Welp, I did it. I swapped my manual for an automatic. My last article must have been foreshadowing as it actually happened happened roughly 6 months after posting it. And to be honest, I’m not exactly mad about it. While there are some things that I don’t care for, all of the upsides I mentioned previously are there.
So, why the change?
What brought this change about is the death of my Subaru’s engine. It started with a knock in the engine bay that happened as I was driving home from an event. I didn’t notice it soon enough though, so by the time I got off the highway near my home, the death knoll of my engine was sounding loud and clear. Fortunately, I was able to get it home (along with my child), but that would be the last time it would run.
I took it to the dealership via tow truck the next day. If I had to guess what it was, it was either rod knock or a timing component failure. Unfortunately, after a few days of troubleshooting, their solution was to replace the short block, which I was told was a $6500 affair, and not guaranteed to fix the issue! So, after speaking with my wife, we decided to purchase a newer car.
After a few test drives, we settled on a 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Q4. It’s smaller on the inside than the Subaru, but the same general configuration (4 cyl/turbo/awd/4 doors) and seems to support my lifestyle well enough. And it’s amazing to drive! It’s got enough power (for now) to not leave me wanting for more, and the transmission shifts pretty fast and smooth. The steering is tight and the suspension is adjustable on the fly. It also has plenty of comfort and convenience features, like remote start, keyless entry, auto everything, and premium sound.
Upsides to an auto?
As I mentioned previously, there are some good reasons that I would purchase an automatic transmission over a manual. The vehicle selection is MUCH wider as there are multiple times more cars that have automatics than manuals. Even the Giulia I purchased offers a manual; however, this is only in the RWD trims. Being in the snow belt, I personally only drive AWD cars, so that ruled the manual option in this car out for me.
However, I don’t think I’m losing anything as the ZF 8HP automatic transmission in this car is very nice. I’ve noticed that reviews of this transmission, even in other cars, have been very good, and I definitely agree. It’s fast shifting with a positive engagement when I ask for it; smooth as silk when I’m otherwise cruising. Paddle shifters give me back some of the control I miss from my old car and keep some of the experience during “spirited” driving. And I get remote start from the factory, which I’ve been wanting for some time now.
What about the downsides?
There are only 2 real downsides to swapping my manual for an automatic, and to be honest, they are more minor than I thought. While the experience in my automatic car is good, there is something to be said about the spirited driving experience in a manual transmission car. I’ve spent a chunk of years driving manual only, and I do miss it even though I was only average at shifting. I also feel like my meager skill is waning more and more, especially while I get comfortable doing less in the car. I have a feeling that I’m going to have a hard time going back to a manual after this (which also says something about how good this car is).
In conclusion…
I definitely feel differently now that I made this switch. Even though I was sort of forced to do it, due to the death of the engine in my other car, I don’t regret having to. I’m only missing a small part of the experience of driving a car, and only under certain conditions. I definitely don’t miss it while I’m sitting in rush-hour traffic. I think with the right car choice, you can minimize the loss of the driving experience while gaining the convenience and consistency of a good automatic transmission. Would you swap your manual for an automatic? Have you already done it? I’d love to hear about it below.
