Automatic Vs. Manual: Should Manual Drivers Be Shot on Sight?

Time has proved my hypothesis right. Manual transmissions are a way of the past. They belong at your grandparent’s house, or the United Kingdom, our nation’s grandparent’s house.  Of course, this excludes European outliers, people too stuck in their old world ways, or some sort of legislated benefit for smaller engines.

Now, most educated people realize automatic transmissions are better. Now, that in this most affluent nations of the world the United States, all but a paltry single digit percentage of cars are made manual, we know who has won the war. The future may be autonomous, but we know what the world needs now.

Dead now are the persistent myths.

People say manual transmission gets better mileage. Back then they did. With modern, 8-gear, computer-assisted automatic transmissions it’s a moot point. Even in less sophisticated new cars using 20-year-old tech the savings won’t be much.

People say the cars cost less and are cheaper to fix. Yes they are less complicated systems, but does not include your expensive and inevitable clutch repairs. As they become a thing of the pass, the antique notion will fall from norm like it has already in the U.S. And, let’s not forget with a cheaper expense, comes cheaper resale values. Automatics are worth more. The majority of cars now being made don’t even have a manual option.

People bring up expensive sports cars. Even these cars are making the change, or at most giving you the option for both so you can pretend you’re Tokyo drifting in your overpriced, middle-aged sadness unit on wheels. This also addresses the poor argument that manual transmissions allow more control over your auto. In the high-end, manual sports cars will not stand a chance against the precision-crafted automatic transmission systems.

No, the world hasn’t caught in. Worldwide, manual transmissions maintain their reign. Also, most of the world lives in abject poverty on less than two dollars a day. We need fuel efficiency for a better world, and the better world needs to catch on that doesn’t happen with the overpriced lawn-machines that are your average two-door manual sedan.

There’s also a matter of comfort. More than 80 percent of people live in congested cities. They’re congested with humans, cars, and worst of all traffic. The stop-and-go driving is hellish and tedious with constant shifting and clutching. Learn to let go quite literally of that gear shift and give in to the way of the new world. Plus, it leaves your center console free so you can receive roadhead from the transient you picked up before dropping them off at the shelter.

A manual transmission also means you are groveling at the chance to have you car stall on the highway. Happens all the time, guys. The only plausible justification is the lifestyle. If you would like to pretend that you are Speedracer and want the illusion of automobile freewill by all means, go for the poorer option. But the rest of the informed freewheeling world prefer the rationale of safety and simplicity.

Disclaimer: this article is informed only by prejudice and Reddit comment threads.