Clarkson Was Right - Loosen Your Grip On Manual Transmissions

Could it really be that the same American Car Throttle scribe who once called out old Top Gear for misleading the world on American cars agrees with Jeremy Clarkson? Well duh - all Americans drive automatics so of course he agrees. Being a car lover that likes autos also apparently makes me a traitor, as many enthusiasts have so brazenly proclaimed in recent days.

If you listened to the keyboard warriors, you’d know automatics are stupid, and lame, and the antithesis of enthusiast motoring, and about 78 other descriptors that are decidedly less family-friendly.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of automotive tomfoolery, it’s that a proper enthusiast at least considers all aspects of motoring, even the bits that aren’t the least bit appealing. And that’s why I bring this discussion to you, because I truly believe CTZens are a cut above the rest. Maybe you’re one of those who’ll never drive an automatic, period. But I’m still betting you can at least appreciate the fact that many modern automatic performance cars are outrageously awesome. Unless you’re one of those wackos from Detroit who fanatically preaches against buying Japanese cars, then puts an anti-foreign sticker on his Honda.

Philosophical discussion aside, here’s the thing when it comes to automatics and manuals. I love driving manuals, even the bad ones. That’s because they are engaging and satisfying in a sense that no automatic or semi-automatic could ever be. The difference is like zooming in to see Stonehenge on Google Earth versus actually being there. It’s neat to see, but you don’t want someone else’s interpretation of something you’d rather experience directly.

For car enthusiasts, that kind of interaction will never, ever get old. And I sincerely hope that kind of interface never completely disappears from the automotive world. For what it’s worth, I’m not the least bit worried it will. That’s my 20-plus years in the auto business talking, much of that dealing with cool cars and cooler people in some fashion. Until cars make a significant evolution, manual gearboxes will always have a simplicity that both manufacturers and select car buyers appreciate.

But make no mistake, that kind of esoteric bond is really the only thing left going for manual transmissions. I still think the bonkers bazillion-speed automatics are a bad idea, but modern automatics with six, seven or even eight speeds are so much better than autotragics from even just a decade ago. Compared with those boxes, modern automatics are smoother and arguably more reliable, and the added ratios give them acceleration comparable to manuals despite the extra parasitic power loss.

More importantly, the main argument so many manual drivers have clung to for years - direct control over gear selection - is no longer valid. The semi-automatics being used by numerous automakers in performance applications give the exact same control, and the cog swaps are performed faster than any human could ever hope to execute. Even many full-on automatics with a manual mode function give proper control with crisp shifts. My 12-year old Mazda with a five-speed auto will happily bounce the rev limiter in any gear should I opt for manual mode and forget to change up, or if I change down a bit too aggressively.

As for longevity, modern high-horsepower cars with manual gearboxes will almost certainly require a clutch replacement long before comparable automatics require extensive service. This of course precludes owners not completely abusing the car, which is admittedly harder to do with a third pedal.

And then there’s the completely subjective opinion of which is more enjoyable to drive every day. This is where I disagree with Clarkson a bit, because that enjoyment with a manual doesn’t have to be limited to “a racetrack or a deserted switchback road” as he mentioned in his article. I totally miss driving my manual-equipped Mercury Sable SHO wagon around Rapid City and the local roads.

Then again, my town isn’t nearly as congested as others. I positively hated bumping one of my many five-speed Taurus SHOs through stop-and-go Detroit traffic. And when I took my 500bhp Mustang Cobra to the Woodward Dream Cruise, lugging the six-speed stick with a heavy clutch to cover a city block in one hour was enough to make me want to set the car on fire. My older, much slower 1992 Mustang V8 automatic convertible would’ve been infinitely more enjoyable for that event. And if I were to choose between a new seven-speed manual ‘Vette and a seven-speed auto Merc C63 AMG, I’d be blasting the local canyon roads in the Merc. There would be times when I’d miss rowing gears in the Corvette, but mostly I’d just be sideways and laughing.

So what’s the takeaway here? Modern automatic performance cars are the real deal. Manual transmissions are also fun and engaging to drive in a way that automatics could never replace. But this idea that manuals are the end-all-be-all to performance driving just doesn’t hold up anymore. Yes, I understand why people still love them, but loosen your grip and learn to love cars instead of just shifting them. There are, after all, a whole world of Mercs, Audis, and even a certain 700bhp muscle sedan that laughs in the face of stick envy. It would be a shame to ignore such beasts just because you’d rather fiddle with a shifter.