Honda Car Forum

I own a 97 base automatic honda prelude and I like it alot. But I now crave a manual because its more fun and you feel more in control. Well just out of curiosity how much more fuel efficient is the manual then the automatic? and how much faster is it? I don't race, I am just a daily driver, and do you think I should have gotten the manual instead?

yes its is more fuel efficient and you should have got the manual IMO

Its pretty much the same. Its probably going to have 1-3 better mpg, so not THAT big. Its probably going to shift faster because you're doing it manually. I honestly think automatic is way more convenient for daily driving but if you prefer a manual go ahead and look for one. Theres not really a HUGE difference but automatic is more convenient just for normal driving.

A manual is only a few mpg better than an automatic due to parasitic drag through the transmission. UNLESS the driver wants to race around all day.































Same thing goes for how "fast" it is. But if you have no idea how to race with a manual, its actually slower. Kind of like those kids that think double clutching is good for racing. FYI, it's only good on the down shift. This would only apply in a road course or autocross, and not many people do that on a daily basis.































The automatic is better for you. Plus you can still talk on the phone, drink coffee, and play with the radio without having to worry about shifting.































Also go to a drag strip, all the high horsepower, serious racers have automatics to prevent any operator error so they can win a race.

Hi,































I don't think that the rated MPG will change by more than 1-2 MPG. Not enough to be worth getting rid of a good working car and buy one that might not be working as well.































Then there is the problems of buying a new clutch every so many miles. Normally it will last about 80,000 miles, but an in-experienced person can wear one out in a couple of weeks.































Try not applying a lot of power until the clutch is out all the way, and this will prolong it's life many more miles.































The advantage of a automatic is they are much better when in bumper to bumper traffic, or if you need to start out on hills often. The torque converter offers the ability to rev up the engine and provide more horsepower while in first gear at a very low speed.































MPG is not enough justification to buy another car. But driving fun is a good reason to replace a boring car with one that will provide more smile. Many times the automatic will get the same MPG rating as the automatic, sometimes 1 MPG higher.































Good Luck!