Car transmission: automatic or manual?

[d wade]

depends on the car...

here's the list of my cars we've had and you can see a pattern:

1995 turbo supra - 6spd
1998 corvette - 6spd
2005 corvette - 6spd
2008 bmw 328i coupe - 6spd

1997 mercedes-benz e430 amg - auto
2004 xterra - auto
2001 jeep - auto
2007 lexus rx - auto
2007 yukon denali - auto

my opinion -
sporty cars that are fun to drive - stickshift
trucks, suv's, big luxury cars - auto

 

[Signal-11]

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!)

Your left foot shouldn't be resting on the clutch on a manual, either!

 

[bobr1952]

I know there are not that many manual fans in the US. I have always had a manual transmission--only owned a couple with automatic. I own a 2001 BMW 330i now--that I plan to keep for a very long time--and it too is a manual 5sp. Gives me something to do I suppose.

 

[yg17]

Your left foot shouldn't be resting on the clutch on a manual, either!

Yeah, why the hell is your left foot resting on the clutch? Even the slightest pressure on the clutch pedal can be enough to slip it and burn it up. Keep your left foot off the clutch completely until you actually need to disengage the clutch. Don't know about other cars, but my GTI has a dead pedal where I rest my left foot.

 

[Signal-11]

depends on the car...

1997 mercedes-benz e430 amg - auto
2004 xterra - auto
2001 jeep - auto
2007 lexus rx - auto
2007 yukon denali - auto

my opinion -
sporty cars that are fun to drive - stickshift
trucks, suv's, big luxury cars - auto

You're not the first person to state that they prefer automatics in SUVs/pickups and I have to say I completely disagree.

If you're using an SUV where you really need 4WD on a daily basis, manual everything is the only way to go.

First, very, very few automatic transmissions can stand up to real beatings. Toyota built some good ones for the LC80 and 100s but the manual offerings are much better.

Second, mix in mod, bog, sand, rock and/or river crossings (sometimes all in the same place), you want absolute control. Manual transmissions, manual locking diffs, manual hub locks... Power winches are nice but keep cutting off their own fingers with them so in terms of liability, manual winches = better, too.

Also, when I'm hiring drivers, even specifically for an automatic vehicle, if he states that he doesn't know how to drive a manual, he doesn't get the job because he doesn't know how to control his car.

If the SUV is a 99% tarmac recreational vehicle, an automatic isn't unreasonable, but if you're getting an SUV for what only an SUV can do, manual.

That said, I really have no feelings one way or another for daily driving in the EU/NA/EA. There are just as many annoying things about manuals as there are automatics, its just manual fanatics will try to make a known design flaw sound like a feature. (Sound like someone we know?)

 

[Signal-11]

Yeah, why the hell is your left foot resting on the clutch? Even the slightest pressure on the clutch pedal can be enough to slip it and burn it up. Keep your left foot off the clutch completely until you actually need to disengage the clutch. Don't know about other cars, but my GTI has a dead pedal where I rest my left foot.

This is what I was saying. I switch between automatic/manual and LHD/RHD all the time and I've never confused the brake for the clutch. The only thing that trips me up are the turn indicator lights and the windshield wipers. Until I readjust myself, I think I'm signaling to turn or shift lanes and your find your windshield wipers going instead.

 

[bobfitz14]

i'm surprised there's more manual votes than there are automatic votes! i always assumed automatic was the majority.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

i'm surprised there's more manual votes than there are automatic votes! i always assumed automatic was the majority.

In the US. The issue here is that car/auto enthusiasts are more likely to reply to a thread like this and the majority of them prefer manual. This is by no means a random survey, and thus the poll should be completely ignored.
That doesn't mean that this is a bad thread, by any means. I appreciate it and am interested in a lot of replies here.

 

[M3G4]

I vote Automatic. I learnt in an Automatic, which is rare for a start in the UK. I hate the fact automatics are so rare in the UK and it really pisses me off when people say I can't drive because I have an automatic license (even having a seperate license is stupid, it's segregation!), then they tell me driving a manual is fun. Since when has the possibility of one wrong move making your car stall in the middle of traffic been fun? Ugh!