Most driving enthusiasts would certainly agree that nothing beats the feel of a traditional, row-it-yourself manual transmission. As the term goes, “real men use three pedals,” right? Not so for former Top Gear man Jeremy Clarkson, according to his latest posting on Sun Motors.
In his rant, Jezza asks why people would even consider a manual transmission these days, and likens people who buy a car with a manual gearbox as those who would say, “I don’t need a television with a remote control. I’m perfectly capable of walking over to it and changing the channel myself.”
He goes on to say, “the only people who would buy an old-fashioned gearstick manual are the sort who choose not to have a washing machine because they prefer to clean their clothes in the local river.” In reference, he points out that more than 70% of all cars sold in Britain employ manual gearboxes, and that more than 70% of Britain’s car owners are therefore “mad.”
Of course, Jeremy isn’t looking to create controversy just for the sake of it. He concedes that the manual gearbox has a place if you’re on a racetrack for instance, where a manual makes a person go “all tingly”. However, with the majority of cars spending their time in a city environment, he describes a car with a manual gearbox as “annoying.”
Automatic transmissions of today are certainly more efficient and effective compared to before, with most even capable of shifting gears quicker than any human ever could. Certain manufacturers have even abandoned the manual gearbox altogether including Ferrari and Lamborghini.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Would you rather have a manual or automatic transmission in your car? Let us know in the comments below.
Syukur lah.
People who insist on driving manual tranny for everyday driving are often nothing but poseurs, kononnya “purists” or “true drivers.” Track car, lain cerita, of course..
HEY! i drive my manual Gen2 CPS as daily car since 2008! Yeah its a pain in the leg during jams, so i minimise going thru one as much as possible. Even thru Federal hiway to&fro, i still dun regret getting a manual.
STFU if you can’t drive a manual, sissy donkey.
Shit gearbox like Punch CVT or DSG, a manual would make the car 10x more reliable.
Would rather hap CBT.
Have u ever stopped and considered that manual cars are cheaper to buy and maintain than AT cars? I’m not talking about track cars.
Not everyone has bad knees like old man Jeremy, I’d encourage my kids to get a MT car so they learn how to drive properly first instead of using their left hand to text and call while driving.
I have nothing against AT drivers (have AT cars myself) but calling MT drivers posers is just sheer desperation on your part.
As long as it’s not a Punch CVT gearbox, skip the manual
It all depends on “personal preferences”. I do admit Modern “advance or rich” manufacture do invent efficient and effective auto gearbox. But how about average manufacture? E.g: Proton, Perodua, Suzuki, even previously Toyota using 4 speed Auto which is not fuel saver compare to Manual. BUT…. especially in KL city driving during peak hours!!! manual can cause your left leg numb or temporarily “disable”. It is so so so tiring & frustrating.
I personally feel car buyers wanna their “second car” or sports car (e.g: BMW M cars, Merz AMG models or AUDI RS models) to offer Manual gearbox to have some “Ol Skol” fun instead “force” buyers …. nah only Advance Auto Gearbox, take it or leave it.
If the auto gearbox is good, ok la. Myvi, Axia, Vios godcar still use 4-speed also people buy.
But if shiat like Punch CVT, DSG, AMT, gi mampos.
Tak kesah. Suprima s punch cvt aku aritu cucuk honda crz dgn tapau honda eg lalala
Crz hybrid bro. Your ‘suprima’ tu bkn hybrid
maksudnya Gearbox CVt vs CVt
Yes betul cvt vs cvt. Suprima tu turbocharge. Meanwhile crz just cvt hybrid.
on high speed..punch cvt no problem.
Bashers should test drive the Suprima S before criticizing the CVT. It’s quite capable, actually.. possibly even smoother than Ford’s dual-clutch gearboxes.
you mean you cucuk dekat parking spot right..? cucuk right behind a honda crz that’s already parked ehh.. that one sure can lah.. hahahaha..
I’m currently on 4 speeder, a 2004 Vios. Trash her day in day out. But I’m very keen on getting a manual for my next ride.
Hyundai kia 6 speeder pon ok.
4-speed auto is not for man, only for girls, aunties, grandma, AQua, n the man with mentality aunties.
I see an egoistic uncle
And whenever you’re stucked behind a car as the light turned green, it’d be almost guaranteed a manual car… It goes a bit, then slow a bit, than get a bit of speed, then lag again, and…. Ohhh just got to be a bit patient even if you are rushing. Just wait for the road to open a bit and floor the pedal to surge forward that lazy left foot!
Your manhood is proved by your gearbox? Then you’re not a real man
manuals make sense in a small sports car, for daily driving, cruising, and your default sole car, definitely an automatic
Yup… Manual for ‘playcar’, auto for daily drive.
i would rather have my usual 5 speed manual if the other options are 4-speed auto, extra whiny cvt or problematic dual clutch. less money to spend during service vs auto, no annoying whining cvt sound, and less worry dct gb failure. and better rv to boot, at least for now.
yep you’re right. for me..city car i prefer auto..dont find it worth to hurt my left leg in traffic jam for an axia or myvi. manual for fun car..no need high performance..but fun enough to drive it in manual.
Jeremy is the king of publicity, he’s as sharp as they get when it comes to grabbing and making headlines. Isn’t their show about to launch soon?
I would surely opt for an auto on normal roads and a manual for the weekend track car…
mad old man lah this guy.
Does Jeremy still in equation?
still prefer manual regardless how advance auto gear box is… easier to maintain and yea, real man drives with 3 pedals..
Auto is at least £1k++ option.
Somehow, in reality, those modern dual clutch gearboxes not that much better/still worse fc than manual. May cause difference in road tax band.
More expensive to service/repair.
Hence, still >70% new buyers in Britain opt good ol’ standard transmission.
You do not need to drive a manual to prove your manhood
Simple, I syok holding joystick
Only dual clutch transmission
EV no need this two
NA engines got killed. Now manuals. I don’t want to live in this planet anymore.
auto gearbox becomes better and better. Wonder how in future where luxury vehicles has autonomous mode, do we still need auto gearbox? Is there any possibilities manual trans at that time?
I more prefer manual gear, but easy to shift as motorcycle gear.
same concept as rally gear stick.
Nowadays modern auto cars come with +/- mode.
Hahaha…!!! The tables have turned…!!!
Now guys who drive manuals are SISSIES…! It’s either they have no wives or girlfriends, or they have them but couldn’t get enough handjobs…
So >70% of brits are sissies?
Only 4-speed auto
Only sissies think that way
Yes
Who doesn’t want the stick? But in reality, daily commute in Msian traffic, my vote is for AT (+ paddleshifters for the fun of it)
Yes!! So if you’re tired/busy use automatic, when you’re bored n want some fun the paddle shifters are there for you.
I have CVT, auto, DSG and a manual. There are good and bad for each type.
The keywords for buying manual are “open roads” and “daily commute” in the same purpose statement. If it’s “traffic jam”, “Ampang” or “a gawddam double bump at the top of the gawddam ramp” instead, even Proton’s CVT pun lebih ngam.
kids/gay/les=at, man=mt
yaa….
In the same line, Why would anyone buy a car without a roof. :)
Why would you like all that pollution, wind, sun, rain, dirt, bugs in your face and hair.
Thats right folks. Driver involvement. Feel the car, feel the elements.
But yes, for a normal point A to B car, a manual is pointless. A modern automatic can do things much better and more efficiently.
Yes old slush boxes are pretty dimwitted, but as a comparison, my quickest recorded 2-3 shift on track (Full throttle with shift-rev limiter) is 280 milliseconds. A normal DSG would be 8 milliseconds…and yes you can full throttle it. Owners of turbo cars will understand why you don’t want to lift off at a gear change.
DSG is faster? (its a sincere question..not a sarcastic one ok)
Much. I don’t think any human can shift in 8 Milliseconds.
Just to clarify, my 1-2 shift is 280ms. My 2-3 is 450ms. This are times measured by the datalogger of the clutch switch. (which activates launch control on 1st (5500rpm), and shift RPM when moving (8000rpm) with the rev limit at 8200).
So the actual act of moving the gear lever is pretty much eyeblink quick, even then, no where near a good DSG.
Yes, you can confuse a DSG and make it shift slowly deliberately, but quite often it gets things right.
Cat
Dont fall for the dsg hype, they advertise the ‘transmission’ changing in 8ms but all their dsg cars brochures says its around 200ms
Actually CVT is best because there are no gears, just two pulleys and a belt. You are “in gear” at any speed. The Achilles heel with this system is the steel belt giving rise to the “rubber band” effect.
I believe we are looking at 2 different measurements. On a DSG..The faster measurement is the clutch “hand-off” from the first clutch to the second clu tch when the cogs have ALREADY been swapped. The clutch hand off could be instantaneous. So yes..it could be that fast.
Perhaps your DSG could be the slower type. Not all DSGs are the same…and not all DSGs are made by VW, although the 8ms claim was by VW.
If you muck about and confuse the DSG which preselects the next gear for you, the gearbox can be quite a lot slower.
So Mr “there is no car that can…” ….why not?
And yes, the best auto would still be a CVT. But they still seem to struggle with high torque applications. CVTs have come a long way…I first drove a CVT on a 1997 Civic HX…then on Nissan’s then new Murano.
CVT is actually old tech. Early 1970s. Google Fiat Uno CVT and you will know. IT was problematic. It made a comeback not many years ago in a much improved form. The main advantage is good fuel efficiency. That’s why this transmission is popularly employed in hydrid vehicles. One of the earliest Japanese car brands to adopt it is Subaru in the tiny Justy model.
Actually VW don’t make their DSG. It is made by Borg Warner. The one Ford uses (Powershift) is made by Gertrag.
Thats why i specifically mentioned dsg, their claimed 8ms is only the switching of the cogs not the clutches or the delay right after pressing shift paddles. Even the GT-R switches gears in around 100+ms and thats with paddles and all
Autos are good in the city, so we should worry bout more cities being built. So we can drive manual with no numb left legs.
I’m driving a 4wd. I prefer manual alot compared to auto transmission. I can control the power of my truck by myself.
I drive my 10-year old Honda Accord CL7 6-speed manual to work on weekdays and sometimes for weekend use also. Yes, I am mad, but loving it. Also own a DSG-ed car, but rowing your own gears is really something else..
Manual is less maintain. Auto always have pressure leak problem after few year using. Repair for auto is higher especially the one with my hightech technology inside. Ha ha..
gearbox is a thing in the past, future no need gearbox anymore meh
I don’t care how fast a DSG or any ZF can shift. 3 pedals all the way for me. Why Megane, Focus RS or Civic R never comes with an auto or DCT? There’s a reason and we should think about it.
You know Renault, Ford and Honda got best autobox that match their performance engine, don’t you?
According to his logic, Malaysia has 70% auto cars. So means Malaysians r less mad than brits. But in actual, Malaysian drivers are raving mad lunatics high on drug cocktails with a death wish and a personal grudge against other road users.
The dual clutch is efficient and quick. But it’s always nice if we still have the freedom to select gears on our own like a manual.
Conventional auto gearbox in small cars don’t feel smooth enough. I still prefer the manual.
Hail the most conventional and versatile ZF 8HP 8 speed automatic, serve beautifully from Dodge pickup to Rolls Royce Phantom. Forget bout DSG and CVT stuff after tested one in BMW.
BTW I’m driving good old manual in humble satria neo cps.
Manual is good below 1600 cc. There are many advantages. fuel safer, cheaper. pick up better. confident in overtaking. Auto, accident causes death press wrong pedal. cant push start. more expensive. consume petrol. Less power. maintenance cost higher.
Look, Tesla Model S runs on a single gear. Manual gearboxes are doomed.
But Tesla is an EV. Try making a conventional car with a single gear.
A rather pointless discussion IMO. It’s like asking whether you’d prefer an electric toothbrush or just regular ones. I am pretty much thankful that I own a car whereas I know someone who only have a kapcai to ferry his wife & two kids around…
I do agree with JC. Auto with more than 6 speed is great and for commuting, an auto is perfect.
It does make more sense to use a manual on track day though which is also what JC pointed out. So totally agree with him.
As for cars with 4 speed auto or crappy 5 speed manual, I think they are both terrible and I won’t want to drive such car. Sorry.
Well yes, imagine yourself getting stuck in massive jam with a shift stick. How terrible would that be? I’d rather be in a shitty 4 speed auto or a whiny CVT in that matter.
On a side note however, 4-speed autos ain’t all that bad as what you guys claim. Yes it’s awfully outdated but the one on my dad’s 2006 Vios is still very smooth, and for his daily commutes which involve trips to wet markets and kopitiams, it works very well. Yes it’s boring and slow but it gets the job done, smoothly. And for some people, that’s all they need. Well, at least it works better than Proton’s whiny CVT.
Sports car auto is not the same as normal car auto
Proud owner of C230 Kompressor (W202) with 5-speed manual transmission.
Mild traffic jam is still ok, but not peak hours.
Anyway, mostly use it on weekends; family outing..church..etc, so I’m happy with it.
Ride a motorcycle on weekdays.
There is a big difference between auto & manual. For auto cars, most drivers step on the brakes way before they approach a corner & all the way round the corner. For MT, drivers just taps the brakes nearer to the corner & then accelerate round the corner with a lower gear. The time difference to take the corner is significantly lesser with a manual. With the manual you also get to feel more of the tyre grip & engine torque which is greatly missing in a auto. This gives the driver more confidence & safety control than an auto with all the high tech electronic force braking systems.
In my opinion if you’re a real car enthusiast then stop watching Top Gear, stop listening to Jeremy Clarkson, go watch Fifth Gear then drive a Manual car! You really don’t have that feel with Autos. Less capable people would opt for the Automatic gearbox.
To me, manual gearbox still the have the best FC compare to auto, except good cvt
Torque converter can’t have 100% engagement. So there is more mechanical loss in auto compare to manual
And of course, nothing beat shifting manual gearbox at redline
It’s just his opinion lah no need to take it seriously. as long combustion engines is still around both manual and auto will be there.
just dont buy vw dsg..total rubbish..a manual driver will drive his car more often rather than having it stuck at the shop
never ending debate. future when auto-pilot car launched, another debate would be human driven vs AI-driven.
Human driving ftw!
Just watch Will Smith driving in I, Robot movie.
My current car with 8 speed gear box really smooth and shift fast. I was so amaze an auto box and do so well, but I still missed my previous 6 speed manual.
Seriously, if he says so, he is not a driver, he is just a A to B point commuter. As long as we’re still human, we should drive a manual, and let Google autonomous car drives us in the future.
For me I prefer Semiautomatic transmission.. I like the traditional manual gearbox.. I more fun to drive but when you’re stuck in traffic, manual transmission is killing you… Im using automatic transmission car.. Well, easy to drive in every situation except when over taking cars or lorries.. Semiautomatic transmission seem good for me. I got the easy part and the fun part with nothing drawback..
In some extreme cases, manual is better than automatic. I had an incident where I stopped in petrol station in northsouth. Battery died. I decided to hav a person to help to push my car to the slope n start d engine n able to drive my car for battery replacement. If automatic transmission, u will b stucked