the race and shift many many many many times in the meantime and i have no problems. So the police is not right about bannning cellphone usage while driving. Maybe you shouln't issue liceces to people who can't parallel park? Duh?

Actually, you can get cruise control with a manual. It's just not *common*. The early Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Neons were available with cruise control and a manual 5-speed gearbox. Like anything with a manual, you just had to pay a bit more attention to it. And of course you (the driver) were responsible for putting the car in the right gear for the speed you wanted to cruise at.

Thanks Leonardo for your comment, I didn't know that automatics are so much more expensive in Europe. That must be another reason why folks drive manuals; its not just personal preference but also a lot to do with the price tag.

You are wrong for point 1 and 3. You can use cruise control with manual. Many cars in Europe can be bought with manual and cruise control. Automatics are much more expensive than 1000$, at least in Europe. It's more like a 4000$. I've been driving both type and I definitely prefer manual. Automatic is very cool in the beginning, and it's very suitable for slowly cruising around. It also gives the luxury feeling. But if you want to drive more intense, you are quickly disappointed. There is always a lag in responce, TCU can't see what you can so it often changes gears in the wrong time. It can be dangerous in the dense traffic because you never know if the TCU will change the gear when you are doing a pop in. Automatic always do what you want after you want it, and with manual you can get it in advance. Keeping my foot on the brake pedal on stop is a real pain to me, so I offten use a hand break instead. For me the choise is obvious: why to give more money to have slower car which consume more fuel? Besides, automatic is never realy automatic because you always have to control your gears yourself in the end. Thats why you have kick down, those 3-2-1 position or +/-. I spend so much effort fighting with automatic that I change the gears myself afterall.

Great article, always wondered why the Americans prefer their automatics. I drove an automatic for the first time last month when I visited the USA after 25 years of manual driving. Did i like it? Well, it was more of a novelty to me, something different. I didn't like the foot on the brake pedal at stop signs and traffic lights, and also the fact that I had less control over the car as compared to a manual. Bobby S.

I live in the middle east and stick is the king here. Yes people here still drive big american junk suvs but the rest of the common man here loves the stick. Heck even if you sell your car, it should be a stick or you will not get many buyers. People ask you if your car is manual or not before bargaining the price. People here are taught driving on manual trans and most of the auto mechanics know manual trans servicing while auto trans mechanics are rare and quite expensive. I myself learned driving manuals and have driven autos too. Lemme tell you autos suck big time. Theyre slow, they search for the gear wasting valuable time, make strange noises when shifting automatically and are booooring to drive. Only good point is using them in heavy traffic. And thats all. Manual is king in many asian countries too. No one has the financial power to maintain and service an auto trans, especially in developing countries.

I actually am writing a paper about just how much better manuals are than automatics. I applaud you for this site, and thank you as well -- it was very helpful. I learned on a manual, and have only driven an automatic once. And I hated it. I even try to convert all of my automatic-driving friends to manual. Long live the stick shift!

All comments about standard and automatic transmissions

Join The Discussion