Many people think that manual is better than an automatic.but contrary to popular belief it is indeed not. if you can find a torque converter fitted to the enignes powerband it'll be more effective than having a manual transmission. not to mention auto's are more reliable and consistent in drag racing. i personally am getting the automatic cause i plan to throw a converter in it, along with my 75 shot i will prolly run somewhere around a 13.8, i plan to do so in a sedan as well. well what yall think, i know theres gonna be people who say it cant be done...

 

One isnt better than the other, its all about driver preference and who can drive good. Its nice to see someone take a stand and get an auto when so many people get ragged on for it by uneducated people. good luck with the mods !

 

i have nothing against autos, my cavelier was an auto. although personally i prefer a stick cause thats what i learned to drive on and i find it to be the most fun.

 

nothing against autos, but they are boring. The one real advantage I see that Manual has over auto is you can change the gears on demand

 

Yeah I have the 4 speed auto in my 02' cavy and if you use it right it hauls... on the other hand driving a stick is just much more fun...

 

Sorry but I completely disagree. It all comes down to the basic design, and autos were never designed for performance. Look in any car mag, and whenever they test two versions of a car, the manual is (99% of the time) faster. You can't argue with physics, manual transmissions are just better suited to performance by design.

If you understand how an automatic trans actually works, the design issues become apparent. First off, autos use a Torque Converter instead of a clutch - problem number one. Torque converters are generally very heavy (compared to clutches, which are light) and they are not in the least bit efficient. Since TC's are constantly in a state of slippage, they never put 100% of the power to the ground. And anybody knows that Slippage = Wasted Energy . But of course people always mention the "torque multiplying" capabilities - somewhat of a myth. The only reason TC's can "multiply torque" is because they allow the engine to spin faster than the output side of the Torque converter. The same thing can be accomplished by slipping the clutch in an manual at a high RPM, but I wouldn't try it

As for shifting - another so-so design. Automatic transmissions shift by applying hydralic pressure planetary gearsets, which engage and disengage different ratios. Unfortunately this results in extreme heat buildup under hard operating conditions, and its also the reason that many automatics begin to slip after 100K miles.

So what is comes down to is that autos are good for "consistantcy" - and thats about it - besides that they are pretty much useless from a performance aspect.

Of course in the not so-distant future chances are the conventional TC automatic will no longer exist. It will be replaced by the Sequential Manual, which is by far a much better design, from both an efficiency and performance standpoint

 

^ ^ ^ the toyota MR-s has a sequential manual.

As well in most cars the manual has more gears allowing the engine to stay in its powerband.

I prefer a manual, just because you feel more in control of the car, like you are actually driving it instead of a more passive driving experience in an auto.

 

To wesman, i agree stock for stock manuals will win. but once you get into the big power numbers, manuals will slow you down. autos can shift faster or almost just as fast as a human, not to mention you lose time shifting gears if your not a good driver. If your making power its a proven fact autos will put the power to the ground better. Good example is all the pro stock cars and all that run autos, and dragsters use the powerglide which is a 2spd auto. its obvious autos have there place in racing, but i guess most people will never get into that kinda power to use the auto but oh well. its what im getting and im gonna have fun

 

I like manual myself. It's totally a preference issue in my opinion. My fiance thinks I am stupid for shift when I can get an option to do it for me

 

if its the same tranny and gears, auto might be faster in the 1/4 mile
but since manual trannies get diff gears and such, they are faster for acceleration
take 2 cars and race em side by side, manual always beats it off the line with a GOOD DRIVER
auto is used for all out speed cars cuz its more consistant
i prefer manual cuz i can switch up gears and shift to my preference

 

Straight line out all speed the manual will be faster, simply physics as it puts more power down via direct connection. Auto is mroe consistant and better for drag racing, but manual is the only option for driving with turns.


Take the GTO, same rear gears for the auto/manual, 6 speed vs. 4. Run almost identicle times, but the downfall of the auto is it gets worse gas milliage.

 

Interesting enough, the new 2005 Mustang GT both the auto and manual run like 5.1 seconds to 60mph. Motor Trend was saying that they really took the time to make the auto just as good as the manual. I do agree though that automatic is usually slower in cars 99% of the time.

 

That is because factory automatics are designed to shift smoothly.
Since manuals require manual intervention, you can shift them in
any way you want. Throw a shift kit into an automatic and they're
the best bet for straight line drag racing. The only reason I would
want a manual would be for autocrossing or a vehicle with a really
high powerband. I definately would not want one for daily driving.

 

Auto transmissions are for girls....J/K but IMO manual is much more fun plus it saves brake wear and it gives you much more control over the speed of the car. This is all true unless you have a bad driverat the wheel.

 

I live in Houston, which routinely makes the Top 5 most congested US cities list, and I drive a manual.

My biggest problem with auto's is that when I'm ready to pass, I'm already in the gear, high in the powerband, and ready to go when my chance comes. With an auto, there's that terrible 1-3 second delay where the damn thing has to kick down 2-3 gears, usually including disengaging to torque converter.

My next car will be a manual too.

 

Hmm I've driven autos all my driving life and have never had a problem with passing. Although I have heard Manuals are better on brake life, gas consumption, when of course you have a driver who knows how to drive it.

 

Have you guys priced a clutch replacement vs brake pad replacement?
Why would anyone want to use a clutch to replace their cheap brakes?
And if 1-2 seconds hurts your passing ability, you probably should take
driver's education again and learn how to drive responsibly.

An automatic with a good shift kit rules all. End of story.

 

Auto has usually only 4 gears where a manual has 5 or 6. So you can spend more time in the powerband of the engine. I know auto transmissions are catching up in that respect (more than 4 gears), which is good. So problem solved in that respect.

As for the engine breaking, being able to use the engine to brake isn't a bad thing. It's a good thing.

In my S10 I got about 55k out of a set of pads on my manual S10 and about 25k out of the pads on my auto S10. Thats like twice the life. If your burning up the clutch on your car engine breaking then your not doing something right. You won't believe all the times I can slow down using the engine where with an auto I would have to use the brakes. It just cuts down on braking overall.

I think a major problem with auto is the shift points and firmness, which can be fixed with a shift kit as someone mentioned, but it can also be fixed with a manual transmission.

For me having a manual gear box is all about controlling the car and the driving experience. It's not a price, performance choice for me it's a control thing. Even the autosticks still don't let you have full control of the car.

 

automatics are a big waste of time. manaul is soooooo much better.

 

^^^WHy do you laugh.... when was the last time you drive in my car... never... thast right SHUT IT

 

Exactly what I was going to post..

I didn't mean it like that. It's just annoying to have to floor the car (slight exaggeration) to get it downshift. And I mean in traffic going one way, not two-way.

 

Here is an interesting way to look at it.

I have driven manual since I was 16.......that's 19 years. I am a good driver and I know when to shift....I don't even look at the tac's I just know when to shift by the sound of the engine. It's interesting to note that an experienced driver realizes that the car becomes an extention of your own body. Not only on the inside but on the outside as well. That is to say you know where the bumpers are in relation to other obsticles. That being said, a driver of a manual car is, in my opinion, more aware of his/her surroundings as well as being in total control of the vehicle. I wonder what stats there are on accidents with manual vs. auto in relation to driver experience!!!!!

 

As Zinner said, you are exaggerating the "brakes vs. clutch" thing. Anyone who knows how to properly drive manual knows how to gear down properly and match revs if needed. My family had a 1990 Honda Accord 5-speed, and both my parents downshifted whenever they were coming to stop. We sold the car with 194,000 miles on it, and the clutch was still good. So much for that theory

Totally not true at all. You need to understand that the origin of the automatic was not performance, it was built for conveinance. Therefore, the internals were never designed with performance in mind, and the basic design has not changed significantly over the years. Autos have one performance aspect, and one only: consistancy. But where is the skill in that? Anyone can get in a car, stick in in "D", and mash the gas to the floor. No skill involved whatsoever, no connection between driver and vehicle.

If autos are so much better, than why do real car enthusiasts prefer manual? Why do manufacturers such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche only offer manual transmissions on their best models? Its no coincidence - the fact is that manual is the best choice for performance, control, fuel economy, maintenance, cost efficiency, and most of all - fun

 

If manuals are so much better, why arent they on funny cars, dragsters, pro stock etc. ? Cause they lose time shifting thorugh all the gears. And autos dont misshift like some people do. I agree manuals are more sporty and fun to drive but when u have lots of power, auto will put it down to the ground better than a manual will, end of story hence the high hp cars mentioned above.

 

hahaa, just remember, ignorance is bliss