ALT-1 The Difference between an Automatic and a Manual Transmission
Got three on a tree or four on the floor? Automatic or manual transmission?
Essentially, a car with an automatic transmission is the simplest to operate. Using a shift bar on the steering wheel assembly or the console between the two front seats, the driver shifts from park into drive and goes. The transmission shifts automatically into higher gears as the car begins to move forward faster.
A car with a manual transmission must be driven with both feet. The driver must engage the clutch before shifting gears manually. Then the driver must disengage the clutch gradually, as the car moves forward. As the car begins to move faster, the driver must repeat the process, until the car is zipping along in the appropriate gear for the speed at which it is traveling.
MANEUVERABILITY
A stick shift can be fun, particularly out in the country. Revving up through the gears on an open road gives a driver a sense of power and purpose. (Of course, using the cruise control option on an automatic can be an excellent safeguard against speeding tickets.)
City drivers, on the other hand, may soon grow tired of the constant shifting. For this reason, urban dwellers or commuters will likely favor the automatic transmission.
Among performance car enthusiasts, driving with a stick shift somehow seems much more sporty. The stick-shift (manual) option gives drivers more control, except perhaps at a stoplight on a hill, when the car wants to roll backwards when the driver takes his foot off the brake before accelerating.
POWER
A standard, manual 5-speed car offers more rapid acceleration than the same model car with an automatic transmission. The driver can control the gear changes with a stick shift, whereas an automatic will upshift on its own (often before the engine has actually reached sufficient motor power for the new gear). In other words, the automatic may shift to higher gears prematurely, preventing full-throttle acceleration.
GAS CONSUMPTION
Automatic cars tend to consume more fuel than their manual counterparts. Simply put, the automatic transmission requires more power to operate.
MAINTENANCE COSTS
Automatic transmissions tend to require more frequent and complex servicing than manual. With regular oil and fluid changes and engine inspections, a manual transmission may never need a massive overhaul (which can be quite costly).
By the way, if a car battery dies, an automatic is stuck. A stick-shift car can be push-started. The car is placed in neutral, then pushed from the outside. Once rolling, the ignition may be started, and the car may run!
RESALE VALUE
Stick-shift cars usually carry a lesser resale value, except in the UK, where such cars are exceedingly popular. On the up side, the manual car probably cost a bit less in the first place.
Remember the OLD Volkswagen Beetles? Back in the 1970, VW bugs were available with manual, automatic, or automatic stick options. Those were the days. . . . These now-classic cars can carry a hefty price tag.
PERSONAL ISSUES
Learning to drive a car with a stick shift can be tricky these days. These cars are less popular, and most driver education programs opt for automatics. The younger generations of drivers have likely never experimented with a stick. Minivans, SUVs, and other family vehicles are difficult to find with the manual option.
Drivers with special physical needs may have to select an automatic transmission to match their own personal capabilities.
However, for those who can and will learn to drive with a stick, the experience can be both rewarding and fun.
