[abhisheknandan]

I always wanted an AT after driving Automatic vehicles outside the country. They are just hassle free to drive. I wonder why in a country like ours where the traffic is generally maddening, there is almost no presence of AT vehicles. The manufacturers charge a premium for AT(for obvious reasons) which is a deterrent for the buyers.

Many accidents take place because people confuse between the clutch and gear sync and having an AT will definitely help in that.

[Rahul Rao]

Currently we have three cars at home, one is an AT and two are MT. This will soon change to tow AT and one MT. The only reason the MT cars were purchased post 2012 was due to the simple fact that suitable diesel automatics in the budget range were not available.

Now the availability situation is completely different, good automatics are available in almost every price and budget range. One MT will be replaced by an AT soon, and within next three years hopefully the second will also be replaced.
I have driven all types of Automatics, and my choice will be a Torque converter automatic with atleast 6 gears, whose converter lockup is programmed to operate beyond third gear. The nominal Engine braking the lockup type converters provide is an absolute necessity for me.

Rahul

[reihem]

This is a very interesting debate. I haven’t owned an MT in a while.

I absolutely loathe the AT in my wife’s Jazz. The acronym CVT upsets me in general and visions of rubber band acceleration keep me up at night. I have surmised that poorly executed transmissions are disappointing whether manual or automatic.

The Germans and Swedes have great ATs and I absolutely love my V40 in S. If I were being honest, I would always choose a non cvt AT over an MT.

I have driven an MT Audi and I was blown away with what a fancy MT feels like. I suppose just like all ATs are not equal, MTs exist on a spectrum as well.

I feel that if blessed with long straight American roads, it would be fun to have an MT muscle car.

[gururajrv]

Voted for MT. Certainly do not want the computer to decide the gears for me. I should command the engine to my likes and not the other way around. I decide when I want more power and torque. At some point the computer makes the driver it’s follower by offering power & torque at it’s will and wish which certainly takes away the X factor of driving a car. Totally my take and intending no offence to anyone.

Funny interpretation of automatic and manual of what I always think;

Automatic:
Wife tells Husband what to do rarely switches to manual where husband takes over the call from wife.

Manual:
Both wife and husband goes in harmony as and when they want things to run

[Hayek]

For anyone with access to cars with decent modern automatics, the choice is very clear - automatic only. Most of the cars in my consideration set come with good or great automatics - ranging from the 6 speed torque converter in the Vento through DSGs (reliability is an issue but driving pleasure is not) to the ZF 8 speed in my X3. And manufacturers who fail to deliver good automatics (a la Honda, in the last generation City) drop out of the consideration set very quickly.

Why? 90% of my driving is urban - and not having to press a clutch or change gears makes life so much better. And for the occasional highway drives, modern automatics deliver all the possible driving pleasure one needs on public roads. And if you are driving in a manner that needs more than that, you should probably not be on public roads in any case.

I have not driven cars with AMTs. And I agree that the old 3/4 speed torque converters killed all the power that entry / mid end cars produced. So may be the choice would be different in that segment. But technology percolates down quickly - and there are decent automatic options any where above the B1 segment.

[The Brutailer]

Originally Posted by Hayek

And for the occasional highway drives, modern automatics deliver all the possible driving pleasure one needs on public roads. And if you are driving in a manner that needs more than that, you should probably not be on public roads in any case.

Not right. Manuals are more involving and a true enthusiast prefers that as it makes you feel connected to the car. You don’t need to drive at high speeds to enjoy a slick shifting manual.

People these days have become too sedentary and want everything to be easy and relaxing. Looking at the traffic, I don’t even blame them.

But don’t make generic statements like these. Thanks!

[AutoIndian]

I have voted for the 3rd option, "MT or AT depending on the car". I would have rather preferred a 3rd option as, "MT or AT depending on the Situation*". Situation being:

• Road condition (AT preferred for bad patches of road)
• Traffic (choc-a-bloc traffic, obviously AT preferred)
• Ghat road (MT preferred for better control)
• Highways (MT preferred, aggressive driving, can hold onto same gear enabling quick overtakes)
• Car size (small car with shorter gear throws, slick shifts, MT preferred. Bigger cars, with RWD config have longer gear throws, hence AT preferred)

[reihem]

I'm going to be the one to say it: There is a sort of unwritten law that "true petrol heads" must state their preference for MT over AT. Or at least this is what I seem to encounter when ever I profess my love for AT. I am happy to be termed a 2nd class petrol head, but I'm yet to find a reason to choose an MT over an AT.

[distiller]

Well I am going to vote for AT, maybe I can find two factors me growing old and ever increasing traffic!

In our country & especially in cities where the traffic is highly indisciplined coupled with bad roads, you literally have to pay attention 360 degrees. Thus an AT can take the stress out of everyday driving.
On highways as well, there aren't many highways which offer you the freedom to enjoy your drive. Right from unmarked speed breakers, haphazard diversions, stray cattle & dogs to name a few! Maybe an AT will be perfect for a relax drive. Although if you have a plan to do some aggressive & enthusiastic driving then nothing beats an MT albeit it should be a slick shifter!!!

[landcruiser123]

I currently live in the US, so got no choice. :P
In the Indian context, I think AT is better considering our traffic conditions. Most people don't have $$$ to buy different cars for different purposes.

I think AMTs are a sorry excuse of an automatic transmission. They have such bad shift times and they're jerky.

[ramkya1]

10 years back yes, l would not even think of AT. Now, will shift from stick shift for sure! Why?

Was always skeptical about ATs ability on the hills & when you want to feel the push of accelerating. For that reason, pre-booked, with difficulty, MT cars in UK, Europe & NZ for drive holidays! On strips with no speed limits, rocketed them....the pure joy of seat-push when you down shift & floor the pedal is....bliss!

All my misconceptions about AT changed from HVK Group Annual meet in Sri Lanka last year, most cars hired were ONLY AT. We got a dated Nissan Sunny AT for our two day recee run, l was skeptical as we had to cover extensive area, lots of stops & limited time.. But there was nothing else available!

It handled most hills with ease, power & grace. Where it licked most mid sized cars was the off road section which HVK wanted to try, about 12 km of boulders, rubble & no roads, took us 4 hours with expert pointing from HVK, patient driving & little help from local people to fill pot holes & MAKE roads! Was one of the toughest lve ever driven, considering the car. AT had surprising torque to pull out of holes, stuck pot holes & pull up very steep sections of mountains.. I fell in love with AT! HVK & Jyotivel would vouch for the adrenaline, nail biting 12 kms of he'll! Toughest part was not to scratch the underbelly as that would have attracted penalty of 250 $, l was pretty tense! We scraped through without any major underbelly hits! On the actual drive, l headed convoy 2 on a Corolla AT, was an awesome car too!

Been driving Scorpio for 12 years, Crde & Mhwak now, time for change. Scorpio is cruel on the left knee, GB always has been a problem, the auto is not good, keeps hunting between 2nd & 3rd. Surely l will change to AT, knee replacement is expensive, the trauma, costs and risks are too much to take

I've tested all sorts of AT SUV's, not many under the 20L budget that l liked to my taste!
The Auto boxes have evolved the last 5 years, become within reach, you would surely get the best trade off in most segments now, except Diesel AT with 15-18 L with Scorpio space & specs, just a matter of time, waiting for the right combo to switch out. Even my wife would shift from her Eon 1ltr to an Auto, the Wagon R looks great in price & offering for city driving.

So... I'll shift whole hog to AT, it's all timing now.

[jassi_jeeper]

Voted for automatic.
The humble k10 amt has converted me.
Before I purchased the alto k10 amt, I was dead against automatics. My mind was captivated by the endless rant of 'involvement' and ' controll' of manuals.
I live in Chandigarh and keep travelling to Himachal . The performance of k10 amt in the hills ( even on kuccha inclines) has further strengthened my love for automatics. Additionally I travel to Ludhiana often. Ludhiana is the most traffic chaotic city in North India. Ludhiana trips have also made me love my automatic car. Will never buy a manual again.

[krishnakarthik1]

Automatics any day! We have a kwid climber amt. Its jerky, noisy, overtaking is a huge planning exercise but the peace of mind and ease of driving is just so calming.

All my next vehicles are going to be automatics and since I drive the the most crude version of an automatic, my experience is going to get only better once I start shopping for higher end vehicles.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by krishnakarthik1

Automatics any day! We have a kwid climber amt. Its jerky, noisy, overtaking is a huge planning exercise but the peace of mind and ease of driving is just so calming.

All my next vehicles are going to be automatics and since I drive the the most crude version of an automatic, my experience is going to get only better once I start shopping for higher end vehicles.

That is because Kwid, like most budget hatchbacks, has a weak petrol engine to start with. If Renault had mated this engine to CVT or torque converter, the result would have still been same, I'm sure. Drive a powerful (relatively) diesel AMT like Duster and see the difference.

[krishnakarthik1]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

AMT like Duster and see the difference.

Yes, you are very correct. I have driven the duster amt and its very smooth and premium.

The best part is it manually lets you up shift at lower rpm also but downshifts automatically. I found that very useful because the engine has great pulling power and you don't have to rev the engine hard. This was missing in hexa automatic. You can't up shift manually unless you are in a certain rev band which makes a bit noisy just before it up shifts automatically.