It comes as no surprise that the car community is pretty divided. Ever since the first automatic transmission hit the market from way back when, an ever ongoing slaughter of hard-hitting facts ransacking the preconceived notion of driver involvement behind the wheel has continuously turned neutral and innocent Reddit threads, for those observing, into never-seize-to-amaze blood feuds.
- “I like myself a manual transmission. They’re the best!”
- “No, you’re wrong! Automatics are far better!”
- “Guys, calm down. They’re both just as good.”
- “Says the guy who’s obviously into automatics.”
- “What did you just say to me-”
- “Hey hey hey! Guys, please, calm down!”
- “God help us…”
So… which is it? Are manual’s the preferable choice over automatics, or shall these positions of power be swapped completely around? Why can’t we all just come together and respect both of these options equally? How shall these ‘consensual’ discussions be resolved, and why is this even a thing? Let’s find out.
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To properly estimate the depth of this wormhole, a quick summary regarding this situation’s inception is needed. Manuals and automatics, as different as they might be, actually share something incredibly similar: they were both conceived in an era when cars were, in the most laid back terms, barely able to walk.
In the decade prior to that of the hyperinflation succumbing Germany and putting the country in complete shambles, a race was ongoing between internal combustion engines, steam, and electric.
At first transmissions weren't required for the latter two because they produced such a plethora of torque that, frankly, no more was needed to sustain appropriate transportation over vast amounts of road (at least compared to horses)... in theory.
The truth was that steam cars were simply too heavy and consumed whole seas just to get going, while electric cars, in regards to the previous sentence, deemed the task of traveling for more than 2 yards as, simply put, impossible.
With two contestants already proven widely inefficient, how does the internal combustion engine compare? It’s been showcased that these engines do not produce enough torque to get going, so gears are needed, but how shall the driver handle these gears? He can’t possibly do it himself, can he? Well, if you wind back the clock some 20-odd years, and you’d be sitting alongside these chaps in their sliding-gear, chain-driven prototype, competing in the very first Formula One race, about to cross the finishing line... in first.
Dear reader, I want you to say after me, “Thank you Louis-Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor.” Ready? 3… 2… 1…
[Insert thumb here to show your appreciation]
What a time to be alive, huh? Either way, with the manual transmission in place, people started using this form of driving the automobile, fast. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that certain chaps with qualified brilliant-thinker energy took the concept of the manual transmission and advanced it to the point of no return. The results of which graced the face of the earth in 1939, in the shape and size of GM’s Hydramatic.
This funky-looking transmission had four gears, received its power from the engine through a fluid coupling, and was, as near as makes no difference, total crap.
Introduced in the Cadillac and Oldsmobile at the time, customers reported it being slow and dull, carrying the credentials of a tired, bored and right-down cynical office worker compared to the manual. However, these negatives were nothing more than nitpicks to what the buyers had to say regarding the overall experience using GM’s rubbish Hydramatic. They loved resting their right arms.
By 1960, 70% of all cars in America were automatics. And the percentage has never stopped climbing. As of this typing, 98,8% of all new cars sold today are fully fledged automatics, while the other 1,2% consists of, you guessed it, good-old manuals. If these transmissions were animals, their ability to fly would be comparable to an ostrich facing against an eagle. Care to discuss who's more likely to win?
“But Christian, manual’s are so much more fun.”
Technology today isn’t driven by fun-factor, nor is it measured by necessity. Convenience is at the forefront of these stables and whichever invention proves the most suitable for these specific criterias wins. For many, driving is a chore. From having to follow strict rules of what you can and cannot do to passively abide being stuck in traffic, anything that can help the driver cope with these nauseating things won’t go unnoticed.
The fact of the matter is this: automatics are more economical, easier to use, allow you to keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, and make stop-and-go traffic a no-longer-a-daunting-nuisance. Plus, there’s the option to have your car be a shiftable automatic, placing paddles behind the steering wheel, giving you the best of both worlds. They’re better and more efficient in every way imaginable, and manual’s should therefore be wiped off the face of the earth. It’s only logical, after all. And yet…
Comedy is subjective. So is work. So is the meaning of life. So are Mondays. And you better believe it's the same thing regarding the intangible experience that is driving pleasure. Manual transmissions have always been at the forefront of allowing mere mortals like you and me to jump inside our metal boxes, turn the ignition key, and put the hammer down, one gear change at a time.
How can something as old and primitive as a lever and an all-imposing third pedal contribute to such a visceral wave of adrenaline and dopamine? The answer is just as simple: engagement. And no, I’m not talking about you being engaged to your car, rather you being engaged using your car.
When you’re behind the wheel in a car that’s got a 6-speed do-it-yourself transmission, constant focus is needed. There’s more to keep in mind and your meetups with traffic-related chores become oh-so voluptuous. And yet all turn into insignificance because of how it makes you feel, if only for a few seconds.
When reality hits, an automatic can be a huge sigh of relief, alleviating you from your otherwise painstaking struggle executing basic driving-related chores. They’re dull, sure, but they do their job and they do them well. If you prefer having more fun while still cocooned in this safe, easily-manageable world that automatics offer, there’s always the paddle shifters. But if you’d like to go all out, laughing at the upcoming struggles in the face, by all means, get a manual box, press the clutch all the way down, engage first gear, and drive into the sunset. The automatics will be waiting for your inevitable homecoming. For now, though, just get out there and have fun!
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