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The debate over which type of transmission is best has long been a popular topic among drivers. Between the arguments over which is easiest to drive and which cars are the sportiest, fuel efficiency has frequently come to the forefront of these debates between automatic and manual transmission. As the transmission maintenance team at Cincinnati’s Mr. Transmission explains, recent developments in fuel efficiency have changed the game.

transmission maintenanceIn the past, the consensus was that a manual transmission vehicle would always have greater fuel efficiency than an automatic vehicle of the same make and model. This was because automatic cars depended on a torque converter to shift gears rather than a clutch. While torque converters allowed automatic cars to do away with manual gear shifting, they weren’t particularly efficient, which caused automatic vehicles to consume more fuel, especially on the highway. A limited number of gears also contributed to the poor fuel efficiency.

Today, however, the gap between automatic and manual fuel efficiencies has been closed, and in some cases, eliminated. Automatic cars use updated technology such as an overdrive top gear and a lock-up torque converter to maximize fuel efficiency. Computer software also helps these vehicles use fuel more effectively.

Thanks to these upgrades, transmission maintenance experts have found many modern vehicles with automatic transmission achieve the same fuel efficiency as their manual counterparts. In some cases, they even get better gas mileage, effectively ending the argument that manual transmission is the best option to save money at the pump. Of course, if you love the feel of shifting gears yourself, manual will always be your best bet.

For all your transmission maintenance needs, depend on the team at Mr. Transmission. To learn more about their transmission services and car repairs, visit them online or call (513) 769-3111.

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