Automatic and Manual Transmission: What’s Best For You?

Automatic and Manual Transmission: What’s Best For You?

One of the biggest changes in the automotive world has been the choice of either an automatic or manual transmission.

These two transmissions do things very differently, and the choice of which one to have in your car has a lot to do with where you drive and how you want to drive. If you’re going to spend a lot of time at the track, on a highway, or you simply want to enjoy shifting your own gears, you’ll want a manual. On the other hand, if you’re ready to sit back and relax during your drive, an automatic is a way to go.

The Old Thought is Gone

When automatic transmissions were first developed, they didn’t have many gears and weren’t as efficient as manual models. Drivers looking to have a car that would be more fuel-efficient during a drive would choose to shift their own gears and squeeze out that extra gas mileage. That time has passed us by.

Today, the opposite is true. If you have a vehicle that offers a choice between these two transmissions, the automatic is almost always more efficient, and it offers you more gear than the manual.

Even Sports Cars have Gone Manual

For many decades it was expected that high-performance sports cars continue to use manual transmission layouts instead of automatic versions. Drivers were just better and faster at shifting than the car could be. This was the prevailing thought of a time when there weren’t computer systems being used to do the shifting. Now that we have computers that can handle the shifting of the gears, these sports cars are often equipped with automatic transmissions that have been proven to shift much faster than any drive can.

Which Transmission is Right for You?

Before you decide which car to buy and with the transmission you want, you’ll want to determine how and where you’re going to drive your car. If you travel up and down hills, on city streets, or in heavy traffic every day, an automatic transmission is the right choice. You won’t have to constantly shift and work your transmission, which will save wear and tear on your vehicle and on you.

If you are either going to use your car for the occasional drive in the country, for a long road trip, or you just want to experience the feeling of shifting your gears, a manual transmission is the right choice.

The Dilemma You’ll Face

In the modern marketplace, there aren’t very many vehicles that are offered with a manual transmission. Most vehicles give you an automatic, and some offer an optional manual if you want it, but very few even offer this option. In fact, manual transmissions have become so rare that this driving skill isn’t taught in most Driver’s Education classes any longer. Many of the young drivers we see on the road never have to learn to drive a stick-shift car, much the same as they never have to learn to write in cursive.

What Can You Buy with a Manual?

With a small number of vehicles in the market that offer a manual transmission instead of or along with an automatic, you should know what you can choose that could have this transmission setup for you.

BMW Has Several Options

The BMW M-Division gives you a few different models that can be had with a manual transmission. You could drive the M2, M3, or M4 and have a dynamic, athletic, and fun car to drive. This brand decided that you need to have the option of the fun and active feeling of shifting your gears.

Chevrolet Camaro

The Camaro has been one of the most hardcore muscle cars of the modern era, but it also brings about the performance tuning desired for riding around on a track. This car can be had with a glorious six-speed manual transmission in every version of the car.

Dodge Challenger

The only car in the FCA family that brings you a manual transmission as an option to the automatic is the Challenger. This muscle car can be extremely fun and active when you reach for one of the versions that have the Hellcat engine under the hood.

Ford Mustang

The surprising part here is that the Shelby GT500 model does not come with a manual transmission, but the rest of the Mustang lineup does. You can have the venerable 5.0-liter V8 engine and a potent six-speed manual gearbox to enjoy an amazing drive.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

A manual transmission has been a standard for this RWD car for a long time. You can enjoy a glorious six-speed manual when you drive this car. There is an automatic option, but you might not want to run the car that is the most fun to drive in the market by taking away part of the experience.

Nissan 370Z

Even though the 370Z is no longer made, we expect the new Z-car to carry on with the tradition of offering a manual transmission for the drive. The coupe version of the 370Z was offered with a six-speed manual at every level, including the performance-oriented Nismo trim.

Subaru BRZ

A new version of the attractive and impressive performance car from Subaru makes its way to the 2022 lineup, and it brings a pair of transmissions for you. Choose either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission version and enjoy the amazing drive this car brings to your life.

Toyota 86

If you want the fun of shifting gear in your Toyota, you’ll want to see what the 86 has to offer. The latest version is called the GR86, named for the racing division of Toyota, and it gives you the performance drive you’re looking for. Get in and let this car take you for a wonderful drive.

More for Your Fun

There are more models than mentioned with the choice of a manual transmission versus an automatic, but you get the idea. If you think a manual is right for you, the list of vehicles is relatively small, but they are certainly made to be fun for you to drive.

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.

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