ditto
got me a 2005 330i and that was the first manual car i've driven longer than a few hours
picked it up in a few days driving an old integra and civic that my friends had
i dont regret it once
When everyone says, "A manual is more fun to drive," what kind of driving are you talking about?
Here's my thoughts:
Freeway: Should be identical at top gear, but manual gets annoying in stop and go commute traffic.
City: Manual could be a blast here, as long as there aren't too many lights.
County?: Err... don't have any of that around here, so it's a moot point.
Here's my thoughts:
Freeway: Should be identical at top gear, but manual gets annoying in stop and go commute traffic.
City: Manual could be a blast here, as long as there aren't too many lights.
County?: Err... don't have any of that around here, so it's a moot point.
If you're driving in traffic a lot, getting an automatic is worth it. If you want to have some fun and don't mind driving in traffic being a bit of a chore sometimes, not to mention it's hard to look at a map and drive at the same time, then get the manual.
Muadib
Lifer
- May 30, 2000
- 18,124
- 912
- 126
QFT!!! I would only go back to a manual if I bought another sports car.
The only sports cars I like are way out of my price range, so that would mean I hit the lottery, and don't have to work anymore.
Going to work with a manual car sucked. I will never do it again.
You need 2 cars. Sometimes you want to feel good and drive around on manual, but going to work SUCKS in manual. When you get tired, switch to the auto car....
Whitecloak
Diamond Member
- May 4, 2001
- 6,074
- 2
- 0
Depends.
City driving I would go Auto, you are going to hate manual in traffic.
Both manual and auto have thier uses.
City driving I would go Auto, you are going to hate manual in traffic.
Both manual and auto have thier uses.
its been said in this thread several times already. but i find it very true, so just to repeat
driving....
to get from point a->b or as a chore AUTO
For fun MANUAL
i much prefer AT because i dont really find driving much of a thrill.
driving....
to get from point a->b or as a chore AUTO
For fun MANUAL
i much prefer AT because i dont really find driving much of a thrill.
Funny you say that...The 350 V8 option in my car was only available in automatic. Why? The WC-T5 of the time wouldn't stand up to the torque that the engine would put on it. By today's standards, this is a mild motor, too (230hp / 330tq).
My point is, it all depends on the transmission - the design, the quality of materials they used to construct it, and cooling ability. The BEST thing you can do for ANY automatic transmission is add a tranny cooler to it (if one is not stock). You can build an automatic just as strong as you can build a manual.
My current car is an automatic. I was thinking about switching to a manual for my next one, but am on the fence...I spend a LOT of time in traffic, and heavy traffic with a manual gets very annoying.
If I had space for 2 cars, I'd keep this one as a daily, and get a fun weekend car with a stick.
OS
Lifer
- Oct 11, 1999
- 15,581
- 1
- 76
Manual trannies don't necessarily last longer. Clutches wear out and so do synchros.
Manual trannies don't necessarily get better gas mileage. In fact for some models, the manual actually gets worse EPA rated mileage than the auto. (ex; scion tc)
As for manuals being for true sports cars, rally, F1 and touring cars almost all use semiautomatic trannies now.
Sorry, but the days of the clutch pedal are numbered.
No... but the stigmas and general phobia of the standard manual transmission these days is enough reason for evangellizing the goodness of the tried and true stick shift in the US.
You know, only in the US is there even such a large debate about this. In Europe and in Asia, people have NO problems at all with driving manuals in traffic nor with learning to shift... men and women. Sure it's a little tedious to be stuff in a traffic jam with a clutch, but it's not like a traffic jam is exciting with an auto.
Cliff Notes for below:
1) Autos generally hold more power easily
2) Manuals can shift smooth or quick on demand, autos only shift way it was built
Automatics do have their advantages on the dragstrip, but if buying a stick shift verifies your man card... driving a modern sports car that's not a dragstrip demon or a grand tourer with an automatic should be points deducted.
I think there's nothing wrong with driving a muscle car or hot rod with an auto. The advantages of the torque converter are pretty cool at the dragstrip. But buying a G35 auto??
If you think that an auto trans can't handle as much power, you're terribly mistaken. It's true that autos have less longevity for the most part, but since the connection between the engine and drivetrain is hydraulic rather than mechanical, it's capable of a LOT more power. Also, having a set of planetary gears with multidisk clutch packs in your typical automatic transmission is more capable of holding power than a manual with all seperate gears in constant mesh with a single clutch disk.
You just don't see manuals handling 700ft/lbs+ of torque normally. (They can through the use of _expensive_ exotic materials or with multidisk arrangements) The McLaren SLR and CL65 AMG? The trans is slightly modded (electronics and other minor tweaks) from all the other 5spd Mercs. The Viper outputs over 500ft/lbs needs a heavy hydraulic clutch... the Carrera GT only holds 435ft/lbs but uses twinplace ceramic disks to reduce the transmission size.
One of the nicest things about a manual for a performance street car is that it doesn't have to be harsh. A performance auto generally is built so the shifts are positive... all the time! If you don't build it like that, shifts will be slower and you increase slippage during shifts. If you know how to drive a manual properly, it can be smooth as butter or sharp like a razor whatever the situation demands without having to sacrifice wear.
Oh, and DSG & SMGs? Seems like they're selling very well here because rich people can't be bother to shift and still want the performance. Most car enthusiasts in Europe, Asia, and the Americas mourn to lack of a true manual option in ANY car.
OS
Lifer
- Oct 11, 1999
- 15,581
- 1
- 76
BS, built domestics you see at the dragstrip are often autos.
BTW, guess what kind of transmission you get when you buy a 185K MB AMG SL65 (604 HP/ 738 TQ).
I owned two automatic vehicles before getting my current car (Honda Accord LX 5-speed). I'll never go back to an automatic if I can help it.
I own an 04 WRX, and I hate shifting in it. It also sucks when you are going at a speed too low for 2nd gear and can't shift into first. And don't forget about hills, rolling back, etc. These days, there just aren't enough advantages to driving a manual as opposed to automatic.
Go with the automatic.
Go with the automatic.
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