The Zen of Manual Transmission

Manual transmission cars (‘Stick shift cars’) are disappearing the more technology advances. There was once a time you had to know how to drive manual in order to get a car. Nowadays because of the advancements in the auto industry there is less demand because of how good automatic cars are getting. So manufacturers make them less, if at all, and they have now become  specialty items in the sports car category. This is why they are still considered fun when driving because of the level of engagement/involvement you have when driving a stick shift.

Topics discussed:

What is a manual transmission vehicle?

A manual transmission vehicle is a vehicle that you manually shift your gears in. This means you have to manually shift gears with a gear lever dictating how fast or slow you want to go. This is the opposite of an automatic transmission where you select ‘D’ for ‘Drive’ and the car’s computer takes care of the rest. In a manual car you usually have six gears to select from. Gears 1,2,3,4,5 and the ‘R’ for your reverse gear. One through five are your going forward gears; they basically signify speed. The faster you want to go, the higher the gear you select. The ‘R’ for Reverse gear is pretty obvious right.

Neutral

There is another selection you can make with a manual transmission that’s not gears one through five or reverse and it’s called Neutral. Neutral is a selection however, it is not a gear, neutral is the lack of gears rather. It’s usually found in the middle of the gear layout on the top of the gear lever (‘the stick’).

There is usually a little diagram on top of the gear lever showing you the layout, and neutral can be found in the middle between 3rd and 4th. You can tell by pushing the clutch in and wiggling the lever left and right. Once it wiggles freely then that’s a good indication you’re in neutral. Making neutral selections means no gears are engaged when driving, the wheels are freely spinning which means forward and backward motion depends on gravity.

Is a manual transmission car better than an automatic car?

This depends on what you mean by “better”. Better in what sense ? When it comes to certain criteria like fuel economy, driver engagement, price, maybe manuals might be better, but for your own personal reasons. Let me explain. In the case of fuel economy manuals are usually better because you have control over your gears which means you control what your engine is doing, like how fast you want it to rev etc.

However, automatic cars are so good today, the competition has become stiff, because of technology, automatics can outperform manuals in this area of fuel economy. Price is also neither here nor there. When looking to buy a car, let’s assume you found the car that you want and also let’s assume that both versions of that car exist, manual and auto. The manual should be cheaper…however you would have to know how to drive a manual. You would have to assess for yourself if you do or don’t. If you don’t, is the learning curve worth it? However if you can drive a manual car, then great, you have the luxury of choice.

Driver engagement

In terms of driver engagement, I would say manuals are better, or should I say taking control over your car’s gearing is more engaging because there are different ways to do this. When you sit in an automatic car you select your ‘drive’ gear  and you’re off with your journey. You’re just sitting and steering,braking and accelerating while the car is shifting gear. With a manual, the level of activity just went up a notch. You’re doing all the automatic chores but now added to that you have to select your own gears, gauge your speed, select your gear for the speed, engage the clutch to go in and out of different gears, and there are even techniques called rev matching. Rev matching keeps the revs high when you downshift to a lower gear, this is so you have more power in acceleration when you need it.

When you do all of this it leaves you feeling more connected with your driving experience because you’re taking control of more. So yes it is a lot more fun than an automatic so much so that even in automatic cars these days there is a “manual mode”. Auto cars today come with paddles shifting options or stick shifting mimicking methods and they call these “manual modes”. Essentially these “manual modes” give you the option to select your gears one through five or six but they don’t have a clutch pedal so it’s not the real deal stick shift. So there is something to be said about manuals being a more fun and engaging driving experience.

Is it better to learn manual transmission first or automatic ?

When you learn to drive a manual transmission vehicle you have to get a hold of a few things. First starting the engine without stalling. Then learning how to select your gears when driving. Then driving without stalling once again. Once you drive an auto you’re  just learning to move a vehicle essentially and obey traffic and road laws. The car will do the rest when it comes to your gearing etc. So that being said, if you can drive a manual then driving an automatic is automatic, no pun intended. Once you can drive a manual you can do both, but if you genuinely have high anxiety moving a car, it might be better for you to start with an automatic. Start small with less to worry about then work your way up.

How to start a manual transmission car ?

I talked about starting a manual without stalling already so here is what I mean. In a Manual you have three pedals Acceleration, Brake and Clutch, A.B.C starting from right to left. To start press the Clutch all the way in and brake, make sure the gear selector is in neutral which is in the middle of the gear layout, then turn the car key fully to start the car. Now if the gear selector (the stick) isn’t in neutral and in gear then when you start the car, it will just start rolling forward which you probably don’t want. Stalling means the engine will shut off. This happens when the revs dip below a certain threshold (idling rpm) the engine shuts off.

Conclusion

Things aren’t looking too good for manual transmissions in the future, with less and less people learning how to drive manual less and less car manufacturers are making them because of the lower demand. With automation getting even better, self-driving cars might be a norm in the future. But one thing for sure, sitting around while your car drives you won’t be as engaging as you driving your car if you’re looking for a fun driving experience.