Mustang Transmissions: Automatic vs Manual
Last Updated April 9, 2024 | Bill TumasMustangs have always been available with both an automatic and a manual transmission. That's because both transmissions are perfect for a type of driver. Picking the transmission that best fits your driving style can be a tough choice sometimes, especially when it comes to purchasing a muscle car.
If you talk to an old school muscle car person, they’re going to say “manual trans or go home.” There used to be a lot of truth to that, considering the manual transmissions used to put up with a lot more abuse than the automatic, and were generally faster. That really isn’t the case anymore.
Technology has truly come around when it comes to the design and engineering behind both manual and automatic transmissions. With the introduction of the dual-clutch transmission, you can shift gears much faster than any standard gearbox out there, all with the push of a button or a paddle shifter. Though the 2020-2022 GT500 is the only Mustang to receive a DCT, the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission in the 2018+ Mustang keeps up pretty darn well, and certainly outruns its standard MT-82 manual transmission counterpart.
There’s no question that the manual gearbox wins by a landslide when it comes to the coolness factor. There’s purely no feeling out there that compares to rowing through your own gears. However, that’s not the top priority for all Mustang owners. There are many that use their Mustang as a daily driver in stop and go traffic, drag race on a regular basis or frequent the road course. All of which have different needs when it comes to which transmission to run with on your Mustang.
Mustang Automatic Transmissions
The Mustang’s automatic transmission allows you to go fast without having to worry about shifting. As time pushes forward and technology advances, the automatic transmission will work its way to shift quicker than any human can on their own. While it can be hard to hear, the manual transmission is gradually falling out of favor with owners. In 2014, only 10% of cars made in North America had a manual transmission, down from 35% in 1980. So, there’s no question that the automatic is taking over.
It's not the end of the world, however, because these cars are still just as quick, if not quicker, than stick cars. And with the proper shift points and transmission tuning, these cars are blowing stick cars out of the water.
There are a couple situations in which you may want to consider an automatic over a manual for your Mustang.
- Drag Racing: All you have to do is check the leaderboards and check what transmission they’re running. If you frequent the dragstrip and want to get those ET’s down, reducing shift times by choosing an automatic transmission will do the trick.
- Daily Driver: This can go either way. If your daily drive to work is 90% highway, then it really doesn’t matter what transmission you choose since you’ll be in 5th or 6th gear most of the time anyways. However, if you sit in stop and go or city traffic, then you may want to reconsider before you’re getting a twice-a-day left leg workout.
- Health Reasons: If you happen to have knee problems, regular joint pain or back pain, getting an automatic will definitely help you enjoy driving more.
- Other Drivers: If you have other drivers in your family who may be regularly driving your Mustang, then they all may not be able to drive a standard gearbox. With that said, anyone can drive an automatic, so that’s another thing to keep in mind.
- Resale: The fact of the matter is, everyone can drive an auto, but not always a manual. Keeping that in mind, when you go to sell your Mustang, a wider range of people are able to purchase the car. That means higher demand, and higher demand means a higher price point.
Mustang Manual Transmissions
If you're the type of driver who enjoys the mechanical feel of rowing through the gears, then a manual gearbox may be the right choice for you. Picking up a Mustang with a manual transmission allows you to feel many aspects of the car that an automatic transmission just doesn’t. For example, with a manual gearbox, you have to pay close attention to your RPM to know when to shift. This can come into play when you’re at a road course event or carving some corners on a random back road. A manual gearbox gives you total control over how your Mustang behaves on the road.
With that said, you’ll find a few reasons below as to why you may want to shy away from an automatic transmission and towards a manual gearbox.
- True Driver’s Car: For the classic, muscle car feeling, you can’t go wrong with a standard gearbox. Knowing which gear you’re in, choosing your shift points, and revving your Mustang to redline are all part of the manual experience.
- It’s Just More Fun, Even If It May Be A Bit Slower: Don’t get us wrong, automatic transmissions are fun; especially with the right mods. But, there isn’t anything out there like the feeling of banging gears as you’re merging on the highway or running your manual Mustang down the drag strip.
- Winter Driving: Snow/Wet modes can only take you so far in hairy situations during the winter months that we all dread. The advantage of a manual gearbox is that you can control exactly how much power is going to your wheels. With a steady left foot feathering the clutch, you’ll be able to navigate snowy conditions a bit easier.
- More Power (Technically): If you can envision a straight line of power going through the crankshaft, transmission and the rest of the drivetrain, that’s essentially a manual transmission. With an automatic, you have to have the power go through a torque converter before exiting the transmission and running through the rest of the drivetrain. For that reason, a manual transmission will put out slightly more power on the dyno due to less drivetrain loss.
- Easier To Upgrade: Upgrading a manual transmission is a bit easier in comparison to its automatic counterpart. For example, you can install a short throw shifter to decrease time between shifts. To do the same in an automatic would require precise transmission tuning. Same thing with launching off the line in an automatic. An upgraded torque converter is much more difficult to install than simply teaching yourself how to launch your Mustang correctly with a clutch.
- Different Shifting Techniques Because you have more control over what gear you're in and when, there are a variety of different shifting techniques you can use to gain a performance advantage on the track or drag strip. Power shifting and speed shifting are great ways to reduce the time spent off the throttle during a shift which leads to quicker quarter miles and lap times.
2018+ Mustang Manual vs Automatic Transmissions
When looking at the 2018+ Mustang, you'll find a lot more automatics than previous years. This is due to the debut of the 10R80 10-Speed Automatic Transmission in the 2018 model year.
A variant of this new 10-Speed Auto is also seen in the 2018+ F-150, the Raptor, and even the Camaro ZL1. While it may be surprising to hear that it's in the Camaro, Ford and Chevy co-developed the 10R80 and Ford specifically calibrated it for the Mustang. When paired with the revised Coyote Gen 3 Engine, the 10R80 transmission allows the 2018 Mustang GT to nail the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds. This is exceptionally quick for a stock car. The 2024 Mustang with the 4th Gen Coyote, on the other hand, has been tested to run the quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds.
Many enthusiasts love the 10R80 because it shifts quicker than any transmission in the Mustang to date. Ford has been quoted saying that the 10R80 doesn't lose any torque when shifting gears. That’s a big deal, and it shows considering the 2018 GT shaves 8 tenths of a second off the quarter-mile when compared to the 2017 GT.
The automatic sounds pretty good, but how does it compare to the updated MT-82 found in the Mustang from 2018 onwards? For the GT models, the MT-82 received a total redesign that includes a new standard twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel along with larger synchronizers for smoother shifts. If you decide to go with the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse, you get the exclusive Tremec TR3160 6-speed transmission. This is a strict upgrade over the MT-82 and improves performance greatly.
Overview of the Mustang Automatic Transmission Drive Modes
With four different drive modes to choose from, the 10R80 transmission feels drastically different depending on which you're in. Between the changes in how the car shifts to the constantly updating MagneRide suspension, the driving experience really does change quite a bit between each mode. Here is our thoughts on the various drive modes after testing them in a 2018 Mustang GT.
Normal: As you can expect, this mode is pretty lackluster. When you hear people complain of the car skip shifting and hesitating which gear it should be in, it’s likely because they never switched it out of normal. Additionally, the MagneRide really loosens up in this mode allowing the car to cruise in comfort. In our testing, the 2018 Mustang GT got over 28 MPG on the highway in this mode with the 10R80.
Sport+: This is the perfect drive mode for the majority of owners. It allows the car to rev just a bit higher than Normal and downshifts a bit more aggressively as you’re on the brakes. This makes spirited driving incredibly fun and easy. The MagneRide stiffens up a decent amount allowing you to feel the road significantly more than Normal mode - which is a good thing.
Track: While originally excited to see how the car reacted to more aggressive driving, we ended up being a bit disappointed. It does a good job of holding the correct gear going into a corner, but the transmission almost always downshifts a gear or two down when you don't want it to. This can get annoying over the course of a long drive.
Unlike a manual, the auto has to take your throttle position into account and try its best translate that into a particular gear and how fast you’d like to accelerate. Plus, this all has to be done before you exit the turn. With that in mind, the 10R80 is very respectable through the turns compared to other automatic transmissions, but it still takes some getting used to.
Drag Strip: This mode was brand new for the 2018 Mustang. After testing, it feels extremely all-or-nothing. If you don't give it full-throttle, you're likely to skip-shift or get the power cut. The 2018+ Mustang will also cut the power and activate ABS if you start to lose traction in Drag Strip mode.
But, if you’re at an actual dragstrip with a properly prepped surface and sufficiently warm tires, then this mode is perfect. The shifts are hard and perfect for getting the best time possible.
The most important thing about this car is the sheer speed that's possible with the 10-Speed 10R80 Automatic Transmission and the Gen 3 Coyote Engine. The sheer acceleration is incredible; due largely in part to the impressive 10R80 and how it keeps the engine right in the power band under load. For comparison's sake, take a bone stock 2018 GT which runs roughly an 11.8 in the quarter mile. A stock 2015-2017 GT with the MT-82 manual transmission will run that same quarter mile in 12.8 seconds. That's roughly a ten car length difference at the end of the track. Needless to say, today's technology and Ford's engineering department is making it rather hard to ignore the truth that the auto is definitively faster and almost as fun.
Now That You Have The Info, It’s Time To Decide
If you enjoy getting killer times at the dragstrip with fewer mods due to faster shift times and easier, more consistent launches, then an automatic Mustang may be for you. On the other hand, if you purely enjoy the driving aspect of the car to feel more from your Mustang’s drivetrain, then a standard gearbox may be best for you. Regardless of what you decide, it’s important to do the research so you can be happy with your decision.
From A Drag Racing Perspective...
CJ Pony Parts' Gotta Have It Race (GHIR): 2013 Mustang GT, Full Bolt-On With MT-82 Manual Transmission, All-Time Best: 11.05 @ 123.86 MPH
Josh Hubbell's 2018 Mustang GT With 10R80 Auto Transmission, Similar Modifications as CJ's GHIR (Details in Video Description), 10.94 @ 127.55 MPH:
