(Note: What follows is extremely technical. If you’re not interested in the whys and hows, scroll down to the next section.) ...

An automatic transmission is any transmission that doesn’t require the driver to shift gears. There are more types of automatic transmissions than ever before, including conventional torque ...

In our tests, we've found that in some cars a manual transmission can improve gas mileage by a significant 2 to 5 mpg, compared with an automatic, and can cut a car's price by $800 to $1,200.