Automatic or manual transmission [Archive] - Toyota Yaris Forums

bentjazz

01-13-2011, 04:03 PM

Hi everyone,
I just bought a 2010 Yaris, and decided to go with the automatic transmission, but now think I might regret that decision. The salesperson said fuel efficiency between the manual and automatic was nill, and for that reason, I opted not to go with the manual. But I keep reading that the manual offers better real world fuel efficiency.
The only reason I've driven manuals in the past was because of their better gas mileage, but the salesperson said that trend was a thing of the past and he recommended the automatic.
This is my first post on the forum, and am curious what Yaris drivers have learned about this topic while driving their Yaris. Do manuals offer better gas mileage?
Any tips on how I can maximize my fuel economy?
Thank you.

WeeYari

01-13-2011, 04:10 PM

The manual transmission has a slight edge over the automatic in terms of fuel efficiency. Not by any earth shattering amount though. A lot will depend on how you drive it. The M/T lends itself to achieve better results with hyper-mile techniques than the A/T will.

Shinare

01-13-2011, 04:37 PM

Except I tend to drive my yaris like a hot little go-kart because of the M/T so my milage suffers a little. :)

CTScott

01-13-2011, 05:33 PM

I drive an AT and have seen average efficiency per tank range from 32 to 41 MPG. I definitely have control over which way it goes, based on my driving style during the tank. The tanks where I've achieved over 40 haven't involved any serious hypermiling techniques, but rather just not constantly stomping on it.

Yaristeve

01-13-2011, 05:42 PM

...but the salesperson said that trend was a thing of the past and he recommended the automatic....

Same story the salesman told me; of course, the fact that they had no manuals on the lot did not factor into his recommendation. :rolleyes:

I told him that I had just wasted three years of driving fun with an automatic tranny car and that I wanted a manual because... I wanted a manual. And that it had nothing to do with mileage.

brg88tx

01-13-2011, 06:01 PM

i think the salesman was partially right, the mpg difference in newer cars is less than it used to be. in the yaris, i'd say 1-2 mpg.

i average about 38 summer, 36 winter mpg with my auto.

RETRO

01-13-2011, 10:00 PM

I have a 08 3 dr auto. I am getting 37.5 mpg during the winter and 39.5-40.5 mpg during the summer..I think your auto will be fine..As CTScott said that will depend on your driving habits..

TLyttle

01-13-2011, 11:13 PM

I have a standard, my buddy has an automatic. We both drive about the same (fairly aggressive), but his is a 4-door hatch, I have a sedan. I get better MPG consistently. Which is eating the fuel? The transmission or the body shape?

R2D2

01-14-2011, 09:29 AM

The difference between the auto and manual depends largely on how you drive them. Driven "normally" the difference is very small but in the hands of a hypermiler the differences are much greater.

You can still achieve great mileage with the auto. I have a current lifetime FE of 41.9 mpg with a best tank of 48.0 mpg in my 5dr auto. Winter kills the FE. I'm doing more very short trips in the cold this winter and am only getting 37-38 mpg. Still pretty good but nothing like can be done in milder climates.

DebbyM46227

01-14-2011, 10:09 AM

MadMax

01-14-2011, 11:34 AM

I laugh when people claim that autos can't be fun to drive, my Yaris is a blast on backroads and I don't miss my manual one bit! If you ever have to drive in the city, or in stop-and-go traffic, you'll be happy not to have to clutch!

Plus, you can manually shift an auto transmission, or you can let it shift on its own; but you'll never get a manual transmission to shift automatically!

And "Winter gas" does take its toll, but I am still getting about 33 MPG with my auto and larger wheels.

Cheers! M2

daf62757

01-14-2011, 01:58 PM

Think of the money you will be saving in not paying for a new clutch! The AT will, realistically, last forever.

MT is fun....for a while, but AT is far more dependable and adds to the resell value.

nemelek

01-14-2011, 03:01 PM

At one time in my life I thought that I would ever own an auto. Now I don't think I'll ever buy a stick again. Getting old.

bentjazz

01-14-2011, 03:58 PM

Hi everyone,
I got 30mpg on my first tank full, but my tires weren't at their current psi (which is 39). I filled the dealer's tank half way, so I didn't get a very reliable measure there, but I'm hoping to get above 30mpg. I got that from my 1999 1.8L 4cyl. Corolla I sold to buy this. I read some people getting 37-38 in the winter, and figure I must be doing something wrong. Should I be doing anything (excluding high psi tire pressure) to maximize fuel efficiency? I am going to start driving 60mph and below and, as someone on this forum wrote, will act like there is an egg between my foot and the accelerator.
Thanks.

alch3miss

01-15-2011, 11:23 PM

I own both and the MT gets my nod!

aca72

01-17-2011, 02:07 AM

MT= fun
AT= boring

Yaris MT or AT= winner!

Freedan

01-17-2011, 05:25 AM

I've WOT my AT a few times and believe me, it's hard to believe it can accelerate that fast with only 90ish(?) hp. I can't even imagine how fast Garm's 350+ HP yaris will go at WOT!!

Ack sorry, this is the FE forums and WOT is a no go!! :tongue:

Chuck G

01-17-2011, 02:54 PM

MT= fun
AT= boring

Yaris MT or AT= winner!

The AT in the Yaris will surprise you.
(this ain't your fathers automatic)
Never thought I would be impressed by an AT after owning
MT's all my life.

annn

01-17-2011, 03:39 PM

I love the auto in my 08...my 04 Tacoma has a mt and I hate rowing through the gears in town what a drag!! On the interstate mt excellent in a large city...not much use really for a mt .

MadMax

01-17-2011, 05:25 PM

STC

01-17-2011, 08:46 PM

Either/or... you made a wise choice in vehicle... :smile: I drive a manual Yaris and hypermile all the time. If one is using hypermiling techniques in an auto he/she can consistantly get into the 40's. Winter is harder for better mileage for both transmissions, though! :frown:

Cheers!

roxy1

01-19-2011, 01:15 PM

my experience in owning both a manual and auto yaris in similar driving was 3-4 mpg better in the manual.

there are a good number of samples here:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calculatorSelectEngine.jsp?year=2007&make=Toyota&model=Yaris

manual comes out at 38.1 and auto at 35.0.

of course, it is impossible to account for all conditions there, but it has a decent amount of samples.

my main issue with the manual in the yaris is the dynamics are terrible...it is not a very fun or smooth experience (though still more fun than the auto)

why?

01-19-2011, 09:27 PM

Agreed, I purposely sought an A/T in my Yaris and I am glad I did. I drove the M/T and wasn't overly impressed with the clutch. I find the A/T to be a great choice because you can leave it in 'D' and just drive, or you can downshift to '3' and even '2' in certain circumstances and control what gear the car is in. As I've stated before, you can shift an A/T, but you can't get a M/T to shift automatically!

I also have an A/T in my Jeep, people give me shit about it until I easily go places they have trouble with in their manual transmissions.

Cheers! M2

and you've beaten that idiotic slogan far into its grave.

Never mind it is not even close to the same thing.

But for fe there really isn't much of a difference. Your personal driving habits will make a ton more difference than the transmission.

There are literally tons of ideas and options on how to get great gas mileage in this forum.

Also remember the car is brand new and it might need some break in, and it might need more since it is the middle of the winter.

MadMax

01-19-2011, 10:52 PM

and you've beaten that idiotic slogan far into its grave.

My my, touches a nerve, does it? :middlefinger: :moon:

bankrobber

01-23-2011, 07:26 PM

Think of the money you will be saving in not paying for a new clutch! The AT will, realistically, last forever.

MT is fun....for a while, but AT is far more dependable and adds to the resell value.

Never had a clutch slip. Throw out bearing broke a few times in my Dodge with 260,000 miles. I believe standard is much cheaper to maintain. Oil changes on manual cost me 10 bucks plus no filter to buy. Auto has so many parts that can fail compared to a standard. I dont do a lot of city driving so the clutch thing dosen't bother me

bkndacn

01-27-2011, 10:25 PM

Granted the AT Yaris does have more pep than your usual AT (I've Driven my friends AT yaris).... but theres nothing like Having a MT and keeping it in 2nd gear till about 45-55 MPH in order to take off from a stop sign or downshifting to 4th when passing a slow car doing 75+!! to me having a MT not only connects you more with the car but also gives you the option between driving with FE in mind or driving fast as hell!

PS @freedan: Ive been in Garms Yaris at WOT and FTW it was fast! Just look at my sig!

Trubin

02-06-2011, 03:46 PM

In an automatic there is no tachometer on the dashboard though, i was really devastated when i got the car without it. I know that i will not be using it much since i don't need to see it to change gears but I'd sill like to know what RPM I am running, how far i shoudl gas it just for fuel economy.

MadMax

02-06-2011, 07:46 PM

cougar65

02-06-2011, 11:10 PM

On the free way i got 36.4mpgs going aout 75mph average with a a/t im stoked on that my 2000 ford focus got only 32 doing the same thing.

Drama

02-25-2011, 07:10 PM

I must admit that a auto yaris under normal driving sucks, But when I romp on it. It seems to be another car, I`ve really run the shit out of my car sometimes and run it as hard as my Rx-7 for the power there is. FE sucks when I rip it a new one. But its still better than my RX when am taking it easy. I also have a 10` corolla and the yaris is better on FE than it is too. I bought the yaris for the FE, But when I call on it, Its good for me, Knowing I have a 500whp 7 in the garage. Auto Yaris is not that bad, Thats my asshole`s worth.= oppinion.

bzinn 1

02-27-2011, 10:12 PM

Honestly I would of rather had the MT.....but it was 6 week wait for one in our area unless I wanted the hot red one that was on the lot....no offense to the red Yaris owners....but man it was really too bright for me....

I am happy with my automatic.....it works well....I spend a fair amount in traffic so no clutch to distract me is a plus.....

Although I would like the abilty to put in a lighter flywheel,better clutch...and most of all LSD.....

I say this because my car although a DD is also going to be a show and autocross car so a clutch and LSD sure would be a lot more durable than the abuse I am gonna put on the poor thing....

there are some upgrades available to the auto tranny but I have never worked on one so I am not sure I could do the installs myself....well I bet I could but a clutch/flywheel upgrade sure seem easier to me....lol...hardest part is getting the drivelines back in the car....

birdman

03-03-2011, 02:52 AM

When I test drove the Yaris I tried both and I chose the Automatic. After a few hundred miles I thought there was something wrong with how it accelerated and down shifted. Then I read that the cars computer learns and eventually anticipates how you drive and compensates accordingly. If you want to accelerate quickly then don't floor it. Push the gas pedal about a third of the way in and you'll hit a magic sweet spot and the car will take off very promptly. Once you get a feel for it and the car gets a feel for you then you will love this fine automatic. Consumer Reports must not have understood how this system works. It kind of sucks until the car learns your driving characteristics. Now when it down shifts it does it seamlessly.