Are pre-owned/new manual gearbox cars cheaper to purchase/maintain/insure?

Sowny on 03/02/2017 - 12:15
Last edited 03/02/2017 - 15:01

Hello Ozbargainers,

I have been driving manual hatch for 5 years outside Australia and I'm still crazy to ride manual cars. I have rented a couple of Automatic cars from Hertz and drove 20000+ kilometres but unfortunately, I didn't really get crazy on AUTOMATIC cars. I decided to buy a pre-owned car now and I totally have gone mad over Manual vs Automatic. Can someone throw some lights on below questions?

  1. What's the best thing about Auto cars over manual apart from "EASY TO DRIVE"?
  2. Are Auto cars costlier to insure than Manual?
  3. Are pre-owned Manual variant cheaper than the Auto?
  4. How difficult is to resale manual cars?
  5. Are manuals have better resale value assuming I get a good one and maintain well.

Cheers,
Sowny

Automotive

Comments

        • Euphemistic on 06/02/2017 - 18:38

          @stumo: I'd much rather reverse a trailer up a hill in an auto. That sort of stuff kills clutches, but an auto will handle it pretty easy.

          We have an auto and a manual in the family, and when it's time to put the caravan back up the drive the auto gets the pick.

  • alexwar on 04/02/2017 - 21:58
    +6

    If you like Manual stick with it. Yes, it is a small portion of the market but my experience shows that you sell to people that do enjoy driving/cars and you will get good resale even compared to the same model in Automatic form.
    You do use fewer brakes with Manual cars and my experience in real life you use less fuel as well, especially if the auto is CVT or a Std Torque converter. A Dual Clutch will be more economical than an AUTO. Again it all depends on the way you drive and the difference in fuel consumption one way or another is not really significant to the cost of the vehicle unless you are doing 100K per year.
    I wish all kids would learn and drive a manual as your first car…one hand less available to play with your phone….

    • Sowny on 05/02/2017 - 01:30

      @alexwar - Yup, People should encourage kids to try and get used to MT cars before they enjoy riding AT cars!

      • Cwong14u on 05/02/2017 - 09:11
        +1

        Why?

        • Euphemistic on 05/02/2017 - 10:48
          +4

          One argument is that it helps give you an understanding of the drivetrain and you also develop a bit of an ear for the engine. Helpful in listening for faults etc.

          On the flip side you can argue that learning in an auto gives you one less thing to worry about so you can focus on learning to drive in traffic and not have to concentrate on gears.

        • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 20:55

          Why not? I bet the kids will develop more interest towards cars/bikes if we help them to try to Manuals. It's little hard to learn but it's not easy to forget until they die.

        • Cwong14u on 06/02/2017 - 21:35

          @Sowny: ok, you've convinced me. Selling the one family car i have with auto transmission this week, and replacing it with manual transmission so i can teach my 15yr old to drive stick (and hopefully trigger off his interest in how the drivetrain works…). Never mind the mrs who doesn't know how to drive manual…the bus will do.

  • edy4eva on 05/02/2017 - 08:22
    +4

    Pre-owned is just marketing slang for used. Don't get sucked into the hype.

    The term is a bit ridiculous because if it's been owned before, it's not really pre-owned - simply owned/used. Besides, real pre-ownership is no ownership and that does not exist.

    • Cwong14u on 05/02/2017 - 08:38
      -7

      Cool story, bro

    • Mysterious Laptop on 05/02/2017 - 16:39
      -1

      yeah but you can also get brand specific "pre-owned" vehicles which go under checks and usually have a full history with the brand. Obviously it depends on the brand, as typically it applies to mercedes, ferrari, but there is a difference depending on what brand you're purchasing.

  • apple2016 on 05/02/2017 - 10:28
    +2

    What's the best thing about Auto cars over manual apart from "EASY TO DRIVE"?

    Not many drive a manual in Australia. Real life situation some time demands that we share car with family or friends and if they don't drive manual it could be tricky.

    Are Auto cars costlier to insure than Manual?

    No.

    Are pre-owned Manual variant cheaper than the Auto?

    Yes they might be but they are hard to find as well.

    How difficult is to resale manual cars?

    Again your target audience is very small.

    Are manuals have better resale value assuming I get a good one and maintain well.

    No.

    I have driven both manual & auto. I prefer a manual since I can have it in the right gear when needed. I feel most auto box do not seem to have the correct gear when I want it.

    The option of cars with manual is very less. I wanted to test drive a BMW on manual and none of the dealers around Melbourne seem to have a demo in manual. Merc, Audi & VW do not offer manual on premium cars.

    • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 21:03

      I have driven both manual & auto. I prefer a manual since I can have it in the right gear when needed. I feel most auto box do not seem to have the correct gear when I want it.

      @apple2016 - That's the same problem I face. I feel grumpy when ATs don't run on the right gear :(

  • Euphemistic on 05/02/2017 - 10:51
    +1

    "Not many in Australia drive a manual". In the city yes, but probably not be the case in the country. When a manual is cheaper, and you don't need to worry about stop-start traffic there is less incentive to buy an auto.

  • Plug on 05/02/2017 - 12:32
    +2

    A couple of things to consider:
    1, Autos should not be towed - if you breakdown somewhere remote it will be an expensive tow truck
    2, Autos cannot be "bump started" - if you get a flat battery you're stuffed whereas a manual can be push started

    • phluffed on 05/02/2017 - 13:47

      Was thankful the missus has a manual when it broke down 250km from home while visiting a friend. Starter motor had gone and she was quoted some insane figure to tow it back or wait 2 days up there to get fixed. I drove up, bump started and we came back.

      BUT… was so sick of the manual whenever I drove it round the city.

    • Euphemistic on 05/02/2017 - 22:13
      +2

      Towing isn't really an issue these days. Most 'tow trucks' are tilt tray where the car being towed is just sitting on top. Hardly anyone actually drags a car along behind them anymore.

  • newsense on 05/02/2017 - 12:57
    +1

    Manual burns more calories. And wife cannot drive manual.

    • Cluster on 05/02/2017 - 15:30
      +2

      Burns more calories? Does your wife walk to work if she cannot drive your car?

  • aussieprepper on 05/02/2017 - 14:13
    +1

    Im split my gf corolla doesn't change gear till above 3500rpm So if you bought a 6 speed manual you can easily change gear at 2500rpm and get better fuel economy.

    I think it depends in the car if I bought a falcon I'd buy an auto if they even sell manuals any more.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 05/02/2017 - 14:38
    +1

    (2). Let me get a few insurance quotes for you online and I'll let you know.
    (3). Let me look on car sales for you and I'll let you know.

    • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 21:05

      ** Sup? Have you matched with any? **

  • Serapis on 05/02/2017 - 16:16
    +2

    I own and drive a manual WRX, all my answers may be unique to WRX and applies to no other car…

    1. No clutch = Less strain on left leg / knee (though might be a WRX thing with stiff clutch)

    2. About the same (Again might be a WRX thing)

    3. No, nobody wants an auto WRX lol

    4. No

    5. Manual WRX is always in demand, pretty good resale

  • Randxyz123 on 05/02/2017 - 18:13

    If you buy a manual car that people will continue to buy (like a golf) you will have no issues selling it again.

  • [Deactivated] on 05/02/2017 - 20:11
    +2

    Me personally I prefer driving manual cars just because I feel more concentration is required making me focus more on my driving.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 06/02/2017 - 00:16

      Interesting point.

      I drive a manual because I was always trying to force my auto Commodore (VR '93) to do what I wanted - ended up blowing up the transmission - oops!

      • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 21:07

        Ah! I wish Toyota must have rolled out Toyota Aurion Manual!

  • syousef on 06/02/2017 - 05:52
    +2

    The older you get the more you'll appreciate automatic transmission. Sure it may cost a pretty penny to fix if it goes wrong but would you rather replace your gearbox (or even whole car) or your knee with one made of titanium? It's a painful expensive way to play race car driver in stop start traffic.

    • supnigs super skids on 06/02/2017 - 08:49

      This is an excellent point. Experience manual when you still can.

    • macrocephalic on 06/02/2017 - 13:18

      If changing gears is enough to burn out your knee, then you'd better get a wheelchair right now - because I don't know how you're walking on that thing!

      • syousef on 06/02/2017 - 14:02

        Spoken like a youngen.

        My knee certainly doesn't need replacement at this stage, and I can handle a manual just fine, but I'm only in my 40s. Starting at your teens you could have 45+ years worth of changing gears. That's quite a bit of extra stress to put on your knee. You knees don't stay teenage knees. They age and wear. And there's been recent articles about how your knees in particular don't self repair past your early 20s.

        • stumo on 06/02/2017 - 14:17

          Yep stop start traffic is a killer. I just stopped using the clutch at all when I used to have to drive across London in a hire car every day. It was only pissy little citroen 1.1l but the clutch was incredibly heavy. It takes a bit more concentration to change gear without the clutch, but at least my leg could have a rest. Auto all the way for me.

    • StewBalls on 08/02/2017 - 07:09

      The older you get the more you'll appreciate automatic transmission.

      So much this!

      For me it's more of a case of simply CBF changing gears, especially in traffic, when there's a perfectly good option.

      As you grow up, your car becomes much more a tool to get from point A to B than a toy; you lose the boy racer as you mature, along with the need for cognitive distortions to justify manual ownership. ;)

  • gmail92 on 06/02/2017 - 09:11
    +7

    This is what I see.

    I'm a man, and I'm into women, but men are easier to find/maintain.

    What's the best thing about men over women apart from easier to find/maintain?
    Which costs more?
    Are pre-owned women variant cheaper than the men variant?
    How difficult is to get rid of a woman?
    Do women have better resale value assuming I get a good one and maintain well.

    Bottomline: get a manual.

    • syousef on 06/02/2017 - 12:43
      +2

      I think you might be using that gear stick a bit wrong.

  • ItsMeAgro on 06/02/2017 - 09:32

    • If you are racing a sports car, manual gives you finer control.

    • If you like to pretend you are racing a sports car on your way to the office, manual can be more "fun".

    • If driving is something you do for fun, not to get places, manual can be more "fun".

    • Occasionally cheap cars are very slightly cheaper to buy manual (both used and new).

    Otherwise get an automatic.

  • Brianqpr on 06/02/2017 - 09:34

    Would much rather have a manual, they are simply more fun to drive and you have more control up hills etc. In my view, if you can't drive a manual, then you can't really drive. Far more skill required, which also naturally makes you concentrate better.

    They are also cheaper to buy and cheaper to hire.

    Unfortunately my wife won't drive one so I am stuck with auto. An extra $2-$3k on each new car because she can't master clutch control!

    • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 21:11

      Oh boy, How crazy is to push our Manuals against the Hills! I am sure am gonna grab a manual Sedan soon!

  • stumo on 06/02/2017 - 14:12

    A good reason to go auto is that they tend not to be thrashed as much. Its way harder to rev the nuts off an auto in day to day driving than it is an manual. I had a lady next door who used to instantly fully stand on the throttle of her toyota starlet from cold start, every morning, and slowly creep about burning the crap out of her clutch while manoeuvring out of her driveway. Every damn morning. I was waiting for the bang, but it never came. Damn strong engine in that thing for sure.

    TLDR; An auto trans will mitigate against bad habits and mechanically unsympathetic drivers. A manual will give them free reign to ring the nuts off the car, even while crawling along.

  • afoveht on 06/02/2017 - 15:27

    This comes down to what you want from a car. Personally, resale value is secondary to not having a car that can't properly respond to how I want it to accelerate. So for any small 4cyl I'd never consider an auto (except dsg) but for a 6 possibly, for an 8 much more likely.

    • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 21:13

      For some reason, I developed interest over Aurion V6 3.5 but unfortunately it's Auto!

  • drprox on 06/02/2017 - 19:30

    My 10 cents. The issue these days is most "auto" cars aren't in fact auto. They are dsg (or similar) or CVT. I won't delve into CVT but the issue with dsg is they seem to commonly run into issues once they get some miles on them, say 100k+ km and a few years. The cost of repairing these can be ludicrous (ie i've heard $11k for a Skoda Octavia wagon). I personally buy manual because they are cheaper to buy, cheaper to run over a longer period (I keep my car's longer than warranty period) and in my experience actually have better resale because the types of ppl looking for used cars are looking for those lower running costs and better reliability over many man miles. Just one guys experience :)

    • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 21:16

      Certainly, Manuals are the man thing, I would rather say. Perhaps people who start driving with Autos won't agree to it! Which one have you got BTW?

      • drprox on 06/02/2017 - 21:47

        I have 2 manuals. Thankfully I also have 1 wife who drives them too :)

  • ziggy1312 on 06/02/2017 - 22:19

    Most car thieves will leave a manual and pick a auto :)

    • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 22:34

      Lol. Yeah. I read a lot about it.

  • Sowny on 06/02/2017 - 22:35

    BTW, What's the best affordable manual car around Australia?

    • nephilim on 07/02/2017 - 00:44

      Suzuki Celerio I assume, 13k drive away when on sale.
      Nissan are dropping the micra, most likely be similar price soon, bit better then the Celerio.

      • Sowny on 07/02/2017 - 10:11

        Any thoughts on 2008 Honda Civic manual?

    • Euphemistic on 07/02/2017 - 12:52

      Best for what?

  • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 10:49

    Manual for sure

    Much greater control of the car/power

    Driving down a nice road with your mates in a manual is a pleasure

    You're not really DRIVING if you don't drive a manual

  • Shwayne on 07/02/2017 - 14:16

    What's the best thing about Auto cars over manual apart from "EASY TO DRIVE"?

    The average (inexperienced) and non-conservative (enthusiastic/lead-footed) drivers will yield poorer fuel efficiency in a manual, even though in theory a conservative / experienced driver will yield a far better economy.

    Are Auto cars costlier to insure than Manual?

    No, but if the agreed value is higher as a result it may be.

    Are pre-owned Manual variant cheaper than the Auto?

    They generally are.

    How difficult is to resale manual cars?

    Little bit harder seeing as a majority of drivers don't know how to drive manual.

    Are manuals have better resale value assuming I get a good one and maintain well.

    Seeing as they're less likely to break down, and the maintenance is practically going to be cheaper, yeah it should be better financially long term and short term. After all you only have to sell it to one person.

  • compugrid on 07/02/2017 - 15:00

    I bought brand new Audi A4 manual 15 years ago. In 2.5 years It took me longer to sell it and the final price I've got for it was cheaper than the auto ones on the market. The difference was the same as the amount I saved when I bought it new.
    In 2009 I bought a second hand manual BMW 325 from a lady in country 4 hours away from Sydney for much less than the auto ones of the same model (at least 3-5K cheaper).
    I like manual cars, but no one else can drive it in my family. The main reason I'd buy a manual car is to save thousands. I've managed to have fun in turbo automatic Audi A1 using sport shifting.
    A manual car is not common among Mercedes. A manual BMW mostly have been driven by young ones; hence it will require more maintenance. I haven't seen in a good condition BMW in Sydney for years.
    Many performance cars have floppy paddles around steering wheel for gears shifting. The same applies for some sport cars. Floppy paddles aren't manual but also fun to drive. One might consider it as a requirement when buying a second hand car. I've seen many Audis and Sabarus with it.

  • macca22 on 08/02/2017 - 06:25

    Manual equals less brake maintenance

  • Foxtail on 08/02/2017 - 13:56

    I like my dads manual ute, in the traffic I can give my left leg a great workout using the clutch, gets a bit sore after half hour or so though.

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