You want to get yourself or a loved one a car but you don’t know which kind to go for. Therefore you want to know the best car between manual and automatic transmission. I’ve got you covered in this article. Keep reading…
All the vehicles on our roads today have either a manual transmission or an automatic transmission system. However, most modern cars come with automatic transmissions.
Manual vs Automatic Transmission: What’s the Difference?
There are major differences between manual and automatic transmission cars. To make things easy, let’s see the differences in a tabular form.
| Manual Transmission | Automatic Transmission |
| 1. Has three pedals for controlling the vehicle: Clutch, Brake, and Accelerator. | 1. It has only two pedals: Brake and Accelerator. |
| 2. You can jump-start a manual transmission car without a jump-starter. | 2. Needs a jump-starter if you want to jump-start. |
| 3. Can be brought easily to a halt without applying the brake. | 3. Cannot easily be brought to a halt without the brake. |
Generally speaking, automatic cars are easier to drive and handle but if you need a car that is rugged, fun to drive and gives you total control, a manual car is your best option.
Manual Pros
- Fun to drive: it is always fun to drive a manual transmission car because it gives you, the driver, a unique driving experience.
- Gives you total control: Manual cars give you total control of the vehicle. It’s an awesome experience knowing that you get to decide when to change gears or how you change them. You may decide to change from the first to the third gear without going through the second gear.
- More fuel efficient: It is obvious that manual cars are more fuel efficient than their automatic counterparts. An automatic transmission car of the same make and model will consume more fuel than its manual counterpart.
- Cheaper to repair and maintain: Manual cars are not as expensive to maintain as their automatic counterparts. Therefore, this gives it an edge over automatic cars.
- In a case of brake failure during motion, manual cars are far easier to bring to a halt. Automatic cars are designed to keep moving once the “Drive” gear is engaged. However, manual cars are built otherwise.
Releasing your leg from the accelerator while driving a manual car will make it slow down even without applying the brake.
- Cheaper than automatic counterparts: Manual cars are generally cheaper than their automatic counterparts of the same make and models. Therefore if you are considering buying a car on a low budget, a manual car is your best option.
Manual Cons
- Difficult to learn: As opposed to automatic cars, manual cars can be a little bit difficult to learn. It requires lots of practice to master. There is a great chance the vehicle will be stalling if you have not fully mastered how to use the clutch.
- Driving in traffic: It can be burdensome to drive a manual car when there is a lot of traffic on the road. You will have to engage your clutch and brake more. Automatic transmission cars are not like that, they are easier to drive in traffic.
Automatic Pros
- Easy to drive: This is the number one (1) advantage an automatic transmission car has over manual cars. You can practically learn how to drive an automatic transmission car in a very short period of time.
- Excellent for disabled people: Automatic cars are the best for disabled and old people because they are easy to drive.
- Another advantage of automatic transmission cars is that they are easy to drive in high traffic areas.
Automatic Cons
- A major disadvantage of automatic transmission cars is that they are generally more expensive than their manual counterparts. Therefore, if you are looking for “more affordability”, a manual car is your best fit.
- Higher repair costs: Automatic cars have slightly higher repair costs than manual cars.
Final Thoughts
You just discovered the peculiarities and differences between manual transmission (stick shift) cars and automatic transmission cars. Deciding the best car between manual and automatic is totally up to your discretion now. If you want ease of driving, automatic is best. However, if you want total driving control, manual transmission is the best for you.
Personally, I enjoy driving manual transmission cars. Which one do you prefer? Comment below.
