Manual is fun dude there is no point in getting an auto

Really depends on the car and your style of driving to be honest.

Something raw and coarse like a Miata or a dump truck would be more fun to drive as a manual.

Once you start getting into performance cars, I prefer a solid dual clutch auto with responsive paddles. You just can't beat those refined blip shifts. The only exception to this would be if you gave me a dog box transmission. But even that I think you can do in auto so manual is lose-lose.

I've driven all manual cars and manual vans for work in the past. Whenever I get the opportunity to drive an automatic, it's a joy, I can gift my left foot a rest and just sort of enjoy the drive, which is nice given the traffic of Seattle.

That being said, when the traffic isn't bad, manual is a bunch of fun and leaves me more involved in the actual process of driving. Cognitive load isn't really there once you've mastered the procedural memory for it.

Drive a six speed manual
>feelsgoodman

>went to get new tires today
>go to discount tires
>give the guy my keys and wait around, pretty busy day
>finally see them go out to get my car
>why did he stop oh, shit, he stalled
>finally gets it into the shop
>few minutes later they're done
>usually they drive your car out front for you
>guy asks me to take it out of the garage cause he can't find someone who can drive a manual

Whatever happened to sequential manual transmission?

Depends what kind of car you're gunna be driving, and where. City driving is not the greatest for manual, but if you're not driving a performance machine, but rather something like a miata or s2000 then I'm sure you'll have a decent time of it. A heavy duty clutch in a meme machine like an evo makes the stop starts pretty awful though.

We have this thread every couple days.

Manual pros:
>better throttle response
>can engine brake
>can actually operate in the power band
>doesn't upshift for no reason
>better fuel efficiency

Cons:
>foot might get tired in traffic
>takes a couple hours of practice to git gud on hillstarts
>family & gf will either refuse to or constantly bitch about it anytime they have to use your car

>better fuel efficiency
for older cars, but in most newer cars this is negligible

>foot might get tired in traffic
only if it's a heavy clutch or you have no muscles in your legs

>family & gf will either refuse to or constantly bitch about it anytime they have to use your car
unless they can all drive manual like almost everyone I know

>called all the driving schools in my city, none of which have a manual car.

Is this actually a thing in America? What the fuck?

sup nancy
Get a manual, it's much better. You can have fun at lower speeds too because revving up doesn't require you going near the top speed so it's enjoyable everywhere.

Burgers can't drive, aiming their vehicles is all they do.

Autos can't engine brake? WTF? Do they act as if you depressed the clutch when you lift your foot from the gas?
I've never driven an auto BTW

>dealing with a lot of hills, snow, or off roading get manuel
I'd think the opposite is true

I've owned two auto cars, both with double-clutch transmissions and both with some kind of manual gear selection/tiptronic system. None of them have had any of the cons you guys mention ITT.

I feel like I've missed out, I should buy a car with a shitty auto to see what you guys are talking about.

>Do they act as if you depressed the clutch when you lift your foot from the gas?
yeah it's like that, there's no braking

Are you talking about a torque converter auto?

yes, haven't driven any other

wow, that's fucking bullshit
towing something on a steep downgrade must be hell

I see, I've never driven a torque converter auto.

Thanks!

It's stupid even without a trailer. When you are in a heavy auto car going downhill faster than the other guys in front (because gravity), you have to apply the brakes all the time

I bet the brake pads get worn much faster. Do you get injection cutoff by using momentum? I do that in my manual and save tons of gas specially on high gears.

>Do you get injection cutoff by using momentum?
Not sure desu, but I can cruise down slopes in idle

Even in heavy traffic I barely notice that I'm driving a manual.
Yeah and unfortunately most idiots slam their brakes.
Just rent a Kia. You'll want to suicide inside an hour.

>drive manual in traffic
>gun it down from gap to gap while slowfag autotragic drivers wait for their slushboxes to shift

damn, guys, there's a '99 S90 that's pretty nice around me and I was thinking of buying it if it's still on sale by the time I save enough money, but it's an auto. I was willing to ignore the boredom an auto entails, but to have no engine braking is fucking bullshit.
>Even in heavy traffic I barely notice that I'm driving a manual.
I never understood the "manuals suck if there's stop and go traffic" meme. Sounds like something a casual who drives one once a month would say. And an effete casual at that.
>Just rent a Kia. You'll want to suicide inside an hour.
kek

I usually accelerate for half a block and coast for the other half in my manual

>drive manual in traffic
>light goes green
>charge into clear section
>check mirrors
>autotragics still haven't moved past stop line
>light goes red
>autotragics slow from 1mph to 0mph
>more autotragics join queue

so that's why traffic gets so bad

Bikes.

all the manual shills itt
holy hell
first, who cares
your personal choice
second, I have driven almost only manual my whole live
if I wanted a new car I'd go auto
every automatic car will handle the gears better than you

I don't think you fagtrons even know what an automatic car is

>second, I have driven almost only manual my whole live
>if I wanted a new car I'd go auto
so you don't know what you're talking about, good to know
a good friend of mine went from manual to auto in February, she regrets the decision

did you read my post? How do I not know?

And what your """"""friend"""""" regrets is a nice fairy tale but irrelevant
I could tell you that a good friend of mine, my father and my uncle went from manual to auto and regret that they didn't switch much sooner (that's actually true but I don't use these fucking personal stories as proof)
end your miserable life

no u
I guess you and your relatives hate driving. My friend loves driving and she fell for the double clutch meme. She complains it doesn't feel as quick and as solid as her manuals did.

does anyone drive in manumatic mode? is it more fun than automatic?

then the car is shit
sad story I suppose

the mercedes of my father is just plain awesome
and you can switch between comfort and sport mode, makes a huge difference too
(and if you faggot really really need to you can still switch gears yourself, but don't tell anyone, it's a secret)

You just reminded me of another of my friends with your Mercedes comment. She has a 300D (3.0 NA), her father has a 250D manual and a 300D (2.5 turbo) automatic.The fastest of the bunch is her 300D, then her father's 250D and then her father's 300D. All are W124s. Autotragics are really tragic. The only way I can wrap my head around the idea of wanting an autotragic is if you're a geriatric fuck who is too old to change gears.

My previous car was a VW Scirocco with their DSG6 gearbox, it had paddles on the wheel and I used them quite a lot.

>250D
>300D
holy fuck
just
wow
>ancient automatics are shit
what else is new

fuck, get a new car, gramps

Nothing wrong with new autos, but manual isn't a lot of effort and I don't know why people pretend it is.
For me controlling gears is something integral to driving and it would just feel weird driving without that, so I wouldn't get an auto.

same
they like those cars, they're built like tanks. My other friend who bought an automatic 2015 Fiesta used to have a Renault Megane coupe, so it seems that modern autos can be trash too. She only got it because she got a super sweet deal, to the point that she could probably sell it for 5k more than she bought it months ago. Maybe I'll suggest that to her.

My mustang is absolute trash in stop and go traffic. Do not recommend. Without traffic it's tons of fun though.
If you can swing it get an auto DD and a manual to drive like you stole on weekends.

>I never understood the "manuals suck if there's stop and go traffic" meme. Sounds like something a casual who drives one once a month would say. And an effete casual at that.
The minimum speed in my v8 is ~8mph before it lugs. I'm assuming you have some 3 cyl that doesn't even move at idle.

>hurr durr what is the clutch
FFS back in the day people barely touched the throttle at all

Hurr let me slip my clutch for half an hour in stop and go traffic every day.
Great plan I'm lovin it.

What's the big deal? Fucking burger nancys. You think we don't have slow traffic here too? The only difference is that you're a little bitch about it.

>I don't know what gear ratios are.

>yanks bragging about driving manuals

get an auto

what do gear ratios have to do with it?
also you're only a bitch about driving your Mustang in traffic because you use it so little that you haven't got gud

>why don't you use the car that isn't good in traffic more you little bitch.
Nigga you for real?

I took an Elantra sport for a test drive and it felt like shit compared to my RSX S. If all modern manuals feel like automatics, then why even buy one without a throttle cable.

The one who is bad in traffic is you, not the car. And that's because you've been accustomed to your autotragic. If you DD'd your 'stang for a month you'd probably git gud.

I drove dual clutch automatic for 4 years in a 300hp car after 8 years of manual driving. The first year I was totaly happy how fast the DSG was shifting and it made a lot of fun. Then it got boring more and more. From time to time I drove manual cars from my friends and I remembered how much fun it is. So I bought a E30 325i this year as my weekend car and I have so much more fun again driving manual.

I never said I haven't been DD'ing it.
But it does make sense why the v8 manual mustangs are such great sellers over there in Europe with all that stop and go traffic. They are so much fun to drive that they are all the rage.

American cars don't sell well in Europe, period

I have both, my manual is weekend fun car, and my auto is my daily.
Manual is fun (91 mustang) once you use it for a month it's second nature to shift, I do it without thinking.
My auto (15 F150) it's my daily because as I get older going to work in the mourning is becoming more of a hassle so I just want to kick back and not think when I'm headed in.

>what do gear ratios have to do with it?

Well, while I have to doubt that a Mustang has as much of a problem, if you're driving something like a Corvette, which can hit 70 MPH in 1st gear, but are being forced to move at ~5 MPH in that gear, I can see where being fully engaged in 1st at idle could make you go entirely too fast for stop and go traffic. Same deal with sport bikes. 1st gear is just too long, meaning can get up to too high of a speed, to be really suitable for slow moving traffic. As such, you'd be forced to slip the clutch constantly if you insist on always being within 3 feet of the person in front of you.

On the other hand, if you left 20 feet of space and just idled along, as traffic stopped and went, you'd probably be able to just idle right along without needing to touch the clutch. Downside being that people would cut you off constantly in city traffic, as the space between you and the car in front is the only gap for miles around.

My little econobox will idle along at around 5 MPH or so, which is fine for city traffic. I leave space in front of me, and in the one spot where traffic regularly backs up, I can usually idle along for 5-10 minutes at a time without touching the clutch. Mind you, the people behind me get absolutely livid because I'm not 6 inches from the car in front of me, and this for some reason makes them feel like they're getting to wherever they're going slower, but that's their problem. Haven't gotten rear ended so far, so that's a good sign I guess.

I daily manual through captial city center every day.
Honestly not that bad in stop and go.
Exactly the same as auto except you have one extra pedal used by the foot you don't use in auto.
"MUH MUH SHITTY IN TRAFFIC" memesters get back on bus

>Well, while I have to doubt that a Mustang has as much of a problem, if you're driving something like a Corvette, which can hit 70 MPH in 1st gear, but are being forced to move at ~5 MPH in that gear, I can see where being fully engaged in 1st at idle could make you go entirely too fast for stop and go traffic. Same deal with sport bikes. 1st gear is just too long, meaning can get up to too high of a speed, to be really suitable for slow moving traffic. As such, you'd be forced to slip the clutch constantly if you insist on always being within 3 feet of the person in front of you.
That's why you use second gear when sudden acceleration is a concern. With all that available torque stalling won't be a problem.

It's not even the busriders, it's the effete burgers

This applies only to ancient transmissions. Anything made within the last 10 years has what is known as a "lock up torque converter", which does exactly what it says. At low load or when coasting, the converter engages an internal clutch, which couples it at a 1:1 ratio between the engine and transmission.

This is how modern autos get comparable or better fuel mileage as compared to manual transmissions - they eliminate the slip and waste of a traditional torque converter, which leads to increased gas mileage, and as a side bonus, it means you can even engine brake with an auto too.

Hell, even the 18 year old Subaru I used to have would automatically downshift if you were going down hill and hit the brakes. With a 2.5L engine and 4 gears, that auto trans had more aggressive engine braking than a modern day 1.6L with a traditional 6 speed manual trans.

this

this is cool
if reliable of course

Manual
>economy
>less tranny problems
>cheaper to repair or do maintenance work
>can take abuse and is universal
>fun to operate
>suitable for driving without traffic jams

Automatic
>superb in traffic jams
>less jerkyness, MOSTLY smooth operation
>no 3rd pedal, only one leg is operating while driving
>better option if a car has big amount of power

I would never buy an auto, because i drive for the love of driving. And an automatic takes the fun out of a huge part of it. discord.gg/vuvYMP9

join if you wanna talk about car on a discord server. This is a new server for car lovers. For those whom love cars and talking about them feel free to join

Really makes you think. This never happened before to me, gosh. My gf picked up on driving manual in less than 5minutes I must be an amazing teacher

>>superb in traffic jams
only in the way that you don't have to move your left leg, WOW.
>>less jerkyness, MOSTLY smooth operation
Only if you're a shit driver.
>>no 3rd pedal, only one leg is operating while driving
wow, grasping straws.
>>better option if a car has big amount of power
yeah so it can make no difference wether you have 100 horsepower or 300 because the automatic will go through 5 different gears while you try to take over or change gears randomly midcorner and turn all that power into teary eyed weekly rear tyre shopping sessions

As an user that owns a manual and has driven auto's often:
You don't know what you are talking about.
If you go for a fun drive a manual is godlike.
If you need to get from A to B a modern automatic is more comfy.
To add to for automatics it is important to make the distinction between a slushbox and a modern automatic. Slushboxes work with a viscous coupling. That means there is always power loss and you can only override to limit the highest gear.
A modern automatic on the other hand is basically a manual where the computer controls clutch and gears. You can usually override this computer and specify in which gear you want to be. (as long as you don't overrev or stall the engine). This is ideal when you are driving on the highway and want to do an acceleration in a specific gear. you just switch to manual, choose when to change to the desired gear, do that and floor it. no kickdown, no lugging the engine. perfect.
To decide what works best for you you'd need to at least drive a few times in a manual. and you need to know what you're using your car for.

for what it's worth my wife can't drive for shit and the gearbox is the least of her fucking problems

i'm coasting half of the time i'm on the road
i often skip gears on purpose
i prefer engine brake, even for emergency
i hate to play with the stick in slow traffic tho
but i hate it even more when i can't cruise in neutral

as an oldfag and a truck driving fag, it really just comes down to the type of car. If it's slow and handles like a boat neither gearbox will make it better, in fact a manual will probably piss you off cause you'll never be able to shift going uphill.

There is something fun in being able to hold a gear and listen to the engine scream, but something equally fun at the crisp fast changes a sports auto can crank out, and being able to hold the stall converter at 5,000rpm before launching hard.

horses for courses and all that shit. Drive whatever makes you happy.

You have way more control over your car with a manual car, so that statement is true.

depends on the car m8. Good cars will stay in whatever gear you tell it. Shitty american cars will change automatically anyway when the revs get too high

That's so fucking sad.

OP here
Most of my autos have had this, it's okay. It just feels like fake manual though. You can't do any of the techniques that manual drivers are always talking about, heel toe, blipping, rev match etc. It still does it for you. So all in all it isn't engaging at all. Paddle shifters don't add much.

The car I was looking at getting was a 2004 BMW 330ci E46. I watched a bunch of reviews and supposedly the clutch is very "light/easy to use". One guy said he's be surprised if someone managed to stall the car. Based on all the responses I think I'm going to go ahead and try to get a manual. Seems like the hardest thing about it is learning how to start from 0 and hill starts, so if I can learn that then I'll have much more fun on the road. Thanks guys

I've owned my e46 for 5 years now and it's been a mostly problem free car. Though recently the abs and tcs light came on. Fucking abs pressure and steering angle sensor are dickered. I got sidetracked there... anyways, the manual transmission in these is so underwhelming. It's difficult to explain but it's legitimately the least enjoyable manual I've ever driven. Dunno if there would be a difference much between an 04 and a 2000 though as far as that goes.

Aside from that be prepared and willing to pay to fix it. It's cheap to purchase but not cheap to maintain. As I mentioned with my dash lights on it's gonna cost me over a grand to get it fixed, and that's friend prices. Most common failures are window regulators so be prepared replace those. Also expansion tanks and cyclonic oil separators.

i have both

manual is better for gridlock city driving
auto is better for long hauls

>driving is getting boring
Thats more of a problem with you than anything else. 120hp is plenty for a good time, maybe you're just getting tired of driving?

>120hp

Ya in an na miats maybe..

270rwhp here

>mfw

Hand, too. ALL THE TIME. So not only leg.

>shit driver
Thats the one of many reasons automatics exist, retard.

>grasping straws
Ive been to small jams and I wanted to kill myself after 15min of clutch driving and gear shifting.

Yes. It can make a difference. More power = greater acceleration = faster shifting. Auto here is better option.

no its not idiot, maybe in poverty world but in america no one needs manual

It really depends on what your situation is. If you need a car that will replace your daily driver, then I would go based off your daily commute to work or school. If you're looking at heavy traffic everyday, go auto, it might not be as fun, but nothing makes 20-30 minutes of near stand still traffic worse than constantly shifting, or if some cunt is right up next to your back bumper you don't want to worry about rolling back an inch and tapping them, whole other pile of shit to deal with.

On the other hand, if you only get severe traffic rarely, go for a manual, it'll make the commute more enjoyable (imo) and you won't get as bored.

I DD a manual in through NYC traffic. The annoyance of driving a manual in traffic melts away if you actually prefer the feel of driving manual over an automatic.

At the end of the day it's just personal preference

I have a manual, and as someone that lives in Center City in Philly, it can be an ass to use in the city. Thankfully I can walk to work and public transport is fairly reliable. Tbh I only drive wen I'm going out of the city, and driving in the sticks is fun as shit compared to an auto.

Just buy a manual, if you buy into the hype and convince yourself you'll like it...then you'll like it.

I learned to drive on a Pontiac Vibe automatic, and it was a bland experience.

But when I went to BUY my first car, my dad sort of encouraged me to buy stick. He said it was the proper thing to do, if only to learn and better appreciate how a car works. I bought a 5speed Mazda3, and it still ranks as my favourite car I've driven (may it RIP).

It's a good skill to have, especially if you ever want to get a baiku. Driving stick properly actually means you need to know how your vehicle's engine and transmission work, which leads to more knowledge and understanding.

Plus it opens the door to a lot of cars you wouldn't otherwise be able to own/drive, especially older stuff.

Not to mention it's just fucking fun.

People who advocate that automatic is "better" are only right in some situations. I drive an automatic now, because most of my driving is commuting.

But I made sure it had something with a fully select-able gear range, so I'm not stuck in P/R/N/D/Land.

manual is fun and engaging and yeah it sucks in traffic, but being in traffic sucks in general. auto you have to do less in traffic, but it still sucks. I'd rather be in traffic wishing I had an auto than be on a fun twisty wishing I had a manual. I admire the engineering behind automatic/sequential/dual clutch transmissions, but at the end of the day, manual is funner.

I was pissed off my BMW wasn't a stick until:

1. Waking up at 5:00 to go to work, I'm pretty glad I don thave to expend the energy to smush the clutch in and blip the gas and shift gear on hte morning commute. Much easier to just stick it in auto and go
2. On the track I failed hard core in a friends corvette with a stick after I got used to paddle shifting. The DSG and even moder wet clutchs are just simply faster at shifting. You literally cna't compete.

I like manuals now
1. nobody can ask to drive my car
2. it still feels 'right' to shift manually

They are too delicate in the current year to handle the massive horsepower the high end cars put out. They can of course do it but internal testing shows they don't last 50k miles.

AKA, avoid them in used cars or literally pay the price.

This

You have to look up the manufacturer of the 'step tronic' that is in each car. The Porsche (replaced by PDK several years ago) and Suburu ones that I have driven are complete garbage. Using them is painful because you are reminded how fucking shitty the transmission is.

However BMW and Audi use ZF 8 speeds and they are really great at shifting.

I have 5 vehicles, none of them are automatic.

OP, I hadn't driven a manual in probably 8 years or so and was about to buy a manual car and had the same sort of apprehensions as you.

But now that I did buy the manual, I absolutely love it! And I drive in crappy, always jammed LA traffic too but still very happy I went manual and not automatic.

But then again this is very subjective and a lot depends on the type of car you're thinking of getting and I also grew up driving manual before going to an automatic car, so maybe it was much more natural for me than it would be for you.