[gk1234]

Voted for option 3, for the lack of a better option, and that’s partly because deep down, I know that mastering the art of driving can be complete only if I know how to drive a MT properly. It’s what makes you a complete driver, and since any one can drive an AT once they gain a proper sense of the road, what will set you apart will be your ability to command your car as organically as possible, and that would necessarily mean that you leave less to the electronics and more to your abilities to handle. Driving is more than a life skill to me; and I want to keeping getting better at it, as long as I drive. Also, I learnt driving on an i10 MT, so I feel nothing will ever be as satisfying as driving a MT.
That said, I won’t ignore the sheer convenience of an AT, given the traffic conditions these days, even on the highways. Having driven the E250’s 7 speed AT and the Superb’s 6 speed DSG back to back, I think I will prefer the DSG over everything else, and that’s in no small reason due to the fact that the DSG has a kick down switch which will knock down a couple of gears instantly, thereby eliminating the need for an MT’s precision to make that quick manoeuver on the highways. And nothing’s more satisfying than switching to sport mode and mashing the A pedal until I feel the press of the kick down switch. I doubt the Merc E250 has a kick down switch, and I’m not sure how the current gen 9 speed AT works.

[arunramaswamy]

It is always MT for me:

1) MT is always more reliable than an automatic.
2) Will never trust electronics to get a job done.
3) MT gives me a sense of total control during the drive, especially while overtaking on the highways.
4) I will end up paying more for a car with Automatic Transmission with the same set of features (In some cases fewer features)
5) Automatics will never give me as much pleasure of driving as a Manual Transmission.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by arunramaswamy

It is always MT for me:....

Agreed! The comfort & familiarity of the manual is addictive. The TC AT - as pointed out by many - is often disappointing in overtaking / hill driving manoevres.

The one exception is the AMT with manual over-ride - having the cake & eating it too!

[MBstoTBs]

Originally Posted by shashanka

Agreed! The comfort & familiarity of the manual is addictive. The TC AT - as pointed out by many - is often disappointing in overtaking / hill driving manoevres.

The one exception is the AMT with manual over-ride - having the cake & eating it too!

Well, to me, based on test drives with a Maruti and a Tata, AMT is not convenient in the city crawls. The car moves forward with a jerk and also slows down with one. In a bumper to bumper traffic, whether at high or low speeds, the situation was simply scary. Maybe, as they now have CVT's with TC clutches, maybe an AMT with a TC clutch may be the best of both worlds. But there is no car like this, AFAIK.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by MBstoTBs

Well, to me, based on test drives with a Maruti and a Tata, AMT is not convenient in the city crawls. The car moves forward with a jerk and also slows down with one. In a bumper to bumper traffic, whether at high or low speeds, the situation was simply scary. Maybe, as they now have CVT's with TC clutches, maybe an AMT with a TC clutch may be the best of both worlds. But there is no car like this, AFAIK.

Hello MB,
You are right about the jerkiness - some cars being jerky than others! - in the current crop of AMT-equipped cars. But I believe this is more to do with the still un-refined technology of the AMT, more to do with the electronics brain, so to speak - the algorithms in the control system - than with any inherent shortcoming of the technology.

The AMT has been used in exotics much earlier (the Ferrari Mondial as well as the Lancia Delta Integrale, a world champion Rally Winner in the 90's), so the technology, its reliability & durability have a provenance.

[MBstoTBs]

Originally Posted by shashanka

The AMT has been used in exotics much earlier (the Ferrari Mondial as well as the Lancia Delta Integrale, a world champion Rally Winner in the 90's), so the technology, its reliability & durability have a provenance.

True, AMT's combine the fuel economy and performance of a true manual with the everyday convenience of an automatic. They work better in dual clutch arrangements, and even there engineers havent yet resolved the slip and surge effect at low speeds.

[Ranabegins]

The way things are going i feel Automatic Transmissions will outpace the sale of manual ones very soon. I am ready to sacrifice some power over the convenience of an automatic transmission but i do accept that once i switch to automatic i probably am going to miss manual transmission.

[born_free]

I had experienced knee pains on long traffic jams and this was one of the reasons for me to switch to auto transmission .

I had driven automatics for around 1000 Miles in USA and Europe
and had got used to convenience they offer.

I recently got Creta Diesal automatic and really happy with the performance.

The TC unit may not be fast at shifting gears, but the diesal engine mated to it performs well.

The Manual Mode is intuitive to use and the shifting is as fast as stick shift. For single lane overtaking or hill drive, manual mode is good enough.

The gearshifts are smooth and unnoticable, the accelaration is pretty much linear.

This is the reason I don't miss manual transmission.

The gearshifts are tuned for efficiency on D mode, which also means silent operation at all speeds.

[vigsom]

Voted for choice3.

Having driven ATs of various sizes and shapes in city and out on the highway, here are my 2 cents:

1.Old school Torque Converter ATs shift to top gear only at 50kmph; so one can't cruise casually in top gear at low engine rpm in the city. I like to get to top gear as quickly as possible and coast at low rpm at moderate speed, and not getting there in city driving in an AT is irritating.

2. In torquey engines with light clutches, MT is the way to go. Diesels, especially, just ask for clutch and brake manipulation in traffic.

3. As an example, I've enjoyed driving a Fortuner MT more than my Grand Vitara AT in the city.

4.The petrol Honda City is a great example of a light clutched petrol.

[Chillout]

If city driving constitutes more than 70% of your driving time, it's no brainier that AT is the way to go. It's a pain to drive in bumper to bumper traffic on a manual,even if the clutch is light , shifts are smooth as butter. Looking at the future, traffic conditions are only going to worsen and hence AT will be choice for the parctical guy, for the enthusiastic a small car like Figo Sports or JTP will keep them happy for those spirited drives.

[isldhn]

Voted for option 2. I feel that AT is quintessential as far as driving in India is concerned. Our roads are getting congested by the day and the comfort which an autobox provides cannot be compared. I am yet to buy my first auto transmission car but have made up my mind to only buy auto boxes in the future. An AT with paddle shifters is what I actually dream of these days
Moreover with the rising traffic, we are getting clutch plates which are wearing off at very low mileages and there is no way out of it.

[soji]

I'd say it all narrows down to the type of vehicle, difference in price, maintenance costs, fuel efficiency etc.

Nothing spells control better than a manual transmission. In fact, it’s one of the reasons why a lot of people refuse to shift to automatic. It’s something every manual driver knows–and feels. There’s something about driving it that makes you more in-tune with your vehicle, especially on highways.
And while everyone has their own preferences, neither one is wrong or better than the other–it all boils down to personal taste. The most important thing here is that it meets your needs, because in the end, it’s really about experiencing your car at its best and most enjoyable on the road.

[FrodoOfTheShire]

Voted for Only AT. Quoting the post from @blackasta, (from the Comprehensive Guide to Automatic Cars thread) which perfectly echoes my thoughts!

Originally Posted by blackasta

With the current level of congestion in and around the cities, I am surprised that why everyone living / driving around those area is NOT buying an automatic car, citing reasons like 'fun to drive' (what fun can one derive driving in choc-a-bloc traffic during office hours?) & 'fuel efficiency' (swapping 100s of gear changes & clutching, for 1 kmpl less FE is a fair trade IMO). Also, you save your left knee from wearing out.

But sooner or later everyone has to shift to 'gearless' mode of driving, electric cars are the only way going forward, and there ain't any gears to grind in them.

[motorworks]

The most important factor in deciding AT vs Manual is also the cost. Most AT variants are available on the top spec or the 2nd highest spec and thereby being expensive.
I bought 2 cars in the last 1 year, and Ideally I would have liked one of them to be an AT considering I stay in Bangalore.
When I was looking for a replacement for my Rapid, I test drove the Verna AT and the City AT. The AT variants of these cars were almost a lakh or more higher than their equivalent manual variants. And that is a big difference! Finally after numerous test drives across many cars and many variants, I had to either shortlist a AT petrol City or a manual 1.6 diesel Creta and I chose the latter primarily because as a whole package the Creta made more sense at a very similar cost, only difference being the transmission.

And later during thr year, when we were to replace my wifeys Brio, we looked at AT options. Here again, a manual i20 worked out the same cost as Tiago AT and in fact the Grand i10 AT was even more expensive!

So in both cases I chose the better cars, may be even higher segments, that was probably my preference over an AT.

I do feel the stress when I drive the Creta in Bangalore traffic, but I guess its manageable for now. I really hope many manufacturers take the path that Toyota had taken with the Yaris, provide AT options on all variants or at least 2-3 variants, and then for sure i would look at an AT in my next purchase.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by MBstoTBs

Well, to me, based on test drives with a Maruti and a Tata, AMT is not convenient in the city crawls. The car moves forward with a jerk and also slows down with one. In a bumper to bumper traffic, whether at high or low speeds, the situation was simply scary. Maybe, as they now have CVT's with TC clutches, maybe an AMT with a TC clutch may be the best of both worlds. But there is no car like this, AFAIK.

I drive a TATA AMT and have never experienced what you describe as jerks during start off and stop.

Perhaps it might have been an issue with the specific cars you drove.

AMTs particularly in new age TATAs and Hyundai (read Santro) are far more smooth to operate than the earlier versions.