When choosing a new car, the vast majority of buyers are looking for options with automatic transmission. However, the manual transmission does not lose popularity and still successfully occupies its niche on the car market. Yes, in the case of “manual” need to be prepared for discomfort in traffic jams and driving in large cities, where you often have to switch from neutral to first gear and vice versa, but there are a lot of positive points, because of which drivers continue to choose this type of transmission.
Maximum control over the car
Driving a vehicle with a manual transmission is more difficult than a car with an automatic transmission. On the one hand this is more of a disadvantage than a plus, but with a manual transmission the driver has much more control over the driving process. The man and the car become a team and work together, not as in the “automatic”, where you only need to move forward or backward, without resorting to additional manipulation.
The self-switching from one speed to another allows you to get maximum performance or vice versa – to reduce fuel consumption through restrained driving style. Depending on the conditions of the vehicle, you can change speeds earlier or later, drive in one gear only, etc. The whole process is in your hands.
In addition, cars with manual transmission have significantly lower fuel consumption, which is due to the simplified design of the working elements and components, reducing mechanical losses and increasing efficiency. Also, the car has better dynamics with identical characteristics of the power unit, which is also due to the specifics of the internal device.
“Mechanics” as an effective reaction trainer
In order to shift gears in a car with a manual transmission in a timely and correct manner, you need to get a number of skills and gain practical experience. You will also need to develop the reaction to respond faster to events and in time to calculate the situations, for example, where it is necessary to move uphill or in traffic or to reduce speed in front of the flow of other cars that are suspended.
Naturally, drivers of cars with automatic transmission also need good reaction, but if your hands are only on the steering wheel, it leads to loss of vigilance due to the concentration of the brain on only one thing. The motorist looks at one point, and the question of reaction to any changes on the road automatically recedes into the background.
Saving of money
The unconditional advantage of cars with a manual transmission is the lower cost in the secondary market. Against the background of global crisis the price for the car is probably one of their key criteria of choice, and by availability the manual transmission wins, and sometimes with big breakaway.
Manual gearboxes are more enduring
In terms of reliability and endurance, the manual transmission has always been superior to the automatic transmission. And modern modifications of manual transmissions look almost perfect, and their operating life reaches several hundred thousand kilometers. However, in order not to exhaust the previously established terms, it is important to follow all the rules of operation and take into account the expert recommendations, which will allow prolonging the life of the “mechanics”.
Thus, it is important for the driver to switch speeds smoothly, avoid jamming the clutch pedal during stops, etc. Simple actions will allow the car to overcome a huge number of kilometers without failures and failures of the transmission.
More Affordable Repair and Maintenance
As mentioned above, manual transmissions have a tremendous lifespan and go hundreds of thousands of miles even in the absence of routine maintenance. And due to the simpler design, “mechanics” are much easier to repair than automatic transmissions (especially if we talk about variable or robotized transmissions).
Yes, in the transmission there are some parts that belong to the group of expendables, but with careful attitude and careful driving style the need to replace them will appear only after a couple of years. In an automatic transmission, due to the complexity of the structure, the risk of failure is higher, and if it happens, the owner will have to spend a lot to pay for the services of an auto repair shop.
“Mechanics as an anti-theft feature
In Europe and the U.S., where many drivers are completely unaware of how to drive a vehicle with a manual transmission, such cars look outlandish.
On the background of these features “mechanics” works as a means of theft, in fact, having looked into the cabin, a potential attacker simply can not figure out how to leave on such a “find”, and will try to find a more affordable option. And the cost of a car with a manual transmission is much lower, as we mentioned in the previous paragraphs.
“Mechanics as an investment
There is another point that determines the demand for manual transmissions as an integral part of the automotive market.
Against the backdrop of the global industry’s global shift to automatic transmissions, the number of cars with manual transmissions is rapidly decreasing. And if we talk about electric models and hybrids, they are equipped by default with an automatic transmission. Therefore when buying a car with a “manual” there is a chance to resell it more expensive, because after a while it will be considered as a rarity.
The main thing is to provide proper storage conditions on a closed parking lot or in a garage, as well as to monitor the condition of the vehicle and service it in time.
Food can be used as an analogy. A convenience box is fast food. Yes, fast food is quite tasty, and it’s much easier to prepare than a homemade treat. But in the case of the latter, the result surpasses all the effort and time spent.
This principle will work after a few years, when customers will start to regard cars with manual transmission as a real value, allowing them to try out the whole “taste” of driving.
More pluses of cars with manual transmissions
There are also additional points with which you can characterize the manual transmission:
Faster acceleration. Cars with a manual transmission always accelerate faster than samples with automatic transmissions. Naturally, representatives of the premium class with an automatic transmission are devoid of such a problem, but if we talk about the budget segment, there the difference is tangible;
Predictable overtaking. Driving a car with a manual transmission, the driver can fully predict how the car will behave when overtaking. In the case of the “automatic”, even when switching to manual mode, there may be a delay. And while overtaking every second is important to have time to change lane before approaching the oncoming car.
Simple engine start. If the car for some reason does not start – for example, the battery was discharged or the starter broke down, then you can solve the problem with an ordinary “pusher”. If the starter is broken on a car with an automatic transmission, you will have to call for help and a tow truck. A discharged battery can be started with cigarette lighter wires, but starting from a pusher will not work here.
Burnt out in the cold. At subzero temperatures, mechanical transmissions practically don’t need preheating. The automatic transmission is more picky and needs a thorough warming up to reach optimal temperature of the transmission fluid.
Timing of oil changes. Change of the lubricant in the manual transmission is much rarer than in the automatic transmission. Besides, for automatic transmissions it requires much more oil.
Liberation from a snow drift. To get out of the mud and snow on a car with a “manual” is much easier than with an automatic transmission. The fact is that the driver has different options for the development of events: it is both slipping and swaying. It is not possible to carry out such manipulations with automatic transmission, as the electronic block will not allow switching from one gear to another quickly. And for a short period of time the gearbox simply will not be able to get warmed up to the necessary temperature.
Durability and wear resistance. Carrying out the towing of a trailer or other vehicle on a car with a manual transmission is safer in terms of the stability of the transmission to breakdowns. It is enough to work carefully with the clutch on the start and when shifting gears, and the rest of the actions will be performed by the gearbox automatically. “Automatic” such loads can cause irreparable damage.
Towing. It is possible to tow a car with a manual transmission on a coupling without distance limitations. If the car has an automatic gearbox onboard, the rule 50-50, which means: not further than 50 km and not faster than 50 km/hour works.
As you can see, despite the weighty advantages of the automatic transmission, the manual transmission is still in demand and confidently takes its place.