one of the reason you will see more manual in germany, is that if you do your driving licence with an automatic, you are only allowed to drive automatic. If you do it with a manual car (which 99% do), you are allowed do drive both, as auto is considered easy once you know manual. That is one of the main reason why nearly no driving school has or will have electric cars, even tho they would be a perfect fit... they are all automatic
Yes, point 1 and 2 is not really a reason choosing a manual or an auto. Its not like " ohh shoot, savings are tight this month, i have to by a manual" . In germany you have to be a very very bad driver to willingly choose an auto instead of a manual as a beginner. Older people and those who choose comfort in their mid-life, they prefare auto, but the rest in germany still would choose a manual over an auto. F. e. I hate the new trend that many new cars are mostly offerd just with an auto, even here in germany.
But ... Just a few months ago the authorities have changed that very regulation ... If you drive a manual for 10hrs under instructors supervision he/she can testify you know how to drive a manual. So, if then your driving test is on an automatic car you will be allowed to drive both manual and automatic shift.
@@MHG1023 oh, ok, wasnt aware of that.... guess the switch to automatic will now go even faster, but it will be slow as long as the "old guard" of manual drivers is still on the road. Hearing these news is unlikely once you passed the test yourself. Thank you for letting us know!
That's true, once you've learned it your brain has adapted. An automatic car is a little bit easier to drive but there is still much a learner has to get his head around when learning how to drive.
@@trismegistus2881 I've gotten my first ever automatic about 2 years ago. It was a rental, so I only had it for about 4 Weeks. BUT the first thing I remember was getting out of the Dealership and Instinctivly hitting the Clutch..... well, there was no Clutch, but a break pedal... and that's the story about how I learend how good the breaks of the new Golf were.... it was painfull :D
@@WhitedevilEE For me, the clutch is like this weird 'extra' pedal which I fail to understand. I'd love to learn how to use it some day, though. At least you hit the brake and not the gas. ;-)
That's a point! Saying that manual drivers need to be "focused" on gears is an overstatement. I simply don't think, and when I think, I make mistakes 😂
1 - manuals are cheaper: a small hatchback costs from 10k to 15k and the auto box is a 3k extra 2 - everyone knows how to drive a manual because everyone has their license done on a manual car 3 - it’s fun! 4 - during decades automatics were shit in European roads, sluggish and slow. It’s ok on big open roads, not so much in narrow city roads… the stigma that autos are shitty remains…
@@uzidayo The reasons are simple, at least in the Netherlands: your instructor feels you're not progressing driving manual. What I mean by that is for some people, having to focus on anything but the road is a hindrance. If you then show you're not another road hazard you're fine to get a license just for automatic transmission. I believe you can test again after 2 years, because your driving experience is a lot better then, not needing to focus as much as driving becomes second nature.
- Superior vehicle control ( engine braking etc) - Cheap and easy to maintain - Keeps you engaged in driving so you don’t get distracted - It’s loaaaads of fun!!
@@6uiti Good point. Personally I have always been driving manual cars. Only for work, sometimes, I have to drive an automatic, and I still don't like it. I have to admit, more than once, I almost hit the car in front of me. Not due to a lack of attention, but because I'm not used to vehicles starting to move at its own, just by releasing the breaks. I really do feel more in control when driving a manual transmission, such as regulating the speed or slowing down before an intersection.
I agree with all your points, apart from the 2nd one. Slush-box automatics need very little maintenance, occasional fluid change, but that's it. A manual will need clutches to be replaced.
@@juststeve5542 Manual transmissions are waaaay more reliable than auto ones. Auto transmissions, since they are now pretty complicated, have much more moving parts and therefore prone to breaking, whilst clutches on manuals are more likely to last for many years.
I believe the main reason for driving manual is: because you can. Once you acquire a skill, you feel good and somehow proud of yourself for continuing using and affining it (it can take years of practice to be able to execute perfectly smooth shifts quickly and consistently). Especially knowing there are people around the world that don't possess that specific skill ;)
That's my reason to keep using manuals actually, I had such a hard time learning how to drive them (I'm a very slow learner) that I'm not willing to let that skill go away by driving an automatic afterwards.
That's just until you hit some annoying highway speed changes. In a long haul family car I'll choose an automatic with adaptive cruise control. On a track day, I'd totally choose a classic Porsche with manual. It is indeed more fun in that context.
@@ag.3820 I do love manual as that was what I was taught. But I have to admit that in 90% of the time I've been driving, it's just more comfortable having automatic... I still reach for the stick when approaching a roundabout but then I remember just in time.
@@ag.3820 I love the MX5, if the Danish car taxes weren't that crazy, I'd keep one just as a summer evening go-cart... Not insanely fast, as such, but so much fun to drive.
I think a key reason missed is the "enjoyment" factor of being in control of a machine. There are people who just use cars as a tool to get from one place to another, but there are people who want a bit of enjoyment out of even a mundane journey, even if they don't realise it. People like pushing buttons, people like turning dials, people like being in control. Having automation do the job takes away some of the enjoyment. You may ask why the difference between North America and the rest of the world? My answer would be that North American roads are tedious and boring. Speed limits are relatively slow compared with Europe, and that makes driving more boring. It also means you have less need for progressively going through multiple gears, because the speed limits are so slow you end up maxing out at a low gear, so not very fulfilling. America also has a fetish for stop signs and the infamous four-way stop. This is a big deal. Start stop driving is less pleasant with a manual. If in Europe we were forced by law to stop and start at every intersection I'm sure we would have switched to automatics sooner. Instead, junctions mostly have a system of priority and give way (yield) which means often traffic can travel through somewhere between a second gear crawl and full speed. If I lived in America, I would have an automatic, as the road infrastructure makes it a better choice. But I don't, and in anything other than stop-start traffic congestion, changing gear makes a journey that little bit more engaging.
Exactly! He missed the main reason why Europeans prefer manuals: enjoyment! It's so much more fun driving a manual. Automatics are useful if you're stuck in start-stop traffic on a daily basis, but on an open road I want a manual every time.
All that is so true, you really feel like you are taming a manual vehicle, than it simply submissing with automatic. But, All the new systems of turning lane arrows, red, yellow, green, blinking yellow, delay, some will even hold off an entire intersection cycle until there are 3 cars waiting to turn. You cannot cheat and peek at opposing road's lights anymore, it is very unpredictable, and IS ruining it. I would not sit through all the arranging of traffic with the throwout bearing pressing the fingers, so you have to stare at your light, stare, and if you look away, that is when it switches to green or whatever, and you gotta do 3 easy steps while getting honked at 🙄😁🤣
American cars typically have very long gear ratios for the best possible highway fuel economy. A friend of mine is married with an American and he actually said speed limits are actually lower in Finland and in America. Roads here in Finland are mostly very straight and wide. Stop light are common and in Helsinki designed so that you pretty much need to stop at every second light.
Why I prefer manual: 1. "Direct" engine feel and response. No torque converter that takes forever to lockup. 2. Control over Shift Points. No gear hunting. No "WTF were the engineers thinking?" when I listen to the cars strange upshift points, and no surprise downshifts or refusing to downshift when you try to accelerate harder. 3. Gives me something to focus on while driving. Nicer things about manual: 1. You can push start a manual. 2. Manuals are typically more reliable than their automatic counterpart if driven properly/not abused, although a clutch replacement will be necessary sooner or later if driven enough. 3. No need to disconnect driveshaft if you want to tow a manual behind another vehicle. 4. Engine off coasting if you want to and even find a good enough time and place. 5. Could be an anti theft device. Things that suck about manual: 1. The clutch replacement if it happens to you while you own the car. 2. The gear ratios can be a hindrance (more so on newer models trying to meet EPA standards) 3. Rev hang on newer models 4. Not as consistent as automatic.
@@XcaliburReborn The latest automatics are better about the "direct" feel and sooner torque converter lockups, but very few have read-your-mind shifting. Most of them hold 1st annoyingly long then try to get into the highest gears obnoxiously soon.
Another bad thing about manuals, at least for some people, is hill starts. But with a bit of practice it's actually really easy, just an inconvenience to people who are not good at it
@@madjoemak I used to love the feel of a manual. Something manly about operating a machine manually but I've moved into autos and won't be going back. Having a free hand to sip coffee and not worry about constantly shifting up down in traffic and urban areas. When there is the odd bit of empty road to get any kind of speed going I don't tend to miss manual when any auto I've driven in the last 3 years shifts quicker than I ever can lol
Engine off coasting?! What even is that? Not only is it dangerous, because your brake pump and power steering won't work, but it's also completely pointless! When you are in gear and let off the gas pedal, your engine uses NO FUEL, untile about idle speed!
Cars with small engines are more fun to drive when manual. Plus manual transmissions last forever if shifted well. Manual transmission gives a bit of a extra control to driver. These small cars can be quite quick with manuals. Very good fun to drive. Small curvy roads and small manual gearbox cars are perfect
Also, you have so much more engine beaking with a manual gearbox. Drive in the mountains or hills and you will quickly understand what I'm talking about, it's a good driving lesson in itself.
Americans tend to spend far more time in slow/mid speed highway traffic in long rush hour commutes. Without other good travel options, driving is a daily necessity, a chore. I think this is why Americans seek to automate the driving task more and more. It’s no coincidence that self driving car development is mostly happening in the US.
Yeah i think that's a big part of it too In the US and Canada you don't really have a choice but to drive most of the time, so people seek to make it as easy and mindless as possible by automating things that they can, and adding lots of extra comfort features to make it as ideal for mindless daily driving as possible while in Europe (and especially the past decade as more and more of Europe moves away from being car centric) you have far more options that don't involve having to drive, you have a choice so the people who only drove because they needed to do so to get places or who'd rather not drive are actually practically able to just not drive and without them there is less desire to automate and make driving as easy and mindless as possible
@@kilobyte8321 this is a misconception you have in the US. I have a nice, well payed job in Germany and could afford to use my car everyday to commute, but no way in hell I´m doing that. I prefer to take the metro and bus, because not only saving money is NOT a bad thing(for example, with the same money I get to go out to restaurants/for fun a lot more, thank you), but it´s also a way to pollute way less, and to relax a lot more. Why should I want to drive back and forth with my car on a daily basis and get overly stressed by the traffic jam when I can just sit/ stay in the metro and comfortably read/listen to music? And that´s the reasoning behind many others like me using the public service instead of their cars. Only people who come from outside the city outskirts actually drive to commute most of the time, and I honestly think it´s not great for them. None in Europe thinks that public transport is for poor people, on the contrary. Maybe inform yourself better before applying American prejudices to other parts of the world?
@@ChiaraVet Let me guess, you're a childless consoomer who lives in a small apartment and works a cushy white collar job. Not everyone wants to live that lifestyle and they're the people you're targeting with punitive government measures making driving prohibitively expensive. Stop trying to push the Yuropoor pod life on Americans who want to raise a family in a quiet, safe suburban neighborhood.
@@kilobyte8321 not even close. You're as much prejudiced as I thought you would be and some. The people who live on the outskirts of big cities in Europe are sometimes the richest ones, with the "white collar" jobs and the nicest houses, but I prefer the commodities that come with living where theaters, museums and such are just a 20 minutes ride with the metro to grasp. My and my husband's apartment or the one of the family right in front of ours aren't "a down choice". Grow up and learn that the US way of living is actually kind of shit when compared to a place where you don't need to worry about medical bills every day of your life.
An Italian friend of mine told me: We Italians want to be in control. We would like to dominate the vehicle. That's why we prefer manual transmission. What was surprising was hearing this from a woman.
In the UK (and I think most of Europe), there are a distinction between manual (full) or automatic licenses with the former you're licensed to drive any car while the latter restricts you to an automatic so most people would choose to learn in a manual as it means you can drive both when you pass.
We only have a full license in central eastern europe (Czech Rep., Slovakia, Hungary). Everyone is doing the driving practice and the driving exam on manual cars, however, you are allowed to drive automatics (i never tried haha) and small motorbikes up to 50 ccm (never tried either). This is the B category driving license, you can drive cars lighter than 3,5 tons with it
In Hong Kong, it's the same, which have automatic and manual license (manual license can drive automatic but not vice versa). However, most younger generation get automatic license only, because 99% of the cars are automatic, even taxis and cargo vans are automatics mostly. Most younger generation has zero knowledge of driving stick shift, same as USA.
@@zsoltpapp3363 In Slovakia we do have automatic only licenses and it's based on the car you are taking the exam with. You get a code on the back of your DL that limits you to automatics only.
Another reason is clutch control is a safety feature. When you skid on ice or aquaplane you use the clutch to gain control more easily and safely. Can't do that in an automatic! The rest was very well summed up!
@@whynotagain3639 The plugin hybrid I rented recently could simulate motor break by increasing the regeneration just by using the steering wheel flappers. And it gave me better milage in return. But I admit, having been schooled in a manual, it would probably take another slippery course session in an electric for me to feel entirely prepared for an icy or snowy winter.
You are technically right, but how many times would that situation occur? I have been driving for 40 years now, and really, I never was in that situation. And believe me, I did some stupid things with cars, haha.
@@ronaldderooij1774 I've tried once since 2007 where it was a wiser choice to use motor brake than ABS due to snow covered slippery roads. Just proves your point, as I already admitted that hybrids can do that exact same thing using their regen.
@@BenjaminVestergaard yes but there's something very satisfying approaching a big roundabout at 80mph and entering that roundabout at 30mph but getting to that speed by not using my brakes once, just changing down gears to slow the car down. That is not something you can do in an automatic car.
@@timpauwels3734 premium brands have this for decades! it's true you don't have the feel and adrenaline of perfect timing and shifting but I couln't care less about that in 1-2h bumper to bumper drives
There’s a couple I think you’ve missed. It’s a point of pride. Driving an automatic is seen to be for old women and fat businessmen. It’s not very fair but there’s a stigma. Like it’s not “proper” driving. Another reason is the roads. Winding narrow roads are fun to drive on in a manual. An automatic (unless it’s a super car) just isn’t as fun. And the second car issue. If a household has multiple cars, they all need to be the same because switching between manual an automatic frequently is horrible. And driving long distance, you sit in top gear most of the time anyway so manual is a relaxing drive like an automatic once you’re on the open road.
Honestly, I don't have much trouble with switching back and forth between the two. Sometimes I'll have to switch several times a day, no problem. In my opinion it's more about the size, height, weight, and other driving characteristics like acceleration and braking, which requires the most adaptation.
@@dr.oetqer But that’s because you do it several times a day. I had a job where switching vehicles several times a day was necessary and I never minded either. But I know lots of people who’ve crashed or almost crashed because they’re not used to switching.
Yes Karleem you have missed a reason. Manual is more involving to drive. Thats why Porsches didn't have cruise control while other brands did. If you enjoy driving you want to be involved. For typical American their 2 hour commute each way all on straight roads daily is tiring and already inconvenient enough. but for us Europeans our 30 minute commute through bends and corners is much more fun with manual where you get to do the decision making and get rewarder for it.
Manual cars can have cruise control. My manual 2006 Civic does. It simply disengages if you touch the brake or clutch. I use cruise control in my manual civic as much as I use it my automatic car.
@@jptrainor i know they do I had a few manual cars with Cruise control myself. But just like with automatic transmission - its great for long and boring motorway journeys. But for normal roads around country side with bends and corners you just wouldn't use it. In America commutes are longer and many more roads are straight line
And yet most high end sports car brands (including European) aren't even offering manual on their new models. It's only the peasants driving econoboxes still stuck with this obsolete technology. 😂
@@kilobyte8321 they arent offering manual because Automatic gearboxes are faster and more effective Not because they are not fun Its more about the competition between brands
When dutch people start taking lessons for their drivers license they have a choice to get a license for a manual car or an automatic. When you passed your exam for an manual license you can drive an automatic as well. Because there are a lot of (second hand / used) cars that have a manual transmission many people choose to take a manual license and a manual car and stick to it.
Same in DK, you can take an automatic only license, but the majority choose to get a full license. My wife is currently taking a driver's license here in Denmark. (In her 30's). Her teacher recommends an automatic license, because with hybrid and electric taking over it doesn't make too much sense. But she insists on manual, because "what if I (she) falls in love with a classic". And I don't know how to counter that.
Not sure how it is now, as there are much more automatic cars in the Netherlands now but in the past, when I got my driving license in the early 90's, only people who were unable to get a manual license had an automatic only license.
People learning to drive in Seychelles always start in a manual car, it's the rules here. However once you have your license you are allowed to purchase an Automatic. At home my car is manual but both my mum and dad have automatic cars.
You missed probably the most important reason, at least for this Canadian: cars with manual transmissions are more fun to drive. I’m mystified by how car-crazy North Americans eschew this fun feature. My last car, a Jetta, had the best automatic transmission I have ever driven with, nonetheless, I was so happy when I traded it in for my 6-gear Civic.
@@fortheloveofnoise how about traffic, i don't see myself driving a manual in los Angeles and i grew up driving manual overseas.. even where I live in the DMV traffic can get bad and unless the clutch and gears a are smooth i wouldn't do it. My sister (milenial) owns 2 cars both manual, a matrix and a Impreza, but the matrix is freaking lazy the engine is too small (1.8) and the body of the car is too heavy but oh the contrary the Impreza is awesome the seat is very comfortable clutch is super soft and easy with a powerful engine and with all wheel drive system is even better.. i
If you drive in winter conditions with ice and snow on the roads, especially in the mountains, then a manual transmission gives you much better control of the car.
If you know how to do it... That's possibly one advantage automatics sometimes had. A button with a snowflake symbol that even the most idiotic driver will know to press when driving in snow. That being said, that driver will probably still end up in a ditch, because if you don't understand the physics and what you are attempting to do, you really don't have the skill for snow driving!
@@juststeve5542 In an Automatic with a Ice and Snow button or mode you are fully dependent on the Engineers who developed the system. You do not have direct control over that system, and this added complication to the vehicle. Personally, I prefer a Manual Transmission and knowing how to use it most effectively.
Even though i knew i was going to get an automatic as a first car, i learnt manual because all my friends were. It almost felt like you learn manual to be normal and not lesser.
I was on a road trip with my dad in Spain, we had a rental seat Ibiza (automatic), we tried to overtake a truck, lets just say it was so painful... By the time the car decided to drop down a gear to get better acceleration and then shifted back into the next gear, we had already lost the overtaking opportunity... That's kind of when I realised why I wouldn't want to buy an automatic car... You just have a lot more control over little things like that with a manual
In an automatic you can downshift by had before starting the overtake just like you do in a manual. Added advantage, the automatic transmission computer won't obey a moneyshift. Or you can put it in sport for a quick response before overtaking.
I guess im one of those idiots of europe that prefer the auto box. Even 80s box merc that is not well responcive on sudden changes but does its thing beautifully. I never had on my 2 autos (merc slk and 7dct on optima) any problem jumping out and passing. On the other hand i never buy a car that cant move itself in the moment
Transmissions are getting better and better nowadays + with the rise oh hybrids and electric cars it'll change. I drive a plug in hybrid and the electric motors compensate for the slow downshifting
It's also just fun. I drive a car that's 'a little sporty and faster' but not fast by any means. But it's so much fun to turn onto the highway and instead of shifting up just to keep in in 2nd and 3rd to 7000RPM. It's fun accaleration and the engine is singing, but i'm only breaking the speed limit by 20kmh by the time i hit the limiter in 3rd, but you're having fun like you're doing 100 over. I don't do that often, but sometimes you have a shitty day, you see the corner for the onramp, turn up the music, floor it in 2nd, turn the wheel and hear the engine screeming in the background. And then you put it in 5th, turn on cruise and casually drive in the right lane till you get home.
Exactly! There is one intersection when I'm joining main road and can't see much on both sides, so it's actually safest to get the hell out of here as fast as possible. So I just shift to 1, give it full gas, shift to 2, give it full gas and when I'm riding at 90 km/h I decide if I shift to 4 or 5. Tiny Korean car from 2002 with 81 HP / 60 kW :)
Yeah, and in the meanwhile this burns a lot more fuel than is needed. Having fun is great and all, but know that there are costs paid for it somewhere.
What I like about a manual is that it gives your gearbox foresight. An automatic gearbox doesn't know I'm about to floor it to accelerate form 80 to 130 to get away from behind a truck. I shift back to 4th or 3rd gear (depending on car), rev it back up, and then instantly have maximum acceleration. An automatic will have an amount of delay because it isn't probing my brain and I have no way to tell it what I am about to do. This might be what you meant with getting more out of weak cars, but I always do it not just with weak cars.
Partly true, but it's getting better with lane assistance and AI understanding that if you suddenly floor the pedal, you wanna go. But old fashioned automatic was indeed horrible at this. Edit: last year I rented a BMW w/ automatic and adaptive cruise control. As soon as I used the blinkers to overtake, the ACC would floor the pedal, so I better steer around the truck in front. 'Cus that car could really pick up speed! It could also detect other cars in both my lane and the two next to me, so if there was anything in the lane I wanted to go, I had to overrule the driver assistance manually.
Those problems are already solved with modern automatics. In fact you save alot more fuel driving fast in an automatic. Because it switched gear way faster than any human can.
@@gentlebabarian I'm not sure about the fuel thing compared to an open road in 5th gear... But overall, if you need to change speed repeatedly, I'm sure that, not only does it change quicker, but I remember how much an annoying driver in front of me could piss me off. So my passive aggressive way of showing it would not exactly be fuel efficient, or the safest tbh. Best is when cars can just adapt to the speed of traffic... I'll of course be annoyed if it means that I can't make it on time... With all the speech recognition etc. That gives me time to send a voice message that I'll be a bit late and tell why. Then it's just about choosing a radio station that I like and wait it out. Insane driving will either get me there 10 mins earlier if I'm lucky, or 2+ weeks late if I'm not. Not worth it.
Here in the Philippine Manuals are still one of the best selling vehicles, since most roads that you can find in our country are hilly or sometimes mountainous, having a manual transmission helps your to control which gear is capable of climbing the hill. Also since most of the vehicle available in PH are small displacement vehicles having a manual means you can force the vehicle to give extra boost in horsepower when you needed to like what you said in the video.
At around 7:50 you said driving manual makes you more of a disciplined driver. I like how you brought that up. Because USA and Canada has the least disciplined drivers, and I think a big reason is because they don’t drive manual. I’ve noticed MUCH better driving habits with people that drive manuals than automatics
When you live in the mountains or in a region with a lot of snow manuals are very useful sometimes. For example when you are stuck in snow your chances of getting out is much higher when you start in the second gear, because your wheels will have less torque.
You can lock most of automatic transmisions in higher gear for this purpose. Citroen c5 even has snow mod for gearbox. It preselect third gear and use the advantage of torque converter.
Lol, and in US they would actually think manuals in hills are the worst. But in reality you can actually use the gears to help you break on hills or mountains
You can start a manual transmission car by moving it: 2nd gear, release the clutch sudddenly. You can also spare the brakes (avoid overheating) on long descents in the mountains; the rule: on descent select the gear you would use to ascend; the higher rpm the more braking.
Except for the most basic ones, all automatics also have a gear lockout function for long decends and heavy load hauling. In normal operation, an automatic indeed barely has any engine braking, but in 4th or 3rd gear lockout it will engine brake a lot more.
@@mfbfreak The amount of engine compression braking is going to be dependent on the size and compression ratio of the engine as well. I had a Ram 2500 with a 6.7L diesel and automatic transmission and I could maintain speed downhill in the mountains with a 14,000 lb trailer by just selecting a lower gear (I did have an exhaust brake, but rarely needed it). Jan was close with his gear selection, but it is usually one gear lower to go down a hill than the gear that you would use to climb it.
So here are my two cents. So in the past, in Europe, most cars and their engines were quite small and low-power. You had a family car with 80hp. That'd just barely be enough. An old-style automatic would not only be much more expensive to buy, and would waste a lot of that power, but it'd also have fewer gears. They also wasted a lot of fuel. The car I'm driving right now burns 10 litres of fuel and gets to 100km/h in 11s - a manual version of that same car with that same engine burns 20% less fuel and gets to 100km/h in 9s. In the states where engines were huge you could get away with a 3-speed automatic but brute-forcing it with all that torque, in Europe you couldn't. Many luxury cars here had automatics even 50 years ago, just not most cars which were besically all economy-oriented. Nowadays, when automatics are often just as good or better, most people buy automatics. Often I don't even see an option for a manual unless it's the cheapes car/cheapest trim level.
@@martinssmits3170 automatics are good too. Also anything can be broken by stupid people. I've heard so many crunching gears in manuals throughout the years it's not even funny.
@@Matticitt yeah stupid drivers break manuals too, on the other hand you can crunch the gears for a very very long time before anything really breaks in a manual.
I have a brand new KIA 1250 cc at 84 HP and love it. I live in Santorini small island where streets are narrow and the daily routine trips are 5 km and back to the groceries, karate class, seaside, etc. Many people in rural Europe use 80 hp cars AFAIK.
From people here I hear that 100-120HP is a perfect power for a car if your living in the countryside and 75-90HP if you commute only around the borders of a city. And tbh, I agree totaly tho having a bit more feels nice. 😉
I’m an old guy. I learned to drive on a VW Beetle ( 1964 ). To this day when walking down the street I find myself checking out the transmissions. Since moving to Southern Europe I’ve noticed the vast majority of cars have manual transmissions.
For me it’s about control. I like automatic gearboxes, but manual gearboxes are more so a connection of yourselves, instead of a different thing. I like the contact with the clutch, I like the way I move the shifter, everything. Saying this as a 20-year-old with lots of experience in cars due to my job, I’ve driven lots of cars (50+). When I want to drive sporty, I drive sporty and ruin every fuel usage the car can calculate. When I want to drive slowly and carefully, I can do that too.
@@Kerleem Indeed, and in my experience all those 'luxury' options can be quite distracting. Those new info systems can be nice and even useful in some situations, but personally I prefer the simplicity of a good manual without all those options and distractions. I want to feel more in control and that is something I can miss when driving a automatic.
As someone used to driving a 105hp Manual VW Golf Sportwagon , I was disappointed by the 405hp Ford Expedition. Felt pretty disconnected and never had power available within 5 seconds of pushing the throttle
@@Kommentareable You are talking about a house on wheels bro. First issue is to make everything robust. You cant use a dual clutch for instant momentum. You have to use a torque-converted trans and they design it for soccer moms as well as men so I am sure the throttle is tuned a certain way. But mainly its the vehicle weight. Tuning would help it. Remember too that safety is first.
@@aaryeshg.6526 size is irrelevant, as long as you have the proportional power(none of the two cars are limited by traction). You wouldn't take your lawnmower to the track even though its lighter than a miata
My dad drives an automatic car and my mom drives a manual and whenever my mom drives my dad's car he tells her every time "Keep your left food off the pedals", so I can definitely say most people who drive a manual are very used to it.
My reasons: I always have had a manual, it’s more controllable in the turns especially downhill (the engine isn’t downshifting as soon as you leave the foot from the gas forcing you to hit the brakes): this also saves the brake pads. Plus it’s cheaper.
As europenian driver that drives both i can say main reasons are: 1 - still more reliable 2 - no maintence needed (oil change) 3 - more affordable in every aspect 4 - better driving experience for an enthusiast (you are controlling your car, not vice versa)
As a French driver, another reason I prefer a manual is that you can start it just by pushing if the battery run out of juice, you can’t do that with an automatic and need cable.
Another reason is that with a manual it is easier to slow down a little bit: just decrease the pressure on your gas pedal a bit. Simple. Automatic cars tend to 'press forward' more, so you'll have to break more often which also involves moving your feet to another pedal. I remember one traffic jam in the US where I thought "in a manual car this crawling speed would be easier to maintain than in this automatic car". And then there is overtaking. In a manual you can gear down in anticipation of a safe moment for an overtake, and then you'll have the extra power available instantly, without having to wait for the kickdown effect. Of course, in relaxed traffic this is not so important.
whaaaat? I've driven manual transmissiin cars for 19 years and now I drive an automatic. I still drive a manual everyone in a while (for example my mom's car). I'm never going back to a manual. Automatic is tremendously comfortable, a modern automatic is responsive when shifting up or down, and you don't wear out your left leg inching forward in traffic.
@conifr Not so, in my Nissan automatic via settings menu, I have selected my car to use engine braking, I rarely press the brake pedal, also kick down isn’t necessary, there is a semi manual mode on the shift lever, If I’m waiting to pass a cyclist I select this to keep the car in low gear and give me a fast and controlled acceleration.
@conradsz. I agree and combined with an automatic electronic parking brake I can keep the car in D while stationary without creep or any foot on the pedals.
as a fan of the manual, I was blessed to live in Romania in a mountain region so that I can have fun with it . Rev matches, heel toes, left foot breaking , fun , and in a manual I feel more in tune with the car, I know what it can give me, so I feel safer
Plus love hearing the revs and racing my car. If you didn't care about he car but only as a transport machine you wouldn't care what you drive. If you drive a Audi sedan with a V8 you'd pick manual because what's the point of a V8 then if your not gonna give it power and revs.
Hi, I am from Hungary, I'm 16 years old. The reason I clicked on this video, I was really excited about how other people think about from other countries having this widely spread manual transmission using in Europe. I am also interested in car things, even in the deepest part of them, I guess maybe because I am learning as a mehcatronical engineer :D You're awesome man, don't stop doing these videos! :D Greetings from Hungary
Here in Germany I do not think that price has much to do with it. It is more the view on it. People (especially men) will think you are not able to drive a "real car", also people think that they are still slower and less effective (which good modern ones are obviously not). Also it is just nice to have that control over your car.
Less maintenance costs, better control in mountainous roads, engine braking and no overheat of breaks in descent, heel and toe fun, you can start the car with a push if your battery is dead etc.
I haven't driven an automatic for any length of time but as someone who drives a manual, when I finally got a car with cruise control (I know, imagine not having a car with cruise control!) and I enabled it on the highway, I immediately noticed I became a less attentive driver. I didn't have to check my speed anymore, checked my speed relative to other cars less frequently and while this seems trivial, essentially it enabled me to zone out by "just keeping the car in the lane" as it were. I wouldn't be surprised if automatic transmissions, especially in the more dangerous stop-and-go traffic of cities/interchanges, lead to less attentive drivers. That said, I can definitely appreciate the preference of not spending an hour in traffic in a manual.
Also in the Netherlands, there are 2 different driver licenses for cars. If you have an manual drivers license you're allowed to drive in both cars, but if you got an automatic license, you're not allowed to drive in manual cars.
I'm living in the Netherlands and I have a two cars. One is a Renault Talisman (diesel automatic gearbox) as a main car for "transportation". My second car is a Peugeot 207cc convertible and that one is for fun and HAVE to be manual of course...:)
My first car was a Fiat punto petrol with manual transmission and without EPS, now I can take any car and I don't have problems to drive them. I prefer manual transmission because it's more immersive driving experience and I don't like having my right arm doing nothing.
I don't like driving cars, I don't have one but if I had it would be a tool, so I wouldn't care about the type of transmission, maybe even just prefer automatic. I do love my clutch and gear box on my motorcycle tho, blipping the throttle, planning ahead of the turn to sit in the right rpm range on the exit etc feels too good on that
Me too! Great car to learn how to drive properly! Mine was a Sole 55hp 1.1l gasoline Engine(the glourious FIRE engine) without EPS, i remember the steering wheel tha was so hard esplecially when parking!
Switched to automatic a few years ago. Highway and city driving is much more comfortable now. I only miss my tiny manual Yaris when I'm driving on rural roads (aka rally mode driving... :) )
I prefer driving cars with the manual transmissions because I love the the feel of the clutch and gear shifting. The United States needs more of them. The problems with the automatic transmission are the fluid when that gets dirty, especially when the cooling system goes out. I used to change automatic transmissions fluid, and the smell is strong when the fluid comes out of the transmission.
For me, its being connected to the machine.. yeah sounds weird but in my 52 yrs of driving, I only owned an auto for 3 days and got rid of it. Also all my cars were small sporty cars and I enjoy the nimble feeling of there handling. Of course in Cali, we could mod however we like so suspensions mods were always the first thing. the sense of being "attached" to the machine when hitting an apex at double the limit feels awesome .(even if its only 45mph..lol) But I also understand that this is changing and its inevitable. .
This is the same reason why I will never buy a car with electric steering. Hydraulic power steering or a real manual teering rack gives that feedback....electronic steering does not. I love the look of the 2013-2014 Mustang...but it had electric steering....so I gave mine to my mother. Sadly I will have to get 2010 or older if I want hydraulic powrr steering. For a Camaro it will need to be 2012 or older.
A year back, my dad bought his first ever automatic vehicle. He wanted a certain type of car, but the manual options of that car had an annoying quirk, which made them undesireable for him. I asked him a month ago, what does he think of automatics now. He said that it has helped with the long work trips, where he has to often be on a call for most of the trip, but outside of that, driving has become boring for him.
A small addition to the pricing argument: in a lot of cases, the automatic simply isn't offered with the base or most popular engine. So if you want the auto, you'll have to move up to the more powerful engine, even if you don't need the power. This makes the price gap even bigger.
@@JanLemkes Right, no more slip loss, but there is still a delay which has to be compensated. Which is getting smaller since the shift faster, but it is still there. This is referring the overtaking scenario where the manual starts accelerating without delay because the driver anticipated it and the automatic starts shifting down 2 gears before accelerating. A double clutch transmission can prepare for one gear change to make it quicker, but not 2. With more power the automatic can catch up with the manual during the overtaking, with the same power? you loose. You could argue that overtaking should only take place when you don't need to accelerate as much as possible, but then welcome to Switzerland's winding roads.
@@woeufuS Hm, I'm sorry, but I don't think this can anywhere be a problem. A manual is in this case only (and maybe) slightly faster because it doesn't shift at all, a minor difference immediately compensated by the fact that a DCT car is in a more effective rev range. Which it allways is btw, because they usually have more gears than a manual. That might also be why with some manufacturers, you CAN get the base engine with the auto. That others don't offer this, is i.m.o. purely sales based.
Being in control of a "machine", having to use pedals and "levers" simply gives me satisfaction, it makes me feel driving like a more "serious" thing. And I also think that a human that can switch gears well is always better than an auto because... he's a human. For example: if I see in front of me a steep road, I would gear down before I reach the climb in order to be prepared. An automatic can't do this, it can't predict what the road is going to be. But unfortunately the electric cars are going to throw away the problem of gears... 😥 Bye from 🇮🇹
The driver assistance tech is moving very fast these days. The system right now may not be able to see the slope 500m ahead, but it can detect it within 1/100th of a second when it meets it. Often the reaction is delayed a few seconds, so it won't gear down for a road bump. Also, if you suddenly floor the speeder and turn on the blinkers, it will assume that you are about to take over and give you full power. What I actually miss is something that helps me "give way" calmly when merging. So far all the auto AAC cars I've driven, I've done a short tap on the break to interrupt the cruise control, so that there was space for merging, when incoming traffic was ahead of me. Edit: with all that said, yes it does bring joy to feel in control of your car... I just don't want it all the time.
You don;t have to have a manual to be prepared for an upcoming steep road. Nowadays every automatic has a manual option that allows you to choose a gear manually by moving the stick (or the pedals behind the wheel) and you can gear down before the steep road starts.
@@FerrySwart while that's true, it still doesn't give the satisfaction of nailing your own shifts. Though even car manuals are lame compared to motorcycle gearboxes that you can bang through the gears with, without using the clutch. Quickshifters are bliss - you can upshift (and sometimes downshift) without using the clutch, but it is still you who is in direct connection to the spinning bits inside your gearbox.
@@mfbfreak Well, I don;t feel it that way. an automatic is luxury. Hand shifted cars feel cheap, having to do all the work yourself. But that's my opinion. It gives me satisfaction to have a automatic do the work for me. Why do it yourself when you can have a machine to do it for you? I have always one hand free to grab my bottle and take a zip of my limonade while the car speeds up, not having to shift gears manually myself. And in heavy traffic or city driving, my left leg doesn;t get tired of pressing that damn clutch all the time. Manual cars are so last century.
@@FerrySwart automatic cars are comfortable, but to me the shifting looks very odd and inefficient. If you suddenly step on the accelerator, the car seems to suffocate for a moment, and then decides to gear down. I really dislike this sensation. I much prefer being me controlling every single gear in order to prevent this, no automatic can do this
I have done my driving license on manual (in Poland) and now I have AT car and I prefer it It's easier to use off-road, also easier to drive in the city etc. Many people say that once you drive automatic you would never go back to manual, I agree with it completely
Driving a manual means your are more in control of the car hence that extra bit of satisfaction. It is hard for people like me who grew up in the world where manual is dominating and we fell in love with manual cars when we were little. But when we come to the age, when we can finally, legally drive a car, manual is dying or worse. It like… I've lost my words, I don't know how to express that feeling, it's painful…
For me the type of car also matters. When I drove small, light cars, I really enjoyed the manual. Lately I've switched to larger luxury cars and it just 'makes sense' to have an automatic, I definitely wouldn't want to change gears myself in these cars. At the same time, if I ever wanted something like an older sports car again I would go with a manual.
Manual forever! You have more control on your car, on mountains you really need the manual feel to use the engine break in your advantage, also starting from ramps it's more great to use manual. I feel so lazy if i'm running an automatic.
For me driving an automatic car always feels like playing a video game and choosing the easiest mode. Also I drive a 15 year old golf and my passenger have to roll the windows up and down manually. Only the front windows are electric:)
If everyone went back and had to learn with no driver aids ABS, power steering etc etc then there would be a lot more competent drivers on the roads. Too many aids make every one feel safe and the worlds greatest driver till the automation fails or hit the limit and shit gets real.
Manual vehicles are excellent for private car owners with their cognitive skills in shape. Automatic shift eases the job of truck and bus drivers, and similar jobs . Me being a trucker. Auto cars are also good for grannies and disabled people
@@ilversbendrups320 kangoo?! give me the source of your 170hp. i only 75 sadly but also manual ofcourse. i dont even want to imagine how this must feel in an automatic.
You forgot one important reason: It's so much more fun to drive manual. When I talk about driving with friends they all talk about how much more fun manual is. Drove around 60k km in Australia with an automatic - yes, it way pretty convenient but I really missed my manual transmission. It's just a complete different experience. And - furthermore - I got so much more control over my car...manual all the way! But the things you were talking about are also true, but I think the "fun"-part, the "experience"-part is probably one of the most important ones, at least for europeans who like driving.
Manual transmission cars are much more enjoyable to drive. You can control much better the car, you feel better the machine. It's a pity that manual transmission cars are being phased out
While most personal vehicles are still manual, automatics are definitely becoming more popular when in use by businesses and rescue services (ambulance, fire departments, and police forces).
American who has grown up driving manual transmission cars here - My parents were in the Army and spent most of their time on Active Duty in Europe. Also, they were from Montana/Alabama and in the 80s, manuals were quite prominent as those states were rural and everyone basically had one. My first manual transmission was a 2005 Toyota Camry that I began driving in 2008. It was for all intents and purposes a fully loaded vehicle that just so happened to be a stick. I took my driving test in it and the instructor was so amazed I made the car move that she passed me even though I messed up the "reverse" part of the test. I lost it in 2013 to a drunk driver and picked up a 2014 Nissan Sentra. I spent a good solid year and a half without a car (bought the Sentra in 2015) because I wanted a manual and couldn't find one I liked. I managed to pick up the Sentra for just under 12k USD simply because I demanded they lower the price or I would walk. Besides, Americans don't drive sticks, right? lol I lost that Nissan last year and had to settle this year for an automatic and let me tell you: It has definitely made me a poorer driver. 1. It's less involved because you literally have an idle hand and foot. Kid you not, I drive my car with one hand and one day I found myself reaching for my phone. Bad American habits. 2. No speed control. Overtaking other cars is a pain because my CVT transmission won't shift when I need it to. 3. I recently took a 6 hour drive and on two separate occasions, I found myself falling asleep and collision detection had to save me. Never when I drove a manual did I almost hit someone from behind. It literally takes the task out of driving. I wish that Americans would bring back the option for manual in most cars, or at least let me special order it to my specifications since they don't sell well...
Don't forget that in most of the rest of the world you are required lessons to be allowed to drive, so people actually learn how to use a manual transmission from the very beginning.
Finally a video about this topic. Having lived in China, Spain and the UK I have always found this to be very interesting. Living in Shanghai where the incomes are a lot higher, the only manual cars would be the Volkswagen Touran taxis and everything else would be automatics. In Spain, most of the cars are manuals. In the UK however, I was actually very surprised by the amount of automatics. Lots of very ordinary and even older cars from the 2000-2010 era such as Yaris's, Golf's, Skoda's are automatics when I would've expected them to be manuals.
You're spot on with your thoughts! I'd add two more things: 1. The commute - Most people in Europe tend to walk/cycle/take public transport to work cause of restrictions, expensive parking, or just convenience. So the main selling point for an automatic, the constant shifting through start-stop traffic, is gone. 2. Engine braking - I've talked to people who drive an automatic and asked about how does engine braking work... They usually have a puzzled look on their face (maybe they're using it wrong). However I live in a mountainous region (The Balkans) and every trip is going to have a long stretch driving down a mountain, at which point I will shift the engine into an appropriate lower gear to slow me down, instead of setting the brakes on fire. I might be wrong on the last one, I've heard some more performance oriented cars have this as a function in their sport mode. But I'd love to hear if a normal, everyday Insignia/Mondeo/Passat automatic does this as well.
I still drive a manual...A Honda Civic Si and when I got it, it was the only one of like 12 manual cars the dealership had out of an inventory of 200+ cars
I remember reading about this before, Automatics in very heavy duty (what we call class 8) trucks are a fairly recent phenomenon over here, only really becoming popular in the last few years and still have a negative stigma from longtime drivers. Although I do feel an important technical note is I'm pretty sure our trucks are much heavier than yours, requiring bigger and more powerful engines as well as bigger and beefier transmissions, which likely weren't possible to build in a reliable automatic until recently
@@cpufreak101 “Here” being North America? Yeah your trucks are bigger and more than likely have a bigger engine. I mean you have trucks with two trailers here we don’t. Plus your trailers are 53’ long. Here, the majority are 44’ long and some in the UK being 48’ with the rear steering axle about 2’ or 18” from the back of the trailer. We’ve got really tight bends and corners😂. The average truck engine is about 450/500hp. The auto boxes are fairly recent here too. Becoming popular in the last 15 years or so. My guess is more for fuel economy. Some of the boxes are so smooth you don’t feel the gear change. Like my Renault T520 with a volvo box. Mercedes boxes are terrible. You come to a stop and try to get going again but the box cant decide which gear😂
@@Iamtheliquor yeah mostly North America (as well as Australia, a big export market for Kenworth). If I remember rightly the weight limits on them can be anywhere from 80,000 pounds to 160,000 pounds depending on the state you're in, along with maximum of 2 or 3 trailers.
@@cpufreak101 The weight limit here is 44,000 kg. But we do have bigger for specialised, and oversized loads. However I’m pretty certain they have manual boxes
Driving a manual is a fun way to drive and it makes you more focused on driving. When I drive automatic, my mind gets a little numb and I tend to drive 20 mph higher than I would in a manual car.
The biggest reason is because they are cheaper than automatics. In my country (Greece) you can buy a base mitsubishi mirage under 10k whether an automatic costs upwards of 10k. Plus they are very reliable and usually do not need a rebuild , if they do the repair is considerably cheaper. Plus here in Europe we ve got cars that have less than 100hp which means that automatics rob some of their power whether manuals actually help them a lot
The biggest reason is the small engines. We have engines from 1.2l - 2.0l in the past as the most common engine. Those were mostly underpowered for automatic gearboxes, now that small engines have enough power and gearboxes are much better, the automatics are rapidly taking over car market. In the States, 1.5 diesel engine with 100hp is made fun of, it's a good car here
I switched to an EV last year and one thing I regularly miss is the manual transmission. Simply because it is more fun to drive manually, except when sitting in traffic. I still keep driving manuals from time to time, mostly our family car when I visit them for a week or so and we move about. I haven't unlearned it yet, but I am getting a bit worse at it.
Don't worry, you won't forget it. I am driving EV for over 5 years now, and last week had a chance to drive manual. No problems, just a bit awkward that you have to do so many things. For me driving EV is much more relaxing, but fun as well due to instant acceleration.
Manual transmission demands more "conscious" driving, more attention to whats happening with the dangerous machine you´re operating. Driving can be (in fact it is) a pleasure, but you have to be AWARE of whats happening (NOT included drinking, texting, using cell phones, reading, eating, educating your children, arguing etc.). Learning to drive manual transmission cars can "educate" the driver to pay attention to what he or she is doing.
There's also reliability, which is far superior in the manual transmission, plus the fact that if you manage to break the manual transmission it will cost you around 20% of the price to fix it compared to a traditional automatic, and even less compared to a dual clutch or a cvt, that's why it is really common to Total an old automatic car if the transmission goes bad, that'll probably never happen on a manual car.
Yes - most manual transmissions made in last 20 years don't need any maintenance during 350-400k or even more. By that time you'll be replacing thr clutch and it might make sense to change the fluids. Changing fluids in a manual can still often make the shifting better - but it won't really affect the durability of the transmission for the rest of the car's life.
I hate this behaviour of automatics when you press the pedal it feels like the car needs some time to decide what you want to do. It’s like many gears are spinning and spinning until the force pushes you forward. Manual is like direct push
After having driven (mostly manual) cars for about 40 years I should note that there is quite some difference in the difficulty of driving them. When I learned driving and had my first car, it was common to have like 1100cc engine with maybe 40-50 HP and carburettor, and it was quite tricky to drive them as you had to carefully control the amount of accellerator and clutch to drive them away from standstill without the engine stalling. There also is difference in the "bite" of the clutch, between manufacturers and makes of cars. Some of them have an agressively biting clutch and it is a real skill to drive smoothly. That usually takes several lessons in early driving school before students master to even drive the car without stalling. But today engines have injection and electronically controlled accellerator, and it all becomes much easier. It does not stall that easily. In my current car the clutch is working more smoothly, the engine has a bit more power relative to the weight of the car, and operating it is sooo much easier (it of course is hard to compare because I also have a lot of experience). In this car, I can drive in reverse, e.g. when parking the car, without even touching the accellerator. That would have been impossible 25 years ago. I'd say that with a car like this, operating the manual transmission is something that requires no real attention from me. It is like "when walking, I just need to look were to walk and observe the general terrain, not thinking when and where to lift and place my feet". It just happens as part of the overall activity of driving the car, not as something I need to be aware of.
It is just habit, something you grow up with I guess. Same as with airco in the house, with which Americans cannot seem to do without but isn't that common in Europe either. For a long time automatic gearboxes were synonym with grandpa driving a car, it was not deemed "sporty". Personally I prefer the comfort of an automatic transmission, and think it helps safety because there is one thing less to worry about for the driver in an emergency situation.
If you „have to worry about driving in an emergency situation“ you definitely should stay at home. You need to do it without thinking, need perfection and training to do it right. If you can’t you should stay with automatics for sure.
In my case, I prefer manual because I find it more fun to drive, I enjoy more on the road. Also, on trips it helps me pay more attention to the road because you have to be aware of the gears. I've driven new automatics and still prefer and keep my manual car. :P Greetings from 🇪🇸
Automatic transmissions are for lazy people. Manual transmissions give us more control over our car. In icy conditions or aquaplaning, but also in the mountains manual gear is the best option. The same thing when i drive my motorcycle, 100% manual transmission. And cars with automatic transmission are expensive.
Main reason would be for me is money. Automatic is aint cheap to repair, and I would really have to look hard for a mechanic who can actually repair the damn thing.
Yeah traffic and road works are the only problem. Manual isn't perfect. But real drivers know that putting your auto in neutral when idling is better in your engine and brakes then leaving it in D and braking trying to force the car to stop while it wants to go
Manuals are also better in Europe because when you’re going down a hill or steep mountain which is common here you can actually use your engine brake, automatics just can’t do that and they end up overheating the brakes because they don’t stay in the lower gear.
This was true maybe 15 years ago or with diesel. Small engines which are commonly used in Europe these days combined with long gear ratios doesn't brake. I used to have 1.2 tsi with 6q manual and you had to brake all the time. It just rolls and rolls.
@@Romif_SK I have to disagree on that even small gasoline engines have engine brake but less of course than bigger diesels, however diesel with manual transmission is still really popular in Europe unlike the US where they have gasoline and auto. Btw I drive a 2003 vw polo 1.4 TDI #dieselpower p.s. manual transmission ofc
@@jonasobletter Like I said I have 1.2 tsi car with 6q manual and also car with 2.0 tsi with dsg and the one with dsg brakes more with engine than manual with small 1.2. You should try more cars than your 1.4 tdi :). No hard feelings here btw.
If you drive a manual, you know how to drive. It is like why we have no problems with roundabouts and Americans do. I drive as economic as a automatic or even more fuel efficient. It is not only the price, but also the driving experience. If it were the costs, automatic would be big in Germany. Manual will be a thing of the past when electric driving will push out gasoline cars.
For me, it is as cheaper buying a used manual gear car, since there is far more of them and they decrease in value quicker. And after trying the automatic, I felt disconnected and I really love driving . So I went for a manual, because I felt more connected and gave me more enjoyment ❤️
I think another reason is that in Europe, there are more features such as roundabouts which are easier to negotiate with the greater degree of control that a manual transmission affords. Roundabouts are still uncommon in North America.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
one of the reason you will see more manual in germany, is that if you do your driving licence with an automatic, you are only allowed to drive automatic. If you do it with a manual car (which 99% do), you are allowed do drive both, as auto is considered easy once you know manual. That is one of the main reason why nearly no driving school has or will have electric cars, even tho they would be a perfect fit... they are all automatic
Yes, point 1 and 2 is not really a reason choosing a manual or an auto. Its not like " ohh shoot, savings are tight this month, i have to by a manual" . In germany you have to be a very very bad driver to willingly choose an auto instead of a manual as a beginner. Older people and those who choose comfort in their mid-life, they prefare auto, but the rest in germany still would choose a manual over an auto.
F. e. I hate the new trend that many new cars are mostly offerd just with an auto, even here in germany.
But ...
Just a few months ago the authorities have changed that very regulation ...
If you drive a manual for 10hrs under instructors supervision he/she can testify you know how to drive a manual.
So, if then your driving test is on an automatic car you will be allowed to drive both manual and automatic shift.
@@MHG1023 oh, ok, wasnt aware of that.... guess the switch to automatic will now go even faster, but it will be slow as long as the "old guard" of manual drivers is still on the road.
Hearing these news is unlikely once you passed the test yourself.
Thank you for letting us know!
Correct, same thing goes for the Netherlands.
Same for UK. Pass manual driving test, you can drive any car auto and manual. Pass auto test only and you are restricted to auto cars.
For me manual is like automatic. My muscle memory just does the shifting and breaking for me.
That's true, once you've learned it your brain has adapted. An automatic car is a little bit easier to drive but there is still much a learner has to get his head around when learning how to drive.
@@trismegistus2881 ja toch
@@trismegistus2881 I've gotten my first ever automatic about 2 years ago. It was a rental, so I only had it for about 4 Weeks. BUT the first thing I remember was getting out of the Dealership and Instinctivly hitting the Clutch..... well, there was no Clutch, but a break pedal... and that's the story about how I learend how good the breaks of the new Golf were.... it was painfull :D
@@WhitedevilEE For me, the clutch is like this weird 'extra' pedal which I fail to understand. I'd love to learn how to use it some day, though.
At least you hit the brake and not the gas. ;-)
That's a point! Saying that manual drivers need to be "focused" on gears is an overstatement. I simply don't think, and when I think, I make mistakes 😂
1 - manuals are cheaper: a small hatchback costs from 10k to 15k and the auto box is a 3k extra
2 - everyone knows how to drive a manual because everyone has their license done on a manual car
3 - it’s fun!
4 - during decades automatics were shit in European roads, sluggish and slow. It’s ok on big open roads, not so much in narrow city roads… the stigma that autos are shitty remains…
Some people do get licenses for automatics only.
@@Pumpkinhead77 Like me😇
@@winio437 But why? Now you can only drive automatics
@@uzidayo unfortunately in my country most cars are manual
@@uzidayo The reasons are simple, at least in the Netherlands: your instructor feels you're not progressing driving manual.
What I mean by that is for some people, having to focus on anything but the road is a hindrance. If you then show you're not another road hazard you're fine to get a license just for automatic transmission. I believe you can test again after 2 years, because your driving experience is a lot better then, not needing to focus as much as driving becomes second nature.
- Superior vehicle control ( engine braking etc)
- Cheap and easy to maintain
- Keeps you engaged in driving so you don’t get distracted
- It’s loaaaads of fun!!
i bet most rear ends at traffic light are from automatic drivers because of your 2nd last point
@@6uiti Good point.
Personally I have always been driving manual cars. Only for work, sometimes, I have to drive an automatic, and I still don't like it.
I have to admit, more than once, I almost hit the car in front of me. Not due to a lack of attention, but because I'm not used to vehicles starting to move at its own, just by releasing the breaks.
I really do feel more in control when driving a manual transmission, such as regulating the speed or slowing down before an intersection.
I agree with all your points, apart from the 2nd one.
Slush-box automatics need very little maintenance, occasional fluid change, but that's it. A manual will need clutches to be replaced.
You miss the fact that you can disconnect your engine from the driving shaft no matter what you boardcomputer thinks.
@@juststeve5542 Manual transmissions are waaaay more reliable than auto ones. Auto transmissions, since they are now pretty complicated, have much more moving parts and therefore prone to breaking, whilst clutches on manuals are more likely to last for many years.
I believe the main reason for driving manual is: because you can.
Once you acquire a skill, you feel good and somehow proud of yourself for continuing using and affining it (it can take years of practice to be able to execute perfectly smooth shifts quickly and consistently). Especially knowing there are people around the world that don't possess that specific skill ;)
That's my reason to keep using manuals actually, I had such a hard time learning how to drive them (I'm a very slow learner) that I'm not willing to let that skill go away by driving an automatic afterwards.
One sentence answer: Manuals are way more fun to drive. :)
That's just until you hit some annoying highway speed changes.
In a long haul family car I'll choose an automatic with adaptive cruise control.
On a track day, I'd totally choose a classic Porsche with manual. It is indeed more fun in that context.
Oh yes especially in traffic.. my left leg used to hurt by the time I got home from switching from 1st to 2nd one thousand times.
@@ag.3820 I do love manual as that was what I was taught. But I have to admit that in 90% of the time I've been driving, it's just more comfortable having automatic... I still reach for the stick when approaching a roundabout but then I remember just in time.
@@BenjaminVestergaard exacly, and for that 10% you can get a truly fun manual car like a MX5 or something sporty, if you really enjoy driving.
@@ag.3820 I love the MX5, if the Danish car taxes weren't that crazy, I'd keep one just as a summer evening go-cart...
Not insanely fast, as such, but so much fun to drive.
I think a key reason missed is the "enjoyment" factor of being in control of a machine. There are people who just use cars as a tool to get from one place to another, but there are people who want a bit of enjoyment out of even a mundane journey, even if they don't realise it. People like pushing buttons, people like turning dials, people like being in control. Having automation do the job takes away some of the enjoyment. You may ask why the difference between North America and the rest of the world? My answer would be that North American roads are tedious and boring. Speed limits are relatively slow compared with Europe, and that makes driving more boring. It also means you have less need for progressively going through multiple gears, because the speed limits are so slow you end up maxing out at a low gear, so not very fulfilling. America also has a fetish for stop signs and the infamous four-way stop. This is a big deal. Start stop driving is less pleasant with a manual. If in Europe we were forced by law to stop and start at every intersection I'm sure we would have switched to automatics sooner. Instead, junctions mostly have a system of priority and give way (yield) which means often traffic can travel through somewhere between a second gear crawl and full speed. If I lived in America, I would have an automatic, as the road infrastructure makes it a better choice. But I don't, and in anything other than stop-start traffic congestion, changing gear makes a journey that little bit more engaging.
Well said! 👍🏽
Exactly! He missed the main reason why Europeans prefer manuals: enjoyment! It's so much more fun driving a manual. Automatics are useful if you're stuck in start-stop traffic on a daily basis, but on an open road I want a manual every time.
@@kubiyoshi2744 I hear you. Still, for an enthusiast driver, changing gears manually is a satisfaction no auto can fulfill
All that is so true, you really feel like you are taming a manual vehicle, than it simply submissing with automatic.
But,
All the new systems of turning lane arrows, red, yellow, green, blinking yellow, delay, some will even hold off an entire intersection cycle until there are 3 cars waiting to turn. You cannot cheat and peek at opposing road's lights anymore, it is very unpredictable, and IS ruining it.
I would not sit through all the arranging of traffic with the throwout bearing pressing the fingers, so you have to stare at your light, stare, and if you look away, that is when it switches to green or whatever, and you gotta do 3 easy steps while getting honked at 🙄😁🤣
American cars typically have very long gear ratios for the best possible highway fuel economy. A friend of mine is married with an American and he actually said speed limits are actually lower in Finland and in America. Roads here in Finland are mostly very straight and wide. Stop light are common and in Helsinki designed so that you pretty much need to stop at every second light.
Why I prefer manual:
1. "Direct" engine feel and response. No torque converter that takes forever to lockup.
2. Control over Shift Points. No gear hunting. No "WTF were the engineers thinking?" when I listen to the cars strange upshift points, and no surprise downshifts or refusing to downshift when you try to accelerate harder.
3. Gives me something to focus on while driving.
Nicer things about manual:
1. You can push start a manual.
2. Manuals are typically more reliable than their automatic counterpart if driven properly/not abused, although a clutch replacement will be necessary sooner or later if driven enough.
3. No need to disconnect driveshaft if you want to tow a manual behind another vehicle.
4. Engine off coasting if you want to and even find a good enough time and place.
5. Could be an anti theft device.
Things that suck about manual:
1. The clutch replacement if it happens to you while you own the car.
2. The gear ratios can be a hindrance (more so on newer models trying to meet EPA standards)
3. Rev hang on newer models
4. Not as consistent as automatic.
I think you haven't driven an auto in at least 8 years
@@XcaliburReborn The latest automatics are better about the "direct" feel and sooner torque converter lockups, but very few have read-your-mind shifting. Most of them hold 1st annoyingly long then try to get into the highest gears obnoxiously soon.
Another bad thing about manuals, at least for some people, is hill starts. But with a bit of practice it's actually really easy, just an inconvenience to people who are not good at it
@@madjoemak I used to love the feel of a manual. Something manly about operating a machine manually but I've moved into autos and won't be going back. Having a free hand to sip coffee and not worry about constantly shifting up down in traffic and urban areas.
When there is the odd bit of empty road to get any kind of speed going I don't tend to miss manual when any auto I've driven in the last 3 years shifts quicker than I ever can lol
Engine off coasting?! What even is that? Not only is it dangerous, because your brake pump and power steering won't work, but it's also completely pointless! When you are in gear and let off the gas pedal, your engine uses NO FUEL, untile about idle speed!
Cars with small engines are more fun to drive when manual. Plus manual transmissions last forever if shifted well. Manual transmission gives a bit of a extra control to driver. These small cars can be quite quick with manuals. Very good fun to drive.
Small curvy roads and small manual gearbox cars are perfect
True.
Small engine autos is just match made in hell. Lots of revvs and noise.
Yes they last forever - ". . . if shifted well". Use poor technique and you can quickly ruin it. And yes, it's the most fun transmission.
Also, you have so much more engine beaking with a manual gearbox. Drive in the mountains or hills and you will quickly understand what I'm talking about, it's a good driving lesson in itself.
Americans tend to spend far more time in slow/mid speed highway traffic in long rush hour commutes. Without other good travel options, driving is a daily necessity, a chore. I think this is why Americans seek to automate the driving task more and more. It’s no coincidence that self driving car development is mostly happening in the US.
Yeah i think that's a big part of it too
In the US and Canada you don't really have a choice but to drive most of the time, so people seek to make it as easy and mindless as possible by automating things that they can, and adding lots of extra comfort features to make it as ideal for mindless daily driving as possible
while in Europe (and especially the past decade as more and more of Europe moves away from being car centric) you have far more options that don't involve having to drive, you have a choice
so the people who only drove because they needed to do so to get places or who'd rather not drive are actually practically able to just not drive and without them there is less desire to automate and make driving as easy and mindless as possible
Fewer cars on the road in socialist Europe because driving is prohibitively expensive for those less privileged. Go take the bus, poor people!
@@kilobyte8321 this is a misconception you have in the US. I have a nice, well payed job in Germany and could afford to use my car everyday to commute, but no way in hell I´m doing that. I prefer to take the metro and bus, because not only saving money is NOT a bad thing(for example, with the same money I get to go out to restaurants/for fun a lot more, thank you), but it´s also a way to pollute way less, and to relax a lot more. Why should I want to drive back and forth with my car on a daily basis and get overly stressed by the traffic jam when I can just sit/ stay in the metro and comfortably read/listen to music?
And that´s the reasoning behind many others like me using the public service instead of their cars. Only people who come from outside the city outskirts actually drive to commute most of the time, and I honestly think it´s not great for them. None in Europe thinks that public transport is for poor people, on the contrary. Maybe inform yourself better before applying American prejudices to other parts of the world?
@@ChiaraVet Let me guess, you're a childless consoomer who lives in a small apartment and works a cushy white collar job. Not everyone wants to live that lifestyle and they're the people you're targeting with punitive government measures making driving prohibitively expensive. Stop trying to push the Yuropoor pod life on Americans who want to raise a family in a quiet, safe suburban neighborhood.
@@kilobyte8321 not even close. You're as much prejudiced as I thought you would be and some. The people who live on the outskirts of big cities in Europe are sometimes the richest ones, with the "white collar" jobs and the nicest houses, but I prefer the commodities that come with living where theaters, museums and such are just a 20 minutes ride with the metro to grasp. My and my husband's apartment or the one of the family right in front of ours aren't "a down choice". Grow up and learn that the US way of living is actually kind of shit when compared to a place where you don't need to worry about medical bills every day of your life.
An Italian friend of mine told me: We Italians want to be in control. We would like to dominate the vehicle. That's why we prefer manual transmission. What was surprising was hearing this from a woman.
The way I feel too. Had both.
I can dominate an auto car as much as I can a manual. I guess Italians confirm to the stereotype of being posers. (I'm Eastern European)
All of this and drive a Fiat Panda
So... In your oppinion is wrong for a woman to dominate something or someone?
@@vac65 he's probably so vanilla he thinks doing it with lights on is dirty
In the UK (and I think most of Europe), there are a distinction between manual (full) or automatic licenses with the former you're licensed to drive any car while the latter restricts you to an automatic so most people would choose to learn in a manual as it means you can drive both when you pass.
Yes, over here in the Netherlands it's the same. It's indeed better to get a full licence so you have the choice between manual and automatic.
We only have a full license in central eastern europe (Czech Rep., Slovakia, Hungary). Everyone is doing the driving practice and the driving exam on manual cars, however, you are allowed to drive automatics (i never tried haha) and small motorbikes up to 50 ccm (never tried either). This is the B category driving license, you can drive cars lighter than 3,5 tons with it
It's the same through out the EU I think
In Hong Kong, it's the same, which have automatic and manual license (manual license can drive automatic but not vice versa). However, most younger generation get automatic license only, because 99% of the cars are automatic, even taxis and cargo vans are automatics mostly. Most younger generation has zero knowledge of driving stick shift, same as USA.
@@zsoltpapp3363 In Slovakia we do have automatic only licenses and it's based on the car you are taking the exam with. You get a code on the back of your DL that limits you to automatics only.
Another reason is clutch control is a safety feature. When you skid on ice or aquaplane you use the clutch to gain control more easily and safely. Can't do that in an automatic! The rest was very well summed up!
Also use the engine as a brake.
@@whynotagain3639 The plugin hybrid I rented recently could simulate motor break by increasing the regeneration just by using the steering wheel flappers. And it gave me better milage in return.
But I admit, having been schooled in a manual, it would probably take another slippery course session in an electric for me to feel entirely prepared for an icy or snowy winter.
You are technically right, but how many times would that situation occur? I have been driving for 40 years now, and really, I never was in that situation. And believe me, I did some stupid things with cars, haha.
@@ronaldderooij1774 I've tried once since 2007 where it was a wiser choice to use motor brake than ABS due to snow covered slippery roads. Just proves your point, as I already admitted that hybrids can do that exact same thing using their regen.
@@BenjaminVestergaard yes but there's something very satisfying approaching a big roundabout at 80mph and entering that roundabout at 30mph but getting to that speed by not using my brakes once, just changing down gears to slow the car down.
That is not something you can do in an automatic car.
Engine brake and having an actual clutch is the key.
Engine braking is such a big part of my driving style lol
funny, you can have all that with an automatic the only thing missing being the clutch pedal
Yes, the lack of engine breaking is a pain on steep roads. But some newer autos allow you to select gears (I saw it in a new Renault Captur)
@@timpauwels3734 premium brands have this for decades! it's true you don't have the feel and adrenaline of perfect timing and shifting but I couln't care less about that in 1-2h bumper to bumper drives
@@sergiuspiridon5377 and the fun
There’s a couple I think you’ve missed. It’s a point of pride. Driving an automatic is seen to be for old women and fat businessmen. It’s not very fair but there’s a stigma. Like it’s not “proper” driving.
Another reason is the roads. Winding narrow roads are fun to drive on in a manual. An automatic (unless it’s a super car) just isn’t as fun.
And the second car issue. If a household has multiple cars, they all need to be the same because switching between manual an automatic frequently is horrible.
And driving long distance, you sit in top gear most of the time anyway so manual is a relaxing drive like an automatic once you’re on the open road.
If you can’t drive manual you are usually laughed at
😂🤣 More like automatics are for women peroid!
Honestly, I don't have much trouble with switching back and forth between the two. Sometimes I'll have to switch several times a day, no problem. In my opinion it's more about the size, height, weight, and other driving characteristics like acceleration and braking, which requires the most adaptation.
@@dr.oetqer But that’s because you do it several times a day. I had a job where switching vehicles several times a day was necessary and I never minded either. But I know lots of people who’ve crashed or almost crashed because they’re not used to switching.
Yes Karleem you have missed a reason. Manual is more involving to drive. Thats why Porsches didn't have cruise control while other brands did. If you enjoy driving you want to be involved. For typical American their 2 hour commute each way all on straight roads daily is tiring and already inconvenient enough. but for us Europeans our 30 minute commute through bends and corners is much more fun with manual where you get to do the decision making and get rewarder for it.
Manual cars can have cruise control. My manual 2006 Civic does. It simply disengages if you touch the brake or clutch. I use cruise control in my manual civic as much as I use it my automatic car.
@@jptrainor i know they do I had a few manual cars with Cruise control myself. But just like with automatic transmission - its great for long and boring motorway journeys. But for normal roads around country side with bends and corners you just wouldn't use it. In America commutes are longer and many more roads are straight line
@@jptrainor i dont think i ever saw any modern manual car after 2004 with no cruise control
And yet most high end sports car brands (including European) aren't even offering manual on their new models. It's only the peasants driving econoboxes still stuck with this obsolete technology. 😂
@@kilobyte8321 they arent offering manual because Automatic gearboxes are faster and more effective
Not because they are not fun
Its more about the competition between brands
When dutch people start taking lessons for their drivers license they have a choice to get a license for a manual car or an automatic. When you passed your exam for an manual license you can drive an automatic as well. Because there are a lot of (second hand / used) cars that have a manual transmission many people choose to take a manual license and a manual car and stick to it.
Same in DK, you can take an automatic only license, but the majority choose to get a full license.
My wife is currently taking a driver's license here in Denmark. (In her 30's). Her teacher recommends an automatic license, because with hybrid and electric taking over it doesn't make too much sense. But she insists on manual, because "what if I (she) falls in love with a classic". And I don't know how to counter that.
Not sure how it is now, as there are much more automatic cars in the Netherlands now but in the past, when I got my driving license in the early 90's, only people who were unable to get a manual license had an automatic only license.
Yes Gert-jan that’s they way it still is, I believe
People learning to drive in Seychelles always start in a manual car, it's the rules here. However once you have your license you are allowed to purchase an Automatic. At home my car is manual but both my mum and dad have automatic cars.
And do not forget.. stick is much more fun!
You missed probably the most important reason, at least for this Canadian: cars with manual transmissions are more fun to drive. I’m mystified by how car-crazy North Americans eschew this fun feature. My last car, a Jetta, had the best automatic transmission I have ever driven with, nonetheless, I was so happy when I traded it in for my 6-gear Civic.
Americans are lazy....that is why, this is coming from an American. I will never own another automatic in my life.
VTEC BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
@@Alex-yj9xl Only auto🤑👌✌
Plus in Canada we get more bigger options for manuals than Americans do
@@fortheloveofnoise how about traffic, i don't see myself driving a manual in los Angeles and i grew up driving manual overseas.. even where I live in the DMV traffic can get bad and unless the clutch and gears a are smooth i wouldn't do it. My sister (milenial) owns 2 cars both manual, a matrix and a Impreza, but the matrix is freaking lazy the engine is too small (1.8) and the body of the car is too heavy but oh the contrary the Impreza is awesome the seat is very comfortable clutch is super soft and easy with a powerful engine and with all wheel drive system is even better.. i
If you drive in winter conditions with ice and snow on the roads, especially in the mountains, then a manual transmission gives you much better control of the car.
If you know how to do it...
That's possibly one advantage automatics sometimes had. A button with a snowflake symbol that even the most idiotic driver will know to press when driving in snow.
That being said, that driver will probably still end up in a ditch, because if you don't understand the physics and what you are attempting to do, you really don't have the skill for snow driving!
@@juststeve5542 In an Automatic with a Ice and Snow button or mode you are fully dependent on the Engineers who developed the system. You do not have direct control over that system, and this added complication to the vehicle. Personally, I prefer a Manual Transmission and knowing how to use it most effectively.
Even though i knew i was going to get an automatic as a first car, i learnt manual because all my friends were. It almost felt like you learn manual to be normal and not lesser.
I was on a road trip with my dad in Spain, we had a rental seat Ibiza (automatic), we tried to overtake a truck, lets just say it was so painful...
By the time the car decided to drop down a gear to get better acceleration and then shifted back into the next gear, we had already lost the overtaking opportunity... That's kind of when I realised why I wouldn't want to buy an automatic car...
You just have a lot more control over little things like that with a manual
In an automatic you can downshift by had before starting the overtake just like you do in a manual. Added advantage, the automatic transmission computer won't obey a moneyshift. Or you can put it in sport for a quick response before overtaking.
Sound of a matter of RTFM…..
I guess im one of those idiots of europe that prefer the auto box. Even 80s box merc that is not well responcive on sudden changes but does its thing beautifully. I never had on my 2 autos (merc slk and 7dct on optima) any problem jumping out and passing. On the other hand i never buy a car that cant move itself in the moment
Transmissions are getting better and better nowadays + with the rise oh hybrids and electric cars it'll change. I drive a plug in hybrid and the electric motors compensate for the slow downshifting
Jesus. So you made your opinion based on experience with 1 car. There is many types of automatic gearboxes so I would say try something else.
It's also just fun.
I drive a car that's 'a little sporty and faster' but not fast by any means.
But it's so much fun to turn onto the highway and instead of shifting up just to keep in in 2nd and 3rd to 7000RPM.
It's fun accaleration and the engine is singing, but i'm only breaking the speed limit by 20kmh by the time i hit the limiter in 3rd, but you're having fun like you're doing 100 over.
I don't do that often, but sometimes you have a shitty day, you see the corner for the onramp, turn up the music, floor it in 2nd, turn the wheel and hear the engine screeming in the background.
And then you put it in 5th, turn on cruise and casually drive in the right lane till you get home.
Oh man, I love that feeling!
Exactly! There is one intersection when I'm joining main road and can't see much on both sides, so it's actually safest to get the hell out of here as fast as possible. So I just shift to 1, give it full gas, shift to 2, give it full gas and when I'm riding at 90 km/h I decide if I shift to 4 or 5. Tiny Korean car from 2002 with 81 HP / 60 kW :)
Yeah, and in the meanwhile this burns a lot more fuel than is needed. Having fun is great and all, but know that there are costs paid for it somewhere.
What I like about a manual is that it gives your gearbox foresight. An automatic gearbox doesn't know I'm about to floor it to accelerate form 80 to 130 to get away from behind a truck. I shift back to 4th or 3rd gear (depending on car), rev it back up, and then instantly have maximum acceleration. An automatic will have an amount of delay because it isn't probing my brain and I have no way to tell it what I am about to do.
This might be what you meant with getting more out of weak cars, but I always do it not just with weak cars.
Yeah, you're 100% right; again more control and 'directness' to the car from the driver.
Partly true, but it's getting better with lane assistance and AI understanding that if you suddenly floor the pedal, you wanna go.
But old fashioned automatic was indeed horrible at this.
Edit: last year I rented a BMW w/ automatic and adaptive cruise control. As soon as I used the blinkers to overtake, the ACC would floor the pedal, so I better steer around the truck in front. 'Cus that car could really pick up speed! It could also detect other cars in both my lane and the two next to me, so if there was anything in the lane I wanted to go, I had to overrule the driver assistance manually.
Those problems are already solved with modern automatics.
In fact you save alot more fuel driving fast in an automatic. Because it switched gear way faster than any human can.
@@gentlebabarian I'm not sure about the fuel thing compared to an open road in 5th gear... But overall, if you need to change speed repeatedly, I'm sure that, not only does it change quicker, but I remember how much an annoying driver in front of me could piss me off.
So my passive aggressive way of showing it would not exactly be fuel efficient, or the safest tbh.
Best is when cars can just adapt to the speed of traffic... I'll of course be annoyed if it means that I can't make it on time... With all the speech recognition etc. That gives me time to send a voice message that I'll be a bit late and tell why. Then it's just about choosing a radio station that I like and wait it out.
Insane driving will either get me there 10 mins earlier if I'm lucky, or 2+ weeks late if I'm not. Not worth it.
Here in the Philippine Manuals are still one of the best selling vehicles, since most roads that you can find in our country are hilly or sometimes mountainous, having a manual transmission helps your to control which gear is capable of climbing the hill. Also since most of the vehicle available in PH are small displacement vehicles having a manual means you can force the vehicle to give extra boost in horsepower when you needed to like what you said in the video.
At around 7:50 you said driving manual makes you more of a disciplined driver. I like how you brought that up. Because USA and Canada has the least disciplined drivers, and I think a big reason is because they don’t drive manual. I’ve noticed MUCH better driving habits with people that drive manuals than automatics
Highly doubt that
Australia Uses Automatics
When you live in the mountains or in a region with a lot of snow manuals are very useful sometimes. For example when you are stuck in snow your chances of getting out is much higher when you start in the second gear, because your wheels will have less torque.
Interesting. I think most people who live in snowy parts of the US and Canada would still prefer automatic, believe it or not.
You can lock most of automatic transmisions in higher gear for this purpose. Citroen c5 even has snow mod for gearbox. It preselect third gear and use the advantage of torque converter.
Lol, and in US they would actually think manuals in hills are the worst. But in reality you can actually use the gears to help you break on hills or mountains
?? Every automatic I've own had a RND21 selector. Isn't that 2nd and 1st? I've never had to use it because front wheel drive.
@@Un0rdin4rYPr0gr4mmeR By "many" I'm guessing 5% at best. Hills can make driving a manual less fun as well.
You can start a manual transmission car by moving it: 2nd gear, release the clutch sudddenly.
You can also spare the brakes (avoid overheating) on long descents in the mountains; the rule: on descent select the gear you would use to ascend; the higher rpm the more braking.
Yep, the original "push to start" :)
Yep, flat battery in auto you are stuffed... manual just push start it....
Except for the most basic ones, all automatics also have a gear lockout function for long decends and heavy load hauling.
In normal operation, an automatic indeed barely has any engine braking, but in 4th or 3rd gear lockout it will engine brake a lot more.
You can't do that in most fuel injected cars though
@@mfbfreak The amount of engine compression braking is going to be dependent on the size and compression ratio of the engine as well. I had a Ram 2500 with a 6.7L diesel and automatic transmission and I could maintain speed downhill in the mountains with a 14,000 lb trailer by just selecting a lower gear (I did have an exhaust brake, but rarely needed it).
Jan was close with his gear selection, but it is usually one gear lower to go down a hill than the gear that you would use to climb it.
So here are my two cents. So in the past, in Europe, most cars and their engines were quite small and low-power. You had a family car with 80hp. That'd just barely be enough. An old-style automatic would not only be much more expensive to buy, and would waste a lot of that power, but it'd also have fewer gears. They also wasted a lot of fuel. The car I'm driving right now burns 10 litres of fuel and gets to 100km/h in 11s - a manual version of that same car with that same engine burns 20% less fuel and gets to 100km/h in 9s. In the states where engines were huge you could get away with a 3-speed automatic but brute-forcing it with all that torque, in Europe you couldn't. Many luxury cars here had automatics even 50 years ago, just not most cars which were besically all economy-oriented. Nowadays, when automatics are often just as good or better, most people buy automatics. Often I don't even see an option for a manual unless it's the cheapes car/cheapest trim level.
80hp Family cars are still a thing in European cities. Also manual gearboxes Almost never break down and no maintenance is needed
@@martinssmits3170 automatics are good too. Also anything can be broken by stupid people. I've heard so many crunching gears in manuals throughout the years it's not even funny.
@@Matticitt yeah stupid drivers break manuals too, on the other hand you can crunch the gears for a very very long time before anything really breaks in a manual.
I have a brand new KIA 1250 cc at 84 HP and love it. I live in Santorini small island where streets are narrow and the daily routine trips are 5 km and back to the groceries, karate class, seaside, etc. Many people in rural Europe use 80 hp cars AFAIK.
From people here I hear that 100-120HP is a perfect power for a car if your living in the countryside and 75-90HP if you commute only around the borders of a city.
And tbh, I agree totaly tho having a bit more feels nice. 😉
I’m an old guy. I learned to drive on a VW Beetle ( 1964 ). To this day when walking down the street I find myself checking out the transmissions. Since moving to Southern Europe I’ve noticed the vast majority of cars have manual transmissions.
BEETLE!!
For me it’s about control. I like automatic gearboxes, but manual gearboxes are more so a connection of yourselves, instead of a different thing. I like the contact with the clutch, I like the way I move the shifter, everything.
Saying this as a 20-year-old with lots of experience in cars due to my job, I’ve driven lots of cars (50+). When I want to drive sporty, I drive sporty and ruin every fuel usage the car can calculate. When I want to drive slowly and carefully, I can do that too.
Yeah that’s the nice “human” control of a manual instead of having to switch between different modes in an automatic (sport mode, comfort, etc.)
@@Kerleem Indeed, and in my experience all those 'luxury' options can be quite distracting. Those new info systems can be nice and even useful in some situations, but personally I prefer the simplicity of a good manual without all those options and distractions. I want to feel more in control and that is something I can miss when driving a automatic.
As someone used to driving a 105hp Manual VW Golf Sportwagon , I was disappointed by the 405hp Ford Expedition. Felt pretty disconnected and never had power available within 5 seconds of pushing the throttle
thats a house on wheels. when did you ever feel acceleration on a huge vessel?? You probably feel it less
@@jamesmedina2062 power to weight is still considerably higher on the Ford, so it should be nimbler on the throttle
@@Kommentareable You are talking about a house on wheels bro. First issue is to make everything robust. You cant use a dual clutch for instant momentum. You have to use a torque-converted trans and they design it for soccer moms as well as men so I am sure the throttle is tuned a certain way. But mainly its the vehicle weight. Tuning would help it. Remember too that safety is first.
Comparing a Golf to an Expedition.... thanks for the laugh lol
@@aaryeshg.6526 size is irrelevant, as long as you have the proportional power(none of the two cars are limited by traction). You wouldn't take your lawnmower to the track even though its lighter than a miata
My dad drives an automatic car and my mom drives a manual and whenever my mom drives my dad's car he tells her every time "Keep your left food off the pedals", so I can definitely say most people who drive a manual are very used to it.
Whenever I get into an auto i habitually press my left foot all the way into the floor and make a fool of myself lol
@@benm3017 the first time I drove an automatic I almost broke the gear stick trying to "change gears" 😂
My reasons: I always have had a manual, it’s more controllable in the turns especially downhill (the engine isn’t downshifting as soon as you leave the foot from the gas forcing you to hit the brakes): this also saves the brake pads. Plus it’s cheaper.
As europenian driver that drives both i can say main reasons are:
1 - still more reliable
2 - no maintence needed (oil change)
3 - more affordable in every aspect
4 - better driving experience for an enthusiast (you are controlling your car, not vice versa)
As a French driver, another reason I prefer a manual is that you can start it just by pushing if the battery run out of juice, you can’t do that with an automatic and need cable.
Another reason is that with a manual it is easier to slow down a little bit: just decrease the pressure on your gas pedal a bit. Simple.
Automatic cars tend to 'press forward' more, so you'll have to break more often which also involves moving your feet to another pedal.
I remember one traffic jam in the US where I thought "in a manual car this crawling speed would be easier to maintain than in this automatic car".
And then there is overtaking. In a manual you can gear down in anticipation of a safe moment for an overtake, and then you'll have the extra power available instantly, without having to wait for the kickdown effect. Of course, in relaxed traffic this is not so important.
whaaaat? I've driven manual transmissiin cars for 19 years and now I drive an automatic. I still drive a manual everyone in a while (for example my mom's car). I'm never going back to a manual. Automatic is tremendously comfortable, a modern automatic is responsive when shifting up or down, and you don't wear out your left leg inching forward in traffic.
@conifr Not so, in my Nissan automatic via settings menu, I have selected my car to use engine braking, I rarely press the brake pedal, also kick down isn’t necessary, there is a semi manual mode on the shift lever, If I’m waiting to pass a cyclist I select this to keep the car in low gear and give me a fast and controlled acceleration.
@conradsz. I agree and combined with an automatic electronic parking brake I can keep the car in D while stationary without creep or any foot on the pedals.
Brake
@@Nickbaldeagle02 I received an alert from you, I cannot locate this mis spelling, are you referring to someone else?
as a fan of the manual, I was blessed to live in Romania in a mountain region so that I can have fun with it . Rev matches, heel toes, left foot breaking , fun , and in a manual I feel more in tune with the car, I know what it can give me, so I feel safer
Plus love hearing the revs and racing my car. If you didn't care about he car but only as a transport machine you wouldn't care what you drive. If you drive a Audi sedan with a V8 you'd pick manual because what's the point of a V8 then if your not gonna give it power and revs.
Hi, I am from Hungary, I'm 16 years old. The reason I clicked on this video, I was really excited about how other people think about from other countries having this widely spread manual transmission using in Europe. I am also interested in car things, even in the deepest part of them, I guess maybe because I am learning as a mehcatronical engineer :D You're awesome man, don't stop doing these videos! :D
Greetings from Hungary
Thank you!! Means a lot to read this
szia adrián, greetings from temesvar
Here in Germany I do not think that price has much to do with it. It is more the view on it. People (especially men) will think you are not able to drive a "real car", also people think that they are still slower and less effective (which good modern ones are obviously not). Also it is just nice to have that control over your car.
Less maintenance costs,
better control in mountainous roads,
engine braking and no overheat of breaks in descent,
heel and toe fun,
you can start the car with a push if your battery is dead etc.
I haven't driven an automatic for any length of time but as someone who drives a manual, when I finally got a car with cruise control (I know, imagine not having a car with cruise control!) and I enabled it on the highway, I immediately noticed I became a less attentive driver.
I didn't have to check my speed anymore, checked my speed relative to other cars less frequently and while this seems trivial, essentially it enabled me to zone out by "just keeping the car in the lane" as it were. I wouldn't be surprised if automatic transmissions, especially in the more dangerous stop-and-go traffic of cities/interchanges, lead to less attentive drivers.
That said, I can definitely appreciate the preference of not spending an hour in traffic in a manual.
I feel the connection between the engine and my heart, thats why I drive manual.
Also in the Netherlands, there are 2 different driver licenses for cars. If you have an manual drivers license you're allowed to drive in both cars, but if you got an automatic license, you're not allowed to drive in manual cars.
Why i drive a manual car;
1) cheaper
2) maintenance is easier
3) i can control if i wanna be fuel efficient or just fast
4) it's fun shifting gears :)
I'm living in the Netherlands and I have a two cars. One is a Renault Talisman (diesel automatic gearbox) as a main car for "transportation". My second car is a Peugeot 207cc convertible and that one is for fun and HAVE to be manual of course...:)
My first car was a Fiat punto petrol with manual transmission and without EPS, now I can take any car and I don't have problems to drive them. I prefer manual transmission because it's more immersive driving experience and I don't like having my right arm doing nothing.
I don't like driving cars, I don't have one but if I had it would be a tool, so I wouldn't care about the type of transmission, maybe even just prefer automatic. I do love my clutch and gear box on my motorcycle tho, blipping the throttle, planning ahead of the turn to sit in the right rpm range on the exit etc feels too good on that
Me too! Great car to learn how to drive properly!
Mine was a Sole 55hp 1.1l gasoline Engine(the glourious FIRE engine) without EPS, i remember the steering wheel tha was so hard esplecially when parking!
My first was a 29 HP Fiat Seicento, no EPS, no ABS and no assisted wheel. FIRE engine.
So much fun to drive!
Switched to automatic a few years ago. Highway and city driving is much more comfortable now.
I only miss my tiny manual Yaris when I'm driving on rural roads (aka rally mode driving... :) )
A ''Rear Wheel Drive'' with a ''Manual'' transmission is the best combination. You feel like the ''King of the Road''.
Until it snows.
I prefer driving cars with the manual transmissions because I love the the feel of the clutch and gear shifting. The United States needs more of them. The problems with the automatic transmission are the fluid when that gets dirty, especially when the cooling system goes out. I used to change automatic transmissions fluid, and the smell is strong when the fluid comes out of the transmission.
For many of us in EU, driving a manual is more fun. I rather have fun driving than being comfortable on traffic
Interesting!
For me, its being connected to the machine.. yeah sounds weird but in my 52 yrs of driving, I only owned an auto for 3 days and got rid of it. Also all my cars were small sporty cars and I enjoy the nimble feeling of there handling. Of course in Cali, we could mod however we like so suspensions mods were always the first thing. the sense of being "attached" to the machine when hitting an apex at double the limit feels awesome .(even if its only 45mph..lol) But I also understand that this is changing and its inevitable. .
@freddie neve. Its not weird at all I have 12 years driving experience and I have only owned manual cars to date and I still love manuals.
Manuals are just better than automatics.
This is the same reason why I will never buy a car with electric steering. Hydraulic power steering or a real manual teering rack gives that feedback....electronic steering does not. I love the look of the 2013-2014 Mustang...but it had electric steering....so I gave mine to my mother. Sadly I will have to get 2010 or older if I want hydraulic powrr steering. For a Camaro it will need to be 2012 or older.
A year back, my dad bought his first ever automatic vehicle. He wanted a certain type of car, but the manual options of that car had an annoying quirk, which made them undesireable for him.
I asked him a month ago, what does he think of automatics now. He said that it has helped with the long work trips, where he has to often be on a call for most of the trip, but outside of that, driving has become boring for him.
A small addition to the pricing argument: in a lot of cases, the automatic simply isn't offered with the base or most popular engine. So if you want the auto, you'll have to move up to the more powerful engine, even if you don't need the power. This makes the price gap even bigger.
Yes, exactly! I mean it makes sense when you think about it.
You need more power to compensate the losses of the automatic transmission. The smallest engine is never automatic.
@@woeufuS Not never. And with modern DCT-auto's, there is no power loss.
@@JanLemkes Right, no more slip loss, but there is still a delay which has to be compensated. Which is getting smaller since the shift faster, but it is still there. This is referring the overtaking scenario where the manual starts accelerating without delay because the driver anticipated it and the automatic starts shifting down 2 gears before accelerating. A double clutch transmission can prepare for one gear change to make it quicker, but not 2. With more power the automatic can catch up with the manual during the overtaking, with the same power? you loose.
You could argue that overtaking should only take place when you don't need to accelerate as much as possible, but then welcome to Switzerland's winding roads.
@@woeufuS Hm, I'm sorry, but I don't think this can anywhere be a problem. A manual is in this case only (and maybe) slightly faster because it doesn't shift at all, a minor difference immediately compensated by the fact that a DCT car is in a more effective rev range. Which it allways is btw, because they usually have more gears than a manual. That might also be why with some manufacturers, you CAN get the base engine with the auto. That others don't offer this, is i.m.o. purely sales based.
Mike my father has allways said _"You can't drive if you can't stick shift"_
The difference is that in Europe we DRIVE our cars and in North America and Japan people just simply ride along in there cars.
Being in control of a "machine", having to use pedals and "levers" simply gives me satisfaction, it makes me feel driving like a more "serious" thing. And I also think that a human that can switch gears well is always better than an auto because... he's a human. For example: if I see in front of me a steep road, I would gear down before I reach the climb in order to be prepared. An automatic can't do this, it can't predict what the road is going to be. But unfortunately the electric cars are going to throw away the problem of gears... 😥 Bye from 🇮🇹
The driver assistance tech is moving very fast these days. The system right now may not be able to see the slope 500m ahead, but it can detect it within 1/100th of a second when it meets it. Often the reaction is delayed a few seconds, so it won't gear down for a road bump. Also, if you suddenly floor the speeder and turn on the blinkers, it will assume that you are about to take over and give you full power.
What I actually miss is something that helps me "give way" calmly when merging. So far all the auto AAC cars I've driven, I've done a short tap on the break to interrupt the cruise control, so that there was space for merging, when incoming traffic was ahead of me.
Edit: with all that said, yes it does bring joy to feel in control of your car... I just don't want it all the time.
You don;t have to have a manual to be prepared for an upcoming steep road. Nowadays every automatic has a manual option that allows you to choose a gear manually by moving the stick (or the pedals behind the wheel) and you can gear down before the steep road starts.
@@FerrySwart while that's true, it still doesn't give the satisfaction of nailing your own shifts.
Though even car manuals are lame compared to motorcycle gearboxes that you can bang through the gears with, without using the clutch.
Quickshifters are bliss - you can upshift (and sometimes downshift) without using the clutch, but it is still you who is in direct connection to the spinning bits inside your gearbox.
@@mfbfreak Well, I don;t feel it that way. an automatic is luxury. Hand shifted cars feel cheap, having to do all the work yourself. But that's my opinion. It gives me satisfaction to have a automatic do the work for me. Why do it yourself when you can have a machine to do it for you? I have always one hand free to grab my bottle and take a zip of my limonade while the car speeds up, not having to shift gears manually myself. And in heavy traffic or city driving, my left leg doesn;t get tired of pressing that damn clutch all the time. Manual cars are so last century.
@@FerrySwart automatic cars are comfortable, but to me the shifting looks very odd and inefficient. If you suddenly step on the accelerator, the car seems to suffocate for a moment, and then decides to gear down. I really dislike this sensation. I much prefer being me controlling every single gear in order to prevent this, no automatic can do this
Manual gives you the feeling that you're actually driving something.
I have done my driving license on manual (in Poland) and now I have AT car and I prefer it
It's easier to use off-road, also easier to drive in the city etc.
Many people say that once you drive automatic you would never go back to manual, I agree with it completely
The main reason at least for me is, a manual car is cheaper to buy and is less of a hassle, a manual is almost bullet proof
3:03 look outside the window at the grey Corsa, it smoothly transitions to a van.
Driving a manual means your are more in control of the car hence that extra bit of satisfaction. It is hard for people like me who grew up in the world where manual is dominating and we fell in love with manual cars when we were little. But when we come to the age, when we can finally, legally drive a car, manual is dying or worse. It like… I've lost my words, I don't know how to express that feeling, it's painful…
For me the type of car also matters. When I drove small, light cars, I really enjoyed the manual. Lately I've switched to larger luxury cars and it just 'makes sense' to have an automatic, I definitely wouldn't want to change gears myself in these cars. At the same time, if I ever wanted something like an older sports car again I would go with a manual.
Manual forever! You have more control on your car, on mountains you really need the manual feel to use the engine break in your advantage, also starting from ramps it's more great to use manual. I feel so lazy if i'm running an automatic.
For me driving an automatic car always feels like playing a video game and choosing the easiest mode.
Also I drive a 15 year old golf and my passenger have to roll the windows up and down manually. Only the front windows are electric:)
If everyone went back and had to learn with no driver aids ABS, power steering etc etc then there would be a lot more competent drivers on the roads. Too many aids make every one feel safe and the worlds greatest driver till the automation fails or hit the limit and shit gets real.
Manual vehicles are excellent for private car owners with their cognitive skills in shape.
Automatic shift eases the job of truck and bus drivers, and similar jobs . Me being a trucker.
Auto cars are also good for grannies and disabled people
Automatics are also less annoying in city driving
Excellent sum-up
And it's always fun when I smoke some brand new bmw off the traffic lights with my 170bhp Renault Diesel van... Manual ofc 😜
@@ilversbendrups320 kangoo?! give me the source of your 170hp. i only 75 sadly but also manual ofcourse. i dont even want to imagine how this must feel in an automatic.
You forgot one important reason: It's so much more fun to drive manual. When I talk about driving with friends they all talk about how much more fun manual is. Drove around 60k km in Australia with an automatic - yes, it way pretty convenient but I really missed my manual transmission. It's just a complete different experience. And - furthermore - I got so much more control over my car...manual all the way! But the things you were talking about are also true, but I think the "fun"-part, the "experience"-part is probably one of the most important ones, at least for europeans who like driving.
You are cant afford a true sports car so you choose a manu
Manual transmission cars are much more enjoyable to drive. You can control much better the car, you feel better the machine. It's a pity that manual transmission cars are being phased out
While most personal vehicles are still manual, automatics are definitely becoming more popular when in use by businesses and rescue services (ambulance, fire departments, and police forces).
American who has grown up driving manual transmission cars here - My parents were in the Army and spent most of their time on Active Duty in Europe. Also, they were from Montana/Alabama and in the 80s, manuals were quite prominent as those states were rural and everyone basically had one. My first manual transmission was a 2005 Toyota Camry that I began driving in 2008. It was for all intents and purposes a fully loaded vehicle that just so happened to be a stick. I took my driving test in it and the instructor was so amazed I made the car move that she passed me even though I messed up the "reverse" part of the test. I lost it in 2013 to a drunk driver and picked up a 2014 Nissan Sentra. I spent a good solid year and a half without a car (bought the Sentra in 2015) because I wanted a manual and couldn't find one I liked. I managed to pick up the Sentra for just under 12k USD simply because I demanded they lower the price or I would walk. Besides, Americans don't drive sticks, right? lol
I lost that Nissan last year and had to settle this year for an automatic and let me tell you: It has definitely made me a poorer driver.
1. It's less involved because you literally have an idle hand and foot. Kid you not, I drive my car with one hand and one day I found myself reaching for my phone. Bad American habits.
2. No speed control. Overtaking other cars is a pain because my CVT transmission won't shift when I need it to.
3. I recently took a 6 hour drive and on two separate occasions, I found myself falling asleep and collision detection had to save me. Never when I drove a manual did I almost hit someone from behind. It literally takes the task out of driving.
I wish that Americans would bring back the option for manual in most cars, or at least let me special order it to my specifications since they don't sell well...
That's why I prefer Subarus over other vehicles. All their cars were available with manual up until 2014
Don't forget that in most of the rest of the world you are required lessons to be allowed to drive, so people actually learn how to use a manual transmission from the very beginning.
I love my 2016 Challenger RT+ with a 6 speed manual transmission. It's so much fun to drive!!
Finally a video about this topic. Having lived in China, Spain and the UK I have always found this to be very interesting. Living in Shanghai where the incomes are a lot higher, the only manual cars would be the Volkswagen Touran taxis and everything else would be automatics. In Spain, most of the cars are manuals. In the UK however, I was actually very surprised by the amount of automatics. Lots of very ordinary and even older cars from the 2000-2010 era such as Yaris's, Golf's, Skoda's are automatics when I would've expected them to be manuals.
You're spot on with your thoughts! I'd add two more things:
1. The commute - Most people in Europe tend to walk/cycle/take public transport to work cause of restrictions, expensive parking, or just convenience. So the main selling point for an automatic, the constant shifting through start-stop traffic, is gone.
2. Engine braking - I've talked to people who drive an automatic and asked about how does engine braking work... They usually have a puzzled look on their face (maybe they're using it wrong). However I live in a mountainous region (The Balkans) and every trip is going to have a long stretch driving down a mountain, at which point I will shift the engine into an appropriate lower gear to slow me down, instead of setting the brakes on fire.
I might be wrong on the last one, I've heard some more performance oriented cars have this as a function in their sport mode. But I'd love to hear if a normal, everyday Insignia/Mondeo/Passat automatic does this as well.
I commute in my car in Europe... 20-30 minutes depending on traffic...
I take 90% back lanes...
Guess which gearbox my car has 😁😁😁
(Yup, manual)
I still drive a manual...A Honda Civic Si and when I got it, it was the only one of like 12 manual cars the dealership had out of an inventory of 200+ cars
Main reason is because nobody outside the US wants to be like the US. Just kidding ppl! Lol
Except Canada?
@@Shadowfax-1980 ofcourse we in the Netherlands love Canada.
Here’s one for you! I’m a British truck driver and most European trucks (at a guess about 75/80%) are automatic.
I remember reading about this before, Automatics in very heavy duty (what we call class 8) trucks are a fairly recent phenomenon over here, only really becoming popular in the last few years and still have a negative stigma from longtime drivers.
Although I do feel an important technical note is I'm pretty sure our trucks are much heavier than yours, requiring bigger and more powerful engines as well as bigger and beefier transmissions, which likely weren't possible to build in a reliable automatic until recently
@@cpufreak101 “Here” being North America? Yeah your trucks are bigger and more than likely have a bigger engine. I mean you have trucks with two trailers here we don’t. Plus your trailers are 53’ long. Here, the majority are 44’ long and some in the UK being 48’ with the rear steering axle about 2’ or 18” from the back of the trailer. We’ve got really tight bends and corners😂. The average truck engine is about 450/500hp. The auto boxes are fairly recent here too. Becoming popular in the last 15 years or so. My guess is more for fuel economy. Some of the boxes are so smooth you don’t feel the gear change. Like my Renault T520 with a volvo box. Mercedes boxes are terrible. You come to a stop and try to get going again but the box cant decide which gear😂
@@Iamtheliquor yeah mostly North America (as well as Australia, a big export market for Kenworth). If I remember rightly the weight limits on them can be anywhere from 80,000 pounds to 160,000 pounds depending on the state you're in, along with maximum of 2 or 3 trailers.
@@cpufreak101 The weight limit here is 44,000 kg. But we do have bigger for specialised, and oversized loads. However I’m pretty certain they have manual boxes
Driving a manual is a fun way to drive and it makes you more focused on driving. When I drive automatic, my mind gets a little numb and I tend to drive 20 mph higher than I would in a manual car.
The biggest reason is because they are cheaper than automatics. In my country (Greece) you can buy a base mitsubishi mirage under 10k whether an automatic costs upwards of 10k. Plus they are very reliable and usually do not need a rebuild , if they do the repair is considerably cheaper. Plus here in Europe we ve got cars that have less than 100hp which means that automatics rob some of their power whether manuals actually help them a lot
The biggest reason is the small engines. We have engines from 1.2l - 2.0l in the past as the most common engine. Those were mostly underpowered for automatic gearboxes, now that small engines have enough power and gearboxes are much better, the automatics are rapidly taking over car market. In the States, 1.5 diesel engine with 100hp is made fun of, it's a good car here
I switched to an EV last year and one thing I regularly miss is the manual transmission. Simply because it is more fun to drive manually, except when sitting in traffic. I still keep driving manuals from time to time, mostly our family car when I visit them for a week or so and we move about. I haven't unlearned it yet, but I am getting a bit worse at it.
Don't worry, you won't forget it. I am driving EV for over 5 years now, and last week had a chance to drive manual. No problems, just a bit awkward that you have to do so many things. For me driving EV is much more relaxing, but fun as well due to instant acceleration.
Manual transmission demands more "conscious" driving, more attention to whats happening with the dangerous machine you´re operating. Driving can be (in fact it is) a pleasure, but you have to be AWARE of whats happening (NOT included drinking, texting, using cell phones, reading, eating, educating your children, arguing etc.). Learning to drive manual transmission cars can "educate" the driver to pay attention to what he or she is doing.
There's also reliability, which is far superior in the manual transmission, plus the fact that if you manage to break the manual transmission it will cost you around 20% of the price to fix it compared to a traditional automatic, and even less compared to a dual clutch or a cvt, that's why it is really common to Total an old automatic car if the transmission goes bad, that'll probably never happen on a manual car.
Yes - most manual transmissions made in last 20 years don't need any maintenance during 350-400k or even more. By that time you'll be replacing thr clutch and it might make sense to change the fluids.
Changing fluids in a manual can still often make the shifting better - but it won't really affect the durability of the transmission for the rest of the car's life.
The EU is not an emerging market. Manuals are a driving pleasure, giving you more control and are more engaging in driving.
See my pinned comment
I hate this behaviour of automatics when you press the pedal it feels like the car needs some time to decide what you want to do. It’s like many gears are spinning and spinning until the force pushes you forward. Manual is like direct push
After having driven (mostly manual) cars for about 40 years I should note that there is quite some difference in the difficulty of driving them.
When I learned driving and had my first car, it was common to have like 1100cc engine with maybe 40-50 HP and carburettor, and it was quite tricky to drive them as you had to carefully control the amount of accellerator and clutch to drive them away from standstill without the engine stalling.
There also is difference in the "bite" of the clutch, between manufacturers and makes of cars. Some of them have an agressively biting clutch and it is a real skill to drive smoothly. That usually takes several lessons in early driving school before students master to even drive the car without stalling.
But today engines have injection and electronically controlled accellerator, and it all becomes much easier. It does not stall that easily.
In my current car the clutch is working more smoothly, the engine has a bit more power relative to the weight of the car, and operating it is sooo much easier (it of course is hard to compare because I also have a lot of experience).
In this car, I can drive in reverse, e.g. when parking the car, without even touching the accellerator. That would have been impossible 25 years ago.
I'd say that with a car like this, operating the manual transmission is something that requires no real attention from me. It is like "when walking, I just need to look were to walk and observe the general terrain, not thinking when and where to lift and place my feet". It just happens as part of the overall activity of driving the car, not as something I need to be aware of.
It is just habit, something you grow up with I guess. Same as with airco in the house, with which Americans cannot seem to do without but isn't that common in Europe either. For a long time automatic gearboxes were synonym with grandpa driving a car, it was not deemed "sporty". Personally I prefer the comfort of an automatic transmission, and think it helps safety because there is one thing less to worry about for the driver in an emergency situation.
If you „have to worry about driving in an emergency situation“ you definitely should stay at home. You need to do it without thinking, need perfection and training to do it right. If you can’t you should stay with automatics for sure.
In my case, I prefer manual because I find it more fun to drive, I enjoy more on the road. Also, on trips it helps me pay more attention to the road because you have to be aware of the gears. I've driven new automatics and still prefer and keep my manual car. :P
Greetings from 🇪🇸
As a dutch guy, I drove only once in a automatic and I failed as i punched the brakes when I thought it was the clutch lmao. And it's boring as hell
It just feels nice to have more control over the car imo.
Automatic transmissions are for lazy people. Manual transmissions give us more control over our car. In icy conditions or aquaplaning, but also in the mountains manual gear is the best option. The same thing when i drive my motorcycle, 100% manual transmission. And cars with automatic transmission are expensive.
You didnt have to be hurtful
Main reason would be for me is money. Automatic is aint cheap to repair, and I would really have to look hard for a mechanic who can actually repair the damn thing.
I love driving manual every time, except in traffic jam. Then constant shifting neutral to 1st and back is kinda tiring for my left leg.
Yeah traffic and road works are the only problem. Manual isn't perfect. But real drivers know that putting your auto in neutral when idling is better in your engine and brakes then leaving it in D and braking trying to force the car to stop while it wants to go
You are a very wise man. Nice opinion.
Car with automatic transmission is a nightmare, Manuel transmissions are lasting for ever.
Safe the manual! I love it especially in mountains it's fun to be in control
Manuals are also better in Europe because when you’re going down a hill or steep mountain which is common here you can actually use your engine brake, automatics just can’t do that and they end up overheating the brakes because they don’t stay in the lower gear.
This was true maybe 15 years ago or with diesel. Small engines which are commonly used in Europe these days combined with long gear ratios doesn't brake. I used to have 1.2 tsi with 6q manual and you had to brake all the time. It just rolls and rolls.
@@Romif_SK I have to disagree on that even small gasoline engines have engine brake but less of course than bigger diesels, however diesel with manual transmission is still really popular in Europe unlike the US where they have gasoline and auto. Btw I drive a 2003 vw polo 1.4 TDI #dieselpower
p.s. manual transmission ofc
@@jonasobletter Like I said I have 1.2 tsi car with 6q manual and also car with 2.0 tsi with dsg and the one with dsg brakes more with engine than manual with small 1.2. You should try more cars than your 1.4 tdi :). No hard feelings here btw.
If you drive a manual, you know how to drive. It is like why we have no problems with roundabouts and Americans do.
I drive as economic as a automatic or even more fuel efficient.
It is not only the price, but also the driving experience. If it were the costs, automatic would be big in Germany.
Manual will be a thing of the past when electric driving will push out gasoline cars.
For me, it is as cheaper buying a used manual gear car, since there is far more of them and they decrease in value quicker. And after trying the automatic, I felt disconnected and I really love driving . So I went for a manual, because I felt more connected and gave me more enjoyment ❤️
I think another reason is that in Europe, there are more features such as roundabouts which are easier to negotiate with the greater degree of control that a manual transmission affords. Roundabouts are still uncommon in North America.