Car Wars: Manual vs. Automatic Gearboxes

It's always amazed me how different things are with cars depending on what country you're in. In the UK, for instance, we drive on the left hand side (a little throwback from when people drove horses and carts).

Over in the USA they drive on the right hand side, call gearboxes "trannies" and love their automatic cars- but here in the UK it's seen as a bit quirky to have an automatic.

This attitude might now be changing as car manufacturers seem increasingly keen to stop people actually driving cars (assisted parking, anyone?) and recently people in the market for new, especially luxury brand cars, have wanted automatics.       

We can all agree that gearboxes are an amazing invention. Without them we'd struggle to climb hills, drive at low speeds and reverse- but which, manual or automatic, is best?

This might not seem like a massive decision, after all, whatever you choose at the end of the day you'll still be driving a car. Let's take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each gearbox and see which one comes out on top. 

Automatic Gearboxes

An automatic gearbox changes gear "automatically" for you when you're driving. There's only two pedals: brake and throttle. You can select a gear by hand using a lever, for instance when you want to reverse- but there's no clutch pedal as the clutch is replaced by something called a "torque converter" which is fitted between the engine and the gearbox. 

STRENGTHS

EASIER TO DRIVE

This is often touted as the main benefit of driving an automatic as with only two pedals- brake and accelerate- you don't have the "hassle" of changing gear by hand all the time- an automatic gearbox will decide what gear you need to be in for you.  

SAFER

If you've got ​two hands on the wheel at all times you're always going to be in control of the vehicle, at least that's the logic, so it's not only easier but also safer to drive an automatic car.

WEAKNESSES

FUEL ECONOMY

Because changing gear affects how much fuel you use, it's pretty well established that manuals have better fuel economy than automatics. 

How much better? This varies from car to car. Make and size of vehicle plays a big role in your fuel economy and technology has come along in recent years to (some argue) make the difference negligible.

COSTLY

Technically everything on an automatic car will be a similar price to maintain as a manual car because the engine/ brakes ect. are the same- but we've found this isn't always the case and some bizarre parts of an auto are different (and harder to replace!) than on a manual. Also if anything goes wrong with the gearbox it will definitely need to be sent away to a specialist.

That being said this is the case with any car that has gearbox issues as few modern garages specialise in gearboxes. 

Other areas of extra expensive will be the upfront cost of the car (if you're buying newish) which is roughly 5-10% more than for a manual version of the same car and the cost of insurance which is usually higher too.

RESTRICTIVE

If you learn to drive and pass your test in an automatic you're not legally allowed to drive a manual. 

HARDER TO SELL

I know I said autos are getting more popular but at the moment they're still harder to sell privately than manuals and you can expect to get less money for one too.

Manual Gearboxes

With a manual gearbox the power is in your hands- the driver has full control of the car via. a gearstick and clutch. 

STRENGTHS

FUN TO DRIVE

If you enjoy the whole process of driving a car then a manual is for you.

EASY TO FIX

Manuals are less specialist so parts are generally cheaper and more readily available. A lot of garages don't really like dealing with autos, especially older automatic cars, so a manual will benefit you there. 

FUEL ECONOMY 

You change gear so you control the fuel economy- who hasn't driven in 4th gear in a 30 zone to try and save a few pennies? 

WEAKNESSES

MORE EFFORT

The whole gearstick thing can be a bit complicated and changing gear all the time can tire out your arm, I guess?

HARDER TO LEARN

Figuring out the clutch is one of the hardest parts of learning to drive, which you won't need to worry about driving an auto.

And the Winner Is...?

A draw?! Bit of a rubbish conclusion, but it really depends on what you want from a car.

Autos are usually more expensive to buy and insure than manuals in the first place, so you have to ask yourself if the benefits of driving a slightly safer car outweigh the costs of lower fuel economy and more upfront expense. For me it's still manuals all the way 'cos I like to be in control of my car.

A modern, auto BMW might be awesome... but I'm not likely to be finding out any time soon! 

Got an opinion? Tell us in the comments