Car transmission: automatic or manual?

[lostfan916]

Manual for me. If you would've asked me two months ago when I got my car and learning I would've told you I hated it but it really is fun to drive. I still have troubles sometimes (*ahem* driving in SF yesterday... ) but for the most part I really like it and am glad that I learned it.

How exciting is taking off, and going through all the gears and hearing the engine rev as opposed to just hitting the gas...

 

[yojitani]

This exact same topic came up a few years ago...

Manual. I drive an automatic and hate it. The worst, IMO is reversing or trying to drive slowly in an automatic.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

I'm going to go with automatic, especially with some of the excellent ones that have come out recently. Living in the LA area I'd hate to have to drive a stick in some of the horrendous traffic.

 

[zagato27]

I voted manual and love my 97 Maxima SE with 5spd. The majority of "my" cars have been manuals(Renault R17 Gordini; Pontiac s2000 [ewwwwww, came with my wife...bad car....great gal...the s2000 is loooooooonnnnnnngg gone but the gal is still here] 72 BMW 3.0 CSI; Isuzu Trooper II; 97 Maxima SE; I do have a couple of autos but they aren't my daily drive) and I thoroughly enjoy going trough the gears. Think this poll needs to be tweaked to add the third choice....manuamatics. Some cars have tranny's that you can set in a manual mode and can tap up or down. Not a big fan of these HOWEVER the VW DSG is a bit different. Test drove a GTI and an R32 and really enjoyed it. Very responsive. I've been thinking of getting a new car (well, with the economy etc. that's been put on hold) and seriously considered the DSG but my son (college freshman) absolutely rails at me about it....he loves his manuals (08 Fit Sport MT, talk about a buttery smooth manual). Still thinking about that DSG, especially when stuck in stop and go traffic. Cheers

 

[LizKat]

Manual, for better control and fuel efficiency in mountainous rural area. I have only owned sticks for 30 years... I can drive an automatic but it makes me crazy coming to stops, I'm always feeling for the clutch pedal!

 

[eclix]

I would really prefer a stick. My auto transmission waits until higher rpm's to shift, where I'd really shift a lot earlier to save gas: I don't need to accelerate fast. Then, I'd also like the ability to shift directly into the lower gear I want when I do decide to accelerate: my auto will shift sequentially through as I mash down the pedal, whereas I could go straight from, say, 5 to 3 in a manual.

Not to mention, way more fun to drive and I hate feeling so out of touch with my vehicle with an auto tranny.

Actually I've heard that the most fuel efficient way to drive is to accelerate fast as possible up to 2000 revs, change, then accelerate as hard as you can etc.
Clearly a plausible excuse for fun driving.

 

[Fake Hipster]

Manual. I learned how to drive on a manual, and think it makes you a better driver.

 

[AppleMatt]

Most of them don't even have half a clue of how a car works. (One kid in my Physics class actually asked what the RPM gauge meant...)

Totally agree. Anecdotally, I notice a lot of poor driving isn't actually lack of skill/car control per se, it's that they don't know what's actually happening when they depress the clutch/increase revs/etc. and this is what causes some of the 'why didn’t the car...' looks and questions when they, in completely good faith, predicted X would happen but got Y.

Things that irritate me along the same physics line:
- Braking on corners (really ticks me off).
- Accelerating before the apex of a curve.
- Not coming off the gas just before changing lanes.
- Keeping in a low gear in the snow.
- Repeatedly turning the wheel (sometimes to full lock!) in snow, not thinking about what direction it will fly in when it does get grip.
- It snowed here recently.

yeah i mean i have had manual trans. cars more than automatic. i currently have one right now - however yeah.. i knew someone would say they are 'more in-tune' with the car. that makes a lot of sense. maybe it's just me, but with family and friends in the car i'd rather not be shifting gears!

I found an automatic to be slower to react. Sometimes it's useful to be able to drop it a bit lower and put the gas on, if it moves you out of the way of a pickle, so I'll stick with my manuals (although I'll willingly admit it may just be one bad experience with them that has left me with that view - I've only driven one).

Also, I don't actively think about changing gears...it just...happens. It certainly doesn't distract me. Equally, it certainly did distract me (a lot) when I was learning.

AppleMatt

 

[Fake Hipster]

I found an automatic to be slower to react. Sometimes it's useful to be able to drop it a bit lower and put the gas on, if it moves you out of the way of a pickle, so I'll stick with my manuals (although I'll willingly admit it may just be one bad experience with them that has left me with that view - I've only driven one).

Also, I don't actively think about changing gears...it just...happens. It certainly doesn't distract me. Equally, it certainly did distract me (a lot) when I was learning.

AppleMatt

Try to make yourself screw up using the clutch sometime. Its almost impossible to do.

 

[Rockatteer]

Automatics are easier for town/city driving, but manuals are more fun.

You can't beat changing down through the gears as you approach a corner and then up through the gears as you accelerate out of the corner

 

[DoFoT9]

There'll be like 1 automatic in between like 500 Manuals.

looks like you were wrong haha!

 

[JG271]

Manual... because its all i've ever driven! I've got my driving test in a few weeks, I figured out gears quite fast though, seems like some people really struggle with it

Just an observation: It seems to me like more cars in the US are automatic?

 

[DoFoT9]

Manual. I learned how to drive on a manual, and think it makes you a better driver.

IMO it makes you concentrate a lot more. good for learners..

i learnt on a auto, but thats only because my parents only had autos. i now have a manual. it took me about 20minutes to pick up. (im a drummer, naturally talented i guess haha)..

i love driving a manual, its so much... easier! (not boring either)

 

[Scarlet Fever]

Manual. I drive an automatic and hate it. The worst, IMO is reversing or trying to drive slowly in an automatic.

Funny you say that, I find slow driving and reversing much easier in an auto. I only have access to V6 autos, and they have a relatively high amount of torque at idle, so that could be it.

 

[robbieduncan]

I voted manual as that's mostly what I prefer, but in the right car an automatic can be nice. Anything at all sporting: manual. A big cruiser designed for motorway miles: automatic with cruise.

Automated manuals, dual clutch transmissions and the like may be "better" for certain measured parameters like change speed but they'll never regain the feel, driver engagement and above all pleasure of a well weighted manual transmission, especially when you get that change just so.

 

[mysterytramp]

Manual, and there are some hills out my way and rotten traffic every morning. The only time it's a burden is when I need to talk on a cell and shift at the same time.

mt

btw, Maryland is close to passing a ban on texting while driving.

 

[DoFoT9]

Manual, and there are some hills out my way and rotten traffic every morning. The only time it's a burden is when I need to talk on a cell and shift at the same time.

mt

btw, Maryland is close to passing a ban on texting while driving.

lol are you serious>?>> you can text while driving over in some places!?!?! thats insane!!!! we cant even pick up a phone over here lol! jealous!

 

[yg17]

lol are you serious>?>> you can text while driving over in some places!?!?! thats insane!!!! we cant even pick up a phone over here lol! jealous!

Don't be jealous. Anyone texting while driving is a moron who has no regard for human life and is probably just as dangerous as someone who is driving while drunk.

 

[acurafan]

manual, all 9k rpm of it.

driving thru skyline drive, blue ridge mountains, route 100, the PCH; engine screaming, wind in my hair....beautiful! what's an automatic?

 

[AppleMatt]

lol are you serious>?>> you can text while driving over in some places!?!?! thats insane!!!! we cant even pick up a phone over here lol! jealous!

If you're looking at a mobile phone screen, who's looking at the road ahead for you?

When you look up from the screen and see a situation do you think your reactions would be the same speed? Or slower as there's more information to take in, decide what to notice and what to discard, and then act upon?

How far does a car travel in that extra second?

AppleMatt

 

[northernmunky]

I had to do a job the while back which involved driving a rented 4x4 which was an automatic. (I've been driving for 10 years and I've never seen an auto before).

I drove 20 miles with the car chugging and stuttering and only when the wheels caught fire I realised I'd drove all that way with my foot on the brake and the accelerator at the same time!

Luckily I wasn't the one who had to take it back!

EDIT: (I should probably mention so the Americans understand... I'm used to having my left foot on the clutch!)

 

[SactoGuy18]

Manuals can be lots of fun but I've noticed a couple of problems:

1) Clutch engagement action is not really that great on some cars.

2) The quality of the gear shifter in terms of the ease of changing gears is not that great unless you're driving a Porsche, BMW, Honda or Mazda (they seem to be the only companies that have a clue on building a shifter that is easy to shift between gears for manual transmissions).

Besides, today's conventional automatics have gotten very good, especially now with many automatics sporting six forward speeds and computerized controls for far smoother and faster shifts between gears. I recently test-drove a 2009 Toyota Camry with the six-speed automatic and was impressed by its very smooth shift action. (The upcoming 2010 Camry will have a six-speed automatic even on the four-cylinder version.)

But what could doom the conventional manual outside of sports cars and very low-cost cars is the dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Unlike conventional manuals or even "automated" manuals, DCT's have extremely fast shift action, and properly engineered they even shift with the smoothness of conventional automatics. And unlike conventional automatics, DCT's can even work with high-revving engines safely, so even the Honda K20Z3 I-4 engine rated at 197 bhp used on the Honda Civic Si coupe and sedan could work with a DCT, since you can manually shift the DCT to keep engine revs up for maximum performance.

Ford's new Powershift DCT is probably the reason why the 2011 Fiesta coming in early 2010 for the US market could break the 40 mpg highway rating based on the 2008 EPA fuel economy test, a major achievement for a gasoline-fuelled vehicle that is not a hybrid. (I just read that Ford is right now upgrading their transmission assembly line in Mexico near where the 2011 Fiesta will be built to build the Powershift DCT.)

 

[DoFoT9]

Don't be jealous. Anyone texting while driving is a moron who has no regard for human life and is probably just as dangerous as someone who is driving while drunk.

If you're looking at a mobile phone screen, who's looking at the road ahead for you?

When you look up from the screen and see a situation do you think your reactions would be the same speed? Or slower as there's more information to take in, decide what to notice and what to discard, and then act upon?

How far does a car travel in that extra second?

AppleMatt

lol yous sound like the cops. how many of you look at the keyboard when you type?? i for one dont. just like i dont look at my mobile phone to text. i know the thing inside and out.

not saying its a good thing, just saying not EVERYBODY is irresponsible and a killer.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Don't be jealous. Anyone texting while driving is a moron who has no regard for human life and is probably just as dangerous as someone who is driving while drunk.

It is not insane to text while driving. I do it all the time AT A STOP LIGHT that or in stop and go traffic while I am stop.

You just have to know when to do it. I will check my messages and may send one while I am sitting at a stop light or stop in stop and go traffic but in both cases I am not moving so my attention can be diverted for a 2nd. The worse thing that will happen is I take an extra second to start moving again.

Now texting while moving now that is not a bright idea.

 

[neoserver]

Currently I drive an auto, but thats because I learned on an auto (parents only had autos at the time.) I do however intend to learn to drive a stick-shift. It's one of those things i've always wanted to know as it makes it a hell of a lot easier when you travel to countries where manuals are the dominant style.