Manual Versus Automatic Transmissions

Manual Versus Automatic Transmissions Key Transmission and Gears EnglewoodToday, the experts at Key Transmissions and Gears in Englewood give you a quick primer on manual versus automatic transmissions. While most cars seem to come as automatics these days, there are still manuals available. Even if you don’t know how to drive one, you may be inclined to learn how so that you can enjoy some of the fun that comes with it. Then again, an automatics do have their own advantages, so let’s take a look at a few of the differences.

Ease of Use

As we said, when it comes to manual versus automatic transmissions, the most prominent issue is that a lot of people simply don’t know how to drive them. Manuals are more complicated to learn than automatics, and you have to be relatively coordinated to learn how to do it well.

Gas Mileage

Manuals typically win out over automatics in this department. Vehicles equipped with a manual transmission almost always get better gas mileage than vehicles equipped with an automatic. Of course, it can depend on how you drive it – speed being a major factor.

Other people driving your car

Fewer and fewer people know how to drive vehicles with manual transmissions these days so if you have one, that lowers the pool of people that can drive your car. This can either be a good thing or a bad thing. For example, if you’re injured (or had a little too much to drink at a party) the friend you would like to drive your car, may not know how to. On the flip side, your vehicle is less likely to be stolen as not all thieves know how to drive a manual.

Traffic

If you spend a lot of time in stop and go traffic, an automatic transmission will make your life so much easier. Instead of having to go through all the steps (clutch in, shift gears, clutch out) every time you crawl forward 10 feet you can simply take your foot off the brake.

Cost

Automatic transmissions are more complicated than their manual counterparts. Because of this, they tend to cost more at the outset. They require more transmission maintenance due to a more complex design. Add that to the reduced gas mileage, and you find that you can be paying quite a bit for the extra comfort that driving an automatic provides.

Fun

Because you have more control over a vehicle with a manual transmission, they are more fun to drive. In general, it can make you feel like a star in The Fast and the Furious to be picking up speed on the freeway and shifting gears. Just don’t have too much fun or you might end up with a speeding ticket.

Safety

A vehicle with an automatic transmission is a little bit safer to drive than one with a manual. The reason for this is that you can keep both hands on the wheel and more attention on the road because you don’t have to worry about the gears. However, once you become fluent in manual driving, this becomes less of a factor.

If you have questions about manual versus automatic transmissions, feel free to talk to our staff here at Key Transmission and Gears. And no matter what you drive, trust that our certified technicians know your transmission inside and out. We offer expert maintenance and repair right here at our shop in Englewood, Colorado.

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