Manual vehicles tend to be more efficient than their automatic counterparts, at least according to the official statistics provided by manufacturers.
While real-world fuel usage of a certain vehicle tends to vary significantly from driver to driver, the type of gearbox does play an undeniable role in its efficiency.
In the table below, we put side-by-side the claimed consumption figures of the best-selling cars in the country with manual and automatic transmissions on offer to find out the extent of the impact the cog changer really makes.
Click on the underlined prices to view more information on the particular model being compared.
| Model | Manual | Auto | Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahindra Pik Up 2.2CRDe Double Cab S6 4×2 | 7.9l/100km | 9.3l/100km | +18% |
| Nissan Magnite 1.0 Turbo Acenta | 5.3l/100km | 6.0l/100km | +13% |
| Ford Ranger 2.0SiT Double Cab XL 4×2 | 6.9l/100km | 7.5l/100km | +9% |
| Hyundai Grand i10 1.0 Motion | 5.4l/100km | 5.9l/100km | +9% |
| Renault Kiger 1.0 Turbo Intens | 5.0l/100km | 5.4l/100km | +8% |
| Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6 | 6.8l/100km | 7.2l/100km | +6% |
| Toyota Starlet 1.5 XS | 5.4l/100km | 5.7l/100km | +6% |
| Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD Double Cab L/LS 4×4 | 7.4l/100km | 7.6l/100km | -4% |
| Kia Sonet 1.5 LX | 7.0l/100km | 7.2l/100km | +3% |
| Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 Double Cab Legend 4×4 | 7.9l/100km | 8.0l/100km | +1% |
| Haval Jolion 1.5T Luxury | 7.5l/100km | 7.5l/100km | 0% |
| Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL | 4.9l/100km | 4.9l/100km | 0% |
| VW Polo Vivo 1.6 Highline/Comfortline | 6.2l/100km | 6.1l/100km | -2% |
| Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5T Elite | 7.0l/100km | 6.8l/100km | -3% |
| Toyota Corolla Quest 1.8 Plus | 7.0l/100km | 6.4l/100km | -9% |
While the above data doesn’t account for all vehicles on the market, it provides an accurate picture of which gearbox will be the most frugal option in the models that the majority of buyers go for.
Why is manual more efficient?
Manuals are generally lighter on fuel than automatic gearboxes due to three main reasons, though as the latter technology continually improves, the gap gets ever closer.
The first rationale behind the higher efficiency is the fact that the engine does not need to work as hard to change the gears in a manual as it does in an automatic, because the driver uses their own energy for this part of the process, according to Toyota.
Secondly, especially with automatic transmissions with fewer gears, keeping the engine within the optimal rev range becomes trickier than with a manual since the car may shift too early or too late, thus using more propellant in the process, writes WeBuyAnyCar.
The third is that the driver usually reacts to a change in road conditions faster than the vehicle itself, and they can therefore choose the best times to shift gears or even do so proactively in preparation for an upcoming hazard, whereas the vehicle will only register the change in surroundings after the fact.
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