Automatic vs. Manual

[CantStopTheHopp]

I'm looking around for a new car and would like a manual or standard transmission. I've never owned one, but I have tried one and found it to be pretty enjoyable. What about the rest you guys? Prefer controlling the gears yourself or do you like the ease of just pressing the gas pedal and letting the car do everything for you?

[a21schizoidman]

after i got used to it

manual

better gas milage, more control, more interesting, lots of more better stuff

[citric_bullets]

I'm lazy, so I go automatic. But if you're capable of, and interested in driving manual, you should definitely go with that. For improved fuel economy.

[harbingerofdoom]

everyone should know how to drive a stick

[Transbrak]

Nothing like a standard.

Though I must admit I currently own an automatic.

[Starfleet_Rambo]

Automatic.

[a21schizoidman]

everyone should know how to drive a stick

ahem...

thats what she said

[nashphx13z]

Automatic, supersonic, hypnotic, FUNKY FRESH!

I went all Ciara on yo asses! :p

[seinman]

I currently drive an automatic, but my next car is going to be an automatic manual. That is, it's technically an automatic (I think), but you can put it in manual mode and shift if you want to. I figure, it'll be fun to drive it in manual for a while, but i'll pop it into automatic when i'm just trying to get **** done and don't want to deal with it.

Edit: Automated manual, is the official term for it, apparently. Should be interesting.

[tims1491]

Automatic.

[BuRn7 CaK3]

everyone should know how to drive a stick

Your Right. But i cannot for the life of me. Trust me, i've tried learning plenty of times. i just can't learn it.

So Auto For me!

[topperharley]

Automatic, only because I never learned how to drive a manual. For smaller cars, yeah you'll generally get better performance and fuel economy, only because the engines don't have as much power. But it's pretty much an outdated concept that a manual will give you better performance in a sports car - the automatic transmission systems in high end cars will shift more efficiently than a person ever could. But most people that drive them like the feeling of control it gives them.

[bermuddy]

I really enjoyed my manual transmission car up until i had to commute in traffic.

[hawkofva]

Semi-Automatic.

Oh wait, I didn't read the question.

[murph]

I have a Jeep Wrangler. I think it's illegal to sell an automatic Jeep to a guy.

[Bonez]

When I was learning to drive, both of my parents had manual transmission cars. Trying to learn how to drive a stick on top of just learning how to drive in the first place was nearly impossible for me. They bought me an automatic Neon to help the learning curve. I still have it because it's a great car, but I think now that I know how to operate the vehicle, I could probably drive a stick.

[King_Nuthin]

Anything sporty, manual.
If you have snowy weather, manual.
If you think driving is "fun", manual.
If you like being an involved driver, manual.

If you like to chat on your cell phone, eat, screw around while driving, etc go with an automatic.

[elfreako]

Learned to drive on a manual. I don't think I coud ever own an automatic car. Only downsize is resale value, but then again, even new they are usually cheaper.

[Ryly]

Anything sporty, manual.
If you have snowy weather, manual.
If you think driving is "fun", manual.
If you like being an involved driver, manual.

If you like to chat on your cell phone, eat, screw around while driving, etc go with an automatic.

I think King_Nuthin sums it up best!

BTW, "standard" is whatever comes with the car - which is sometimes manual and sometimes automatic.

And those fake-manual automatics don't count. If you don't use a clutch, it's just for show.

Knowing how to drive a manual is a skill everyone should have, but then, so is reading :p

[Aingeala]

Automatic, I'm lazy and I can currently only drive with 1 arm so I'm glad that we have a automatic.

[Lakers_Fan_24]

Depends on the traffic and weather by you.

Manual is more fun to drive but sucks in traffic. I live in LA and had a manual, my knees were killin' me. Glad I switched to an automatic.

Also, depending on how you drive, you might go through a few clutches. So be prepared to spend some $.

[CantStopTheHopp]

Depends on the traffic and weather by you.

Manual is more fun to drive but sucks in traffic. I live in LA and had a manual, my knees were killin' me. Glad I switched to an automatic.

Also, depending on how you drive, you might go through a few clutches. So be prepared to spend some $.

I can't stand traffic, so even in my automatic, I purposely take the long way to places to avoid it. If it takes an extra 5-10 minutes somewhere, it's worth avoiding getting killed by someone cutting you off to get in front of you in bumper-to-bumper traffic. :rolleyes:

[EienAkumu]

I for one am glad I got manual for my current car over my previous automatic.Stick shift is in my opinion more fun to drive. There's just pros and cons for both that you need to weigh out and see which is best for you.

Automatics are a godsend in crappy stop and go traffic though.

Automated manual sounds interesting as well.

[EienAkumu]

Anything sporty, manual.
If you have snowy weather, manual.
If you think driving is "fun", manual.
If you like being an involved driver, manual.

If you like to chat on your cell phone, eat, screw around while driving, etc go with an automatic.

Then again, this is the best sum-up here. Usually the more annoying drivers on the road are automatic drivers...

[sphere]

If you know how to drive a manual, you're not pulling woman driver moves on people, like driving 5 under the limit in the passing lane or sitting at the stop line when making a left with oncoming traffic and a green light. It just forces you to be a better driver, something society definitely needs but doesn't acknowledge.

[Der_Lex]

Here in Europe, almost every car has manual transmission, so that includes ours.

I still have some for of automatic transmission though... it's called 'my wife', since I can't drive myself (for medical reasons, by the way. Not just because I'm lazy) :D.

[Meatwad555]

Here in Europe, almost every car has manual transmission, so that includes ours.

I still have some for of automatic transmission though... it's called 'my wife', since I can't drive myself (for medical reasons, by the way. Not just because I'm lazy) :D.

That sucks...

[a21schizoidman]

Here in Europe, almost every car has manual transmission, so that includes ours.

I still have some for of automatic transmission though... it's called 'my wife', since I can't drive myself (for medical reasons, by the way. Not just because I'm lazy) :D.

dude, im sorry to hear that...

[Der_Lex]

That sucks...

Not really. The low countries (Belgium and Holland) are pretty small and have excellent public transportation, so although a car is certainly convenient, I can get around pretty well without it. Besides, I live right in the middle of Antwerp, so all the stores are within walking distance, and I work from my home office anyway.

The medical condition itself isn't that bad either. I have a mild form of narcolepsy which causes me to fall asleep in moving vehicles and in rooms with multiple people in them and not enough ventilation (because of the lack of oxygen). So although I make a lousy traveling companion, I do have some very nice naps while traveling.

I do wish drivers ed was a high school subject here as well, though. Instead you have to pay for lessons yourself, and they cost an arm and a leg. The upside is that the lessons are really thorough and include things like using a manual transmission.

Do they teach you how to drive stick in drivers ed in the US, or just how to drive an automatic?

[Meatwad555]

Not really. The low countries (Belgium and Holland) are pretty small and have excellent public transportation, so although a car is certainly convenient, I can get around pretty well without it. Besides, I live right in the middle of Antwerp, so all the stores are within walking distance, and I work from my home office anyway.

The medical condition itself isn't that bad either. I have a mild form of narcolepsy which causes me to fall asleep in moving vehicles and in rooms with multiple people in them and not enough ventilation (because of the lack of oxygen). So although I make a lousy traveling companion, I do have some very nice naps while traveling.

I do wish drivers ed was a high school subject here as well, though. Instead you have to pay for lessons yourself, and they cost an arm and a leg. The upside is that the lessons are really thorough and include things like using a manual transmission.

Do they teach you how to drive stick in drivers ed in the US, or just how to drive an automatic?

Just an automatic.

Off topic:

Have you ever fallen asleep while typing on the forums? I'm about to right now *yawn*.

[Der_Lex]

Just an automatic.

Off topic:

Have you ever fallen asleep while typing on the forums? I'm about to right now *yawn*.

No, my computer is in my rather spacious living room. Also, an odd side-effect of many cases of narcolepsy (including mine) is that you actually get less hours of 'normal' sleep than most people do. I sleep only five or six hours per day, usually in the morning (from seven or eight am until noon or one).

I used to fall asleep during meetings in the tiny conference room at my previous job, though, that was always pretty interesting. :D
Right now the only place where it's really inconvenient is my parents' place... they need to keep a window open there, or I'll nod off. Fortunately my dad has the same condition (it's genetic, I believe), so they're used to it.

[DJFire_CFR]

lol Ive tried manual before.. I kept poppin the clutch and stalling it out... So I think I'll just stick with auto lol

[JohnTheDrummer]

I drive an automatic, it would be nice to have manual every now and then when in traffic, but I am happy with it. Just have to be careful about what kind of car you get with Automatic though.

[seinman]

Do they teach you how to drive stick in drivers ed in the US, or just how to drive an automatic?

Driver's education in the United States sucks, especially if you go to a public school. I took it in fall 1999, when I was a sophomore in high school. They don't teach you to drive a manual, period. They only required (although it may have been raised since then) six hours of behind-the-wheel driving time with an instructor, and something like 15 hours with your parents before you could get a full license.

They always tried to scare us with statistics, like "75% of accidents in the US are caused by drivers under 21," and things like that. (Disclaimer: I know that number is ridiculous, i'm just using it as an example.) Well maybe the reason why that's so high is because you did such a ****ty job teaching us how to drive, and the state gave us licenses before we were prepared to be safe drivers.

Then, through a fluke in the system, I didn't even have to take a road test to get my license! I got my learning permit in Illinois, and completed driver's education in Illinois. I then moved to Virginia, and got my license there. In Illinois, you take your final road test at the DMV when you go to get your license. In Virginia, you take it in driver's ed, so when you get your license you only take a written test at the DMV. My Illinois high school faxed a letter saying I had completed driver's education, but not what that entailed. Virginia assumed I had passed my road test. They gave me a license after a 15 question written test. Ridiculous.

Edit: I just remembered, when I took the written test, it was actually on a computer. Said computer was located in the back corner of the DMV, behind a little 3-foot wall separating a bank of about five machines from the rest of the waiting room. They set you up, then walk away. Do you have any idea how easy it would have been to just be texting someone for all the answers? Luckily this was before people really had texting on their phones, but still. Some people did. No wonder there are so many horrible drivers in this country.

[Bonez]

If you know how to drive a manual, you're not pulling woman driver moves on people, like driving 5 under the limit in the passing lane or sitting at the stop line when making a left with oncoming traffic and a green light. It just forces you to be a better driver, something society definitely needs but doesn't acknowledge.

Maybe it's because I'm from Jersey, where driving like that will get you hanged, drawn and quartered, but I've never known a female driver (myself included) to drive that way. In fact, most female drivers I've encountered in the fast lane ride your ass while beeping the horn and flashing their lights as you're doing 10-15 over the speed limit.

[koolwank]

Drive a manual. You never have to lend it to people who don't know how to drive stick...

[bleached]

i love driving with the joy stick, but it does encourage me to be more aggressive behind the wheel. while with the auto, i tend to try to keep myself awake when i drive early in the morning. but auto does make traffic more of a breeze.

[Jixzer]

When it was time for me to buy my first car my mother had only one condition. She told me, "No son of mine will own an automatic...automatics are for lazy people and sissies!" Well, she didn't say "sissies", but you get the point. I've always preferred standards, but end up buying automatics since it comes standard on most family type cars.

[bood-boy]

i wonder what the percentage of accidents are for the drivers at fault if the majority are auto or manual....

[Metal_Man]

I prefer Automatic because i suck

EDIT i thought you guys where talking about video games. Well to answer that question i never drove a car I'm going to try to get my permit in the spring

[CantStopTheHopp]

Driver's education in the United States sucks, especially if you go to a public school. I took it in fall 1999, when I was a sophomore in high school. They don't teach you to drive a manual, period. They only required (although it may have been raised since then) six hours of behind-the-wheel driving time with an instructor, and something like 15 hours with your parents before you could get a full license.

They always tried to scare us with statistics, like "75% of accidents in the US are caused by drivers under 21," and things like that. (Disclaimer: I know that number is ridiculous, i'm just using it as an example.) Well maybe the reason why that's so high is because you did such a ****ty job teaching us how to drive, and the state gave us licenses before we were prepared to be safe drivers.

Then, through a fluke in the system, I didn't even have to take a road test to get my license! I got my learning permit in Illinois, and completed driver's education in Illinois. I then moved to Virginia, and got my license there. In Illinois, you take your final road test at the DMV when you go to get your license. In Virginia, you take it in driver's ed, so when you get your license you only take a written test at the DMV. My Illinois high school faxed a letter saying I had completed driver's education, but not what that entailed. Virginia assumed I had passed my road test. They gave me a license after a 15 question written test. Ridiculous.

Edit: I just remembered, when I took the written test, it was actually on a computer. Said computer was located in the back corner of the DMV, behind a little 3-foot wall separating a bank of about five machines from the rest of the waiting room. They set you up, then walk away. Do you have any idea how easy it would have been to just be texting someone for all the answers? Luckily this was before people really had texting on their phones, but still. Some people did. No wonder there are so many horrible drivers in this country.

I too think a lot of accidents could be prevented by making sure kids really do learn how to drive before giving them a license.

My school didn't offer drivers ed (my parents did pay for me to take it though), so the only driving experience I had to have going into my road test was 50 hours with a parent...which can be lied about btw. My road test was a joke too; 4 right turns around the block. A lot of people can do that after only having driven for an hour or so.

[Der_Lex]

Actually, the Netherlands used to have a humongous loophole as well that allowed you to get your license cheap and easy. The island of Curacao is still part of the Netherlands, and it was insanely easy to get your license there: you basically had to drive back and forth along the island's main road and park your car. A lot of us Dutchies simple took a nice vacation on a tropical island and got a cheap license to boot.

Of course the government caught wind of those shenanigans, and now Curacao licenses are only valid on the island itself.