i drive a manual and am getting about 36 mpg with about 70% highway. the trip computer says im getting 39.3, but crunching the real numbers says more like just over 36. i usually get about 360-370 miles before the last blinking gas light comes on. this is on 87 octane.

i dont really use the A/C much, usually have the windows cracked a little bit, driving between 60-65mph. a manual will almost always get you better gas mileage, especially at highway speeds.

 

I have an Auto now and I am wishing a little that I got that manual because I miss not changing gears. I drive in too much traffic to and from work everyday and having a manual would make my commute much worse and some serious road rage.
As far a gas mileage a manual will get you a few mpg over an auto but nothing amazing.

 

Your numbers are in line with mine - I am getting near 29 city in Tampa Bay - the A/C is always on. The XD engine is designed for 87 octane using a higher octane would be a waste of money and could actually hurt performance. We in Florida will never get as good fuel mileage as some people in other states because we don't have hills. The hills allow you to coast alot, and save fuel.

 

dont forget, you have to use extra gas to get up the hill in the first place.

 

ok for those of you who don’t know how these tranys work, here is a simplified explanation of why an auto will always have less power and mileage.

A standard transmission is gear driven, power is connected from the motor to the front wheels with direct metal to metal gearing. And in our case we have 5 speeds to choose from, letting you match far better the needs of the motor during driving.

An automatic transmission using hydraulic pressure to turn limited gears. In our case 4 speeds. The fact that we loose one gear means the engine is not going to get as efficient gearing as the 5 speed. So mileage and power will suffer.

Secondly, to power the hydraulic pressure, automatics use a drum filled with fluid (a torque converter) that is attached to the back of your motor. The motor has to spin this to create pressure, this takes power, thus a lost in mileage and torque. Also, there is a some slippage in this system while it pressurizes for each shift and starting from a stop, this also robs you of power and mileage.

So to say that the automatic trany gets the same milage and has the same power as the 5 speed just can not be true. Even if it was a 5 speed auto you would still not be as good.

Is it worth the cost? Many people think so, I just cant do it.

 

I voted but find your poll question vague to answer. I know what transmission I'm driving but you wanted me to point out a difference. What am I suppose to be comparing? MPG, 0 - 60 in seconds, fun factor, manual transmission, winter driving conditions?

I live in NYC so 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all roads are in pure gridlock so theres no point driving manual here.

 

I chose the auto...In our club we do a lot of cruises and it saves on the left calf.....I'm averaging 34mpg on my first tank...I'm anxious to see how it evens out as the miles add up

 

i live in LA county and i got a manual, and i first have to say...that yes, driving a manual in traffic is OBVIOUSLY different from driving an automatic but who the hell cares..i think the xD's manual tranny is well designed and makes a load of difference. turns a fun car into even more fun!

 

cigardave, you can explain until you are blue in the face, but I've driven both, and the power is the same. If it makes you feel better to think your manual is somehow superior, feel free, but there's really not that much difference. I am getting just about the same mileage as those with manuals have listed here.

 

lol. its not about being superior or making anyone feel better. its a bout physics. Just because YOU cant tell doesn’t mean there isnt a difference. This is not a personal thing, or saying one is better or not. The question is, what trany has more power and gas mileage. Its is clearly and with out doubt, based in science and common sense the 5 speed.

Now what one Is better for you and the driving conditions that you face, is up to you to decide. There is no wrong answer unless you are trying to claim you get more power and gas mileage out of an automatic.

 

I'm not saying I get more. I get about the same. I'm talking about the xD, not every other manual vs. automatic. But whatever.

 

I drive an auto simply because I don't know how to drive a stick lol. Though its nice around here since I know I would end up disliking having to shift in traffic.

 

Wow that is really fast I had to wait 8 months to get my 08 Manual with VSC. They could get me Manual right away but apparently had to order the VSC in blue from Japan and that is how long it took.

 

Actually, the car came in the day I made that post! My dealership rep told me that the 5 state area gets one manual with vsc a month, and he requested that it be sent to them. I guess the stars aligned or something, because I'm driving it now! Being in Texas, I had the windows tinted right away, and am planning to put some new wheels on it soon. Having traded a VW for the XD, I thought that driving a less "premium" car would take getting used to, but I have been very impressed with the quality of the materials and fit/finish. The lower payment and higher gas mileage helps too! :D

 

i have auto xd.
and i live in detroit, and roads are naaaaaaasty
i also have auto Tc and a manual 350z,
in my opinion, i don't think xds make that much of difference in manual or auto, i did drove'em both, just makes you feel like youre DRIVING,
it's such a nice car~

 

I so thank my dad for forcing me to learn to drive a manual when I was 16...worth the months-long fear of stoplights. Now I wouldn't drive anything else.

 

I learned to drive in a 1971 Super Beetle, so I know how to drive stick, too. I don't care for it, though. Too much trouble in stop and go traffic.

 

Haha! oboogie, now THAT is funny - I learned to drive stick in a 1971 Super Beetle too - a powder blue one - it was my mom's car at the time back in 1977.

The dealer I went to had a NBM xD in auto, but I opted to wait and order the same color with the stick instead - I drove both, and there is a noticable difference between the performance of the two, albeit not as much as you would probably see in a bigger, heavier car...

I've owned nine vehicles in my lifetime, and every single one was stick except for my 98 Dodge Ram pickup (still have that one - got the automatic only because I bought it right off the lot as a leftover and didn't have a choice - bummer!). I absolutely hate driving automatics, they never shift when you want them to, and always shift when you don't want them to. Heck, I spent 28 years driving stick in 3-hour stop-and-go traffic going to Penn State Football home games - my left leg would be searing in pain from shifting in and out all that time - but I will STILL never give up my stick!!

 

i really dont understand why so many people complain about driving stick in traffic...i drive stick and i have no problem in it...my main problem is the PEOPLE and how theyre driving, not the action of clutching...oh well..its opinion so i cant argue with that

 

driving in traffic with a stick is an art. i often find myself southbound on i35W in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and just try to maintain a distance where i don't have to shift or brake. the key is to try to stay calm when some a**hole cuts in front of you with no blinker.