Are These Myths Preventing You From Buying An Automatic Car?

From a time when automatic cars were less preferred, it has certainly changed for good. With newer technologies, better fuel efficiency, as well as greater convenience and safety, the same segment of automatic cars have earned its moment in the spotlight and steadily made its way at the top of the consideration list.

Yes, today’s automatic transmission cars are competitively priced and offer the same fuel efficiency (and for Ford cars the same fun of driving) as manuals. However, there are still some out there who view automatic cars as ideal for city driving only, and not long drives or rough roads. This is despite modern automatic transmission cars being cleverer, more versatile and capable of handling whatever terrain and driving conditions you may throw at them.

Read on to know what all can be achieved with an Automatic and how they serve you best

The first myth that need busting about automatic cars is :

Automatics Are Guzzlers And Hence Unsuited For Long Drives

Back in the day, an automatic transmission wasn’t even considered fuel-efficient, for a legit reason that older automatic gearboxes generally only had 3 or 4 gears – so staying within the most efficient power range of revs was more difficult. The outcome? Older automatic gearboxes often used significantly more fuel.

The good news is that all of this is history now. With all this talk of bad fuel efficiency – it’s probably no surprise to discover automatic gearboxes have had something of a resurgence in recent years. The ATs now often run more gears than earlier days and there are new classes of much more efficient automatic transmission, like the torque converter transmission. A good example of this would be the recently launched Ford Figo AT. The hatchback from Ford offers segment-best six-speed, torque converter automatic transmission that is paired to Bharat Stage 6 compliant three-cylinder 1.2L petrol engine, delivering fuel efficiency of up to 16kpl.

Automatics Are Not Engaging For The Driver

Again, things have changed substantially over the years. Automatic transmission cars today are smart, dynamic, and super fun. The Ford EcoSport automatic comes fitted with paddle shifters, which gives you the liberty to decide when the gears need changing without having to bother with the clutch or gear stick. Automatics also respond to your accelerator depressing patterns – slam the gas pedal, and the auto transmission will hold the revs until much higher than when you accelerate gently.

You Can’t Go Off-Roading In An Automatic

You might want to think again about ATs being a spoilsport when it comes to off-roading once you get behind the wheels of the Ford Endeavour! The Ford SUV, equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission gearbox – first-of-its-kind anywhere in the world, delivers responsive, faster and facilitates smoother acceleration in all driving conditions. This new age transmission on the Endeavour translates to better acceleration, responsiveness and performance, thanks to a wide-ratio span and optimized gear spacing. Fitted with a Terrain Management System that adapts the gearbox, traction control, and other systems to the terrain mode selected makes off-roading, crawling over rocks and cruising on highways a pleasure.

SUVs like Ford Endeavour today marry the automatic transmission with the go-anywhere capability to bring you a rugged vehicle that is very comfortable loads of fun on all terrains, and adept at handling the worst of Indian road conditions. A powerful engine and robust suspension complete the package of an SUV like the Ford Endeavour to such an extent that it can go pretty much anywhere – you won’t even miss the clutch pedal!

Automatics Are More Expensive To Maintain

This one is another big myth that needs to be busted (and we can only talk about Ford cars).

There is a general perception that cars with automatic transmission need extra maintenance. Modern automatic gearboxes are robust things and are designed to not just take a beating but also sustain it for a significant length of time if necessary. By eliminating the clutch pedal, an automatic transmission substantially reduces wear and tear. This is because a lot of this abrasion is a result of human error – many drivers don’t have good clutch practices, which tends to cause quite a bit of harm.

And as mentioned earlier, automatics are also more competitively priced than before—the Ford Figo automatic, for example, is priced from INR 775,000, and the Ford Figo owners spend as low as INR 1,313 for scheduled service in the first year while the 100,000-KM or 10-year service is surprisingly affordable at just INR 4,097.

In the 2020 Edition of Autocar’s Annual Vehicle Maintenance Study, Ford cars & SUVs have been rated as the most affordable to maintain in their respective segments, for the third year in a row. Ford Figo, Ford Aspire, Ford Freestyle, Ford EcoSport, and Ford Endeavour – boast the lowest ownership cost in their respective segments, both for spares and service/labour. At Ford, we marry performance and economy so that you can have the best of all worlds. Check Ford’s Service Price Promise to know our surprisingly affordable maintenance costs.

With Ford’s automatic vehicles – performance, comfort, and ruggedness are all available in one exciting package. Don’t take our word for it – just Dial-A-Ford at 1800-419-3000 to book a test drive at home and confirm this for yourself!