Stick or Automatic?

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Jet Badger
Driving a manual for me is something more than just driving. It's the feeling of control, knowing and feeling of every mechanism and linkage working precisely and synchronically. The knowing how my inputs change various processes in the car and that it depends only on me. That and the responsibility of manipulating it well is what makes me enjoy driving. Driving an auto for me feels like "adapted to special needs". Embarassing.

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I assume that most of the time you slot it into, and out of gear without actually using the clutch then?
 
You are missing my point by a mile and twenty-five quarters.

No, I get what you are saying, and everybody is perfectly entitled to get what what they want out of the driving experience (provided it's within the confines of their countries laws of course)... for me, I enjoy the feedback from tyres, suspension and steering, particularly when hustling along in larger, heavier vehicles. In my years of owning and driving manuals and auto's that pleasure hasn't been diminished by the transmission type. Honestly the number of times I've wished I could bang it down a gear for better acceleration (which isn't that often given kickdown etc) is out-weighed by the number of times I've gotten sick of crawling along in roadworks going from neutral to 1st to 2nd and back again, and none of the clutches I've ever had have even been that heavy.

What I object to is the insinuation that people drive auto's because manual is too difficult.... shifting gear is easy, as I've said before, it's second nature by the time anyone even gets their license, it's not some mythical, spiritual ritual that only total petrol head enthusiasts understand, and anybody that doesn't is 'special needs'.

As I've also said before, the transmission is only a small part of the driving equation.. my E46 320d tourer is a dog to drive compared to my E36 328i Sport Coupe, even though it's a manual and the E36 is an Auto, the coupe is 10× more fun to drive in an enthusiastic manner. I also enjoy left-foot breaking in the auto, but I can't heel'n'toe for toffee in the manual... in fact I've alway struggled with that - I blame the floor hinged accelerator in BMW's.

Maybe it's just because in the UK the vast majority of people learn to drive manual, and automatic is usually only a secondary option, I just don't see selecting your own gears as that big of a deal...... and since I can still select my own gears if necessary in my Auto, I doubt my mind will ever change on that.
 
Just a suggestion, but it probably makes more sense continuing the discussion in this thread now. It's why I dug it up again today, given that this thread is more about learning to drive than it is typical manual vs. auto discourse.
 
That's because in those cases you can't choose, and it's not like they all are completely automatic (paddles). That's the best of both worlds.

Me getting distracted in AT cars (or rather needing to force getting focused) is because the AT car I drive from time to time is way to quiet inside so I guess I get bored. As I said on the first page it's not like I hate ATs, as they are the thing to buy for daily driving for most people, but the OP said he likes car so he should learn how to use a manual. I even recommended him to buy one.

You can choose. You can choose to buy something else.
 
Pardon my French, but I've always seen it as an Auto being a "Gentleman's Club" where you can see, but not touch, and a Manual is more of a brothel :D
 
Id say if your incopitent like my sister you should be comfortable driving before trying to drive a stick. If your already a compitent driver then go for the stick. Its more control. I personally hate autos if they were built after about 1990. Old one's controlled completely by the valve body give you more control. No computer input or adaptive driving junk.
 
Which is better to first start driving with? Stick shift right? I know you get more feel for the car with it, but is also a lot harder.

Pardon my French, but I've always seen it as an Auto being a "Gentleman's Club" where you can see, but not touch, and a Manual is more of a brothel :D

Missed the point, see above.

Id say if your incopitent like my sister you should be comfortable driving before trying to drive a stick. If your already a compitent driver then go for the stick. Its more control.

How is someone who "first start driving" already a competent driver?

So your recommendation is "auto" then...
 
Which is better to first start driving with? Stick shift right? I know you get more feel for the car with it, but is also a lot harder.

Driving a manual is easy once you get the hang of it. Personally it took about 3 lessons for me to be cursing the clutch's very existence, but 6 or 7 lessons later it became more natural. The ability to drive either type of car vastly outweighs the inconvenience of having to learn how to use a manual. I'm not sure how the type of car you pass your test in affects the license you get as I'm not familiar with the US licensing system, but I would suggest learning stick.
 
Just a suggestion, but it probably makes more sense continuing the discussion in this thread now. It's why I dug it up again today, given that this thread is more about learning to drive than it is typical manual vs. auto discourse.

I was thinking the same thing. We don't need two threads to discuss the same thing, do we?
 
Roo
The ability to drive either type of car vastly outweighs the inconvenience of having to learn how to use a manual.
No doubt about that, and at the very beginning one is in such a shock that it doesn't really matter if there's one more thing to learn. Nothing goes fluently anyway and by the time the actual driving feels even remotely natural shifting is already subconscious.
 
No doubt about that, and at the very beginning one is in such a shock that it doesn't really matter if there's one more thing to learn.

I disagree. When you first learn to drive, you have trouble enough just figuring how to use the gas and brake smoothly. Having to learn the clutch just to get the car rolling could easily be overwhelming.

I maintain what I said before, spend 6 months in an auto and then switch to manual. That's optimal. Granted not everyone has that ability or luxury.
 
Does anyone here use sequential?

On a road-going car, no. Unless the OP is buying a Chery QQ or one of those other annoying pieces of dreck that passes for a car in China, no modern cars possess non-automated sequentials.
 
niky
On a road-going car, no. Unless the OP is buying a Chery QQ or one of those other annoying pieces of dreck that passes for a car in China, no modern cars possess non-automated sequentials.

Lol. Well, what if it was a car that was tuned? Then would it have sequential?
 
Like BMW, sequential with manual gearshifting but an automated clutch. Automated clutches on sequential manuals (not dual clutches) are usually either slow-shifting or painfully brutal. Which is why everyone is moving to dual-clutch.

Chery has a true sequential manual with a manual clutch. It's cute, but clunky.


Lol. Well, what if it was a car that was tuned? Then would it have sequential?

You can buy a sequential box for the Fiesta. But it won't be very nice, as it's a whiny, clunky racing box.

There are sequential conversions for Hondas, but why bother going to all that expense unless you're drag racing?

If I were to list the ten most important modifications for club-day racing, a sequential conversion would come in around number twenty two. Between ceramic brake discs and repositioning the driver's seat to the center of the car.
 
Hollinger sequential (dog) gearbox comes to mind, I saw a video of Tsuchiya driving a white S15 Silvia driving at 1st position overtaking the tuned heavyweights (FD RX7, Supra JZA80 and R34 GTR ) then he got rear ended entering the 1st tight corner by the R34 GTR going in too hot.
He just flick the lever backward to shift up, and flick it forward to shift down while doing heel & toe, it still has the clutch :D, and I think it was one of the best upgrade the Silvia ever had.
 
^For that situation yeah sequentials are bad ass, but in everywhere else with speed limits and traffic lights, nope.
 
Danoff
Missed the point, see above.

How is someone who "first start driving" already a competent driver?

So your recommendation is "auto" then...

If the Person had a learners permit and learned fast, or like me taught myself wile my grandpa slept in the passenger seat, I was completely comfortable moving straight to a stick.
 
I'm learning stick. That's just common in the UK though. 👍
 
And that whole "feel for the car" thing... It doesn't matter either. Driving is easy, it takes practically zero skill, just a bit of coordination and common sense.

Are you sure about that? So many morons out there.
 
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