Automatic vs Manual Driving

[Reckoner]

Which do you prefer and why?

Having driven both, I'd go with Automatic. Mainly this is due to traffic congestion, hills, and laziness. The fact that auto tranny's are becoming more and more efficient also helps sway me to the former of the two. What was once a sizable gap in gas mileage, is now a thing of the past. Although, if DSG becomes mainstream, I wouldn't mind that either

 

[Pacfanweb]

Had manuals for years, will never own another daily driver with one. Still have my Jeep, and it will always have a stick. I drove that damn thing in traffic for too many years when it was my only transportation.

Nowadays, there is no appreciable difference in fuel mileage or performance to buy a car with a stick.

Plus, manuals are either for "toys", or for kids who either can't afford an automatic, or don't have enough sense to buy a car with an automatic yet.

 

[Baked]

AT + Cruise Control FTW

 

[shortylickens]

There used to be a gas mileage advantage, but its negligable these days.

And unless its a model-T, the car is probably driving you anyway.

Somewhat similar to the cell-phone issue, people have way too many physical and mental distractions these days, especially while driving.
The automatic transmission helps alleviate one of these problems.

 

[Sqube]

I find manual to be more entertaining and involving in driving. I guess when I get older and cranky (like the above posters ) I'll go for an automatic too. But for now, my AARP subscription is far in the future and I enjoy the extra interaction that's involved with the third pedal.

More importantly, I don't talk while driving that often and I don't like to eat in cars at all. So... yeah.

That said, I've never considered driving manual to be an extra distraction. If anything, I get in more trouble when driving automatic because I have to put forth extra effort to pay attention. I don't know why that is, but it is what it is.

 

[Colt45]

i heart manual... one less thing to break, and it shifts when i want it to.

 

[clickynext]

It's entertaining to drive manual. I've only driven one for a year, and still love it just as much, but maybe one day I'll tire of it.

 

[Azndude2190]

Automatic...to lazy to be screwing around with a stick

 

[tbike06]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Had manuals for years, will never own another daily driver with one. Still have my Jeep, and it will always have a stick. I drove that damn thing in traffic for too many years when it was my only transportation.

Nowadays, there is no appreciable difference in fuel mileage or performance to buy a car with a stick.

Plus, manuals are either for "toys", or for kids who either can't afford an automatic, or don't have enough sense to buy a car with an automatic yet.

nice try, stick is still faster.

 

[Sqube]

If you're talking about a torque-converter automatic, that's true. This new automatic/manual hybrid stuff can apparently, in some cases, be faster than a stick due to the faster shifting times and what have you.

 

[mugs]

Been driving manuals for 8 years now, haven't found a reason to change. I feel like I can "feel" the road better through my pedals with a manual than with an automatic.

 

[PAB]

My life is complicated enough without that third pedal.

 

[DJSfurry]

Definately enjoy being in control with a manual. Just feels like thered be nothing to do with a automatic gearbox, but i can see the benefits of having an autobox when stuck in rush hour traffic. The new Porsche 997 Turbo's automatic gearbox system actually shifts so fast (and increases torque through some engine management system for short periods by temporarily increasing boost in the turbos) that the 0-60 time is dropped from 3.7 seconds in the manual, to just 3.4 seconds in the auto. not that 3.7 would be considered slow by any means...

 

[SketchMaster]

Four gears just isn't enough for me. Even though I drive a auto now, my next car is going to be a stick.

 

[Fenixgoon]

control >> *

manual FTW

 

[Cloud Strife]

Depends if I'm driving a Mercedes S500 or a Lotus Elise.

 

[Nebor]

I prefer an automatic. They hold up better to high torque\drag racing abuse.

 

[RedArmy]

Manual...any day.

 

[secretanchitman]

manual fo sho. i sat in my friends m3 with the smg tranny...was BS compared to the stick shift version.

manual FTW.

 

[Captante]

I enjoy driving a manual more, but for daily bumper-to-bumper traffic, auto is the way to go.

 

[nageov3t]

I've driven both, and for my needs, there's really nothing special that manual does for me.

my current car's got some crazy manual mode, but I've never found a reason to use it.

 

[Chrono]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I've driven both, and for my needs, there's really nothing special that manual does for me.

my current car's got some crazy manual mode, but I've never found a reason to use it.

are you talking about shiftronic/tiptronic/sportsshift or whatever?
that's no where near what a manual gearbox is like! WTF!

 

[Lonyo]

Manual.
Removes some of the boredom from driving, and gives a little extra to do.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Putting around town and trying to have a good time while driving its manual all the way. Getting stuck in gridlock on the freeway...you gotta have an automatic.

 

[poopaskoopa]

It is truly 50/50. When I own an automatic(like now), I'm constantly checking out manual cars because I'm getting bored. When I owned cars with stick, I was checking out autos because I couldn't be bothered with shifting. The only solution for someone like me probably is to own one of each(but you know, that probably requires me to pay this one off... bah).