

Yes, you’re probably well aware that you don’t need to manually change gears in an automatic car and the exact opposite is true when it comes to manual cars.
But what is the mechanism that leads to this difference? What do we know about automatic vs manual cars?
In this blog, you will learn:
TL, DR: In automatic vs manual cars, the key difference is the shifting of gears. The crux lies in understanding the transmission system of both
Let us discuss this in more depth so you understand the basic difference between manual cars and automatic cars.
In a Manual car, It requires the driver to change their gears manually with the help of a tool which is called a shift stick. The manual car has three pedals i.e. brakes, accelerator, and clutch.
The driver presses the clutch with his foot while changing the gear.
This type of car has manual transmission of gear so it requires extensive driver inputs. The driver selects and changes the gear. As per statistics, In the global automotive, in the year 2020, 37.17 percent of cars have manual transmission.
To understand the working of a manual car, we need to look at how the manual transmission work. The transmission system of the car is responsible for transmitting the energy from the engine to the wheels. The rotatory motion produced by the pistons of the car is transferred through a shaft towards the wheels.
This requires the driver of the car to engage and disengage the clutch to change the gear of the car. To have a smooth flow of the ride, the gears need to fit the speed of the car. To change the gears or to temporarily slow down the vehicle and keep the engine running, you need to disengage the connection of the shaft from the engine to the wheels.
When this operation is done manually, the car is known as a manual car.
Here are some of the advantages of using a manual car:
Here are some of the disadvantages of using a manual car:
As the name suggests, these types of cars are automatic and hence they don’t require the driver to manually change the gear.
The car’s transmission system automatically changes the gear as per the engine’s requirements. Hence there is no clutch as there is no need to change gear manually.
Automatic cars only have brakes and an accelerator. In such cars, there are only 4 modes which are Park (P), Drive (D), Reverse (R), and Neutral (N). You only need to decide whether to drive the car, reverse the car or keep it neutral. The car will change the gear according to the engine.
The automatic cars work with an automatic transmission system, there are sensors that detect the changes in the system and control the gear shifting. In the automatic car, the gears shift using internal oil pressure.
Just like the clutch engages and disengages in a manual car. The gear shift when the engine is the transmission is temporarily disconnected from the engine. This is taken care of by the torque converted in the car. The automatic car is controlled only by two pedals, the brake, and accelerator.
Here are some of the advantages of using an automatic car:
Here are some of the disadvantages of using an automatic car:
The basic difference between manual cars and automatic cars is a requirement for manual efforts and automation.
What suits the person depends on your needs and requirements. If you are a beginner and mostly travel in stop-and-go traffic such as in cities; then an automatic car would be better for you. However, if someone wants performance and a good driving experience along with a budget, a manual car wins.
Although it is almost clear that automatic cars would dominate the car industry. At present automatic cars are expensive and less fuel-efficient but they are rapidly evolving and becoming better than manual cars.
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