According to some people, the type of car you drive says a lot about who you are. While our goal here isn’t to further any stereotypes, we wanted to bring this up because many of the things that people believe to be true about automatic transmissions simply aren’t. We want to debunk some of these myths so that people can feel good about the car they drive.

They’re Not as Fuel-Efficient

Whenever people talk about why stick-shifts are better, one of the first topics they bring up is that they’re more fuel-efficient. While there is a slight amount of truth to that, the difference is negligible these days. Back when automatics first came out, they were notorious for being gas guzzlers. Over time, though, manufacturers got better at building them and finding ways to improve their efficiency.

If you were to perform a side-by-side comparison of fuel consumption between manual and automatic transmissions, the manual might edge out the victory, but the driver would have to be highly skilled with their shifting. More often than not, the results will be the exact same, with some automatic transmissions actually beating out the competition.

People Who Care About Performance Don’t Use Them

This myth about automatic transmission performance that we’d like to debunk is obviously more opinion-based, but to say that absolutely no self-respecting car enthusiast would ever drive an automatic would be a lie. Sure, it feels great to have the ability to shift into gear, but manuals aren’t always the go-to option anymore.

In fact, quite a few top-of-the-line car brands don’t even come with a stick shift option anymore. Not only is this to help even out the performance, but it’s also way safer for moving at high speeds.

Using Them Makes Drivers Less Alert

This has always been a strange claim. Many manual drivers say that people who drive automatic vehicles are less alert on the road. They say this because shifting keeps your brain more active than only having to steer, accelerate, and brake. However, drivers often do those three things most often, so their minds should still be quite active while doing them.

Alertness depends on the driver, not the car they use. If anything, one could make an argument that says stick-shift drivers are less alert since they must interact with more systems, which could take their focus off the road.

They Cost More for Owners To Maintain

This final myth is also based on a small kernel of truth, but many people believe that maintaining an automatic vehicle costs more. This is because manual transmissions typically cost less due to the fewer number of parts and smaller overall demand. While that makes them cheaper on a per purchase basis, it’s not as accurate when looking at a vehicle’s lifespan.

Some automatics these days can last the car’s entire lifetime, while manuals need replacements once or twice during its life cycle. On top of that, if your automatic transmission only requires a minor repair, finding some automatic transmission parts for sale online and fixing it yourself can be surprisingly affordable. It all depends on how you look at it.