Manual vs automatic cars, which are better?
9 October, 2023
A dying breed
While there are advantages and disadvantages to both gearbox options, every year less and less new cars are available with manual gearboxes and these days they are only found in affordable cars or cars aimed at hardcore driving enthusiasts and then normally via special order. The economies of scale and growing number of benefits of the automatic gearbox will most probably see the manual gearbox disappear completely in the next few years.
Automatics are cheaper to maintain
Cars with automatic gearboxes are cheaper to maintain. With no clutch or gearbox that can wear out, maintenance costs will be less. Automatic gearboxes require very little maintenance apart from oil changes at long intervals such as 60 000km and will very often go untouched for the life of the vehicle.
Automatic gearboxes lessen the workload of the driver
An automatic gearbox means one less thing for the driver to worry about and this lessening of the workload means less fatigue and more comfortable, safer driving whether out on the open road or battling city traffic. With less input needed from the driver automatic cars are somewhat easier to drive and make driving considerably less intimidating for new drivers.
The best of both worlds
Many automatic gearboxes offer drivers the best of both worlds. They take care of the mundane task of pulling away and changing gears, but the driver still has the option of retaining some control if they would like via a manual shift option with the gear lever or paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
Automatics facilitate new energy options
The layout of new energy vehicles such as hybrids that pair an electric motor with an internal combustion engine or fully electric vehicles necessitates an automatic gearbox, normally the CVT type, to allow all the necessary components that make up the drivetrain to work together in harmony.
The rise of the automatic gearbox
While automatic gearboxes far outsell manual gearboxes these days, which is really the better option? Manual cars require the driver to operate the clutch to pull away and the clutch and gear shifter to change gears. In cars equipped with automatic gearboxes, this is all done for you and
the driver only needs to brake and accelerate.
While the automatic gearbox is certainly gaining in popularity, many manufactures still offer models fitted with both manual and automatic gearboxes. Both variations have their benefits and advantages as well as their following of motorists who prefer that platform.
Historically automatic gearboxes were not very efficient as they sapped engines of power and their efficiency led to cars being fitted with this option to being heavier on fuel. The last two decades have seen massive research and development invested in the automatic gearbox, which has resulted in several
new iterations including the CVT and the dual-clutch automatic gearbox being implemented with great success. The result is that in most cases automatic gearboxes are now the better option.
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