Team-BHP - Automatic or Manual

Quote:

Originally Posted by MileCruncher (Post 1345472)

Well the question is slightly tricky as it is driver dependent. Automatics are kind of driver proof and take mili seconds to upshift. In automatics, CVT's are the best (personal opinion). In the hand of a skilled driver manuals would be faster but still upshift will not be as quick as in auto.

yes +1.

I am a newbie in driving.I've felt comfortable with AT when I was driving a civic at and accord AT.I've found difficulty in shifting gears with my ALTO.For starters AT is really comfortable.But all the big cars like Audi Q7,VW Touareg,Toyota prado,hummer h2 they come with AT only.Why ? is there any myth that HEAVY CARS can be controlled only with AT ? and if there is a MT in heavy cars can we drive them ?

AT takes the fun out of driving, always an MT for me anyday ! Hmmm, except maybe in our good old Bengaluru bumper to bumper traffic ! Regarding which one is faster, I guess a lot of that would depend on the gearing ratios used for the manual as well as the automatic gearbox.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannan666 (Post 1345959)

@ kannan666: Modern ATs are even more fun than an MT and in bumper to bumper bengalooru traffic, I'd prefer an AT or auto!

Hope you get the drift :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by headers (Post 1346126)

@ kannan666: Modern ATs are even more fun than an MT and in bumper to bumper bengalooru traffic, I'd prefer an AT or auto!

Hope you get the drift :D

I absolutely agree to that bit. Had an AT back in the UK (Jag). Never needed to go into the slotter as the shifting was linked to the throttle movement. If I used to be gentle with the throttle, then upshifting would happen at about 2k RPM but when I was aggressive, the shifting would happen more like that 4k. But used to be a big bore on the motorways. MT keeps a driver more involved.

P.S.: All new gen sports cars are AT

With the vast improvements in Automatic transmissions in recent years, it can be said that some Automatics are faster than manuals. Examples, Murcielago LP640-4, BMW SMG on M6 and M3, Ferrari Automatics in the California, 612, 599GTB, the new Audi, Porsche, and VW dual-clutch DSG transmissions, and the 7G Tronic from Mercedes are high-end performace transmissions offered in many different performance and sports cars. Heck, Ferrari's transmission is supposed to be 0.01 secs in between shifts, which human can shift that fast? So I guess, times have changed and it seems that the Automatic tranmissions and the Assisted Manuals are the way to go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by indiandevil (Post 1356946)

Hi devil, Thanks for the elaborate post. Now I feel satisfied in having started this thread! agree:

Oh man that's a tough one but based on my vast experience of owning an AT for 3 weeks :D I'd say a manual is faster.

It's not a like to like comparo because I have never driven a petrol Vento MT but in my Swift I notce I get incredible in-gear acceleartion (I can go to 50 in 2nd, 70 in 3rd etc.) and getting to a cruise speed of 110 or so takes less time than my Vento AT.

In S mode however, or with the manual mode (tiptronic) enabled, it's a close call. I'd still say the MT is faster though not by much.

Edit: In bumper to bumper stop-and-go traffic, there is no comparison. AT wins hands down. Speed isn't everything!

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster

The high end automatic s are much much faster than manuals.

Maybe your experience of a vento AT and a swift manual differ

Thanks for sharing your experience

Quote:

Originally Posted by headers (Post 2519944)

The high end automatic s are much much faster than manuals.

Maybe your experience of a vento AT and a swift manual differ

Thanks for sharing your experience

Can you share specific examples with acceleration/roll on figures for both (manual/AT) variants?

MT are faster in a straight line with no traffic. In city traffic and in highways where you need to overtake a lot AT are faster, time do gets wasted and you will tend to be lazy to change gears if we need to do a lot.

IMO, the manuals will be always faster

In case of traditional ATs with torque converter, some energy is lost in the TC. AT boxes are heavier.
In case of the DSG or equivalent technologies, there is no loss of power but they also don't get the benefit of instant torque multiplication which gives quick take offs in the automatics with TC
The biggest advantage of the manual is that the car can be revved to the power band before dropping the clutch, which is not possible in automatics.

But if someone is taking about, which feels quicker in the real life day to day driving, the answer could be different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guna (Post 2520340)

IMO, the manuals will be always faster

The biggest advantage of the manual is that the car can be revved to the power band before dropping the clutch, which is not possible in automatics.

But if someone is taking about, which feels quicker in the real life day to day driving, the answer could be different.

To classify all types of automatic transmissions under a single 'AT' umbrella makes no sense. There are advanced autoboxes with launch control ( engine gets revved before the AT engages ) and throttle-blips before downshifts. I would stick my neck out and say that the advanced ATs in combination with dual clutches can given even the best driver with an MT a run for his money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster (Post 2246010)

Oh man that's a tough one but based on my vast experience of owning an AT for 3 weeks :D I'd say a manual is faster.

In S mode however, or with the manual mode (tiptronic) enabled, it's a close call. I'd still say the MT is faster though not by much.

A typical AT box would be slower than an MT because you have fewer and taller gears. With an MT, you have the ability to rev the engine to a higher rpm before switching gears, taking advantage of increased turbo performance at mid to high rpms in most Indian vehicles.

Some AT boxes give you a sports mode and a triptronic/shiftstick gear switch and that comes pretty close to matching the performance of an MT. On AT vehicles built for performance, the time to shift between gears is minimal and they would be quicker.