Posted by MoparNorm on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 at 9:35AM :
In Reply to: Re: Standard vs. automatic posted by Sully on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 at 1:18AM :
That's really hard to say because the automatic has improved greatly over time, and there are many different versions. But generally a manual will get anywhere from 1 to 2 mpg better mileage around town. On the open road there are so many variables that the difference can be from 1-2 to none at all, depending upon whether the automatic has a lock-up converter, overdrive and cruise control, and whether the driver uses them or not. Which gets us to driving style, type of driving and the location where most of your driving is done. In SoCal, or any area with a "rush hour", you'd be a glutton for punishment to have a manual, 2-3 hours of stop and go driving every morning and again at night, will leave you with a worn manual in several years, not to mention the frustration of shifting 30 times a minute. In a rural area the manual trans could be desireable. I tow with my automatic, some prefer the manual. I would think that there are many variables that would make the selection more a personal preference rather than a mpg question.
Lastly I think that the diferences between an auto vs. manual are less when mated to the diesel than they are with the gas motors. Gasoline motors rev over a much larger rpm range, but with much less torque, so the transmission selection is more critical.
MN
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