Manual or automatic for high mileage driving?

If you enjoy being involved in your driving then it has to be a manual. If you just view it as a means of getting from A to B, then it would be the automatic. Modern automatics, especially that VW 'box, are extremely reliable and often as economical if not more so than a manual. They lock into "overdrive" top when cruisng, which is exactly what you want.

I would recommend a manual for fuel economy but then it is really up to you to concentrate all the time on low revs and high torque. If you just want to get there then buy an automatic and don't use the kick-down except in emergencies. When driving my automatic (with rev counter) I take my foot off the accelerator to allow the revs to drop so that the car drops down a gear. You have to drive by the rev counter and just look at the speedometer in speed-restricted areas. Try and keep below 2000 rpm.

Sorry - misread the question. I thought it was about fuel economy. It's good advise anyway.

New Skodas are OK now they are made under West German supervision.

On todays newer cars i really see no difference in economy for HIGHWAY only, yes driving city stop and go the manual is better for economy, but a PIA for high traffic. I own a 2009 malibu with 6 speed auto trans and my highway mileage is above 30mpg's. New cars today have an onboard diagnostics and sensors where the computer always compensates for the most economical situation. Stick shifts and auto trannies are now minimal, but the auto does take away more power from the engine to the drive axles. So performance wise the stick is better.

good luck.......

Auto as the new Skoda (VW) has a good auto box that will return better performance than the manual and better MPG. You will find for high mileage it will also be more relaxing. Do not worry about reliability as only the old auto boxes of years gone by are unreliable, the new ones are as good as the manual if not better.

Probably better off with a manual, if for no other reason that a manual box will probably last longer than an automatic over the 200k+ miles you're planning on doing.

However, if you buy the Diesel one, it'll have a DMF which will probably need replaced within that mileage and will cost about the same as a recon autobox, so it's probably 50/50.

Automatic.

I only do about 15000miles a year,but every time I hit a traffic jam or any kind of hold up I'm grateful I'm not using a clutch.

I'm 41 and now on my 2nd auto after 20 odd years of manuals,and I'll never go back to a manual for day to day driving.

Manual, if driven correctly can provide better gas mileage, and clutches are cheaper to replace then an automatic transmission job. Like others said, you'd be in 5th gear most of the time (or whatever it's highest gear is) for highway driving, and you'd save gas.

A manual transmission will have a longer life and give you better fuel mileage. Since you will do mostly highway driving it will be in the highest gear most of the time but a auto would always be shifting and wearing out fluid and parts.

a million. do no longer advance up complicated. 2. Coast whilst a threat (and care), this implies launch gasoline pedal once you notice a provide up easy in a distance, downhill, etc. 3. in case you do no longer % intense acceleration, you may shift till now to decrease RPM, avoide too low RPM acceleration and engine knocking. 4. consistent velocity (no acceleration) would enable extremely low RPM. 5. sparkling your air clear out regularly. 6. save tires nicely inflated. 7. do no longer upload stuff that develop air resistance/drag (spoilers, wings). 8. test. 9. save records. 10. good universal maintenance/tuning.

manual's are more fun but an automatic is a lot more comfortable on long distance journeys