Manual Transmission Cars

[antidonkey]

Sadly, my car is an automatic. Manual transmissions are way more fun especially when the car is like mine. Medical problems keep me from going manual. Flare up in the feet can make it painfully impossible for me to push in a clutch. My motorcycle, obviously, is manual as automatics in those are a bit rare.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

I tried my hand at a manual transmission back when I was first learning to drive, determined I hated it, and have never ever looked back. All the energy spent fussing with RPMs, engaging the clutch and shifting can be better directed towards simply maintaining situational awareness - asking me to worry about transmission while I'm doing all the other tasks involved with operating a coffin on wheels is like asking someone to rub their head and pat their stomach... while downhill skiing. I found the whole experience insanely stressful, I'd stall out, or hit gears wrong, and it was a miracle when I made the damn car operate in an even vaguely appropriate fashion while in a parking lot with no traffic or obstacles - that whole experience colored my impression of driving by making me physically terrified to ever do so.

Whereas with an automatic, I sat down behind the wheel with literally zero prior experience, and after the initial moment of terror courtesy my prior abortive experience with driving a stick, I realized that "Hey, this functions intuitively!" and was on the road within minutes - I still had stress of course, as there were things like positional awareness, maintaining your lane, lane changes, turns, et all to worry about until I'd fully mastered them, but there was never the element of "how the hell do I make this damn contraption move properly?!" to that stress.

The way I see it, driving a manual transmission is a lot like operating your television by getting up and pressing the buttons directly - sure, you can do that and it will work, but why would you when we've invented a machine that does it for you?

 

[Fwee]

I wish I knew how to drive a manual, and I even got a lesson one night when my girlfriend decided both of us being drunk would be an excellent opportunity!

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Manual > Automatic. U have more control over your car, and you end up with better gas mileage in the long run. Only if you don't live in a deadlock traffic area though. Personally I've owned both, and I prefer manual over automatic any day. I actually bought a car because my old one was crapping out, ended up with an '87 Toyota Tercel 2d Hatchback with 77k miles on it, 4spd trans. Best car I've had in a long ass time. the last 3 cars I've owned were automatics and all had transmission problems.
Actually I prefer manual everything, windows, door locks, and steering, which this car also has. If anything breaks I know I can fix it easier than if it were powered. (probably cheaper too).

 

[superbatranger]

I drive a manual, 2010 Ford Focus coupe. I find it a great deal more enjoyable to drive, but they are far less than ideal if you're in stop&go traffic or live in a hilly area.

They're also a LOT trickier to drive than you'd think. You may know the theory of how they work, but translating that into actually doing it can be a challenge.

Regardless, learn on an automatic, and then add in the manual. it'll make the process much easier.

-m

I did the same thing. When I was living in Texas, I got my license on an automatic. When I came to Costa Rica, because most cars here are manual transmission, I decided to learn how to drive one. Granted, my car is an automatic(used to be my mom's). But, it's for the best. With all the congestion here, coupled with the sheer number of hills makes driving an automatic a somewhat better option.

 

[Kingjackl]

I'm learning to drive in a manual. They're tricky to start with, but once you get the hang of them, they actually feel quite good to drive. Once I get my license, i'll probably just use an automatic because I'm lazy, but it's good to be able to drive both.

 

[captain underpants]

I had an automatic for a few years when I was a family man. They do have their benefits. In city traffic, they are much easier. Add in cruise control, and I found long drives on the highway to be far less tiring. For general daily driving, auto makes it far less of a chore.

On the other hand, now I'm single again I've gone back to a manual and drive a small hatchback and much prefer it for the kind of driving I do now. There's nothing I like better than taking it out for some 'IRL Need For Speed' on some twisty mountain roads, and for that, manual is much better.

In a nutshell, auto and manual both have their pros and cons. You pays your money, you makes your choice. That said, I think it's a good idea to at least know how to drive either and make an informed choice, but ultimately, it's of very little consequence.

[edit: I should also note that I've been driving for about 22 years]

 

[SaunaKalja]

I learned to drive manual and I've never driven an automatic. I'm not quite sure why people tend to believe manual is superior?

Then again I've heard people who've driven manuals most of their lives say how euphoric it is to drive an automatic in cities / traffic.

 

[ottenni]

Manual transmission cars are sexier. Its a fact. Sadly the car i drive these days is an automatic. But on the upside its very cheap to run. But when i finally get around to buying a new car a manual transmission is a must. I dont want to loose the skill.

 

[Pariah87]

Over here in blighty, manual is the norm. You still see some used automatics for sale but really I wouldn't like to drive one.

At first they are difficult (then again so's everything when you do it for the first time), the number of times I stalled it in my first few lessons, I developed a sort of fear of stalling meaning I ended up giving it far too much acceleration and wheelspinning away, especially on hills.

Over time though you learn the feel of your car, when to change gear, when the car is stuggling etc and it becomes second nature, even block changing. Petrol is far easier, for me at least, as they give you a little more leway. I learnt in a diesel and to turn at a junction or go round a roundabout you needed to be in second, whereas in my petrol I can get down to around 18mph in 4th before it complains.

As for town/city driving, clutch control is your friend.

 

[captain underpants]

I tried my hand at a manual transmission back when I was first learning to drive, determined I hated it, and have never ever looked back. All the energy spent fussing with RPMs, engaging the clutch and shifting can be better directed towards simply maintaining situational awareness - asking me to worry about transmission while I'm doing all the other tasks involved with operating a coffin on wheels is like asking someone to rub their head and pat their stomach... while downhill skiing. I found the whole experience insanely stressful, I'd stall out, or hit gears wrong, and it was a miracle when I made the damn car operate in an even vaguely appropriate fashion while in a parking lot with no traffic or obstacles - that whole experience colored my impression of driving by making me physically terrified to ever do so.

Like any physical skill, it gets easier with practice, and then becomes instinctive.

Whereas with an automatic, I sat down behind the wheel with literally zero prior experience, and after the initial moment of terror courtesy my prior abortive experience with driving a stick, I realized that "Hey, this functions intuitively!" and was on the road within minutes - I still had stress of course, as there were things like positional awareness, maintaining your lane, lane changes, turns, et all to worry about until I'd fully mastered them, but there was never the element of "how the hell do I make this damn contraption move properly?!" to that stress.

See, I see that whole 'I sat down behind the wheel with literally zero prior experience... and was on the road within minutes' as more of a problem than a benefit. Yes there are a lot more important things to worry about on the road than operating the machine, but part of that is being comfortable using the machine and having some awareness of it's capabilities. You need to learn how to walk before you can run.

The way I see it, driving a manual transmission is a lot like operating your television by getting up and pressing the buttons directly - sure, you can do that and it will work, but why would you when we've invented a machine that does it for you?

That's not really a good analogy. Fact is, some jobs are just better done by hand. I prefer to liken driving a car well to playing a musical instrument well, and you'll never convince me that a machine can do that job better.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

I drove manual for two years in college, and I hated it.

First of all, before I got it, I'd always been told "manual is great for people who love to drive!" I loved to drive, so I thought "okay!"

Well now I don't love driving anymore.

I also never quite learned how to do it properly. I rode the clutch fucking EVERYWHERE, and it's a wonder I never burned one out (though I did snap a clutch cable in the middle of winter, but that had nothing to do with my inability to properly handle a clutch.)

The worst part was that driving a manual for two years completely screwed up my ability to drive standard, so that when I went back to standard, I was all confused. Every time I stopped, I'd put the car in Park (thinking it was neutral), and every time I slowed down or sped up, my left foot would instinctively start looking for the clutch, and would instead find the brake, with the obvious results.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

I actually haven't owned a car for about three years now, but I've only ever driven an automatic. Call me lazy, but I like the "set and forget" aspect of it. If I tried to drive and fiddle with the radio *and* change gears, I'd find myself wrapped around a telephone pole really quickly.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

The worst part was that driving a manual for two years completely screwed up my ability to drive standard, so that when I went back to standard, I was all confused. Every time I stopped, I'd put the car in Park (thinking it was neutral), and every time I slowed down or sped up, my left foot would instinctively start looking for the clutch, and would instead find the brake, with the obvious results.

Automatic transmissions are not "standard" in most of the world. Anyway, with regards to your difficulties with manual transmissions, were you taught how to use the clutch by a decent instructor? This could be a good case for teaching people how to use manual before automatic (and indeed, in Ireland, you can't drive a manual-transmission car if you haven't passed your test in one).

My mistake re: standard. You're right.

I understand the theory of driving a manual just fine. I just never could do it in practice. Eventually I just stopped trying very hard. Since I never burned out the clutch, I never had any compulsion to stop riding it.

But I'd only been driving for three years or so when I learned, so it's not like I was trying to break a lifetime habit.

 

[Imp Poster]

Manuals are great and fun to drive. The only downside of them is you are going to be using all your limbs to drive. So if you gonna be answering cell phones, eat some fries, touch the leg of your are date/GF while she is wearing a dress, etc. well it's just gonna be that much more difficult.

 

[Ken Sapp]

So, who's got em? My friend got a new Pontiac Solstice and it's a manual. He drives me to school every day so naturally we talked about it and I started to take an interest in it. It looks like a lot of fun, and he's told me enough so that I know how to drive one, I just haven't actually done it lol. Both of my parents drove them when they were a lot younger, but they suggest not getting one here in New Jersey because of so much congestion.

So what do you guys think of them? Would you like one, do you have one, are they a waste of money, would you only buy it in certain places, etc.

Personal preference really. I currently drive a manual transmission truck and would not get another manual transmission vehicle until I go into my midlife crisis and want a sports car as manual transmissions are a PITA in heavy congestion and no longer offer an appreciable MPG savings over automatics in modern vehicles.

But I would highly recommend learning how to drive manual since it can be a very useful skill.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

That's not really a good analogy. Fact is, some jobs are just better done by hand. I prefer to liken driving a car well to playing a musical instrument well, and you'll never convince me that a machine can do that job better.

Except nobody's life ever depended on your ability to play an instrument with more feeling than a robot. Yes, manual transmissions provide more control, and yes, they can be more fuel efficient, but the real reason they are superior, the sort of precision handling that a manual transmission can provide that an automatic simply can't hope to replicate?

• 99.9% of us will never actually need that, because we're not professional race car drivers.

Even proponents of manual transmissions will (and have in this thread at least several times so far) point out that they have definite downsides (hills, stop and go traffic), and those are not exactly uncommon obstacles for a great many drivers. The upside to those very real detractions? It's "more fun" and you'll "feel more in touch with the road". Well that's just great, but since when was operating a very heavy moving death machine supposed to be fun? Lives hang in the balance each and every time you get behind the wheel - why use the system that allows you to completely screw it up when there's one that does it correctly all the time, if slightly less efficiently?

 

[Mistermixmaster]

A Manual 1994 Chrysler Neon is currently my car. I enjoy driving manual cars because I feel more in control though, the automatic cars feel wierd for me when I'm speeding up/slowing down. However, I've also tried my parents car, a Chrysler 300 with those nifty newer gearboxes that can work as an automatic car, or as a manual car (without the clutch), which just feels even more wierd XD