Automatic or Manual Transmissons. I know how you all hate autos but..

[Windogg]

lupin, damn if only Alpha.... er.... I mean lozer was here. I'm 100% sure that someone with better clutch technique and didn't mind trashing the engine could have whooped my butt that night. I don't deny that stick will beat automatic when a skilled driver intent on running a serious race would beat a similar automatic vehicle.

During the test drive in the first post we exited curves at some amazing speeds. Dad has heal and toe down and the engine never seemed to drop below 5000RPM and just remained in the sweet spot. I guess the salesman knew he was in trouble when he was asked, "Mind if I take it without traction control?"

Windogg

 

[The Stigenator]

if you live in a congested area like LA and do a lot of bumper to bumper travel - automatic
Also for an automatic if you like to hold your sweetie's hand while driving or eat in heavy traffic.. - automatic.

If you like the feel of the engine and like to make decisions and dont mind having to switch between your food, your sweetie and the skull shifter then go manual.

Personally I dont mind manual as long the clutch feels right else I got for the manual. I prefer manual when not with with a girl.

 

[Sluggo]

<< I don't know how anybody can stand screwing around with a manual these days. I used to have a '66 GTO with a 4spd hooked to a hulking 400ci V8. You could actually feel each cylinder fire through the Hurst shifter. The shifter would twist with the torque of the engine. It was nice just to hold on to it and &quot;feel&quot; the engine purrrrr...

>>




I know this feeling...back in my wilder days I had a 1979 Trans-Am with a 400 4Spd. Not exactly the same as a mid 60's 400 but still enough torque to have a ton of fun. The funnest thing about the old big block V-8's w/ manuals is the abilty to slow down to about 3-4 mph without pushing in the clutch and be able to have the motor still be able to accelerate the car back to speed. In most everyday driving you just had to use the 1st to 4th shift from a stop. Ahhh the good old days.

 

[MR2DI4]

Real cars have three pedals, period.

I drive an 88' Toyota MR2 and I can't believe people actually bought them with slushboxes. I love having the power control of my stickshift. I can keep my engine in it's power range at whatever speed I am at and still be able to downshift and let that beautiful-sounding 1.6L TwinCam F.I. engine wind up enough to pop the butterfly valves open in the TVIS intake system. (Toyota Variable Induction System) Once you get above 4500 RPM's it's like a turbo kicks in! I just don't see how an automatic could make any car a pleasure to drive.

MR2DI4

 

[Superwombat]

&quot;I just don't see how an automatic could make any car a pleasure to drive.&quot;

Just take one drive in my Talon... you'll take that statement back in a hurry.

 

[3615buck]

Automatic gearboxes are typically American, they sell very badly in Europe.
I don't like automatic gearboxes... OK, maybe on a long straight motorway...
I mean playing with the gearbox is part of the driving pleasure.
If you like automatic gearboxes, why not add an automatic steering wheel ?
And automatic brakes and accelerator ? So that you just sit and don't drive anymore...

 

[Priit]

I'm pretty bad driver but I still woudln't buy a car with autom. gearbox. I have driven a car w. autom. and it felt so strange, like driving with one hand tied behind my back. I own GAZ69, old russian military off-road vehicle w. 3-spd. gearbox (probably have to sell it soon cause fuel prices are so high). It's more than 40 years old but still climbing better than those newer jeeps in several situations. I think when I should take a off-road trip in a car w. autom. transmission, I would probably stuck in the first mudhole. Auto. transmission might be better in everyday driving (specially in citys), but jeep w. autom. just doesn't feel right somehow...

 

[spec411]

wow i am SOOO surprised everyones favoring automatics!! bravo!! yes on cars with no torque (mr2, integra) the automatics hamper them wayy too much, but virtually any car with an engine over 3 liters works well with an auto...

with traffic beign the way it is, its the only way to go..(although i do need to learn how to drive a stick...25 and still never had a manual! my friends dont either!!)

 

[Gorgonzola]

from my experiences, i believe that manuals are by far better at acceleration, as long as the driver is half competent. i am only 16 and have been driving for just under a year, and of the two 4 cylinder cars i have driven, i could accelerate much faster in the manual, even though i am still very inexperienced. autos have a very distinct lag feeling before changing gears.

both of these cars were by no means performance cars. i believe that the difference between an auto and manual is closer when you are driving higher performance cars. i have driven a 6 cylinder auto, and it had quite impressive acceleration, and if the same car was a manual, i'd have my work cut out for me to get off the line faster.

i still believe that manual delivers a better driving experience, provided that you know how to use it properly.

 

[Windogg]

I've noticed a lot of people who are die hard stick fans are young and not working full time yet. After college give the stick a few months of morning commutes and things might change a little. I'd say 75% of my friends with stick cars have turned them in for autos after tiring of all the work during stop and go traffic.

Go for stick if you don't anticipate a commute with lots of traffic. Otherwise a auto would make you much happier.

Windogg

 

[StageLeft]

spec411

Its all relative. In most cars we buy today an auto rapes it's speed. I think you really have to drive both (fast) to realize this.

If you do a lot of traffic a manual can be a pain in the ass, but if you are serious about power you won't buy an auto if a manual is an option. A couple of examples:

PT cruiser w/ 5spd: 0-60 in 8.5 seconds
PT cruiser with auto: 0-60 in 10+ seconds

Nissan Maxima w/ 5sp (222 horsepower): 0-60 in 6.7 seconds
New Lexus IS 300 (whatever the new little ones are (215 horsepower, much lighter than maxima with auto): 7.6 seconds
- yes, different cars but the lexus is trying to be a sport sedan

'97 BMW 528i (auto): 0-60 in 7.5
'97 BMW 528i (manual): 0-60 in 6.8

'90 porsche 911 carrera 2 manual: 5.4
'91 porsche 911 carrera 2 tiptronic (auto): 6.9

--

As windogg mentioned you need to be a good driver to launch a standard properly - but if we're talking about speed and trying to get a car with good acceleration that hour or two practice is worth it. If not, why are we talking about speed anyway? There is a reason why top of the line exotics are almost invariably manual

 

[bigbootydaddy]

I live in houston where traffic is 24/7, and i just bought a civic si, so i had no choice, only manual available, but hey, you get used to it, its not that big of a deal...plus a bit cheaper usual and more power at the wheels

 

[Namuna]

Your choice is based on your priorities.

Ya get the auto if ya wanna Mac (you never need to take your hand off her knee to shift)
Get the Stick if yur a driving enthusiast (as I get older and lazier I gravitate to auto)

 

[McCarthy]

&quot;Namuna: Ya get the auto if ya wanna Mac&quot;

Actually automatics remind me of Macintoshes, that's where I thought you were going with that. I want three mouse buttons and three pedals.

Anyway...

I've noticed most of the discussion has been about acceleration, performance, etc. Am I the only unlucky SOB who's been in and out of a transmission shop for 6 months trying to get his automatic working right? That's the clincher for me, sure the clutch will wear out eventually and you'll be out a day and some money to replace it if you keep the car for a couple hundred thousand. Once it's done your car is back to normal. Anything happens to that automatic and you're likely stuck with half a car until you pass it off to someone else.

For the sake of used car buyers everywhere, get the manual!



--Mc

 

[teckmaster]

I have an automatic 2000 Dodge Neon and I don't know any cars with a similar engine that are stick that can be me. If I romp and stay on the gas I can hit 65mph in first gear. it drops into second and I'm outta there. I did some drag racing with it and I would still be in second gear at the end of the quarter.

 

[wiin]

I've never owned a car with automatic transmission nor do I plan on owning one. Of course, if all the car companies were to produce cars with automatic transmission only, the I would have no choice but to own one. Hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[StageLeft]

teckmaster

You're kidding right? How much horsepower does your neon have? 132...? Because a toyota echo with less horsepower in a 5-speed can out-race your neon. Your 0-60 is about 9 seconds or more with the auto (5-spd is 8.2 seconds).

I'm guessing your neon has a 4 speed automatic, if that is the case no way in hell first gear takes you up to 65 - probabaly closer to 45. You do realize that if you had the 5-spd of your car your drag times would be lower

 

[atom]

<< I've noticed most of the discussion has been about acceleration, performance, etc. Am I the only unlucky SOB who's been in and out of a
transmission shop for 6 months trying to get his automatic working right? That's the clincher for me, sure the clutch will wear out eventually and you'll be out a day and some money to replace it if you keep the car for a couple hundred thousand. Once it's done your car is back to normal. Anything happens to that automatic and you're likely stuck with half a car until you pass it off to someone else. >>



Well, all of my parents cars have been auto's and not one has been into the shop EVER for a transmission problem. All the way back from a 1978 Pontiac Grand LeMans (which we still have and I still drive on occasion) to the Camry and Maxima they have now.

In 4 years I've already had to replace the clutch on my 300zx. All my fault though, I used to race with my friends on empty roads and I dumped the clutch a lot. If anybody has just gotten their license, trust me, you will do this and you WILL be replacing that clutch soon.

 

[StageLeft]

atom 4 years on a 300zx clutch the way I bet you drive ain't too bad

My parents have mostly had auto tranmissions also, although every 2nd car my dad goes standard. The only problem we've had was on a subaru justy: my brother and I blew the transmission at about 40,000 miles (crappy old CVT setup) because we were constantly flooring it to make up for the ~75 horsepower, slow piece of junk. That car cost about $12,000 when we bough it, and 3 years later with 40,000 miles it was worth about $1,000 thanks to us!

 

[atom]

Heh, I actually thought the clutch would be able to last longer since it was a Stillen Stage 2 clutch. I'm actually on the verge of needing to replace it again, but I don't have the money (actually, I don't want to spend the money) for another stage 2 clutch. So no more racing for me.

 

[StageLeft]

no more racing eh? Say that next time a rice-rocket pulls up to you and we'll see if your resolve is so strong!

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Zemmer - I have the exact same car as you do. I've managed to beat my friend's 93 Integra (the model below a GSR) only on the occassions that he's farked up once. True, only off the line (he probably would have raped me like most of the times he's raped me when he hasn't messed up around curves) but it doesn't take much to make someone driving a manual pay for one little mistake.

And fact of the matter is, 9/10 drivers who drive manuals can't drive worth a $hit anyway. You're better off in an auto where you have less of a chance at screwing up. (Take a look at http://www.geocities.com/tundra_svt/f150.html - he's owned a few Vettes which when driven properly should have absolutely destroyed the Lightning. He even posted a few races of him with his friend Gregg, who drives a Z28 SS - he says he's only beaten him when Gregg makes one little mistake)

 

[Soybomb]

<< Automatics are faster with turbocharged engines for one reason: The engine is not throttled back between shifts and it allows the turbos to remain spooled up. >>



Well, thats not really whyits faster though. You did just describe the function of a blow off valve though kinda that would allow the stick to stay spooled up too(which I have on my auto car). Most of the reason an auto is usually good with a turbo comes from the fact that you can build boost for a nice shot off the line, other than that all you have is that it shifts faster.

So teckmaster why don't you tell us your 1/4 or 1/8 mile times then ....

 

[Viper GTS]

I've noticed a lot of people who are die hard stick fans are young and not working full time yet.

Count me among the die-hard stick fans. Yes, I am young... But I've also been working full time since I was 16, &amp; driving a stick most of that time. Having driven a stick, I would NEVER go back. That was one of the things that pissed my parents off so bad during my car search, they wanted me to just get a car, &amp; I was holding out for a 5-speed manual.

What can I say, I like shifting at 5K.



Viper GTS

 

[StageLeft]

Nothing like that chirp into 2nd!