Get on the stick: Manual transmissions can save gas and money

Conventional wisdom says that manual transmissions deliver better gas mileage than an automatic, especially if the majority of your driving is done on highways. A stick shift may also give you improved acceleration (particularly helpful if the car’s got a small engine) and the unquantifiable fun factor (many drivers feel that driving a manual is really driving).

But do these old adages still hold true? Consumer Reports purchased and tested numerous vehicles in the past few months in both manual and automatic form to see. In the subsequent tests, we've found that a stick shift can improve gas mileage by a notable 2 to 5 mpg, compared with an automatic transmission, and can cut a car's price by $800 to $1,200.

But there are downsides to driving “old school.” For example, not as many vehicles are still available with a manual; you need some experience to operate a stick shift and clutch smoothly; getting going with a manual transmission on hills can be a challenge (think San Francisco); and driving a manual in city traffic can be a tiring hassle (push the clutch in, let it out…). Depending on the model, a manual may also make it harder to sell your car since many people are intimidated by the aforementioned list of living with a stick-shift car.

See the highlights in the accompanying video, and read the larger report, “Save gas and money with a manual transmission.”

--Desiree Calamari

Comments

[Cale]

The blog makes some very good points but it's worth noting two downsides you don't mention:

1) Unless you drive a manual transmission equipped car to maximize fuel economy you may not get the benefit of added economy. Having owned several manual transmission cars and motorcycles, I found that I often leave it in a particular gear because shifting in stop-and-go traffic is a pain. Running the engine at higher rpms in a lower gear diminishes fuel economy.

2) Clutches are considered wear items by manufactures and aren't covered by the drivetrain warranty. A clutch replacement isn't a small expense and can negate the savings you get when buying a manual transmission car.

[Brady Holt]

It's also worth noting that it's much easier to beat EPA ratings in a stickshift because you have so much more control. You can roll in neutral in traffic, anticipate road conditions to know what gear to be in, and choose to be in a higher gear.

[david]

How does the direct shift gearbox (DSG) found in Audi/VW/Porsche compare against their respective regular with clutch manual transmission? That would be a really interesting test.

[Carol]

I'm a dedicated manual transmission owner. Which makes it very frustrating when considering new cars, because it seems to be impossible to find out which cars have manuals available. What I really want is a website that lets me use transmission type as a search variable. Wishful thinking, I'm sure...

[Jane]

I completely agree with Carol! Would love to be able to search only for manual transmission vehicles - and soon, since I need to get a car sooner rather than later...

[Tim]

Dear Consumer Reports- as a follow-up to this article, it would be excellent and highly useful if you would publish an article listing the manual transmission vehicles currently available in each category. I am like some of the other users on this forum in that I will only consider vehicles with a manual transmission. Thank you for considering this request, I know that it would be greatly welcomed by some of your readers.

[Forrest]

I would like to echo the request on a list of manual transmission cars. They are fun to drive and it is hard to get good information to compare & evaluate +/-s.