71 replies to this topic

[Lorcan Lladd]

I've never even seen any cars with automatic transmission.
Doesn't mean anything to me, either way, though; as long as public transportation remains decent, I'll rely on it: it's the most resource-efficient means of getting around.

[EyeOne]

As the owner of a 6-speed manual car, yes I agree.

It's manly and a lot of fun.

[1ceTr0n]

My sister being a total blonde was incapable of learning how to drive manual when my dad tried to teach her. He finally gave up before she ruined the transmission in our first teen mobile, a 4speed manual Ford 2WD Ranger back in 1995.

Needless to say, I had to drive my sister to school until we got an automatic speed GMC S15 next year.

Having driven manual in a few cars, i'll never go back to it. I HAAAAATE manual for in town driving and im not much of an auto guy, I would rather have a hand free to eat or to fondle my girlfriend then drive manual car again.

And yes, I had a 03 Turbo WRX manual and even then I got tired of shifting. I now drive an auto Civic coupe

Edited by 1ceTr0n, 12 October 2012 - 12:50 PM.

[TheNorm]

To me i see a lot of manual cars available, but not in something thats typically a family sedan or unless it has 300+ hp there is really no reason for a manual. Also you if you look, a lot of cars today have auto/manual trans combined. Even a v4 Hyundai Sonata has a "shifttronic" transmission which lets you put it in a manual mode to upshift and downshift as needed. Though 99% of the time a manual trans is not needed, it can be fun at times or useful to downshift for more torque for say coming onto a freeway onramp or if you need to slow down you can manually downshift as well to slow down without breaking, works good in poor weather as well, rain and snow.. However if you have this much knowledge to use a manual trans well, you can anticipate things with the auto trans.. Lastly, I prefer an auto because without it I wouldn't be able to hold my beer and smokes while i drive, eat, use my phone, and imagine trying to shift.. yikes.. i could spill my beer or send a text to a wrong GF which could be disasterous ;P so all in all auto is just much more convienent unless you have a real need for manual (ie racing)..

[WTChance]

I drive a 2012 Kenworth with a 12.75 liter engine and 13 speed eton fuller manual transmission...3200 miles a week. Does that count?

[HyperToxic]

Well, I've been taught how to drive, and passed my driving license tests on manuals, and I can't imagine being forced into driving an automatic. It may be strange for someone as young as me (I'm 22), but I want to maintain as much control over my car as possible while driving, and auto transmission takes part of it away. Well, I also don't like many of new systems, including power steering, and traction control. I think people should be taught driving on most basic cars, without all those fancy sounding systems.
I didn't have opportunity to try any hybrid solutions between fully-automatic and manual transmissions, so I don't have any opinion on them.

Oh, and my first vehicle was a tractor, with manual transmission obviously, complete with loaded trailer. I was 13, and knew nothing about driving, and my father told me literally "Let off the clutch and go"

[MustrumRidcully]

Driving manual is still the norm in Germany. I do actually drive a car with automatic transmission, a 15+ year old Golf that consumes quite a lot of fuel unfortunately. I still haven't forgotten how to "drive stick", and I wouldn't waste money on an automatic transmission when I get a new car, but I inherited this car from my uncle. It's a bit of memory of him, so hard to give up. And it still drives well.

If I remember correctly, the fuel consumption problem for automatics is not necssarily a big issue anymore - the VW Lupo was Volkswagen attempt for a "3L" car, e.g. a car that would need only 3 L of gasoline per 100km (get out your calculators, Americans), and they deliberately put in an automatic transmission to achieve that...

Edited by MustrumRidcully, 13 October 2012 - 07:17 AM.

[SouthernRex]

TheNorm, on 12 October 2012 - 12:54 PM, said:

To me i see a lot of manual cars available, but not in something thats typically a family sedan or unless it has 300+ hp there is really no reason for a manual. Also you if you look, a lot of cars today have auto/manual trans combined. Even a v4 Hyundai Sonata has a "shifttronic" transmission which lets you put it in a manual mode to upshift and downshift as needed. Though 99% of the time a manual trans is not needed, it can be fun at times or useful to downshift for more torque for say coming onto a freeway onramp or if you need to slow down you can manually downshift as well to slow down without breaking, works good in poor weather as well, rain and snow.. However if you have this much knowledge to use a manual trans well, you can anticipate things with the auto trans.. Lastly, I prefer an auto because without it I wouldn't be able to hold my beer and smokes while i drive, eat, use my phone, and imagine trying to shift.. yikes.. i could spill my beer or send a text to a wrong GF which could be disasterous ;P so all in all auto is just much more convienent unless you have a real need for manual (ie racing)..

Shift-tronic is not manual. The sequential shifters in those cars operate completely differently from a manual transmission. Also, a lot of the high end race cars use paddle shifters (similar to that + - you were talking about), although it varies greatly of course.

Also, drinking and driving? You are ******* scum dude. People die from selfish **** like that all the time. Get off the road, you don't belong behind the wheel.

Edited by SouthernRex, 13 October 2012 - 09:36 AM.

[Berserker]

I don't normally troll but the self-sufficiency argument with driving manual transmission is more than a little sexist. "Knowing as a man" implies penetrative intercourse, so maybe that's what you mean? Penetrative intercourse with a manual transmission?

[MuffinTop]

Berserker, on 13 October 2012 - 09:43 AM, said:

I don't normally troll but the self-sufficiency argument with driving manual transmission is more than a little sexist. "Knowing as a man" implies penetrative intercourse, so maybe that's what you mean? Penetrative intercourse with a manual transmission?

Where do you come up with this garbage? Some men want to be self sufficient, and having the skills to drive a standard transmission is one of them. Other skills would be to change a flat tire, knowing how to make a windsor,half windsor or a 4nHand knot for a collared shirt, or polishing their shoes. Are those considered sexist in your lil world too? Seems your political correct mind is a lil oversensitive and sees things that are not there.

Edited by MuffinTop, 13 October 2012 - 11:25 AM.

[BeforeLife]

Yes, learning stick shift is so needed, good thing im learning to drive with one

[Euphor Kell]

Its not that driving auto's are a bad thing.
Its not that you can have fun driving automatic cars.

Its the problem that arises when someone doesn't know how to drive properly because all they know is auto.

In an auto car, so much control of the car is taken away, and a lot of people here don't even understand wjat the thac0 is () all they know is that one peddle makes the xar go, and one makes it stop. When, in reality so much more goes on under the bonnet that they have no idea about, and wonder why the car seems to want to do its own thing.

The auto my wife owns is notorious for that, it'll shift up to keep tje revs below 1200! For a damned petrol car as soon as you lift your foot a bit, as you can guess, it easily picks up speed going down hills, and will struggle going up hills because it loses that momentum.

And my wife barely knows why, all she knows is that she needs to ride the brake down hills, and give it more gas going up hills, (instead of shifting down)