Automatic Vs Manual

Will this debate ever end?

Amongst the other dilemmas that come with choosing your new car, a popular one that springs to mind is the type of transmission you wish to have – Automatic or Manual?
Let’s start with the building blocks – a manual car is installed with a gear system that allows the driver to move via the gear stick and pushing down onto the clutch pedal. However, an automatic car will independently change the gears for you. 

The pros of an automatic car

  • Ease of driving – many drivers favour the automatic transmission over the manual due to how convenient it is. You don’t have to operate the clutch to ensure you move through your gears to pick up the pace or slow down, it’s as simple as selecting “D” for drive or “R” for reverse.
  • A seamless ride – With a manual gearbox, sometimes if you don’t transition correctly through the gears, it can become a jerky experience. Therefore, with an automatic gearbox, you can have a smooth ride.
  • Better if you’re a city driver – we say this because, you have to stop and start in a busy congested area, it can mean more effort needed in order to change from higher to lower gears, or vice versa in a manual car.

The cons of an automatic car

  • Expensive parts – are you on a budget? Then an automatic might not necessarily be a good option for you. The reason for this being, that generally, automatic car parts cost more than manual parts, regardless if they are second-hand or new.
  • Lack of driving thrills – if you enjoy driving and like the feeling of changing gears because you feel as if you have a better connection with your car, then it may be harder for you to adjust to not having a clutch anymore.

Automatic Gearbox.jpg (256 KB)The pros of buying a manual car

  • More control – By having a manual gearbox, you have more control of the car as you get to choose which gear you want to use. This is proven to be beneficial when in wintery conditions, for example in icy weather it’s best to be in a high gear.
  • Accelerating at a faster pace – this is due to the fact manual gearboxes are better at transferring power from your engine to your wheels.
  • Cheap to maintain – due to the lack of complexity in design with manual cars, this results in less maintenance for the car in comparison to an automatic. This means the repair costs tend to be cheaper, however, if the clutch goes, that will be a different story!

The cons of a manual car

  • Not safe – having to change your gears in a manual means that at times you will have one hand on the steering wheel, so automatic cars are deemed to be safer as you can keep both hands on the wheel. 
  • Can cause leg ache – by continuously changing your gears throughout your journey, this can cause some considerable leg ache because your left foot never gets a break, especially if you’re not a motorway driver.

To conclude, when it comes to this argument we’d say there is no simple right or wrong, or good or bad in this scenario. This is due to the fact, it all comes down to what your driving style is, to what type of journeys you take on a daily basis, but also what sort of budget you have.

Other CarCliq articles that might interest you:

Independent And Franchised Dealers
Timing Is Everything
Advantages Of Buying From A Dealer
Leasing A Car

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