|
|
|
 | Illustrated: Auto Transmission Lever |
Manual Vs Automatic Transmission: What is the difference between automatic and manual transmissions?
In a vehicle with manual transmission, the driver must manually shift from gear to gear. Each shift in gears signals a change in the ratio of wheel revolutions to turns of the engine. By changing gears, the driver keeps the engine at its optimal performance level in the varying conditions. The clutch pedal in a manual transmission disengages the gears in the transmission which allows the engine to continually spin even when the wheels don't, allowing the driver to shift gears without damaging the engine.
An automatic transmission vehicle contains neither a "gear box" as such, nor a clutch pedal. A planetary gearset automatically changes the gear ratios between the wheels and the engine to meet the optimal level of performance. Instead of a clutch, an automatic transmission contains a torque converter. When the engine speeds up, it feeds transmission fluid to the converter, which distributes more torque to the wheels.
|  | Illustrated: Manual Transmission Lever |
Which type of transmission is "better"?
While many will argue this point, bottom line is, the type of transmission is best for you depends on what you expect from a vehicle, and the "normal" driving conditions you may encounter when driving that specific vehicle. For instance, if your driving route normally consists of high density traffic, and poor traffic flow, an automatic transmission may be more beneficial to you, since the manual transmission require the driver to shift gears using the clutch / gear stick, you may feel that it's quite a nuisance to continually change gears in a manual. An automatic transmission will do all the tedious work for you.
A different scenario on the quite opposite side of the example would be, if your daily route consists low density traffic, good traffic flow, you enjoy the adrenalin of fast acceleration, and are a fuel economy conscious person, a manual may be more suitable for your needs. Manual gearboxes are usually more reliable (given they are used correctly) and require less maintenance. Having a manual transmission requires the driver to change the gears (as the name suggests) manually. This can get a little tedious to some people, especially in peak traffic and or instances where lots of gear changes are required. |  | Illustrated: BMW SMG II Transmission Lever |
Which is cheaper?
If you've ever been out car shopping, you've surely noticed that the sticker price on a manual is often significantly lower than that on an automatic. But on a trade-in, the automatic transmission typically will earn back the original price difference. Also, it has long been believed that a manual transmission is more fuel efficient than an automatic, by anywhere between three to eight miles per gallon depending on city or highway driving, however with the emergence of computer chips, automatic transmissions have better timing and won't consume as much gas as older models did. | Which causes more wear and tear to my car?
The wear and tear pending on the transmission type may vary, again pending on the driving style you may have. If the car is equipped with an automatic transmission and you don't use the gear selector to slow down, the car will have the tendency to wear the break pads quicker than a manual car. Reason for this is that the driver is not using the engine compression to slow the car down therefore more brake usage is required, in a manual car “downshifting” can be used to slow the car down, Thus less wear on the brakes. Another factor to consider is that automatic transmissions is that they generally weigh more than a manual transmission, the more weight the more braking required.
A manual transmission wears down the clutch, which will need replacing at intervals pending on your vehicle as well as driving habit, weight of the vehicle and weather or not engine compression “downshifting” is frequently used to slow the car down, obviously the more the clutch is used the shorter it's life span will be. A good practice is to use the brakes when slowing down rather than downshifting, or a combination of both rather than just engine compression on it's own. On the other hand brake pads are cheaper, but need replacing more often in automatic transmissions, since the vehicle will have the tendency to be more demanding on the brakes.
Which is safer?
Manual cars to require to have both hands “occupied” specially in start / stop conditions, therefore it somewhat makes the driver concentrate on the road more. The argument goes that a person driving a manual is really in tune with the car and is paying more attention to the road. But just because you're not shifting the gears yourself doesn't mean you're an inattentive driver. The same common sense should be applied by any driver: use a headset for your cell phone, or try avoiding using a phone altogether, change CDs before you get on the road, try to leave enough time to stop for a meal rather than eating while driving, and keep your focus on the road.
Note: Another issue that needs to be addressed for the people considering weather to purchase an automatic or a manual is that “takeoff's” or initial movement in a manual car can be tricky especially when on an inclination. When taking off (getting a car from a stopped state to a moving state) a car will have the tendency to roll backwards due to the weight of the vehicle, and the driver may panic. It's a good idea to practice in these conditions on a quiet street / hill before attempting to drive in situations where a lot of traffic is around you. Keep in mind some people are not manual car conscientious and may not leave enough room behind your car for any backward movement.
Which is more fun?
Most drivers concede that there is a certain thrill to driving a manual transmission vehicle. It gives you more control and, often, more power. Manual cars are predictive in the aspect that the driver knows when the power is going to the wheels by the use of the clutch and the accelerator. Using an automatic gearbox driven car this can be sometimes vague, since the gear shifting is automatic as the name suggests, automatic transmissions will have a delay over manual cars when “performance driving”, this is due to the transmission not knowing weather the driver wants to “performance drive” or simply accelerate normally. However this problem has been overcome, some of the high end cars offer "clutchless" shifting, a transmission type which lets the driver select the gears like they would in a manual however there is no clutch pedal, this gives the driver more control over the car making them feel like you're driving a manual. Some of the automotive companies currently (at the time of writing) offering clutches transmissions are Ford, GM, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Saab, BMW, Mercedes, Audi. These transmissions are becoming more popular as they give the driver the option weather to drive the car in “automatic” or “manual” mode so the driver has the best of both worlds. | | :: Recommended Reading / Videos :: | | | |
| :: Recommended material containing aditional info about Manual Vs Automatic Transmission :: |
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
:: Copyright 2003 - 2012 CarEcstasy.com / All rights reserved :: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
