Automatic vs. Manual

[Sonic ZR1]

What type of transmission do you prefer in real life?
My opinion (my posts from NFS fan site):

Real life? Automatic.
I don't care of making TEH PERFECT SHIFTIEZ in real life. Clutch is really pissing me off.
(I know what I saying, I drove car with manual transmission once)

In games is another situation. If you choose "Automatic" AI will shift gears instead of you. In "Manual" you must shift gears by yourself, and no matter what "transmission" your steering wheel has. So, in games I will prefer that "Manual" variant. Even if steering wheel will have manual "transmission" and clutch pedal. Because in game you can't burn neither clutch nor engine (or if you burnt, you won't pay your real life money for repairing).

Yes, cars are faster with manual gearbox, but not me (yes, I'm ethernal brake sometimes, and also I can shift gear without pressing this damn pedal), so I won't have that fun factor because of controlling anything. And I'm not the goddamn (street)racer. Also, you won't need to be fast on roads of Mother Russia: cops there are really love to say their favourite word "PAY!", and roads there are worst asphalt roads in the world.

My choice will be sequental (up & down only) automatic transmission. Don't sure if cars in real life has that kind of transmission (if don't has - then just automatic)...
...at least my Defender Extreme Turbo PRO has that kind of "transmission" (very good and cheap wheel FTW)

What do you think?

 

[homeforsummer]

What do you think?

I think you're opening a massive can of worms, and almost certainly one that's been discussed before

For arguement's sake though, manual if I want to have fun, automatic for every other scenario.

 

[orimarc]

For commuting (slow, traffic light-to-traffic light, etc.): Automatic.
For weekend fun on a twisty road: Manual.

 

[Sonic ZR1]

I think you're opening a massive can of worms...

You mean this?

 

[skynyrd]

If I have only one car for work and fun...manual. Aggravation with the constant need to manipulate clutch/gas/break/shifter in city traffic is not enough for me to do without when I'm out just driving around for fun.

But yes, I can definitely see the use of an automatic, and if I had two cars I would prefer my go-to-work car to be an automatic.

 

[ShobThaBob]

DD? Auto. Track car? Manual. Sequential or clutch operated works fine for me.

 

[Luminis]

While I like automatics for the ease of driving in the city and the like, I still prefer to drive manual, if I can only afford one car at a time.
Dunno, it's just... More interesting. can't really put my finger on it. When driving my mother's automatic, I really miss something while driving.

Then again, I learned to drive on a manual car, so I'm used to it.

 

[Jondot]

The only automatic car I've driven is a 2010 Prius, and I must admit that it did suit that quite nicely - it just sort of wafted around a bit, so I didn't exactly yearn being able to control what it was doing. And I will admit that when I hopped back into a manual I did miss not having to mess around with the clutch when sitting in traffic - or rather my left calf muscle did - so I suppose there are upsides.

But then that was a CVT - I'm not quire sure how I'd feel if I was made to endure an auto in the traditional variation. Particularly when there are some dreadful ones lurking about (the one in a Smart ForTwo springs to mind).

 

[Danoff]

Is DSG classified as auto or manual?

 

[Boz Mon]

I like being in control of what gear I am in and when I'm in it. Manual 100% of the time hands down. I often use downshifts to slow me down, or I stay in lower gears in traffic to keep from having to touch the brakess. Being on the clutch in traffic doesnt bother me at all.

 

[Crispy]

While I like automatics for the ease of driving in the city and the like, I still prefer to drive manual, if I can only afford one car at a time.
Dunno, it's just... More interesting. can't really put my finger on it. When driving my mother's automatic, I really miss something while driving.

Then again, I learned to drive on a manual car, so I'm used to it.

I agree. Manual is just more fun.

 

[Punknoodle]

If I have only one car for work and fun...manual. Aggravation with the constant need to manipulate clutch/gas/break/shifter in city traffic is not enough for me to do without when I'm out just driving around for fun.

But yes, I can definitely see the use of an automatic, and if I had two cars I would prefer my go-to-work car to be an automatic.

This. I'm lucky though as I have a work vehicle that is auto and my car which is manual. Mind you driving a manual never gets old, even with a heavy clutch pedal

 

[Sonic ZR1]

Forgot to add one more type: sequental.
But damn, I can't edit that goddamn poll!..

 

[fitftw]

I learned how to drive manual before I was old enough to drive...because of Gran Turismo 1. Except for the feel of engagement points and how to heel-toe (which you can now do with GT5 and the G27 wheel). But the rest I learned from GT.

 

[Azure Flare]

Sequential:tup:

 

[Zenith]

Manual with a stick and a clutch. It's the most fun and it really isn't that difficult to get used to for driving in traffic.

Sequential gearboxes make me feel just as detached from the car as an automatic. The car is still doing the shifting. Whether or not it does it when it feels it's right or when you give it a cue isn't important.

 

[Azuremen]

Really depends on the engine in the car, the type of driving, and the quality of the automatic from the manufacturer. I'd never take an auto in an NA 4 cylinder car, just too much hunting for gears when you want to pass, etc. Cars with wider power bands and more displacement, I don't mind having an automatic as much.

 

[Sonic ZR1]

Really depends on the engine in the car, the type of driving, and the quality of the automatic from the manufacturer.

Car: any (from Vits (Yaris) to Bugattti SS)
Driving style: shy slowpoke.
Result: Sequental.

Real life:
Car: VAZ 2106 ONLY.
Result: Manual. Hello, repair shops! 👎

 

[Eric.]

I'm so used to driving both of my cars (both manuals) that driving either of my parents' cars frustrates me. So, my answer is manual.

However, in the right car, an auto would be fine for me. Basically something like a GTO or luxury sedan. And likely for trucks also since the shifter throws are kind of ridiculous and such.


I've never been that bothered using a clutch in stop/go traffic. In fact an automatic bugs me a little more since you're constantly holding the car back. But if I lived in a city where traffic jams were the norm, I'd be more likely to consider an auto perhaps.

 

[Stevisiov]

Is DSG classified as auto or manual?

They are usually classed as Semi-Automatic.

Manuals are the most fun to drive in my opinion, although a good semi-automatic is the best for performance and can be fun too.

I would be happy with either a manual or semi-automatic. I wouldn't want to own a fully automatic car.

 

[McLaren]

What a lot of others have said; auto for daily, manual for the rare times at the track.

That said, I do miss my Si solely because of the manual gearbox. Been highly contemplating picking up another manual sports car for the weekend.

 

[Jet Badger]

Automatic is for orange women and obese people. Manual is for those, who are able to count how many wheels their car has.

 

[Sniffs]

i keep expecting to see someone post

What's a manual transmission?

I could practically ask that myself if I wasn't allowed to play with a few non-running examples. (it seems to be being slow enough releasing the clutch I can't "get"). by the time i was finally reluctantly taught to drive (my mother was desperate for a driver she didn't have to pay), manuals were going the way of the dinosaur. this was just before both the pickup craze and the revival of the idea of the "sports car" as a viable and cheap to insure form of transportation. for over 20 years,America ran almost exclusively with automatics to increase economy, and, even now, you can't find a manual in a cheap used car (as in sub $5000).

 

[MatskiMonk]

Automatic is for orange women and obese people. Manual is for those, who are able to count how many wheels their car has.

Lol, well, I'm a pasty white man, and according to the scales at the gym I'm not obese... all 3 of the automatics I've owned had 4 wheels, as did the 5 manuals.

I do three types of driving:-

Around town
Auto definately a preference, even of you don't like 'holding' the car back on the brakes, just slip it into N, then back into D.. even doing that requires less effort in an auto, because you still don't need the clutch

Motoway
Auto definately a preference, just a lot easier and more relaxing.

Back road
for 80% of the time, auto is enough... I'm rarely at maximum attack long enough to really need to be picking my own gears, left-foot braking is quite satisfying and, to be honest, the car is capable of going way faster through the bends than I could control without having to drop it down a gear anyway. The other 20% of the time is mostly times when I'd used engine braking.. and I can live with that.

I'm not going to vote either way, both have their benefits, and it depends on the mood, but it also depends on the car.

I've had the same engine (BMW M20B20) with both manual and auto, and in a 2 litre I preferred the Manual...

The 525 was a manual, but would have been better suited as an auto I think, since it was a tourer.

In a 2.8, it's pretty much 50/50, my 328 is an auto, my 528 was a manual.. there's not much in it... the auto in sport mode is responsive enough, and the engine has enough shove even if if the box is caught napping.

In the 6 series, I never once wanted for a manual, the box pretty much did what it needed to all the time, and I never needed more than it was giving.

The 1.4 and the 1.6 cars I've owned (not BMW's) were both manual, and desperatley gutless anyway, they needed a manual so I could rev the **** out of them, and not in a good way.

For driving at >90% attack mode.. semi-auto is probably the best, that would have got my vote had it been an option, the rest of the time.. I'm fine with an auto or a manual.

 

[Shant J.]

My car is manual, and I love every second!

 

[Jet Badger]

Well, if you can afford couple cars, then you can have an automatic from traffic light to traffic light car (but in the place of this I'd choose a bike). But manual is the real feel that puts you in relation to the car when you are in control of everything what the car does. Automatic transmission, all the driving aids and electronic systems is what makes todays drivers almost just passengers. The cars are starting to even park themselves, recognize traffic signs and everything... That makes the driver not a driver anymore. Imagine world where nobody can even parallel park a car - why to do that, when the car does it by itself? In the world where machines think instead of us, the population is getting more and more stupid. Just because it requires less effort, doesn't mean that it's a good thing.

In my opinion automatic is just a reason to be lazy.

 

[Joey D]

I can't stand driving manuals, but I am a pretty laid back driver. I have no desire to track a car and my days of spirited driving are pretty much over with. I'm all about cruising with the windows down and the stereo cranked up to 11.

 

[Joel]

I have an auto in the Corolla I drive to school every day, and I think I'd much rather have an automatic for a daily driver like that. However, it would be nice to have a 5 or 6 speed in the Corolla, the 3 speed (4 with O/D) struggles to find the right gear sometimes. However, I really love the DSG gearbox in my mom's VW Golf TDi, lots of fun to use that. Ideally, when I get older and buy my own first car, I'm looking heavily into DSG. As far as I'm concerned, it should be standard on all automatics.

 

[Mike0105]

For me it has to be a manual every time, on a track, in town or on a backroad. There is something very special about the feel of shifting gears, its a very mechanical actions that just fits on with driving as a whole. Bit hard to explain it properly.

I always want to be fully in control, if I want to be in 6th at 40mph or 3rd, I want be be able to choose without something overriding my choice. A DSG would come closer, but I still want the clutch pedal every time. To me it's part of the fun of driving. Anything that takes away from my involvement in the process is a bad thing to me.

Auto's have their place, but not on my car.

 

[MatskiMonk]

So I guess all you "Manual only for me" guys, drive cars with no power assisted brakes or steering, with no ABS, a manual choke and no synchromesh on your gearboxes.... yes? And I assume all your cars have to be hand cranked to start?