Automatic vs manual transmissions in cars

transmissions in cars, the manual and automatic.
Any car enthusiast knows the ultimate difference between transmission, based on a number of factors.
But for those who are simply content on driving around without giving so much thought about their car’s components this article will be useful to you.
There are various technical definitions between manual and automatic transmissions that you can hardly understand their generic functions.
Simply put, manual transmissions mean you have full control of your gears while with automatic you can limit your choices between two pedals.
These alone already provide their basic distinction. Manual transmissions work well if you like to be the ultimate master of your vehicle.
It gives you more freedom when it comes to manoeuvring your car on steep hills or curves.
It will also allow you to combat tough weather conditions more comfortably than when you have automatic transmission.
The automatic transmission on the other hand does most of the work for you because when you start up the car and you engage in drive you just accelerate and the shifting of gears is done automatically by the car. The same happens when you want to stop, you just step on the brakes and the car shifts into low gears.
This ensures that your take-off is faster than those of a manual car because the driver in a manual car will need to shift several gears to get his/her car to gain speed.
For speed junkies who enjoy a quick take-off, automatics are the vehicles for you.
However, while automatic transmissions provide ease of use, they do use a bit more fuel than manual cars as the engine does most of the work when you just accelerate and brake. You can save at least 10 percent in fuel economy if you go for manual than automatic transmission.
Besides, automatic transmissions are known to be ultimately expensive. When it comes to repair and maintenance costs, manual transmissions appear to be more superior.
They do not need too much refining, so you can definitely save money on your maintenance and repair budget. In fact, there are a number of car manufacturers who believe that manual transmissions do not need too much in the way of fluid changes.
On the other hand, if ever manual transmissions go haywire, they don’t cost a lot to get fixed.
One thing to watch out for in terms of automatic transmission is the clutch because it’s quite expensive and labour intensive to repair when damaged.
To make matters worse, if your battery goes flat in an automatic transmission you have to use booster cables as you cannot push-start it. If this doesn’t work, your last recourse will be the towing company. So next time you go shopping for a car and have to decide on an automatic and manual, make sure you test drive both models.
This is to ensure that it suits your taste and your current need. You may also have to check on the EPA rating of your vehicle for both manual and automatic transmission especially when looking at luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW and Land Rovers.
Keep in mind that this is not completely accurate, but at least it can provide you with a good idea on how much fuel your car can use.
In the end, when it comes to choosing between the two you should not limit your decision based on pros and cons of each. Rather, think of your car and what you truly need. For example, if you’re going to get an Audi for maximum performance, you may want to consider getting a manual transmission so you can have control over its power.
If you like to minimise your movements while you are driving, especially in the midst of traffic, automatic transmission is your best choice.
Personally I like manual cars because that way I get to fully enjoy the car’s performance.
In my view the automatic takes the fun out of driving and makes it less exciting especially for the short-term test-drives I get to do with our local dealerships.
Another big frustration would be to get a flat bed tow truck to tow the automatic vehicle when it dies on you, which costs more money than the average tow truck.
My friends Tina and Emmah just love these automatics, I guess they just love the good things in life with less hustle since you can easily breeze through traffic. In the end the choice is yours.
However, for those who love both transmissions there is some good news that there has been a new transmission method that has been introduced by automobile manufacturers.
It is referred to as the manumatic transmission. It is an automatic transmission that possesses certain manual-transmission features.
A good example are the luxury Chrysler cars. It is definitely automatic, only that you have more control in shifting your gears.
Keep pumping it!
l Fact D. Jeke is a motoring enthusiast who has attended auto shows, rallies and has written for various publications in the region for the last decade. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]