Why do people prefer manuals to autos?

Question

I am a manual driver thinking about an auto.

Why are manuals more desirable and slightly more expensive to buy than auto?

Pros/cons???

Answer 1

I have driven an auto about three times and have no complaints. However most of us do short journeys with stops and starts  and whilst a manual is a bit of a bother to use in these circumstances it is far more flexible than an automatic gear box. You can put up with minor or even quite major problems with a manual gearbox which would immobilise your car if it had an auto. many also feel that it is just something else to go wrong at great expense. it also uses slightly more fuel. I did not know that second hand automatic cars were cheaper

Answer 2

After driving manuals for years, I now drive only automatics and have no wish to revert to manuals.  Around here, the roads are inadequate and always congested which means a lot of clutch work and frequent gear changing.  I CAN do it but it is murder on my lower back which then becomes a distraction.  For me, an automatic was the obvious choice.

Automatics do require a more subtle driving technique than manuals which takes some skill but you soon learn.

The great thing about an automatic is that it is harder to over-rev as it will always select the right gear for the driving you are doing.  You can use 'kick-down' for hard acceleration but even that will change to a higher gear before you risk damaging the engine or gearbox.  That means, when you buy a second-hand automatic, you can be confident it has not had the nuts thrashed off it by some unsympathetic speed maniac.

You still have to concentrate on the road as much as with a manual so there is no safety issue.  With an automatic, you lose engine breaking so you touch the breaks slightly more often than you might in a manual.

You lose a little in fuel economy but not as much as in a badly driven manual.  Give me auto every time.

Answer 3

Most people drive a manual as this is what they learnt to drive with, They see no reason to change, they also seem misinformed about autos judging by some of the answers. Although i also passed in a manual i only own autos i wont buy a manual. I see no reason or benefits of a manual. The acceleration in a auto is as good as a manual, it all depends on the car, both my mercs are autos and they shift. My other motor which has a 5.7ltr v8 in it is also an auto and that would eat most cars for breakfast. As for having more control in a manual i think is a load of waffle. Maybe 20 years ago autos were way behind that of manuals, but modern autos can more than hold their own with any manual. in an auto you just cruise along, and its great in traffic. The only thing with an auto is it uses a bit more juice, but is a much better drive. I suppose its what you get use too for me its autos all the way.

Answer 4

All the old reasons for buying a manual have long since been dispelled with modern technology. The reasons being:

Greater control over the car with a manual: used to be the case, but modern autos can be shifted manually in situations where you prefer - so that one's out the window!

Greater economy in a manual: Hardly anything in it these days. Anyway, manual shift drivers hardly ever change gear at the optimum moment, whereas an auto usually does so, although the figures may show slight advantage to the manual, the chances are that in everyday driving the auto wins.

Auto is 'lazy' way of driving and manual helps you concentrate: C'mon please! If you need to be changing gear to concentrate on the road ahead, you have a problem. Infact, gear changing can be a distraction. I somehow don't think Formula 1 drivers think of themselves as lazy and their cars are automatic.

Cost: They are slightly more expensive on new cars, nothing in it for second hand.

Speed: Autos will be quicker off the immediate start because there's no time spent lifting the clutch - manual's may catch slightly after that (although Formula 1 drivers would argue!) - but who's going to notice a fraction of a second's difference in everyday driving?

I can't see a single reason not to buy an auto these days. Most driving is stops/start or Motorway and Dual Carriageway where manual gears are nothing but a nuisance. Autos used to be for large engines only, but even that has changed - small engines cope with them perfectly smoothly.

Shall I say more? Nope I'll stop there before I get even more boring!

Answer 5

manuals are cheaper than autos in general terms, as the gearbox is easier to make. Autos dont sell well in the UK though, making them cheaper because of lack of demand.

Autos have a poorer performance and economy due to losses from the torque converter. they also "feel" slower because they dont surge with every gear change.

I drive both, and a manual is better for a small car, but an auto is a must for a big car.

Answer 6

Well i personally learned to drive in a manual so its what i know really.

And i thought Auto's were more expensive than mans?

Mainly tho i dont want to switch to automatic as its a 'lazy mans car' anyway! Maybe when im old and got arthritis i might get one! lol

I remember when i was a kid my dad had an automatic once and he had so many probs with it that he got rid of it and got himself a manual!

Answer 7

Manual everytime, I've driven both, and I feel I've got more control, with a manual!

Answer 8

I have to have a manual as I teach people to drive, and because everyone is brought up in this country with the attitude "you MUST learn to drive in a manual!!".

I have a friend who owns a taxi company and I do a little bit of driving for him when they are short of drivers, and he has 3 new Hyundai Sonatas with auto gearboxes, leather seats, climate control, cruise control etc etc and they are absolutely gorgeous to drive!

Oh.....and it's a diesel too!

And as for people saying acceleration is better in a manual - i doubt there's much in it, cos the one I drove was like sh*t of a chrome shovel!

And generally autos are more expensive than manuals, as there are fewer around and in demand :)

Answer 9

I have driven both and prefer manual transmissions. Why? With a manual transmission you do get better gas mileage and quicker acceleration. Plus they force you to pay attention while driving and not let your mind wonder as it does when you drive an automatic. Finally I do feel you have better control and better traction when driving.

Answer 10

You don't feel like you're driving when you're in an auto, it just a case of accelerate and steer.

I feel more in control of the car when i'm in a manual.

Answer 11

I like manual transmissions because they offer more control over the engine and thus more control over your speed.  They are also much simpler and thus less prone to breaking down.  When they do break down, the parts tend to be cheaper because of said simplicity.  

If you know what you're doing, you can get better gas mileage out of a manual as well just by shifting a little bit earlier.  

Automatics are nice for dense traffic, but other than that I don't like driving them.  

I don't know where you are so I'm not sure why manuals cost more where you're at.  They're fairly rare in the USA so you probably have to pay more to get it delivered.  In the rest of the world it could have something to do with higher demand for manual transmission cars?

Answer 12

been there i own many stick shift cars before but in the end i got a auto fells better to drive no more shifting no clutch no stop and go pain but i always like manuals i have a 5.0 mustang and its the best but after a few hrs i want the auto back pros of manual cheaper to fix the clutch never have to worry about new transmit ion only new clutch cons... stop and go its a pain on a every day drive auto i don't have any cons other than if you don't take care of the oil changes on the transmit ion i could cost a lot to fix and every oil change on the transmit ion its a lot more money   than an stick pros easy to drive more relax went driving no hassle went stuck on traffic  

Answer 13

I don't like something else choosing the gear I'm supposed to be in! A manual gearbox is lighter, more durable, cheaper to fix, more responsive and simply provides a better driving experience (not only that it gives me something to do with my left foot!). I once drove a brand new VW Passat estate & it was a fantastic car, apart from one thing - the automatic gearbox! Under normal circumstances the box was fine, however kickdown response was dire and sometimes it simply didn't know what fear it was supposed to be in occasionally! It's even worse with cheap American auto's! Having said that, I did quite enjoy the gearbox on an old Renault Laguna estate that I test drove once!

Answer 14

I was pro manual but when my dream car came up in our price range my wife told me to go for it although it was am auto version but i hated auto's one's i had driven where so slow and not responsive.I went to look at the car and ws that shocked i bought it and have since changed to a newer version again with the autobox.

All this depends on the car and box setup the car i had and have is an Nissan Skyline the box on that is great a light touch to the pedal and your away and a great speed in fact you have to be careful not to keep rushing real high over the speed limit,and with added control like overdrive and a power button which allows redline changes between gears and a rev hold button which allows the gear to stay where it is and rev as high as you want until you release the button.

All the above leads to a super experience and i can say i have driven stick for years and not many cars match up to the fun of driving withing

with a sporty auto set up.

Other cars i have driven since with auto set up are the Supra MK4 Mitsubishi GTO Subaru Impreza and all have been really great fun and really fast.More modern cars like the new Nissan GT-R and the new EVO have an auto set up.

Is only fair to judge auto against stick when you have driven different boxes,some auto boxs are a sit back and enjoy but having a small car with a stick doesn't make you a racing driver also throwing through the gears and only having a little bhp isn't more control its just trying to get more power.So with the modern auto set up like the trip tronic and other semi automatics and new ones as mentioned in the new GT-R the auto is fun and does give a responive and enjoyable driving experience.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/porsche-...

worth a read.

Answer 15

Manuals are cheaper to buy and easier/cheaper to maintain - if anything goes wrong with a manual it can be repaired by a friend on your driveway, but you have to take an Automatic to a Garage/Authorised Dealer and they will charge you 3 times the amount, that you would pay a friend to fix a Manual.