MANUAL VS AUTOMATIC FUEL ECONOMY DRIVERS
MANUAL VS AUTOMATIC FUEL ECONOMY MANUAL

MANUAL VS AUTOMATIC FUEL ECONOMY MANUAL

Pros: Involving to use, more efficient than a conventional auto, cheaper to buy Cons: More physical effort needed, a chore in stop-start traffic, lack of mechanical sympathy may cause damageįor some driving enthusiasts, only a manual gearbox will do. To help you out with your deliberations, we’ve gone into more detail below about the types of manual and auto transmission that are currently available, so read on for the pros and cons… Manual gearbox The pros and cons of manual versus auto transmissions

MANUAL VS AUTOMATIC FUEL ECONOMY DRIVERS

Is that a problem? Again, it depends on individual circumstances and preferences, but it’s less of an obstacle than it used to be, and the options for ‘auto only’ drivers are increasing rapidly. This limits you to driving auto only, unless and until you take the test for an unrestricted licence. You can take your test in an automatic car, but while it’s cheaper and faster to learn, you will only be awarded a restricted licence when you pass your test. Is driving an automatic easy? Most people would say yes relative to a manual, and if you’re just learning then not having to change gears is definitely an advantage. What kind of driving licence do you need to drive an automatic car? Meanwhile, it’s a case of judging the benefit against the extra cost, and not just for you but also for the next owner – some cars can really suffer on the used market with the wrong option, so it’s important to do your research. This means the development costs have been relatively lower than for auto options, and the cost of making them can be spread much wider – resulting in lower prices for consumers.Īs auto gearboxes become more commonplace, it’s likely that the price gap will narrow significantly, even though the automatic gearbox technology is often more advanced. In most mainstream model lines, the manual gearbox has traditionally been by far the biggest seller. Why are manual cars cheaper, and are autos worth the extra cost?

That said, many systems like the VW Group’s DSG auto installations have been built and fitted in such vast numbers that reliability is nowadays rarely reported as an issue. There’s often more technology to go wrong in an auto gearbox, and repairs can be expensive. It used to be easy to say yes to both, but nowadays computer-controlled semi-autos with at least as many internal gear ratios as manual counterparts can frequently match or beat the manual version’s economy figures. When debating which gearbox type you want, you may be asking are manual cars more fuel efficient than automatic cars, and if manual is more reliable than automatic. However on more expensive luxury and executive models, you’re much more likely to find automatic transmissions are fitted as standard. Today though, manual gearboxes remain part of the standard specification for most cars, with automatic gear-changing an extra cost option on mainstream models.

Automatic transmission or semi-automatic ‘twin-clutch/DCT’ options are becoming increasingly popular, and one day in the not too distant future we’ll all be driving them – there’s no such thing as an electric car with a manual gearbox, after all.

Manual vs automatic fuel economy