Even though buying a new car can be a bit stressful due to the high price tag, it can still be pretty fun. Regardless of who the vehicle is for, most people don’t even consider looking at stick-shift vehicles. Even though their popularity has dropped fairly consistently over the years, that doesn’t mean you should totally overlook them. They can still be a worthwhile purchase today.
However, we don’t expect you to simply take our word for it. This blog post aims to cover the advantages of getting a car with a manual transmission while not ignoring the potential disadvantages. Some of these might come down to a matter of perspective, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you if this type of vehicle would be worth it or not.
The Advantages
Let’s start with the positives of buying a stick-shift vehicle. Despite their lack of popularity, they still have quite a few notable benefits that you or your loved one will be able to take advantage of.
Lower Asking Price
The number one thing you’ll like, especially if this car will be for your kid, is that manual cars are significantly cheaper than automatics. On average, you can save a few thousand dollars by purchasing one with a manual transmission because their internals are typically more affordable to produce.
In many cases, though, you’d likely be able to talk the seller down even further. This is due to the fact that the demand for stick shifts isn’t what it used to be. There’s a good chance the seller has been holding onto that car for a long time and wants to get rid of it. If you show a genuine interest in the vehicle—but not in the price—we’re sure they’d be more than willing to drop the price even further to get it off their hands.
Cheaper To Maintain
The savings don’t end there, though. Not only are the parts of a manual vehicle cheaper to make, but they’re also not very expensive to maintain. There are significantly fewer internal components inside the transmission of one of these cars, so fixing them to get the car working again isn’t going to break the bank. Plus, if you buy your manual transmission parts online from an aftermarket vendor like us and put them together yourself, you’ll save a ton of money.
Fewer Repairs Needed
On top of repairs being cheaper in comparison to automatic transmission ones, you also won’t need to do them as often. This is due to two main factors. The first is that the lack of complexity means that there are fewer moving parts that have the potential of breaking down. The other is that manuals tend to use higher quality parts that wear out much less quickly. Both of these factors mean that you or your kid won’t have to take your car into the shop as often, even if you bought a used vehicle.
More Engaging Experience
One of the biggest advantages that any current stick shift user will tell you about manuals is that they are much more engaging to drive. Constantly interacting with the car’s stick shift and clutch will not only help you pay more attention when behind the wheel, but it can also make the experience much more fun. Obviously, that’s a bit subjective, but it’s rare to meet a stick shift user who doesn’t love their ride.
Better Vehicle Control
Due to these added functions you’ll need to perform when driving a manual, you’ll also have more control over your car than the average automatic user. Being able to control exactly when your car shifts gears is something that not many other drivers can do, adding to the overall experience and level of control.
Potentially Better Fuel Economy
So this benefit isn’t entirely true anymore, but there’s a reason this perk was still included. About 10 to 20 years ago, many people boasted that manual vehicles were better for fuel efficiency than your standard automatic. Self-functioning transmissions used to waste a lot of fuel due to how they worked.
However, technology has advanced considerably since then, and most automatics are on par with manuals. Some might even be able to outperform them. We still mentioned this as a perk because if you are a skilled enough driver, you might still be able to have better fuel economy than an automatic.
The Disadvantages
Of course, talking about the advantages of a manual transmission without covering the disadvantages would be a bit disingenuous. That’s why we’ve put together some reasons why you might not want to buy one of these vehicles as well.
Harder To Fully Learn
It should come as no surprise that learning how to drive a stick shift will be much more complicated than a regular car, especially if the person has never operated a vehicle before. However, some people might be able to pick it up quickly. The reason why we still consider this to be a negative is due to manual transmissions being difficult to master. There are a lot of intricacies that might take some drivers years to perfect.
Could Possibly Deteriorate Quicker
Even though we mentioned that manual transmission parts are typically higher quality than automatic ones, there’s still a chance that they might deteriorate quicker. This is because a driver that doesn’t shift properly will wear their car out much quicker than usual. In our previous point, we talked about how manuals are hard to fully get the hang of. This is one of the major downsides to not mastering it.
Can Be Inconvenient
One of the main reasons why many people, even those who love stick shifts, don’t end up buying one is they can be pretty inconvenient. There will be days when you don’t want to worry about using the clutch and stick just to get your car moving. Other times, you might simply be sore from a long workday or a productive gym session. On those days, constantly pushing down on the clutch could be quite uncomfortable or even painful.
To add to the inconvenience, there’s a good chance that you’ll have other people who will need to drive your car at some point. If they don’t know how to use a stick, they’ll need to find another solution. You could always teach them, but most people these days have no interest in learning.
They Won’t Be Around Forever
Finally, the last downside is that manual cars won’t be around forever. With the rate of decline, we will reach a point where manufacturers will completely stop making stick shifts. The rise of electric cars will also push these types of vehicles out of the picture.
That means the day will come when these manufacturers will also stop selling parts for manual transmissions. Even though we fully plan to continue selling these parts for many years to come, there’s no denying the fact that the old ways of driving cars are all but gone.
