Stick vs. Automatic: We can hear the emails coming!

Wise people say we should never talk about religion or politics.  When it comes to those subjects, most folks are just too emotional to be able to keep the conversation on an intellectual level.

We agree with that philosophy and wish to add another subject: stick shift Vs automatic. Every time we voice our opinions on the matter we get voluminous response, usually in the negative. Nonetheless, our unemotional, scientific assessment of this burning issue is that automatic is the only way to go.

That's right, there's little room in this modern world for stick-shift automobiles. In reality they are NOT more efficient, they DON'T get better gas mileage, they DON'T give you more control on ice and snow and (here it comes, folks!) they ARE NOT FASTER! Believe it or not, modern manuals are NOT as reliable as automatics, but when it comes to older cars, that's not necessarily the case.  So before you email us, read on...

First come the exceptions to the above statement:

On the racetrack a stick-shift car is de rigeur. In order to maintain the fastest lap times the engine's revs must be kept within a narrow range (for maximum torque) and the braking effect of the engine is needed for rapid deceleration into turns. The same holds true for driving those winding, narrow mountain roads. (Question: just how often do you intend to do either?)

Just how good are automatics?

Years ago automatics were sloppy, sluggish and mechanically inefficient. With the advent of locking torque converters, fluid dynamics and electronic shifts automatics have become incredibly good at transmitting engine power to the wheels. Four-speed automatics are pretty-much the norm these days, with five and six-speed models rather common. Those same technical advances have rendered automatics as reliable as any other driveline component. Any modern automatic will last the life of the car and many don't even need fluid changes.

Manual transmissions, on the other hand, are virtually locked in "technology limbo". Little has changed in their design over the past 40 years, other than adding a few gears to the older four-speeds. Clutches are - and always have been - the weak point in manual-shift cars. They wear out! In fact, clutches wear out faster nowadays because asbestos isn't used in their friction material anymore. Also, the diameter of the clutch is kept to a minimum for weight-savings and driver comfort. Almost all modern car owners' manuals recommend clutch replacement at 50,000 miles (and you can expect to spend a Grand or more).

Mileage?

It is possible to get better gas mileage with a stick-shift (slightly more direct mechanical coupling to the drive wheels) but it doesn't happen often. The reason is that few people drive their manual-equipped cars the correct way to achieve good mileage. Doing so requires constant attention to minimizing revs while avoiding "lugging" the engine. Most drivers don't understand engine dynamics well enough to get better mileage. Meanwhile on the automatic, the engine's computer "talks" to the transmission and maximizes efficient shifts. The automatic almost always wins the mileage contest in actual driving situations.

Control?

In snow, mud and other slippery conditions it's the driver's skill that counts, not whether he/she has a manual shift. "I drive a stick-shift because I get better control in snow," is a familiar comment. Nonsense! Anyone who understands the car's mechanical systems and the physics acting upon them will tell you there is no advantage with either stick or automatic. It's all in the driver.

What a twit! You said sticks aren't faster than automatics?

Yup! A stick-shift CAN BE faster than an automatic but seldom IS! Here's why:

When you read a performance specification about your car you always see that the manual version is slightly faster 0-60 mph than the automatic. You won't achieve that acceleration figure with your car unless you're a complete dufus! Why? Because the way the car is tested is to rev the engine to its maximum torque point and then slide the foot off the clutch. After the wheels spin and smoke and the car reaches its limit in first gear the clutch is slightly depressed and the transmission is "power shifted" into second, then third, etc. This is a ridiculous (and very damaging) procedure and only a fool would treat his/her own car that way. One hundred such shifts guarantees the need for a total transmission rebuild.

In real-life driving the automatic will always outrun the manual, pure and simple. When the manual outruns the automatic on any regular basis you can bet it will be soon be hauled in for expensive repairs!

So what does all this have to do with collector cars? Well, one way to make an older car feel newer is to improve its smoothness. The easiest way to do that is to install an automatic, either an original-equipment one that might have been offered in your car or a modern, overdrive automatic that will allow your '56 Buick, for instance, to cruise the highways at today's speeds without feeling like it's going to internally hemorrhage.