For generations, we had it drilled into our heads that we should be driving cars that have a manual transmission. There is a certain stigma attached to cars with automatic transmissions. Some folks think automatics are for people that are lazy, can’t drive well, are elderly or wealthy.
In some countries, such as the United States, there are more automatic cars than manuals. You might be wondering why there is such a big deal about automatics here in the UK. It’s no secret that most cars in Britain have manual transmissions.
But it seems that the tide of change has arrived. More people see the benefits of driving cars with automatic transmissions.
Have you thought about driving an automatic car? If so, you might want to find out more about the pros and cons of doing so before you buy one so that you can make an informed decision.
Pro: automatic cars can use less fuel
When you drive a manual car, it can sometimes be difficult to judge when to change up a gear. For instance, if you are driving up a hill, you might stay in a lower gear. The problem here is that you are making your car’s engine work harder.
As a result, your car will use more fuel. Because an automatic transmission calculates when it should change gear, you will use less fuel in those cases.
Con: automatic cars cost more than manuals
One major disadvantage of automatic cars is that they cost more to buy than their manual brothers. You have to decide whether to justify the extra cost.
Some used car brands, such as BMW, have more automatics than manuals on the market. But if you’re not buying a luxury or executive car, the reverse is true.
Pro: automatic cars are easier to drive
With automatic transmissions, you don’t have to worry about clutch biting points. Nor do you have to worry about changing up and down gears. You just put the lever into “Drive” and set off on your journey!
And because there is no clutch pedal, you only have to control two pedals – the brake pedal, and the accelerator. The gearbox works out what gear it should be in according to your speed.
Con: some automatic transmissions are terrible
There are many different variations of automatic transmissions fitted to cars. The “traditional” one uses a torque converter and only has three or so forward gears. These workhorses have been in use for decades but don’t offer smooth gear changes.
Newer versions have six or seven forward gears. With automatic transmissions, the more forward gears they have, the smoother the gear change.
DSG (direct-shift gearbox) units are better. They are semi-automatic in the sense that they have a dual-clutch system. But from a driver’s point of view, they are automatic because there is no clutch pedal.
Such transmissions allow you to change up and down gears as if you were driving a manual, but without the need to use a clutch pedal.
The worst automatic transmissions are CVTs (continuously variable transmissions). They have belts instead of gears inside of the transmission casing and are inefficient. Cars fitted with CVT transmissions use a lot of fuel because they have to keep the engine running at high speeds.
What are your thoughts on automatics? Do post up a comment and join in the debate!
