I heard that in the new Honda civics, the automatic transmission has a better gas mileage than manual true?

Heck no. Salesman was smoking something illegal.

Honda improved auto transmission and yes. it does get better and better. But cannot beat the manual transmission on hands of an experienced driver.

Auto is easier to maintain because the only thing you would have to remember is flush and refill the fluid. With manual, you would have to replace the clutch every 100K or so. This could get expensive if you don't know how to do it on your own (exhaust, right half shaft, and transmission must be removed for this service)

One must look at the over-all cost of vehical life. Single most vehical killer is dead transmission. Autotransmission dies, and rebuild would run you upper $3000 to repair. For manual transmission, unless you totally abuse it, it would last longer (as long as you replace the clutch) compare to auto. Properly used, manual transmission should last you 300K or more.

i just bought an 08 Ex manual sedan-epa 26/34. it's a 5 speed-which has as many as the autobox. the automatic has a lower 5th gear ratio, making the engine speed lower in top gear. that's why the auto gets 25/36 because the engine rpms are lower in the auto than in the manual at the same physical speed. but these figures mean little if you drive it like you stole it-

automatics have many more parts than a manual transmission. work is generally expensive on an autobox due to the fact that you have to have an automatic transmission repair shop or the dealer fix your problem-after they figure out what it is within the transmission/transaxle-instead of being able to have a reputable repair shop fix the problem you know you have.

also a manual is great if you don't want your friends borrowing your car-

Well, it's more that today, there isn't a fuel economy penalty for selecting an automatic transmission over a manual transmission. In the old days, that used to be the case - particularly for small cars - because the fluid transfer process in an automatic transmission resulted in "slippage" of power compared with a manual transmission.

Today, thanks to improved technology and computer controlled shifting + overdrive gears/modes - often programmed for quicker upshifts, there is little difference in fuel economy for auto vs. manual transmission equipped versions of the same model. Manual transmission cars may get slightly better fuel economy in stop and go (city driving) but often the automatic transmission equipped model will be good or even a little better for highway driving, because it will shift into a high gear/overdrive mode, cutting revs and therefore fuel consumption.

Automatic transmissions have been improving for years. Many cars were getting better fuel mileage in automatic models than in manuals since the mid '80s. Anyone remember the Mitsubishi Starion/Dodge Conquest sportscar? How about the 1996-2000 Honda Civic HX? Manuals generally are better, but technology has advanced automatics to a higher level than they once were. CVTs usually get the same mpg as (and sometimes better than) manual transmissioned cars. While they aren't conventional automatics, they are automatics nonetheless.

first things first. never beleave salesmen. second yes it takes alot more for a person to learn the car and the best rpm to shift at so they save gas. and the new auto transmissions that honda are makeing are all new and will always save gas even if you have your foot into it. unless you get a chip or other performance parts.

Auto's have been getting better and better for a while now. I would believe it.