Automatic vs Manual

[Erik]

What are the comparisons between a manual and automatic transmission? Is one more reliable than the other? When i discuss this with some people, all they end up repeating is that they have more control over the engine, OBVIOUSLY. I just want to understand the transmission a little better. Is modding a car with an automatic dangerous to the the automatic transmission since you dont have control over it? just things like this i dont understand. Thanks

[zerioustt]

it all depends on the application and what its intentions are for.


autox, roadcourse, and drifting you want a manual.

drag racing you want a auto.


if its a newer car and its a dd go for automatics theyre usually on gas these days unlike 10 years ago where manual was the way to go. like i said we need to know what your intentions are with the car to give opinions.

[Erik]

This is more of a DD but its not really the car for modding. I just bought a 1993 pontiac sunbird with 70k from JC8889. Its more of just a street car i guess. Im not looking to go crazy, just intake and probably exhaust. But this was more of just a generalization regarding street performance.

[zerioustt]

street performance id say manual.

[05 mazda6s]

Automatics have more moving parts, more heat, and more drivetrain loss

[malloyboy1]

manuals are easier and cheaper to rebuild

[zerioustt]

Originally Posted by 05 mazda6s

Automatics have more moving parts, more heat, and more drivetrain loss

like i said its not 10 years ago, most automatics get better gas mileage these days.

Originally Posted by malloyboy1

manuals are easier and cheaper to rebuild

another broad and not completely true statement.

[Vypurr]

Like stated above...Automatic = easier to drive, and often a faster 1/4 mile due to the fact that you can never miss a shift and they are quick and crisp every time. You will hold boost in a turbo car like you were WOT shifting a manual, but without the risks. If I were building a drag car, I would use a NICE automatic. I would never trust the automatic in a 93 sunbird to hold up to any real power. I would also use an automatic if my daily commute put me through the city or rough traffic every day because driving manual is that gets old!

[i like rice]

I feel less of a man with an automatic!

Every time I look in at a sportscar and see an auto, I'm a bit disappointed.

[ThePrimerSuspect]

it is generally cheaper to fix a manual trans. less moving parts, and for the most part, you get a lot more mileage out of a manual. its cheaper to replace a clutch than it is to rebuild an auto. but good luck selling a manual car thats not popular. every time i get my hands on a decent automatic daily driver i get a line of people trying to buy it off me. and im so sick of driving manual every day since i drive for a living. i guess its really more about what you prefer. and most people prefer autos.

[05 mazda6s]

Originally Posted by zerioustt

like i said its not 10 years ago, most automatics get better gas mileage these days.



another broad and not completely true statement.

No they don't manual gets better gas milage. Automatics carry extra weight and normally have a gear less (or gears in some cars) than manual.

Like stated above...Automatic = easier to drive, and often a faster 1/4 mile due to the fact that you can never miss a shift and they are quick and crisp every time. You will hold boost in a turbo car like you were WOT shifting a manual, but without the risks. If I were building a drag car, I would use a NICE automatic. I would never trust the automatic in a 93 sunbird to hold up to any real power. I would also use an automatic if my daily commute put me through the city or rough traffic every day because driving manual is that gets old!

How do you figure an automatic being faster in a 1/4 mile? That statement is so false. Automatics have more weight, the torque converter steals more power from the engine, thus less power to the wheels.

Remember manual is standard, automatic is an option these days

[99SL2_Modder]

The ONLY reason that automatics are used in high HP cars is because of how fast they would have to shift from launch and on is ridiculous.

When your car can do 7 seconds or less, and your 0-60 time is say, 1-2 seconds, that's not a whole lot of time to be shifting. The auto shifts for you, and faster than you can in most cases.

I prefer manuals to put down my power. In my car specifically, stock for stock, auto runs almost, if not more than, a full second slower than a manual of the same year and options.

[05 mazda6s]

The only auto that shifts faster is the SMG transmission in e46 M3s

[Vypurr]

Ok....SURE!

[NJGOAT]

05 mazda...you are waaayyy off base on this one.

1. Most modern automatics do in fact get roughly the same and in some cases better gas mileage than a manual in the same car. We aren't comparing 6 speed manuals to 4 speed automatics anymore, which is where the main difference came from.

2. Almost all cars have an automatic as either standard or optional equipment. Furthermore, the vast majority of cars sold these days come with automatics.

3. The fastest street/strip drag cars are generally automatics. The fastest Terminator Cobra's are auto's. The fastest LSx car's are auto's. The fastest SRT-4's are auto's, etc. The consistent launching and shifting of an automatic makes it the ideal choice for drag racing. It is especially important in turbo cars as automatics can hold boost between shifts.

4. There are MANY automatic trans' that outshift manual cars, not just the SMG. The VW/Audi's DSG, any trans in a Lambo or Ferrari, the trans in the GT-R, the new trans in the Evo X, etc. A proprely setup automatic will ALWAYS outshift a manual. That's why F1 cars have automatics.

To the OP, as was stated, it depends on what you want the car to do and your personal feeling. I drove nothing but manual cars for 7 years and just recently got an automatic. I spend a lot of time in traffic and it just made more sense. I do miss the added tactile feel that a manual gives you and you do gain a little more control over the car with a manual. I guess at the end of the day, I would say that if you wanted to play with the car and have some fun, manual is the way to go. I would only personally buy sports cars (Vette, Mustang, GTO, etc.) with a manual. However, you aren't giving up much in a newer car by picking the automatic.

[05 mazda6s]

Originally Posted by NJGOAT

05 mazda...you are waaayyy off base on this one.

1. Most modern automatics do in fact get roughly the same and in some cases better gas mileage than a manual in the same car. We aren't comparing 6 speed manuals to 4 speed automatics anymore, which is where the main difference came from.

2. Almost all cars have an automatic as either standard or optional equipment. Furthermore, the vast majority of cars sold these days come with automatics.

3. The fastest street/strip drag cars are generally automatics. The fastest Terminator Cobra's are auto's. The fastest LSx car's are auto's. The fastest SRT-4's are auto's, etc. The consistent launching and shifting of an automatic makes it the ideal choice for drag racing. It is especially important in turbo cars as automatics can hold boost between shifts.

4. There are MANY automatic trans' that outshift manual cars, not just the SMG. The VW/Audi's DSG, any trans in a Lambo or Ferrari, the trans in the GT-R, the new trans in the Evo X, etc. A proprely setup automatic will ALWAYS outshift a manual. That's why F1 cars have automatics.

To the OP, as was stated, it depends on what you want the car to do and your personal feeling. I drove nothing but manual cars for 7 years and just recently got an automatic. I spend a lot of time in traffic and it just made more sense. I do miss the added tactile feel that a manual gives you and you do gain a little more control over the car with a manual. I guess at the end of the day, I would say that if you wanted to play with the car and have some fun, manual is the way to go. I would only personally buy sports cars (Vette, Mustang, GTO, etc.) with a manual. However, you aren't giving up much in a newer car by picking the automatic.

They get roughly the same if not a little worse. Some higher performance cars only come in manual transmissions if not the automatic is advanced. Ok too bad cobras don't come in automatics.

Keyword "properly setup" not all automatics are. The proper setup automatics are going to be designed better

[LilSubiedrvr]

Originally Posted by Vypurr

Like stated above...Automatic = easier to drive, and often a faster 1/4 mile due to the fact that you can never miss a shift and they are quick and crisp every time. You will hold boost in a turbo car like you were WOT shifting a manual, but without the risks. If I were building a drag car, I would use a NICE automatic. I would never trust the automatic in a 93 sunbird to hold up to any real power. I would also use an automatic if my daily commute put me through the city or rough traffic every day because driving manual is that gets old!

The rough daily commute is exactly why I have an automatic. Stop and go traffic would suck even more without it. Though I will totally admit that after hearing so often how it is "disapointing" that I have an automatic, I might just get a manual next time (traffic and all) so I don't have to hear it. hahhaa

[Erik]

Originally Posted by Vypurr

Like stated above...Automatic = easier to drive, and often a faster 1/4 mile due to the fact that you can never miss a shift and they are quick and crisp every time. You will hold boost in a turbo car like you were WOT shifting a manual, but without the risks. If I were building a drag car, I would use a NICE automatic. I would never trust the automatic in a 93 sunbird to hold up to any real power. I would also use an automatic if my daily commute put me through the city or rough traffic every day because driving manual is that gets old!

hah im not planning on dragracing. My main thing was if i where to ever mod the engine for performance, would it hurt the tranny being that it is an auto? Im not planning on making the fastest street car, im mainly asking for just general understanding. I have no plans at the moment to do anything, im just a curious guy.

[NJGOAT]

Originally Posted by 05 mazda6s

Ok too bad cobras don't come in automatics.

The fact that Cobra's don't come from the factory with automatics, shows the performance edge of automatics even more. Like I said, the fastest Cobra's are all auto's.

[Sled]

Originally Posted by 05 mazda6s

They get roughly the same if not a little worse. Some higher performance cars only come in manual transmissions if not the automatic is advanced. Ok too bad cobras don't come in automatics.

Keyword "properly setup" not all automatics are. The proper setup automatics are going to be designed better

you have no idea what your talking about. any car that has serious hp will have an automatic whether it be a manual valve body or not. another reason they're auto is to hold a constant load on the engine in between shifts. thats not just for turbo cars, all high hp car need to have that load on them in between shifts.
a well built auto trans will out last a manual trans also. the manual trans have flaws were as an automatic does not.