What Are the Benefits of a Manual Transmission?

A manual transmission vehicle relies on the driver to manipulate the car's engine into different gears using a gearshift. Manuals used to rule the road, but some car makers report they make up a fraction of their annual sales. But manual transmission vehicles still offer drivers certain benefits, including reduced cost, fuel economy and a more involved driving experience.

Initial Expense

If you know how to drive a standard transmission, you can save money. Edmunds.com estimates that an automatic transmission can increase the cost of a car by $1,000 over its manual transmission counterpart at purchase. Many car makers still make manual models, but there are not as many choices as there used to be. Manual transmissions are mostly limited to small vehicles or sports cars. Toyota recently reported that manuals account for 2 percent of their annuals sales.

Maintenance

Maintenance is also less expensive. First, the fluid in a manual transmission needs less frequent changing. Plus, replacing the clutch in a manual transmission, which is the most likely culprit in the breakdown of a manual transmission, costs about $1,500 less than replacing the similar part in an automatic transmission.

Fuel Economy

Many car companies tout their economical automatic models. But some estimates put the gas savings at anywhere between 195 and 244 gallons of gas over the life span of a manual transmission as opposed to an automatic. In some models, that could be six months worth of gas, figuring gas at a cost of $4.10 per gallon. Testing by consumerreports.com concluded that manual transmissions can save 2 to 5 miles per gallon.

Control

Because you're shifting gears, you're in control of the driving experience. That control can save you gas, if you're willing to keep the RPMs low on your engine. You can even drop the car into neutral as you approach a traffic signal, a move similar to the experience of hitting the brakes in a hybrid engine, Edmunds.com reports. Experienced drivers of manual transmissions can use the gears to manipulate the engine into giving them more power, which is helpful in less-than-ideal conditions, such as snow or rain.

Paying Attention

Edmunds.com asserts that drivers who use manual transmissions are more attentive drivers, based on the fact that they must continually shift the vehicle's gears based on driving conditions.