Manual or Automatic

[Ander87]

I drive a Manual, and never drove an Automatic. I would have to say though, if I lived within the heart of a city, I would like to invest in an Automatic. Saves all the messing about with gears in heavy traffic.

Even though I travel through traffic every morning and afternoon to and from work! :laugh:

[Brandon Live Veteran]

Stick.

Only exception would be a DSG box, since it's faster and more efficient. Even then though, I bought a manual over the DSG because it's just more fun for me.

[Frogboy Administrators]

My sports car is a stick. I only drive that on nice days and in easy driving conditions anyway.

My daily car (i.e. the sedan) is automatic so I can take that when I'm going into heavy traffic and what not.

I enjoy driving the stick more whereas the sedan is more of a point A to point B type deal.

[Helba]

Both of my cars (a Corolla and a '72 Valiant) are automatic three speeds. I hate three speeds. I haven't had the chance to drive a stick yet, but I've been wrapping my brain around the process in contemplation.

A good friend of mine has to be the worst stick driver ever, and I'm trying to learn from his lack of skill.

I frequently use engine braking as a form of clutchless manual shifting, although it seems to me that it's very taxing on the drive train and I expect that one of these days my poor import's tranny will just fall out of the bottom of the car.

I think maybe a clutchless manual would be alright too, but it's not the same.

[chconline Veteran]

Tiptronic is not the way :( Either go automatic, or get a real stick shift. Real stickshift ftw, the clutch is half of the whole point of driving a manual :p

[Leddy]

Either tiptronic or F1-flaps, depending on what kind of car you get :D

[aurifex]

Automatic for heavy traffic or in a place where you'll be idling a lot, holding your foot down on the clutch in traffic is horrible.

Manual for open areas where your speeding won't get interrupted.

[onscreen]

Automatic for me since heavy traffic everywhere at my place. Also its a plus since i tinker my mind alot when driving.

[D. S. Veteran]

Automatic for heavy traffic or in a place where you'll be idling a lot, holding your foot down on the clutch in traffic is horrible.

Just un-shift the gear and voil?! :)) No more tired feet.

Manual. I've gotten my B, C and D categories driving manual (it's the norm here in Portugal)

Yes, I do have three categories. Just in case I need them (and I LOVED learning how to drive a stick shift bus in a place where EVERYTHING is steep. Talk about clutch work ;)) )

I've driven a Volvo C70, no clutch, but you could control the gears. It was nice but couldn't really get used to not having a clutch to better control the car.

Lot's of people are using the traffic argument or doing other things in traffic. In heavy traffic, there's really not much gear work involved, and what little is involved generally ends soon enough. Just learn to use your feet and you have your hands free for whatever you need them.

I'm driving a VW Polo TDi 2.0 and loving every second.

[Joel]

Automatic for heavy traffic or in a place where you'll be idling a lot, holding your foot down on the clutch in traffic is horrible.

You're going to burn out your clutch holding it down while the engine is running. Put it in neutral.

[chconline Veteran]

You're going to burn out your clutch holding it down while the engine is running. Put it in neutral.

As far as I know, you won't. Holding the clutch pedal down disengages the two friction discs, therefore no power is transferred from the engine to the transmission. There's nothing wrong with holding the clutch down -- you wear out the clutch when you are riding the clutch (Partial power is transferred from the engine to the transmission, but the engine friction disc is running faster than the other friction disc and causing wear on it) and regular clutch slipping, which is, normal wear. If there's no power transferred, and the discs are completely disengaged, then there's nothing to wear out.

I am not a car expert, let someone who knows clarify :)

[PermaSt0ne]

the amount of control you have over your car with a manual vs an automatic is unbelievable

deff go manual. you'll never go back; untill you get really old and your knees can't take it anymore. then you go trip-tronic / pedal shifting (like in a Ferrari)

heavy traffic is no problem at all after you've used manual for a month

[Mouldy Punk]

You're going to burn out your clutch holding it down while the engine is running. Put it in neutral.

Just to repeat what chconline said. It won't burn out the clutch if you have it either fully pressed on fully released. It's if you have it pressed a little bit that will burn it out.

[afuchi]

Im not that lazy to drive with automatic..yes it is comfortable and you can just hold a wheel, but stick allways beats auto :p

[NikkiRox]

Automatic for daily driving, stick for weekends or sports cars

I've never owned a manual. i'd probably buy one just for fun and weekend driving. usually traffic sucks to and from work so auto is best option for me. :) i love my auto suzuki swift :heart:

[GrimReeper]

Automatic for daily driving, stick for weekends or sports cars

I can and do drive both. Automatic to me is easier and imo a more relaxed and less stressful drive. I prefer automatic simply because I'm lazy and I don't have a decent car. If I had a sports car I would definitely get a manual though. I want to try tiptronic(aka flappy paddles) anyone have one?

[goodcase]

Ill drive stick until the day i have a kid. Then ill switch to an auto car but still keep a stick car for fun.

[ozgeek]

I could love to drive a manual car but currently owns a car with automatic trans. My current licence restricts me to only auto cars.

Anyway, driving stick is not recommended in busy areas, you will have to contentrate more on driving rather than enjoying the scenary or other things. Since I am hearing impaired, I have to contentrate more so that's why my parents put me on auto.

[ScottKin]

I could love to drive a manual car but currently owns a car with automatic trans. My current licence restricts me to only auto cars.

Anyway, driving stick is not recommended in busy areas, you will have to contentrate more on driving rather than enjoying the scenary or other things. Since I am hearing impaired, I have to contentrate more so that's why my parents put me on auto.

Nonsense!

I've been driving with a manual transmission for nearly 30 years and I've never had a single problem with loosing concentration while shifting gears - even when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and drove around on some of SanFran's steep hills, like California Street & Powell Street. I've always had at least one manual transmission car since I started driving 30 years ago.

I do have an automatic transmission on my Nissan Quest GXE MiniVan - having a manual transmission on such a large "personal" vehicle would be nonsense.

--ScottKin

[GrimReeper]

Nonsense!

I've been driving with a manual transmission for nearly 30 years and I've never had a single problem with loosing concentration while shifting gears - even when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and drove around on some of SanFran's steep hills, like California Street & Powell Street. I've always had at least one manual transmission car since I started driving 30 years ago.

I do have an automatic transmission on my Nissan Quest GXE MiniVan - having a manual transmission on such a large "personal" vehicle would be nonsense.

--ScottKin

I think once you get use to driving stick its easier to concentrate but even so it is simply easier to concentrate on other things while driving auto.

You could say driving stick is safer because you are always focused on driving and don't get ****y and try to do other things while driving like eating, reading, radio etc

Or say that while once you are used to stick you may not have trouble concentrating but when you need to respond quickly to someone running out on the road the question raised is if you will notice it as fast as if you were driving auto because you need to give driving more attention than to other things.

[cork1958]

Can't believe "always stickshift" is in the lead!

Almost wouldn't even own an automatic myself. BORING!!

[Long]

Drive an automatic with tiptronic almost always now, but drove a manual full-time before. I find it less stressful and easier to cope with high-traffic congestions where you're always holding the clutch and moving around gears back and forth. Even more useful if you're trying to grab a drink or something and not having to consider changing gears whilst accelerating.

Infrequently use tiptronic but it's nothing like a manual, however is smoother than automatic because you know exactly when to expect a gear change.

[Oompa]

Always stick except rare cases. For example, my dad recently bought, most likely, the last car he'll ever buy. He's pretty old, so he got a manual, just in case there were ever issues with his legs, he could still drive it with 1 leg.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Always stick except rare cases. For example, my dad recently bought, most likely, the last car he'll ever buy. He's pretty old, so he got a manual, just in case there were ever issues with his legs, he could still drive it with 1 leg.

That doesn't make sence.

[samg]

That doesn't make sence.

i think me ment DIDNT get an manual...