Transmissions rarely fail out of nowhere, and you're likely to notice signs something is amiss before the gearbox gives out.

you need to fix it right away. Simple maintenance like checking and adding transmission fluid is something you can do at home ...

In our tests, we've found that in some cars a manual transmission can improve gas mileage by a significant 2 to 5 mpg, compared with an automatic, and can cut a car's price by $800 to $1,200.