Manual or Automatic?

[mad jew]

I love playing stick but all company cars in South Australia are meant to be automatic so my car does its own shifting. Meh, I shouldn't complain. It was free.

The majority of new cars sold here are automatics.

 

[FrankBlack]

Would this man drive an automatic???

I was going to mention: Excellent way to put it. Now I've got one. Would this man (attached) drive an automatic?

For those who have not seen it, the movie is called "Vanishing Point". It's a great movie for car buffs. The actor is Barry Newman, the Character played is Jimmy Kowalski.

It's a great movie for car buffs, and I strongly recommend it. Get some good beer, have some buddies over, kick back and enjoy.

Oh yes, the car he drives is a 1970 Dodge Challenger. Knock yourselves out gentlemen. 😀

 

[Cybergypsy]

I just sold my 2nd CVT I love the smooth ride, Last one was a Lancer GTS 🙂

 

[balofagus]

Automatic only, I'm 17 and from Ontario. I don't think I've actually been in a Standard in a good 3-5 years anyway. My parents both want me to learn how to drive a manual but we don't actually know of anyone who has one.

On the G1 (beginners license) written test there's only one question that refers to the clutch (I guessed on it 😛) and for the G2 and G road tests you just need a car that works.

 

[yg17]

I hope you get the GTI

It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" 😀 Probably December at the earliest, May at the latest, depending on what my wallet wants to do. But I'm going with my dad on Saturday to take their Sonata in for some warranty work, and there's a VW dealer nearby so I think I may drop by and hopefully test drive one.

Ironically, and what would've been a lot more convenient, is the dealer we're taking their car to used to sell VWs up until last year. I bought my Tiburon from them, my parents bought their Sonata from them, and my sister got an Elantra from them. And my dad is looking to trade in his 2000 Focus for a new Altima. I would've hopefully been in for a hell of a deal on the 4th (maybe 5th) car in as many years from them, but they cut back. I think they're focusing on just Hyundai and Nissan now. I guess 2 VW dealers within a mile of each other was too much. But the other one is right across the interstate on an outer road, so YAY!

A salesman on VWVortex did a locate for me, and there's not a single car in the US which has the exact options I want (A close one in TX, but it has summer tires and I need all seasons in Missouri), so I may actually end up ordering it Saturday if I do decide to purchase it in December.

 

[saxman]

I learned on an automatic and have driven one ever since. I'm not much into cars myself. If it gets me from point A to point B with good fuel economy, low maintenance costs and caries all my stuff, that's all I care about

 

[pjarvi]

well I find that hard to believe because unless you are really flooring your car an manual will out accelerated a automatic. Plus lets see a slow shift for a stick shift driver is as just long enough for the front of the car to drop some what close to level but the fact that at the same amount of power out put from the engine a manual will pick up faster than an automatic due to the fact that the engine and the tranny are lock together. In an auto the engine and the tranny are not lock together plus more power is lost in the tranny.

I bet unless you knew my car was a manual you would never really even noticed if you where behind me.

Plus based on your post you can not really drive a stick so you would not understand how quick the shift really are. the time it takes to go from first to 2nd in a manual is not much slower than it takes an auto to do it. Now when some one kills their car in a manual that is another story and that just annoying everyone involved including the driver who killed his or her car.

I don't bother flooring my accelerator, as doing so just causes the transmission to pop into second which is terrible at accelerating from a dead stop, not good for the engine, and embarrassing when the engine whines like mad and you barely accelerate. If I were to guess, I would estimate I put the accelerator in 1/5th of the way, and add more as needed.

I heard an American auto exec on TV once state that Japanese auto-makers put a lot of effort into improving their acceleration "off-the-line" with their automatic transmissions (I drive a Suzuki Vitara). I've beaten many a (regular, not sport) car "off-the-line" until I hit 2nd gear at which point they can pull ahead until I get into third before them. Of course any kind of acceleration beyond third gear is just wishful thinking at that point. I think some people are just lazy with their shifting. It doesn't take my auto more than a few tenths of a second to switch gears, though. I've also been driving this car for almost 6 years now, and know how to work the accelerator to get it to shift and accelerate how I want. 🙂

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I don't bother flooring my accelerator, as doing so just causes the transmission to pop into second which is terrible at accelerating from a dead stop, not good for the engine, and embarrassing when the engine whines like mad and you barely accelerate. If I were to guess, I would estimate I put the accelerator in 1/5th of the way, and add more as needed.

I heard an American auto exec on TV once state that Japanese auto-makers put a lot of effort into improving their acceleration "off-the-line" with their automatic transmissions (I drive a Suzuki Vitara). I've beaten many a (regular, not sport) car "off-the-line" until I hit 2nd gear at which point they can pull ahead until I get into third before them. Of course any kind of acceleration beyond third gear is just wishful thinking at that point. I think some people are just lazy with their shifting. It doesn't take my auto more than a few tenths of a second to switch gears, though. I've also been driving this car for almost 6 years now, and know how to work the accelerator to get it to shift and accelerate how I want. 🙂

I could go repeat what I just said about manual. Even with lazy shifting (slow) some one in an auto would never really see the effects of it. Lazy shifting implys they are not really picking up that fast. I now when I am on a slower pick up pace my shifts take a little longer but like I said early if you where behind me you would not notice any different between and auto and my car. Right now manuals are quicker off the line with the same engine. With smooth shifts it looks the same as an auto (any experience manual driver will have smooth shifting)

I might like to point out that your "drag racing" stories really are not that impressive because lets face it you car is a joke in that area also fails to really tell me anything. I will admit I abuse my cars much faster than average pickup to get off the line faster if I need make a lane change.

Now one reason I like manual with 4 banger engines is I hate lazy transmission that just do not shift when I want them 2.

 

[twoodcc]

i like to think that i'm better than 99% of other people who drive manuals.....maybe it's b/c all the people i ride with are pretty bad at it. especially girls, but that could just be my unlucky experiences (not discriminating against girls, but my life was in danger 😱 )

 

[MrSmith]

My car has both, kind of. No clutch, but I can move the gear shift over and change up and down manually. But I never use it, and I'd never go back to manual. It's like using an old-fashioned pencil and eraser when you could use a propelling pencil. OK if that's your thing, but to me it's a pain in the rse.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I learned to drive using a manual transmission. Drove on that for a few years, and eventually bought a Mazda 626 with a manual transmission, and drove that for a few years.

 

[twoodcc]

My car has both, kind of. No clutch, but I can move the gear shift over and change up and down manually. But I never use it, and I'd never go back to manual. It's like using an old-fashioned pencil and eraser when you could use a propelling pencil. OK if that's your thing, but to me it's a pain in the rse.

if there's no clutch then it doesn't count 😉

 

[Rodimus Prime]

My car has both, kind of. No clutch, but I can move the gear shift over and change up and down manually. But I never use it, and I'd never go back to manual. It's like using an old-fashioned pencil and eraser when you could use a propelling pencil. OK if that's your thing, but to me it's a pain in the rse.

it is an automatic. It sport shift mode will still be overriden and force you to shift if you do not tell the car to do it. Plus the entire lack of a clutch and the tranny is still that of an automatic.

now there are a few high end cars out there that there is no clutch pedal but it still uses a clutch (car controls it)

 

[CHROMEDOME]

now there are a few high end cars out there that there is no clutch pedal but it still uses a clutch (car controls it)

That is a DSG/SMG, the car has two clutches but no clutch pedal.

I really REALLY regret not getting a manual, I got a good deal on my car and it would have been hard to pass up but I really wish it was manual.

 

[GSMiller]

I've only driven an automatic and always will.

 

[yg17]

if there's no clutch then it doesn't count 😉

If there's no clutch that can be controlled by the driver then it doesn't count 😉


The DSG has a clutch (2 of them, actually) but it's not a manual IMO. If there's a mode that you can put it in and never, ever have to worry about shifting gears, then it's an auto.

 

[true777]

I hate manual, love automatic, and basically think manual is for hyperactive wannabe hotshots. Dated and unnecessary.

I drive very fast and dynamic, but find it so much more smooth and effortless in an automatic. I have a new Mercedes 7-speed driver-adaptive automatic transmission that is basically perfect and shifts EXACTLY when I would want it to. I honestly don't think a person could shift any more perfectly than this transmission. The new automatic transmission on the 2008 Maserati Quattroportes is also said to be unbelievable. I very much think automatic transmission is a lot better if done right -- just makes driving so much more relaxed, effortless, elegant, and smooth.

 

[twoodcc]

If there's no clutch that can be controlled by the driver then it doesn't count 😉


The DSG has a clutch (2 of them, actually) but it's not a manual IMO. If there's a mode that you can put it in and never, ever have to worry about shifting gears, then it's an auto.

ok then, it's gotta have a clutch that you control

I hate manual, love automatic, and basically think manual is for hyperactive wannabe hotshots. Dated and unnecessary.

I drive very fast and dynamic, but find it so much more smooth and effortless in an automatic. I have a new Mercedes 7-speed driver-adaptive automatic transmission that is basically perfect and shifts EXACTLY when I would want it to. I honestly don't think a person could shift any more perfectly than this transmission. The new automatic transmission on the 2008 Maserati Quattroportes is also said to be unbelievable. I very much think automatic transmission is a lot better if done right -- just makes driving so much more relaxed, effortless, elegant, and smooth.

well i can argue with you all night about how a manual is better than an automatic. you can say that your auto shifts EXACTLY when you want it to, but i know for a fact, i shift my gear when i want to, and clearly i'm in control, and clearly you are not. the transmission is in control (the computer chip if you want to get technical, but you get my drift)

 

[kainjow]

well i can argue with you all night about how a manual is better than an automatic. you can say that your auto shifts EXACTLY when you want it to, but i know for a fact, i shift my gear when i want to, and clearly i'm in control, and clearly you are not. the transmission is in control (the computer chip if you want to get technical, but you get my drift)

Exactly. In an automatic, the car drives you. I hate them.

Then again, I hate cars in general, and am selling mine and buying a motorcycle once I graduate 😀

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I hate manual, love automatic, and basically think manual is for hyperactive wannabe hotshots. Dated and unnecessary.

I drive very fast and dynamic, but find it so much more smooth and effortless in an automatic. I have a new Mercedes 7-speed driver-adaptive automatic transmission that is basically perfect and shifts EXACTLY when I would want it to. I honestly don't think a person could shift any more perfectly than this transmission. The new automatic transmission on the 2008 Maserati Quattroportes is also said to be unbelievable. I very much think automatic transmission is a lot better if done right -- just makes driving so much more relaxed, effortless, elegant, and smooth.

umm going to go with your first line is very insulting to people who enjoy driving manuals. Most are not wannabe hotshots. Heck tranny seems to be completely unrelated to if the person is a wannabe hotshot. Now early on when some one first learns it yeah they might be but once that effect wears off (and believe me it is fast) it seems to be gone. Heck wannabe hotshots seem more related to the type of car than the tranny

I drive a manual not because I am a wannabe hotshot but because I enjoy it. I hate lazy trannimsions and the lag time it takes for an auto to down shift. I want the power right when I needed it/want it. No lag time. Something that can not be removed. It is even more noticeable when one runs a smaller engine because the engine does not have the extra power to make up the slack and it just takes longer to shift if the engine is weaker. I have grown very used to being able to drop to a passing gear with out having to adjust for lag time. Plus being able to drop 2-3 gears all at one time helps out a lot when I need that instance power. My car is a 6 speed manual. Plus with a manual you truly are in control of the gears. With an auto you only think you are.

Now I will admit there are times I wish my car was an auto but almost everyone one of those times is when I am stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and the few times I have an injured left knee. The part with dates and a manual while annoying it is not really something that I hate.

Now as for you car you are paying a arm and a leg to get a 7 speed auto and a ton of money for a bigger engine. Stuff use mere mortals could never hope to be able to pay for

 

[MrSmith]

...
I drive a manual not because I am a wannabe hotshot but because I enjoy it. I hate lazy trannimsions and the lag time it takes for an auto to down shift. I want the power right when I needed it/want it. No lag time. Something that can not be removed. It is even more noticeable when one runs a smaller engine because the engine does not have the extra power to make up the slack and it just takes longer to shift if the engine is weaker. I have grown very used to being able to drop to a passing gear with out having to adjust for lag time. Plus being able to drop 2-3 gears all at one time helps out a lot when I need that instance power. My car is a 6 speed manual.
...

I think you'll find most people want to drive from A to B as comfortably and stress-free as possible. Something tells me I don't want to be on the same stretch of road as you in case I hold you up.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I love manuals but only for cruising. Manuals just plain suck in traffic and autos are fantastic in it. When I'm driving home from a long day at work I really don't want to drive a manual, especially when my legs already hurt.

By the way, I can't remember the name of the car or manufacturer but I know that there is a car that is both an auto and a manual AND has a clutch pedal. I don't remember how it works but I know that it is a true manual when you want it to be and a true automatic when you want that mode. Now that truly is the best of both worlds.

 

[TheMonarch]

I never really got the point of the control issue. Sure you get to pick when exactly you will shift... But unless you're:

1- Towing something (Truck)
2- A driving enthusiast (Fancy sports car)
3- Really into squeezing out every last bit of power/mpg from you're car

I just don't get it. I'd rather just let the car do it. I'd rather have a free hand to sip on my coffeee or silence my phone 😉.
I do understand that automatics have lower mpg and power output, so I see why some people drive them, but I don't see that being too much of a concern for the average sedan driver going to work every morning.

I can drive both, but I'd take an automatic any day unless I fell into one of the above.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I do understand that automatics have lower mpg ...

That's no longer true. Almost all automatics shift better than the average human does and are a lot more fuel efficient than they used to be.

 

[TheMonarch]

That's no longer true. Almost all automatics shift better than the average human does and are a lot more fuel efficient than they used to be.

Really? You learn something everyday...

Still, people are going to argue the power output loss.