For years, I've been hearing about how manuals are always going to be superior in terms of fun factor and performance. To be completely honest with you, I used to really subscribe to the idea that MANUALS ARE THE BEST, AND AUTOMATIC SUCKS! Of course, as the title of this entry suggest, my opinion has changed since, having driven a large mixture of manual and automatic cars.
For most cars that exist before me, the argument "manuals are better than automatics" ring true. In fact, it wasn't an argument - it was a FACT. I've driven a Wira with a 3-speed automatic and even if you offer me a million dollars to say that it was fast, I would happily turn it down and say "no" because it just isn't. I dare say that despite having 200cc more, it's slower than my own Wira 1.3 which has a 5-speed manual. The same more or less applies to my 2004 Kia Spectra. Between the Kia and the Wira, the latter felt a lot more sprightly despite the fact that it's "inferior" to the former - 1.3 vs 1.6, SOHC vs DOHC, 12-valves vs 16-valve and so on.
Of course, it's a completely different story today. Even regular torque-converter automatics not only provide faster shift times, but in some cases, better fuel economy than their manual counterparts. Automatic transmission technology has certainly come a long way, and it is no wonder why many are flocking to the automatics rather than a good ol' manual. Even some performance cars are no longer available with a manual transmission because they're really that much faster!
However, the point of automatics are faster than manuals doesn't often apply, even today. Most of the cars on the road - even those built in 2020 or 2021 - still utilise the 4-speed automatic. Case in point? Proton Saga, Perodua Myvi, Bezza, Axia - basically, cars that almost everyone could afford. Sure there are exceptions with some cars using a CVT automatic, but for the most part, it's hardly the automatic that I just talked about earlier. So, what gives?
If there's one thing you can't deny, it's convenience. Just yesterday, I bought the Chocolate Beefacon burger (yes, it's a thing, and you can have it with chicken too) from Burger King and together with the set, it comes with an ice cream cone. The problem became apparent when I needed to go home, where there was no space for me to put the ice cream and since I was alone, there was no one to hold it for me. It became a race to arrive home before the ice cream completely melted and mess up the interior, and I had no choice but to eat some of the ice cream - something I have never done in my 21 years of living, believe it or not - in order to reduce more ice cream being melted away. I arrived home, and immediately passed it to my brother instead.
The only saving grace for me was that I was driving my Kia, which is an automatic. Had I decide to drive my Wira, I'd be completely screwed. While it's not exactly advisable to drive with one hand, it's good to know that you can when the need really arises. While you could argue that manuals will be more fun, it's definitely not going to be fun if you've got a stick shift to change gears and a melting ice cream to attend to and leaving a mess in your interior now, wouldn't it? If you're gonna counter-argue and say that no one should be eating an ice-cream while driving, you might as well rename your argument to "why driving a manual is highly inconvenient" because the fact remains that automatics are superior in terms of convenience, and wouldn't you say that would make driving more enjoyable?
And that brings me to my next point - is driving a manual really that much more fun than automatics, or are you just caught up in the hype? Do real men really drive with three pedals? Well I have known men who drive with three pedals and they're pretty much dicks. More to the point, what makes a driving fun or not is very subjective. Don't get me wrong, the precise clicking of a good manual shifter is worth savouring, and nailing the perfect heel-and-toe rev match is just rewarding. But look, not all manuals are that enjoyable and in any way, I don't think what transmission the car uses dictates how fun a car is. Look at the Inspira I drove some time ago here.
For me, hearing the tires squealing every time you go to corner hard - or getting sideways, in some extreme cases - is what brings joy to an otherwise boring daily commute. Being free of one more pedal also allows you to focus on left-foot braking as you navigate through your favourite B-roads at speed, ensuring complete control over your car's weight balance. HOW IS THIS NOT FUN? YOU TELL ME.
In the end of the day, it's down to personal preferences as well as need and wants. Some people really die die need a manual car, and that's okay. Most common case is that there are people who take up manual driving license back in driving school, and then completely forgets it many years later. For me, I can do both - I'm fine with a manual, and I'm fine with an automatic. I personally think they're both enjoyable in their own respective ways and, last but not least, real men drive with however many pedals they want without being bothered about everyone else's opinions.
That's it for today's entry. See you all next time!
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