We live in a society where convenience is at the forefront of our minds. We want to park as close to the supermarket as possible. We want to beat the queues at the airport by checking in online. We even want to travel first class on the train to avoid the noise pollution from the general public.

And when we drive our cars, we want our journeys to be as smooth and convenient as possible. In most parts of the world, people opt for cars with automatic transmissions. Those people don’t want the hassle of changing gear, nor do they want to bother with the trouble of hill starts.

Automatic transmission technology is pretty good these days, as it turns out. Dual-clutch gearboxes offer smooth gear changes, as well as those with six or seven forward gears. With automatics, the more forward gears you have, the better the shifting.

You can even drive some automatic cars like a manual, such as the one in the photograph. But the truth is, automatics will never be substitutes for manual transmissions. Nor will they ever be as good or as efficient. Intrigued? Let me explain…

Manuals offer total control

When you drive a car with a manual gearbox, you have better control over your car than you would with an automatic. The thing about automatic transmissions is that electronics dictate what they do.

Cars have an electronic brain, the ECU. The cars that have automatic transmissions have two ECUs; the second gets used just for the transmission. Automatics have to rely on the car’s main ECU to tell them when the conditions are right to change up or down a gear.

ECUs don’t always get things right, which is one you can sometimes feel unnecessary gear changes. If you drive a manual car, you are in total control.

Unlike a “slush box” manuals give you the freedom to choose when to shift, hence their popularity with many motorists.

Manuals are cheaper to buy

According to the guys at Motorline Direct, manual cars have always been cheaper to buy than automatics. If you are on a tight budget, buying an automatic car can prove to be an expensive choice.

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Car manufacturers can sometimes charge four figure sums if you wanted to buy a brand new car with an automatic box. On the plus side, automatics are worth a bit more than their manual counterparts.

You get more driving pleasure with a manual

Have you ever wanted to take your car to a drag strip, where you can have quarter mile races with other people? If so, you won’t have much fun if you turn up in an automatic!

When the light goes green, part of the experience is being able to change gears at speed. In an automatic, you just put your foot down and look ahead. That’s it.

I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to drive a manual for such driving exploits! What do you think? Let me know in the comments section below!