The automatic transmission was invented to make life easier for a driver. A century ago, most cars were created with manual (“stick shift”) transmissions, but they were bulky, unwieldy, and often required extensive training.
In many parts of the world – most notably, the US – the automatic soon became the dominant. However, there are still many areas where the manual is seen as advantageous.
But which is better in terms of velocity? Is a manual transmission quicker than an automatic when changing gears?
Discover in this guide.
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Automatic vs. Manual: Which Is Faster?
Like most inquiries along these lines, the answer is: it depends. How old is your automatic transmission? How proficient is it? Is it designed for performance or simplicity?
Is your manual transmission in adequate condition? How quickly can you shift gears? What’s the optimal gear change speed? How are the synchronizers holding up?
A few individuals may offer you what, from their perspective, is a straightforward answer. Nonetheless, in actuality, it solely relies on your car, its specifications, and its condition.
Does Transmission Type Make A Difference To Speed?
Yes, but once more, it relies on a few components. In certain instances, a standard transmission will be quicker. Occasionally, you’ll prefer an automatic.
An experienced driver could rapidly dip the clutch, shift up a gear, and release the pedal in a tenth of a second. However, the engine speed will have to match up with the transmission, which may take another couple of tenths.
This period is less in cars with lighter flywheels – that is, high-performance and small vehicles.
Note: although you can throw a manual transmission from gear to gear very quickly, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should. It’ll be significantly more wear on the drivetrain.
Automatic gearboxes can shift faster than manuals, although their shift times are set in stone. Performance road cars generally change up or down a gear in about 200 milliseconds (two-tenths of a second). Conventional passenger cars, like SUVs, could be up to half a second.
There are, as always, some exceptions to these figures. Of most interest is the Ariel Atom V8, reported to have a shift time of 4 milliseconds. Astonishing.
Is A Manual Car Faster Than An Automatic?
In typical passenger road cars, yes – a manual car is quicker than an automatic one. If you’re taking your daily driver off to a race (of any kind – drag, track, drifting, etc.), you’ll almost certainly be better off in a manual than an automatic.
This comes because of control. A manual gearbox, all experts will agree, gives the driver enhanced command of the car in most typical situations.
In a “speed” situation, you can decide precisely when to change gear, knowing that everything will happen exactly when you direct it to – not a moment too early or too late.
When Is An Automatic Faster Than A Manual?
When it comes to race cars and high-performance vehicles like supercars, paddle or lever-controlled sequential gearboxes are commonly employed instead.
These can handle the potent forces coming from the engine while changing gears quicker than a person could. That’s why you see them in F1, rallycross, and so on.
Flappy-paddle automatic transmission is when the car comes with two “paddles” behind the steering wheel. Pull one to shift up a gear; pull the other to shift down a level.
Flappy paddles are almost exclusively used on high-performance cars, so if your vehicle doesn’t have them (and it almost certainly doesn’t), you have a conventional automatic transmission designed for road use. Not the track.
Many novel elementary automatics also come with a sequential selection setting, sometimes integrated with the “Sport” mode.
While this might be quicker than leaving it in Drive, the delay from signaling a gear change often means you’ll hit the red line limiter. This would bring an end to your momentum, making acceleration slower overall.
What Are The Benefits Of A Manual vs. Automatic Transmission?
Whether a manual or an automatic is ideal for you depends on your typical driving style and route.
A manual is appropriate for you if you want better fuel economy, more car control, faster acceleration (compared to a basic automatic), lower repair costs (in general), and a more enjoyable driving experience.
You will, however, need to learn how to operate it properly. In many parts of the world, it’s virtually essential to learn to drive in a manual.
In contrast, an automatic is ideal if you don’t want to be shifting gears multiple times per trip. It’s about convenience and simplicity and is probably perfect if you do a lot of urban driving.
You’ll sacrifice multiple other things – mpg, acceleration, vehicle control, etc. – but your left leg might appreciate you.
What Other Options Are There?
These days, the rise of hybrids and EVs mean some cars aren’t really automatics or manuals. In these vehicles, power and torque get delivered directly to the wheels. There’s often no need for a traditional drivetrain whatsoever.
If electric cars continue to rise in popularity, the manual vs. automatic debate will become virtually obsolete. EVs are far swifter than both of them off the line, and it probably won’t be too long before they’re breaking speed records, too.
But, until that day, what’s swifter? A manual or an automatic?
The answer is likely a manual transmission, provided you can drive it well unless you get a high-performance sequential automatic. The latter will almost certainly outperform the former on a contemporary vehicle. However, both are superior to most conventional automatic transmissions.
A manual might be swifter, but if you constantly ram it mercilessly into gear, you’ll damage it. If you’re deciding on a car for long-term daily use, consider that too. Maybe an automatic is ideal, after all.