Auto-Transmission vs Manual Transmission on VEHICLES

I was never taught to drive using stick shift, so I use automatic transmission.

deltatux

 

Depends on the car. And the mood or need at the moment. Driving a mediocre car to the grocery store, then auto. If a sporty, responsive car, manual.

 

LOL neither was I. I taught myself on the last new car I bought. It's really not difficult.

 

Automatics are mostly mechanical, the ECU tells it when to upshift/downshift pending on the year. Earlier automatics have completely mechanical shifts based on fluid pressure.

Learn how the clutch works, made it much easier for me to drive a manual.

Also a basic understanding of how the gearbox and engine works helps also.



Edit, also if you are stuck with an automatic then learn how to launch with one. Can get up to speed quite a bit faster.
(This can put alot of ware on the clutches though, avoid doing it often.)

 

Depends on the personality of the car.I have a SUV with an automatic, and I love it.I used to drive an RX-7 with a stick, and I loved it too.Couldn't imagine having automatic in a little sports car, and a stick in a family vehicle would be a PIA.
Both are great, and the sick shift becomes so second nature, it's no work at all, so I say either is great, if it fits the car.

 

well i dont know... im not european. im asian lol. at my place ( malaysia ), sepang open full track as long theres nobody renting it. usually on saturday and sunday.

 

I only drive VWs, my Bus and GTI are both manuals, 4 and 6 speed respectively

 

MT every time, mind you saying that I can stick my car in fourth at 15mph and then not have to change again until I hit 80. Not that I hit 80 what with the legal speed limit being 70

 

More offtopicness...

So usually the track is just open? You bring your own car and you do not have to have registration or anything? I'm assuming there is a fee, but is to be expected. Also guessing there are some regulations.

Am very interested since I live near Mazda's Leguna Seca race course, and all the info I can find is that its $8,000 to rent it for a day. Thats twice what I payed for my car!!!

 

I can't even drive still (Too young)
I'm rooting for AT but i surely wanna give Manual a try man!!

 

Semi-automatic with a full automatic mode that can be switched on or off is what I meant with 'both' of course lol.

 

Manual for me.

Since I started driving all our cars have been manual, save one automatic, which was a nice car, but just not that fun.

Almost no one here knows how to drive a manual, which amazes me because its really not that hard... :s

****ing Americans...

 

Oh, bull****. Just about everyone I know can drive stick, but most people simply prefer not to. And manuals can be anywhere from difficult to impossible to find on the vast majority of vehicles in prices ranges that aren't targeted at teenagers.

I generally prefer a manual by a long shot, depending on the vehicle, but they're a certainly somewhat more of a headache during long stop-and-go commutes.

I didn't choose a poll option because it depends on the car and the situation.

 

^ I find that amazing man... comparing an urban setting to rural North Dakota... and more people can drive manual there?

Thats sad lol...

 

What does that have to do with anything? I grew up in a small town in northwest Iowa and learning to drive stick was mandatory during driver's ed. I'd wager that small town people are far more likely to be proficient with a clutch than suburbanites.

 

Hey now man, I drive auto but only because there was no manual cars at the dealer when we went to get a car!!!

Plus I just dropped $3k just to have a car with a manual trans! And its not even running! bwaha.

Almost agreed, though here in the bay area almost everyone drives automatic and does not know how to drive manual.

And manual shift are getting rarer to find!! Quite annoying.




Though on another thought, I do think dual clutch paddle gear boxes are the future. I do prefer them over manual!(Ferrari California has one, cars such as F430 have paddle but not the dual clutch.)

 

Yes, thats what I'm saying... in essence haha

I assumed that many of the people living in Minneapolis were mostly brought up in an urban setting, which would mean less needing to learn how to drive stick. (an exception being you.)

Where as here, in rural North Dakota, one would think a vast majority would need to learn how to drive a stick. Which doesn't turn out to me true... about 20% of everyone I know has the ability to drive a stick... which is sad considering the circumstances.

 

Oh, and paddle shifters are just awesome!

 

Well, it does make some sense given availability of manuals (relatively) low because gas in the states is so cheap. Isn't really much point in driving stick for most people.

 

I always thought manuals were better for gas though... :/

That is, of course, if you don't drive like a racer lol... An example would be the manual downshifting while driving down the highway and sucking up gas...