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Manual or automatic cars?

Discussion in 'General Automotive Talk' started by Trellum, Jul 30, 2013.

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  1. justusforus

    justusforus Member Founding Member

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    My first cars and a van were all manual transmissions. Now I like automatics since the knees are quite as young.
     
  2. Maniak21

    Maniak21 New Member

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    Not really, I don't know the technical facts, but changing the gears manually saves you fuel. I guess it reduces the work of the gearbox and it's impact on fuel consumption.
     
  3. Flavia

    Flavia Member

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    How is it more fuel efficient than automatic?
     
  4. Trellum

    Trellum Active Member Founding Member Top Contributor 2nd Chevy Truck Club

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    I'm guessing this is mostly because the driver is the one that provides all the energy to change the gears, you do all the shifting. It's all the opposite when you drive a car with an automatic transmission. My boyfriend is dutch... so, lol, he'd never change a manual for an auto for this same reason :hilarious:
    --- Double Post Merged, Oct 5, 2013 ---
    Capa, you're confusing a manual car with an automatic one.
     
  5. caparica007

    caparica007 Active Member Founding Member Top Thread Chevy Truck Club

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    @Maniak21 So the auto gearbox consumes fuel to work itself? :confused:

    @Trellum I am not confusing, I simply didn't know an auto car consumed more than a manual one, and I'm finding hard to believe it.
     
  6. Flavia

    Flavia Member

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    On the contrary, I do believe the manual car takes more fuel. My automatic burns little fuel. I get a lot of mileage on my tank of gas. It serves me well, and I know friends with manual cars who fill up twice for the week, and still buy more gas after that. Automatic cars are more fuel efficient.
     
  7. Trellum

    Trellum Active Member Founding Member Top Contributor 2nd Chevy Truck Club

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    I thought you did, since you said a manual controls itself :) That's actually an automatic one, because in a manual one you have to do all the shifting.
     
  8. Flavia

    Flavia Member

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    I'm confused by the messages you are replying to here. Really...
     
  9. Trellum

    Trellum Active Member Founding Member Top Contributor 2nd Chevy Truck Club

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    What do you mean? I just replied the guy, because he obviously was confusing manual cars with automatic ones. I guess that's a somewhat common mistake. Nothing to be confussed about here. If you have a doubt... something in particular, just ask.
     
  10. Flavia

    Flavia Member

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    Not your comment, I meant the comment they made. I don't get the comment. As you said, maybe he himself was confused when he made the statement.
     
  11. caparica007

    caparica007 Active Member Founding Member Top Thread Chevy Truck Club

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    :D

    Maybe I made a mistake while writing. For me is pretty clear now that an automatic car consumes more, I didn't know that.
     
  12. Flavia

    Flavia Member

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    How do you figure automatic to consume more fuel?
     
  13. bonyi

    bonyi Member

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    I started driving with manual but could not perfect my driving on time because I didn't like manual cars. Presently I drive automatic and boy I love it. Driving at its best. You don't need to change any gear, just put it on drive and you're good to go.
     
  14. caparica007

    caparica007 Active Member Founding Member Top Thread Chevy Truck Club

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    It's still illogical to me, but I have googled it and it seems to be a fact, manual consumes less than automatic, go figure!
     
  15. TheRev6591

    TheRev6591 New Member

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    I live in the UK so automatic cars are rare. I learnt to drive on a manual, so I can legally drive both, where as if you learn automatic you can only drive automatic.

    As for the fuel efficiency of automatic cars vs manual, it totally depends on who is driving the vehicle. If the driver is over revving, then a automatic would most certainly be more efficient. But if the driver on a manuel is conscious of the rev count and tries to change gear as soon as possible, then a manual will most certainly be more efficient. The reason being that an automatic gear box changes gear at set rev limits, and won't differ from that.
     
  16. Flavia

    Flavia Member

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    That's how it is here too in Jamaica. if you learnt to drive on an automatic, you are only licensed to drive an automatic. However, if you learnt to drive a manual, you can be licensed to drive both manual and automatic.
     
  17. caparica007

    caparica007 Active Member Founding Member Top Thread Chevy Truck Club

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    Really? It's necessary a special licence to drive an automatic car? I don't know if here in Portugal that is necessary.
     
    Ricardo187 likes this.
  18. Flexin

    Flexin Admin Staff Member Founding Member Top Event

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    Its not like that here in Nova Scotia other then some commercial vehicles. I have my Class 2c. The 2 is for school bus. It would normally be a 2b but my motorcycle license changes it to a 2c. The school bus I took my test in was automatic so it stats on my license that I can only drive an auto in the specified class. Not everyone understands it because I was stopped in my last job by DOT and when he read that he looked over and noticed the standard transmission. I said its only for the class 2. I can drive a standard in other classes. There is something that can be put on your license that says you are not allowed to drive standard. When I took my bus test the instructor told me to make sure that didn't get put on there. A woman had that put on hers and when she was pulled over driving her standard pick up truck they were going to write her up for it. I hear she was there for hours fighting it. An motor vehicle the guy said "oh its the same thing" and didn't change it to the right one for her.

    For our class 3 which is all tandem trucks, I can and do drive a standard truck.

    James
     
  19. Ricardo187

    Ricardo187 Member

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    I have to show my hate towards automatic cars. It's just not fun, come on, what's fun in pressing a pedal and steering? Cos that's basically it in automatic cars.

    I own three manuals and I love it no matter what's the usage I'll give it. In a manual you have alot more control of the car, and shifting is just amazing, it's the sense of driving. That's just my opinion though. :D
     
  20. Plistro

    Plistro New Member

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    The reason automatics (not to be confused with automated manuals) use more gas is because of the transmission. The torque converter that's in automatics has more parasitic loss compared to the clutch and gearing system in manuals, which leads to worse fuel efficiency.

    I currently drive a manual and I have mixed feelings. I'm fairly young so I don't mind changing gears all that much (and I find it pretty fun), but I'm sure as I get older I'll learn to appreciate having an automatic gear box. By that time most cars should probably have automated manual transmissions and no longer have torque converters anyways, so fuel consumption will not be an issue.
     
    caparica007 likes this.
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