TCC Tip: Shifting Gears

2002 Lexus IS300
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If you’re new-car shopping and you know what you want, you might still be torn between getting an automatic or a stick. After automatics all but stamped out manuals for a few years, it seems like more automakers are giving a choice again. Which is the better choice today? The answer is not so simple, and it comes down to a number of factors you should consider:

Initial cost. On models that give you a choice between automatic and manual, automatic transmissions are usually an extra-cost option. An automatic can add more than a thousand dollars to the sticker price, not to mention that it’s sometimes bundled with other options you might not want.

Maintenance costs and longevity. Most manual and automatic transmissions require fluid changes, but the intervals can vary greatly. Manual transmissions themselves seldom require any repairs for the life of the car, but depending on your driving habits the clutch will likely need to be replaced. Clutch life can vary greatly—commonly from 50,000 miles to 150,000 miles. So can the price of a clutch job, which can vary from $300 to more than $1000, depending on the parts cost and how difficult the replacement is. Aside from fluid and filter changes, automatic transmissions require little mechanical attention (most now approach 200,000 before needing repairs), but when something does go wrong diagnosing and repairing the trouble can be very costly (in the thousands), especially on newer transmissions with electronic controls. Great advances have been made in automatics, though: some automatic transmissions are now sealed for life and supposedly require no maintenance, plus extended powertrain warranties cover nearly all automatic transmission problems, but clutches on manual cars usually aren’t covered.

Performance. Manual transmissions almost always provide better performance, provided your shifts are well coordinated and timed. In the past, automatic transmissions shifted abruptly and unpredictably in some situations and hunted relentlessly between gears at some steady speeds. Now, with computer-controlled shift points and fuzzy logic controls, most of those hiccups have been eliminated. Today’s automatics provide better-than-ever performance, with silky smooth shifts, responsive downshifts, and in some cases as many gears as manual gearboxes. In a few small-car models with engines that have need to be revved for power, manual transmissions are a much better choice, but otherwise there’s not much of a difference.

Gas mileage. With few exceptions, cars with properly shifted manual transmissions get better mileage that the same model with an automatic. Automatics add extra weight; their torque converters rob engine power, and most don’t have as many gears as in the comparable manual. New-generation automatics with four, five, and even six speeds (as in the 2002 BMW 745i) now offer performance and economy close to that of manual transmissions.

Ease. While experienced shifters will say that driving a stick is easy, and you don’t need to think about it, there’s really no comparison to the ease of an automatic. You can learn how to drive a manual in an afternoon, but getting the right clutch/hand coordination to make it smooth can take months or years. Stop-and-go driving in heavy traffic can be extremely tiring with a manual transmission, and in this case an automatic would be better. Some will say that automatic enables drivers to pay more attention to the road ahead, however it does also tend to make drivers more oblivious of the road conditions and their speed, because they are less actively in control—plus it’s much easier to get caught up in dangerously distracting tasks (like talking on a cell phone, applying makeup, or eating) in traffic when you don’t have to shift gears.

Remember, it all comes down to personal preference. There really is no clear answer as to which is better. You just need to weigh the pros and cons of each in light of your type of driving, and most of all, which you think you would enjoy most. If you are comfortable with shifting and appreciate the better performance and control of manual shift, then the choice is obvious. But if you do a lot of driving in gridlock traffic and your car often doubles as a mobile office—and you don’t mind the slightly higher cost and slightly higher fuel bills—then it might be better to opt for an automatic.

There are compromises—and some of them are really good. If you need to get an automatic for the family or the commute but you enjoy spirited driving and shifting for yourself on weekend drives, there are now many “manumatic” options, which give you—in addition to normal automatic mode—a mode that lets you manually shift up or down a gear with a nudge of the shift lever. Some manumatics are more gimmick than anything, and they don’t always respond the way you’d like them to—sometimes they shift to the next highest gear before reaching redline or giving unwanted downshifts—but they are definitely more fun to drive than normal automatics. Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) are another option. These are automatics that use a drive belt system that replaces conventional gears, infinitely varying the ratios for the driving conditions. CVT systems, currently available only on the Honda Civic and Audi A4 (and soon on the upcoming Saturn VUE) provide good performance and fuel economy that rivals manuals, though there isn’t a lot of driver control (though the Audi system does also have a manumatic-type feature).

The bottom line is that there is no right or wrong. In the past, when higher maintenance costs, sluggish performance, and poor reliability were problems for some automatics, manuals were the sensible choice. But modern automatic transmissions are more reliable and durable than ever, with overall performance similar to manuals. The choices are all good.