By Robert Hammer

Tips From The Auto Brokers

& Stefanie Kelly

The debate over the virtues of automatic versus manual transmission is nothing new. Some drivers prefer the comfort and convenience of automatic, while others prefer what they consider the more hands-on experience of a manual transmission.

Nearly 10 years ago, Porsche threw a wrench into the works when it introduced the first accessibly priced “automatic stickshift” transmission into the United States market. Tiptronic, as it is known, is now offered in Audis and Volkswagens as well.

The concept quickly took hold with U.S. consumers, whose ability to adapt to all things newfangled advanced exponentially with the advent of the Internet. The snappier the technology, the better.

Other luxury carmakers were not going to be left in Porsche’s engineering wake. BMW and Mercedes-Benz soon brought out their versions - Steptronic and Sportmatic, respectively - of the automatic stickshift/automatic manual transmission. (Yes, automatic manual is an oxymoron, but the technology achieves manual-type shifting in an automatic/clutchless mode.)

BMW recently upped the ante with the Sequential Manual Gearbox transmission in its M3. An amped-up version of automatic manual technology, the SMG is not really clutchless, but employs a computerized electro-hydraulic clutch operated by shift paddles on the steering wheel. It offers Formula One-level driving that eliminates operator error and results in the most efficient use of the car’s power. Previously available only in high-priced cars like Ferraris, SMG-type transmissions are the wave of the future.

The idea behind basic clutchless stickshift technology is to provide an experience that requires driver input - and therefore is interactive rather than passive - but also eliminates the need to disengage the clutch repeatedly in traffic.

In spite of a downturn in the economy - which has resulted in layoffs and decreased spending on big ticket items - traffic in metropolitan regions is still intense. Additionally, the fast-paced progression of technology is transforming us into an increasingly convenience-oriented society. Driving a stickshift in stop-and-go traffic is anything but convenient.

Driving an automatic stickshift, however, is convenient and even fun. With what amounts to the flick of a switch, it is possible to go from fully automatic mode to automatic manual mode in one hot second.

In the Bay Area this has been a boon to sportscar drivers. Moreover, drivers who never learned to operate a stickshift can now experience the sensation of manual shifting without the challenge of working a clutch.

Consequently, production of manual transmission vehicles has declined significantly in the U.S. in recent years. More and more, consumers will find that manual transmissions will be available only in hardcore sports cars.

This trend has special implications for drivers who prefer the true stickshift experience, not only because fewer cars are available, but because the resale value of manual transmission automobiles is declining proportionately.

If you are a manual transmission loyalist, bear this in mind if you plan to purchase (as opposed to lease) your next vehicle. Whether it’s a sportscar or a sedan - and there are still a few sedans available with manual transmissions - if you buy a car with a stickshift, it may be exceedingly difficult to sell later on.

If you lease, the only issue to consider in this regard is how much traffic you will have to contend with. If you plan to turn the vehicle back in to the bank at the end of the lease term, you and anyone you else driving your car will be the only ones inconvenienced by the stickshift.

Hammer and Kelly are associated with Hammer Auto, a new car auto broker in Palo Alto. Information: 813-6100 or www.hammerauto.com.