Even if you are a diehard fan of manual transmissions, there is no denying that the only benefit these days to having a manual transmission is that it is a lot more fun to drive with. Otherwise, modern transmissions are more fuel efficient and actually cost less than the manual alternative. Still, that fun factor goes a long way, especially when driving a Mercedes Benz, right?
My wife and I have been driving Japanese cars with manual transmissions for decades. They’re fun to drive, more fuel-efficient, and they never break. Plus, the once-in-a-lifetime clutch repair is a fraction of the cost of repairing an automatic transmission, if the horror stories I’ve read are any indication. My wife has started to look for another vehicle to replace her aging Subaru Forester, and we both are stunned to find that:
It’s hard to find cars with manual transmissions now.
They’re more expensive.
They aren’t as fuel-efficient as modern automatic continuously variable transmissions.
So, our big question is this: If we go with an automatic transmission this time, what regular maintenance will we have to do in order to avoid those very expensive transmission repairs? Continue Reading
