Do you perfer manual or automatic transmission?

[riahc3]

Hello,

Im wondering if drivers on here (who have tried both) what do they perfer to drive manual transmission or automatic transmission?

I want to make it clear that driving is the only thing to think about. Forget about fuel and anything else having to do with it.

Ive only driven a manual transmission but have tried automatic transmission a few times and I dont understand how someone can perfer manual transmission. It is just so much better and one less to worry about while you are driving.

I vote for automatic.

[KingCracker]

With the advancements they made with automatics I vote automatic.

[REM2000]

i drive a 5 speed automatic, i hate manual, automatic is so easy never go back to manual now, im in the UK. 

[Packet1009]

have tried both - including the DSG / dual clutch and the manumatic modes.

 

i own and drive a manual and prefer that personally

[The Evil Overlord]

I voted manual

I've tried both also

[domboy]

Automatics are so dull to drive. And I'm not talking about performance cars, just regular everyday cars. With a manual, I feel engaged and actually enjoy driving. Without that third pedal and a shifter it's just boring. I had to drive automatics only for a couple years and I couldn't wait to get a manual again. Apparently I'm in the very small minority in the US though... manuals are not so common anymore, especially in larger machines. And an automated manual is still an automatic. If it's missing that third pedal = auto.

 

And I'm sure somebody will mention stop and go traffic... from my perspective, it's just a matter of which leg will get tired when traffic slows to a crawl. In an automatic it's my right leg working the brake... in a manual it'll be my left working the clutch.

[+therealDamien Subscriber¹]

automanual...

[Max Norris]

I prefer manual.  Wife prefers automatic.  So yea, our vehicles are automatics.

[CrashG]

From a pure driving standpoint, manual all the way. That being said, it does suck in stop&go traffic though, but you get used to it.

[riahc3]

Hello,

Automatics are so dull to drive. And I'm not talking about performance cars, just regular everyday cars. With a manual, I feel engaged and actually enjoy driving. Without that third pedal and a shifter it's just boring. I had to drive automatics only for a couple years and I couldn't wait to get a manual again. Apparently I'm in the very small minority in the US though... manuals are not so common anymore, especially in larger machines. And an automated manual is still an automatic. If it's missing that third pedal = auto.

 

And I'm sure somebody will mention stop and go traffic... from my perspective, it's just a matter of which leg will get tired when traffic slows to a crawl. In an automatic it's my right leg working the brake... in a manual it'll be my left working the clutch.

No offensive, Im simply debating for and against :) but I completely disagree with you.

Once you get into high gears (on manual) the experience is the same as manual. Manual vs automatic usually only matters on inner city roads. When you are forced to stop at a yield, pedestrian, stop, etc, its just annoying having to brake, clutch (I do this in reverse order so sadly Im going to kill my clutch sooner than later :( ) and downgear.

With automatic, just press the brake and be done with it.

Also almost all automatics (and even newer high end manuals) have a "automatic stop" when you stop your car and/or are on a hill.

[uberjon]

Automatic for normal driving in the city. Manual for showing off.

 

I have driven a manual for most of my life.

 

Funny story

I tried driving my cousin's automatic a few years ago in a quiet neighbourhood.

All was well till we approached a mini-roundabout. I forgot that it was an automatic & I tried to downshift.

 

We nearly went through the windshield. This happened twice, in 2 min.

[scumdogmillionaire]

Too much traffic for manual around here. It gets obnoxious real quick. Automatic for me.

[The Evil Overlord]

Automatic for normal driving in the city. Manual for showing off.

 

I have driven a manual for most of my life.

 

Funny story

I tried driving my cousin's automatic a few years ago in a quiet neighbourhood.

All was well till we approached a mini-roundabout. I forgot that it was an automatic & I tried to downshift.

 

We nearly went through the windshield. This happened twice, in 2 min.

lol that happened to me too :rofl:

damn that stupid reverse (though in modern autos selecting reverse while travelling forward past a certain speed does nothing now)

[Astra.Xtreme]

Too much traffic for manual around here. It gets obnoxious real quick. Automatic for me.

This.  I have to worry enough about the idiots driving around me that I'd rather not have to divert any of my attention towards shifting.

[HawkMan]

I've always driven manual, but when we got a old used second car in the form of an automatic grand voyager for more room for our great pyrenee dog. automatic is very comfortable to drive. especially now when I drive the other car after driving the voyager for a while. I keep forgetting to clutch at intersections :)

 

And sure you can dive faster and such with automatic, theoretically anyway, but that only matters on track days anyway, or should. don't race on the roads, don't show off on the roads, don't be idiots on the road.

[KingCracker]

I have a automatic, I use automatic for daily driving and manual mode for showing off lol. I mean I don't know how someone could argue against having an automatic with manual mode. I mean being able shift gears like a manual without the worry of shifting properly is nice.

[Starbuck84]

I've driven both and I have to say I have no issues with either, but I do prefer automatic. This is mainly due to the fact I drive a lot around town / busy places and an automatic is a more "relaxed" way of driving.

[The Evil Overlord]

This.  I have to worry enough about the idiots driving around me that I'd rather not have to divert any of my attention towards shifting.

Huh? it becomes second nature. you do it without thinking about it...

just like checking your mirrors every 6 secs

[The Evil Overlord]

I have a automatic, I use automatic for daily driving and manual mode for showing off lol. I mean I don't know how someone could argue against having an automatic with manual mode. I mean being able shift gears like a manual without the worry of shifting properly is nice.

each to their own, you prefer auto, stick with auto :)

[riahc3]

Hello,

Huh? it becomes second nature. you do it without thinking about it...

just like checking your mirrors every 6 secs

Breathing, eating and drinking also are second nature but I rather not do it :(

But like you said, we are all different and perfer different things :) Just wanted to see what else people perfer.

[Torolol]

on hilly or mountain routes, i would go for manual or at least automanual that have gear 1,2,3,4... instead with just "D".

but on causal road the automatic is more comfortable.

[Knife Party]

I drive a manual. Automatic cars are nice, but i'm good at shifting, second nature and I like the fact of being in complete control of my car. I can gear down or up as I want to :)

[_neutrino Veteran]

automatic mainly because the only manual transmission vehicle i have ever driven was a tractor.

[Gerowen]

Automatics are nice sometimes, but at the end of the day I prefer my 5 speed manual Dodge pickup over my automatic Ford Explorer any day.  The only complaint I have is that I take mine off road a lot, and with a manual, in 1st gear it always wants to go a minimum of a certain speed, so if you're driving up a creek or up the side of a mountain over big rocks and you want to creep to keep from bouncing all over the place, you've gotta work the clutch in spots where you want to creep so the engine doesn't die from you slowing down too much.  Other than that, I prefer my manual.

[tsupersonic]

Automatics are so dull to drive. And I'm not talking about performance cars, just regular everyday cars. With a manual, I feel engaged and actually enjoy driving. 

 

If you're driving a 'dull car', it's not going to be fun regardless if you have an automatic or manual. Myself I prefer automatics. With the modern automatic transmissions, they shift faster than any human being can, get the same mileage as manual transmissions, and easier to drive in any scenario. I especially love the ZF 8 speed auto transmission. Shifts are just amazingly fast, plus full manual mode.

 

Having said all that, I'm getting myself a fun car, and the requirements are: manual transmission, RWD, 300+ hp.