![]() Much like how New Yorkers rely on the subway and bus system, most Americans rely on their cars as their only means of transportation. Affordabilityįor many Americans, driving is a chore, not a pleasure. All of this, coupled with the extensive Interstate road system where people could drive at high speeds on wide roads with cruise control, cemented the popularity of automatic transmission cars in the US. Fast forward to the late 1980s, and technological advances made for an even smoother and more affordable driving experience in an automatic. ![]() ![]() The car industry was less competitive and those high gas prices also kept people driving manual transmission cars. That technology wasn’t as widely available in Europe after WWII. But as early as the 1960s, when the “all-synchro” transmission that synched the low gear came out, large automatic cars were common in the US. Up until the middle of the 20th century, driving an automatic car was not a widely available option, nor an affordable one. But the days of super sluggish acceleration with automatic transmission are mostly gone. You might be wondering, what are the disadvantages of automatic cars? It used to be if you wanted quick acceleration and power, you went with a manual transmission car. automatic pros and cons, gas prices may not factor in. That means that even in European countries, automatic transmission cars are more available and not just limited to luxury sedans. ![]() However, in the past five years or so, the automatic transmission models of many vehicles have the same or better miles-per-gallon than their manual counterparts. In the past, this cheaper gas in the US meant that people could afford to buy the less fuel-efficient automatic cars. You can find the cheapest gas in Angola, at 76 cents per gallon. In Germany, a gallon costs $5.16 on average, while people in the Netherlands pay an average of $6.16 per gallon. For example, as of January 2022, the average price in the US for a gallon of gas was $2.81. This is partly due to environmental reasons, but also because people in some European countries pay twice as much (or more) for regular gasoline on average compared to people in the US. Cheap(er) Gasįuel efficiency is a big concern in Europe. Until recently, it was also far easier to buy a manual car in Europe and maintain it so it was considered a no-brainer. In Europe, it is far more common to learn to drive in a manual-transmission vehicle, and the tradition carries on. All of this put together means that most Americans, other than pure car enthusiasts, will choose an automatic car. From the late 1980s on, when automatic transmissions became more prevalent in the US, most people chose the easy road when getting behind the wheel. In most places in the US, driving is the only form of transportation available. When you throw shifting gears into the mix, that increases the danger of having an accident due to distracted driving. Not only that, it allows people to fiddle with their phones, search for music, or look at their GPS while in the driver’s seat (not while the car is in motion!). From the get-go, it’s easier to learn how to drive a car with an automatic transmission. Generally, Americans prefer things that are convenient and easy to use. If you spent a lot of time in your car as Americans do, automatic cars sound pretty good. The cost of an automatic car is cheaper in the US and there’s more variety. You can’t beat the convenience of not having to shift gears, especially in cities.Īmericans pay much less at the pump than Europeans.Īutomatic cars have more get-up-and-go than they did in previous decades. Likewise, drivers in Europe and other countries around the world might not realize that Americans mostly steer clear of manual transmission vehicles until they rent a car in the US and discover that, in most cases, only automatics are available. All of this leads to the question: Is it better to drive a manual or automatic? Why do Americans love automatic cars while Europeans favor manuals? And when did the shift happen where a majority of Americans no longer drove cars with manual transmissions? There are a variety of reasons (and theories) to explain this continental divide in preference. ![]() Those who have only driven in the United States might not be aware that the country’s love affair with automatic transmission cars is somewhat unique. ![]()
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