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Dear Car Talk:
When I bought my first car (a 1997 Geo Metro), the salesman went on at length about how great the car was and then added, “It’s a manual, so it gets great gas mileage.” I was sold.
That was 27 years ago. My recent purchase (a 2019 Honda Civic Si) was very similar in that the salesman talked about all the great features of the car but concluded with, “The only drawback is that it has a stick shift, so your gas mileage will be a little worse.”
I’ve been thinking about this for years now. Can someone please clarify who is right? Thanks, I love your column! — Brent
You were both right, Brent.
Over the last 30 years, and especially over the last decade, automatic transmissions have evolved and gotten better, and they have also outperformed manual transmissions in terms of fuel economy.
When I bought my 1997 Geo Metro (I give an Oscar to the salesman who told me with a straight face that this car was great), I was given two transmission choices: a five-speed stick shift or a three-speed automatic. The more gears a transmission has, the more it can optimize its gearing for driving conditions, improving fuel economy.
And the thing is, more gears make a big difference in fuel economy on the highway because the engine revs slower in the highest gear at highway speeds, so in 1997 a stick shift with two extra gears was the more efficient choice.
Fast forward to 2019 (not so fast in the Geo Metro). The Honda Civic’s transmission choices were a six-speed stick shift or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). A CVT has infinite gear ratios, so the right gear is always selected. So the same Civic with the CVT gets three more miles per gallon.
This is true across the board now: CVTs are plentiful, and you also see 8-, 9-, and 10-speed fixed-ratio automatic transmissions, so while a 5- or 6-speed stick shift on the highway might have the engine spinning at 2,500 or 3,000 rpm at 70 mph, an engine paired with an automatic transmission might spin at 1,500 or 1,700 rpm.
Additionally, automatic transmissions suffer from poor fuel economy due to the inevitable slippage that occurs when transferring power through a fluid. However, modern automatic transmissions have a lock-up torque converter that “locks” the transmission into gear at higher speeds. When cruising, it operates like a manual transmission with no slippage.
There are still reasons to prefer manual cars. Some people like the control, some people just find it fun, and some people like steering and changing gears while balancing a cup of coffee on their lap. So if you’re one of those people, Brent, have fun. But if you’re only interested in fuel economy, next time get an automatic, even if it’s not electric.
Have a car question? Write Car Talk and send it to Ray at King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or visit the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com and send us an e-mail.