Best choice for wife, Automatic -vs- Manual

[Cosmo]

This fall my wife will be due for a new car. I have pretty much talked her into buying an 09 Fit Sport due to fuel economy/utility instead of the CR-V she was wanting. She knows how to drive a manual but prefers an automatic. Here are the specifics:

18 miles interstate @ 70 mph each way
3 miles city (2 miles 30-35 mph & 1 mile @ 40 mph) each way
3 stop signs & 2 traffic lights each way with very light traffic if any

Looking at this from a pure fuel economy standpoint (she doesn't care about a performance driving standpoint), would the manual or automatic (I know the fuel economy of the 09 is supposed to be pretty much on par with the 08 models) make the most sense? Yes, I have read for hours through numerous manual and automatic fuel economy threads, but almost all pertain to various hyper-miling techniques that she will most likely (definately) will not incorporate into her driving habits.

Thanks,

[Wuze]

Automatics do better on freeway, no? With the lower RPMs at a constant speed?

*In before solbrothers posts like a biased shit.*

[KoolMikeSki]

manuals get better mpg...but not by much... I wouldn't make your choice based on that!

[Cosmo]

I was under the same impression WUZE (city=manual/highway=automatic), but I've read so many conflicting threads, especially the hyper-miling ones. ...... Now there is a conflict on this thread too.

[KoolMikeSki]

If there is not a lot of stop and go I would get the manual... That's why I decided to get the manual

[bdrake]

The MT is just flat out more fun to drive, and it consistently gets better mileage than the AT. That seems odd, since the AT turns lower RPMs than the MT at 65mph, but it's true-- verified by experience.

I don't do a lot of hypermiling techniques, but I drive 55-60 on L.A. freeways, and I get 42+ mpg.

--Barry, 08 FS MT BBP

[gmpstr]

If she prefers the auto, go with the auto. Do the math, calculate the difference in mileage and miles driven per year... and I bet the difference would only be a few bucks a year even at $5 a gallon.

[kenchan]

yah, people that prefer AT prefers them for a reason. i personally prefer
MT, but my legacywgn which my wife uses all the time is AT.

if she wants AT, get her the AT. buying another car down the road just
because she doesnt like the tranny is a huge waste of money for gas.

[pb and h]

Good luck with the wife getting the FIT. I tried that but she ended up getting the 2008 CRV EX.

As for mpg, the auto fit in 5th gear will get better mpg, the gearing is lower which yields better mpg. As for hypermile techniques you will achieve better mpg with a manual FIT.

We have 2 kids, 2 dogs and the wife loved the CRV vs. the FIT even though the mpg is worse. The wife likes that the CRV has better and more upgrades, sun roof and the fact that it is a SUV(she has an affinity for SUV's). She likes sitting up higher because she can see better(she is 5' 5"), she likes the arm rests the center console and claims that it has more room than the FIT( I have not confirmed that).

Also, as far as mpg the CRV has a FCD which will help her drive better. Around the City my wife can get 26mpg(the CRV is rated at 21 city and 27mpg highway). She easily gets 32mpg highway.

Now when I drive the CRV I can get 30-33 city and 36-40hwy.(technique is key here). I can tell you that sitting in neutral at a light in the CRV uses less fuel than sitting in Drive at a light. I also have the tire pressure at 40psig and just put 0w20 mobile 1 synthetic oil. Another tid bit of mpg info, we drove from Columbia,SC to Beaver Falls, PA and back using A/C with the thing loaded down to achieve 30.5mpg. We did an ass of driving in the mountains. It has excellent pickup, I know the FIT wouldn't have handled it as well as the CRV.

Now, if she had to get a car she would get the FIT. Her previous vehicle was a SUV, Chevy Trailblazer EXT which got 13mpg city.


Sorry for all the info but I think one should be well informed.

[Cosmo]

Thanks for all the first hand information.

[fitdeaf]

Manual transmission gives you the advantage of being in control – it is the intuitive feel that lacks in automatic transmission. Put differently, you dictate the output (increasing gas mileage, you say) of your auto vehicle, not vice versa.

Damien

[Wuze]

Originally Posted by fitdeaf

Manual transmission gives you the advantage of being in control – it is the intuitive feel that lacks in automatic transmission. Put differently, you dictate the output (increasing gas mileage, you say) of your auto vehicle, not vice versa.

Damien

Do you really need all that much control when she's mainly on the freeway?
I love my automatic and the thing I love the most is being on the freeway with the paddle shifters and dropping a gear to buzz past someone.

And the mileage comparing automatic to manual I think ended somewhere along the lines that the automatic, at a constant 65MPH down a very long straight, will get better mileage than the manual. But the manual shits on the automatic in city, though (working on it with the paddle shifters, though!).

[fit_love]

honestly, i think the mpg gained from a manual are so tiny its irrelevent in deciding. you should probably think more of comfort, traffic and which would be easier and more comfortable to drive

[solbrothers]

Originally Posted by Wuze

Automatics do better on freeway, no? With the lower RPMs at a constant speed?

*In before solbrothers posts like a biased shit.*

automatics do NOT get better mileage on the freeway or the city. that few lower RPM's doesn't mean anything if the engine has to work MUCH harder to turn that slushbox

[Red Iron Crown]

Originally Posted by solbrothers

automatics do NOT get better mileage on the freeway or the city. that few lower RPM's doesn't mean anything if the engine has to work MUCH harder to turn that slushbox

The torque converter locks above a certain speed, so that's not an issue. The AT Fit is rated with marginally better fuel economy on the highway than the MT Fit for all models except the sport. This is offset by the significantly worse city fuel economy.

To the OP, if she doesn't like driving a manual, don't buy her one. She won't be happy no matter how good the rest of the driving experience is. A few extra dollars in fuel is worth it to have her completely happy with the car.

[solbrothers]

Originally Posted by Red Iron Crown

The torque converter locks above a certain speed, so that's not an issue. The AT Fit is rated with marginally better fuel economy on the highway than the MT Fit for all models except the sport. This is offset by the significantly worse city fuel economy.

To the OP, if she doesn't like driving a manual, don't buy her one. She won't be happy no matter how good the rest of the driving experience is. A few extra dollars in fuel is worth it to have her completely happy with the car.

i agree, if she doesn't want/feels comfortable with a manual transmission, get her an automatic.

but im going off real world experience. are the automatic guys getting 50-70mpg? i dont think so lol

[Cat]

I love my automatic and as most women do we tend to multi-task while we are driving. Hard to do if you have one hand on the stick trying to
shift. LOL! OK you freaks don't read anything dirty into what I just wrote! I know you guys too well

Cat