Automatic Vs. Manual

[aznxthuggie]

hmm lets see.. im guna get a car soon.. and i dont know with is better

i just learned how to drive stick shift.. so its all fun n games right now.. but i hear that its going to be a hassle later in life.. like when u hit traffic.. or go up a hill in traffic.. or something like that.. like when i learned how to drive stick shift.. my dad test me.. he put me on a hill.. n told me.. u can't roll back.. if u do then you dunno how to drive stickshift.. but i pulled the handbreak.. gas the released the clutch jus enough so that i didn't roll back n release the handbrake.. but that was so much friggin hassle.. what happens when i hit traffic going up a friggin mountain..

but for automatic.. its easy to drive.. all u needa do is press the gas pedal.. and i know from experience.. i can jus about fall asleep while driving.. n its really boring.. n some ppl say u just can't have as much fun

well gimme ur insight ppls.. n plz think about all the aspects of both.. like the good/bad thx

[Moppie]

I can start an 8ton truck on a maximum gradiant with out useing the handbrake.

All it takes is practice.
To start with driving a manual can be a pain, but after a little practice it soon becomes second nature, and things like rolling backwards on a hill start simply cease to be a problem.

It also gives you the most control over a car, having a clutch simply gives you another pedal to help control the car with, and there are very, very, very few cars where the auto version is even as fast as the manual.

[crayzayjay]

I drive a manual. London traffic is pretty horrendous so yes, in these circumstances i do often wish i had an automatic. BUT, when the roads are empty, automatic doesnt begin to compare with manual for a bit of "spirited driving". Plus, automatic transmission saps power and makes for slightly worse mileage... So i'd take manual, it's an easy choice for me... at least until i get old and lazy...

[freakonaleash1187]

i have never heard of using the handbrake for starting on a hill. i would much rather get a manual because they are a lot more fun. plus, like moppie and jay said, automatics make a cars performance go down. and it is also fun to roll backwards and freak the people around you out at a stop light.

[GTStang]

Manual just takes practice and time. From the time I got my learner's permit 161/2 till I was 20 the only cars I had owned were manual. I can do it in my sleep. Things like traffic and hills don't even phase me cause I was just use to it. So what I'm saying basically is you will get to a point were it's not a hassle except when your trying to drive a manual, eat, and talk on a cell phone LoL it can be done!


P.S. You need to do that hill w/o the E-brake trick. That is the point of the challenge.

[crayzayjay]

Originally Posted by freakonaleash1187

i have never heard of using the handbrake for starting on a hill. i would much rather get a manual because they are a lot more fun. plus, like moppie and jay said, automatics make a cars performance go down. and it is also fun to roll backwards and freak the people around you out at a stop light.

You have a weird idea of fun!

Most (if not all) new drivers are taught to use the handbrake on a hill start to avoid stalling and/or rolling back. With the handbrake on, select first, find biting point, release handbrake, and off you go, without rolling back an inch. As you get used to manual you can ditch the handbrake process.

[aznxthuggie]

lol sorry guys i've only driven manual like 6 times n the longest was for 2 days when i had my uncles 89 accord.. i guess im a newb but i'll learn.. i never really had a situation where i had to deal with hills or was in alot of traffic.. the most was at stoplight traffic in san marino in so cal.. there were like 20 cars my god i hated that day.. lol

[DinanM3_S2]

If your gunna be in rush hour traffic alot, get an auto
If you want to be a little faster, and have more fun go manual
If you pay enough money a steptronic/tiptronic type transmission is pretty nice
If you get an M3, get SMG, quickest damn gearbox ever, period.

[Moppie]

steptronic/tiptronic type gearboxs are a joke and shallow marketing ploy.
They give you no more control than a normaly auto box, and most will still shift at redline even when in "manual" mode.
All they do is give an alternate way of working an auto shifter. They are still autos, and still suffer all the same draw backs.

[freakonaleash1187]

my friend has a prelude with steptronic and he says he goes faster with it in automatic mode rather than in "manual" mode. one of the first times i drove a manual up hill was in my dads truck with our boat hitched to the back taking out of the water on the steep boat ramp. i rolled back like 2 feet. but now im used to it.

[RacingFan25]

I voted auto since thats what I have. Manual is more "sporty", but I like auto b/c I have a long drive to school and I'm too tired to shift. Overall manual is better than auto tho.

[TatII]

i drive 30 miles to school in long island in traffic each way. so on average i sit in traffic for 2 hours a day. and i would never choose an auto over my car. the only time i hit traffic is when i commute. any other time when i'm having fun with my car there is hardly any. plus the throttle response on the auto just plain sucks balls. i would never want to own a automatic car. and the steptronic crap is garbage they shift slow as hell.

bottom line: you want to drive for fun and make your driving experience a joy get a manuel.

if you want a car to commute to work back and forth and want nothing more from your car. then get a auto.

[BP2K2Max]

shifting becomes second nature. it's as natral as putting on your turn signal once you get used to it. i feel foreign in my dad's automatic. always reaching for the clutch when it's not there

[YukiHime]

Think about this: Semi automatic.

[justacruiser]

Any of you ever kill your battery by leaving the lights on by accident?

My nissan being a manual has saved my ass on more than one occasion because you can bump start a manual by pushing the vehicle and popping the clutch while it's in gear and the ignition is on.

You can't do that with an automatic unless there's something special done to it, (don't remember what though).