You see your dream car on the lot, an old vintage model similar to the car your dad drove as a youth. You take a closer look, and after thorough inspection, you realize it is perfect in every single way, except it is a manual transmission. You, like the vast majority of drivers today, have only ever driven an automatic. This isn’t surprising considering that most of the cars up for sale and those that come through a transmission service are automatics. Although the automatic is a lot easier to drive, there are some cons as well.
Control
An automatic transmission does the shifting for you, meaning that you don’t have to be as engaged with driving as you would with a manual. This also means, however, that you do not get to choose when to shift gears. Sometimes having control over that aspect of driving can come in handy, like around dangerous curves or if your comfort driving zone seems to be between gears. If you take pleasure in driving, meaning that you like interacting with the car and being engaged the whole time, you can get that kind of experience with a manual. If you could really care less and don’t want to add another limb to your driving experience, stick to an automatic.
Cost
As you probably already guessed, an automatic transmission is more expensive off the lot. And if you need to visit a transmission service Dallas shop, you will find that fixing a manual costs a lot less than fixing an automatic. But obviously, for most people, the additional money is worth the convenience of driving a less demanding vehicle.
Driving Experience
As stated earlier, the manual transmission offers a more hands on driving experience. Although, there are some situations in which a manual can be more difficult to drive, such as on steep hills. An automatic requires less effort on the driver’s part and can be a more laid back kind of drive, allowing the vehicle to do some of the work for you.
