Manual transmission vs. Automatic

[tchafe1978]

What does everyone prefer, manual, or automatic? I prefer manual myself. Manuals are a lot more fun to drive, and give my left foot something to do. My first car of my own was a 1991 Ford Escort 5-speed, and was my favorite car simply because it was a manual. Now I'm forced to drive a boring minivan with an automatic simply so my wife is able to drive it if necessary. I say she should have learned to drive a manual! I can also remember my dad teaching me how to drive a manual in his pickup while I still had my learner's permit. Talk about being thrown into the fire!

[Andrew T.]

Manual; chiefly for considerations of economy, increased vehicle control, and snob appeal.

[Dr Frankenstein]

I learned on a manual and have almost only driven manual cars. Both my parents' cars are manual, and so have been the two cars I've had so far.

When I drive an automatic, I feel sort of out of my element, like I don't have the control I should have on the car, c hanging gears when I don't expect it... I don't feel at ease with that, it gets on my nerves.

[Truvelo]

All my cars have been manual. I have driven automatic rental cars. Given the choice I would have an automatic but it would need a big engine. Small automatics I've driven are gutless and constantly need kicking down to extract what little power there is. Automatics also come in handy when taking pictures on the move, especially in heavy traffic where a manual requires constant gear changing.

[DAL764]

How about both combined? Generally I prefer a manual over automatic, but IMHO nothing is better than both combined. Not sure what the technical term is in the industry, but at Opel (Vauxhall) it's called Tiptronic, as in, it is automatic, but if you want to change gears, you still can. Best solution for city traffic when you want the manual option but with all the stop-and-go traffic are just sick of having to use the clutch so much.

[Brandon]

Have an automatic right now, but I want the next car to be a manual for economy, vehicle control, and theft deterrent.  Yes, you read that right, theft deterrent.  Since they are rarer in the US than Europe, most learn to drive an automatic and never a stick.  Most US car thieves can't even drive a stick!

[realjd]

How about both combined? Generally I prefer a manual over automatic, but IMHO nothing is better than both combined. Not sure what the technical term is in the industry, but at Opel (Vauxhall) it's called Tiptronic, as in, it is automatic, but if you want to change gears, you still can. Best solution for city traffic when you want the manual option but with all the stop-and-go traffic are just sick of having to use the clutch so much.

Generically, they're called manumatic transmissions. They're nothing more than a standard, computer-controlled automatic transmission that has a mode to allow the driver to manually shift gears. They use a torque converter like a normal automatic, not an automatically-controlled clutch like some people think.

I know how to drive manuals, but I've never owned one. I enjoy the novelty of it, but I worry I would get annoyed if I had to drive one daily.

Another cool technology is the continuously variable transmissions. They don't shift because they're able to adjust the gear ratio continuously. The benefit is that the car can accelerate by changing the gear ratio, leaving the car's engine at a more constant RPM. This can either help fuel economy or increase power (or both).

[agentsteel53]

I always rent an automatic (no choice here in the US) but if I were to buy a car, I'd make it manual, just for the reliability and improved gas mileage.  My last owned car was an '89 Escort five-speed, and even at 241000 miles it was getting me 43mpg!

[Chris]

I have to admit I've never driven a car with automatic transmission. In Europe you get your driving lessons in a manual transmission unless you're severely incapable of manual transmission, in that case you can get driving lessons in automatic, but a note on your drivers license will tell you you are not allowed to drive a car with manual transmission.

In Europe the more expensive cars often come with automatic transmission, but because of our high car taxes (Netherlands: 60%) a large proportion of the population cannot afford such cars.

Increasingly common are semi-trucks with automatic transmission, I've noticed they can accelerate somewhat faster because transmission time is much shorter.

[corco]

Manual for sure, especially in bad weather. There's nothing worse than driving up or down a steep, snow packed hill in an automatic when the roads are bad knowing that the car may at any time shift gears and cause the wheels to spin, throwing you out of control. Being able to pick your own gear is always better on hills. From a stop on a slick surface, a manual is easier too because you can regulate the amount of power that goes to the wheels with the clutch instead of just lightly tapping the gas and spinning your tires. With proper clutching, you can easily drive a RWD vehicle with bad tires on 6 inches of ice/snow. You can't do that with an automatic.

Beyond that, they're just more fun to drive. Any really boring car (even a Corolla!) can be instantly made at least somewhat engaging to drive just by adding a clutch pedal. I definitely feel more "one" with the road (and think I'm a much better driver) when I have a stick.

I've driven manumatics, and they're nice on slick hills and things when you want to have full control over your car's gearing, but they just aren't as fun- it feels like driving an appliance IMO. If I'm not in a situation where I need it, I just stick with the automatic gearing. They do give you the safety benefits of a manual when needed and the convenience of an automatic when desired, so that's nice.

The only time I prefer an automatic is in stop and go traffic. I hate having to constantly clutch- I feel like I'm just burning it out, and that's annoying.

My parents made me learn on a manual (on bad roads too! My learner's permit time was during the winter in the mountains of Idaho. I didn't drive on bare pavement more than once or twice before I got my license. but that's another story), and I thank them a lot for it. I feel like that gave me an awareness and control of the car that just couldn't have been replicated if I learned on an automatic. Driving is too easy with an automatic- a manual requires you to be focused and alert, especially when you're first learning.

[Brian556]

I really do not like manual transmission. It is a pain in the ass. My theory is why do it the hard way when you can do it he easy way. The worst thing about manual vehicles is that they roll back when you take off on an incline. This increases the chances for a mishap. I 've driven a Peterbuilt dump truck with an automatic. It is really nice. This truck had buttons for manual shifting if it were needed. The only time we would use it really was on ice & snow.

[corco]

My theory is why do it the hard way when you can do it he easy way.

My theory is that the hard way makes you pay more attention to the road

The worst thing about manual vehicles is that they roll back when you take off on an incline.

Not if you know what you're doing (I haven't driven a semi in fairness- the biggest manual I've driven was a big block early 90s F-350- but I have never seen a semi roll back)

[agentsteel53]

it's a lot easier to stall a small car than a large one... therefore, with the large vehicle, for the same likelihood of stalling, you can drop the clutch a lot faster to avoid roll-back.  So, you're much likely to experience severe roll-back with a small vehicle.

[corco]

I...disagree with that. Driving the big block F-350 was a lot harder than driving the little four-banger Dodge Colt I used to have. The F-350 had so much power that you had to clutch just right or it died, and the clutch was really heavy (the left leg hurt after a day of driving it in stop and go), whereas the Colt I could pull the clutch halfway out before it even considered stalling- you could even go from a stop without using the gas if you did it slowly enough. Same with my 4-cylinder Jeep. I don't think I could have done that in the F-350.

[realjd]

The worst thing about manual vehicles is that they roll back when you take off on an incline. This increases the chances for a mishap.

I usually cheat and use the handbrake on an incline   I always had a harder time backing up with a manual than I did with hills.

[agentsteel53]

Driving the big block F-350 was a lot harder than driving the little four-banger Dodge Colt I used to have.

might just be an implementation thing.  

My frames of reference are the '89 Escort, and a 1979 International Harvester Scout with I believe the 345 engine (though it may have been the 302).  The International was a breeze to drive - my friend who owns it even once took it off in third just to demonstrate that it could be done.  

The only time I stalled the International was when I forgot to take off the emergency brake.  Oops.  Even the very first time I drove it, and it was parked in an uphill parking spot, I got out without any difficulty despite having no a priori knowledge of the clutch.

(as for the handbrake thing - I did that for a little while as I got used to the Escort, but then decided it was much simpler to attempt to synchronize two processes - gas and clutch - instead of three, and forgot about the e-brake.)

[agentsteel53]

whereas the Colt I could pull the clutch halfway out before it even considered stalling- you could even go from a stop without using the gas if you did it slowly enough.

I do not believe I could've pulled it off with the Escort.  I did once take off in 2nd though, not realizing what I'd even done until it came time to shift to third.

[Duke87]

I've never driven a stick and have no interest in learning. I see no real benefit to it.

Especially since nowadays with computer control chips and CVTs, manuals aren't even more fuel efficient anymore. On some cars, the MPG rating on the manual is actually less.

[corco]

I do not believe I could've pulled it off with the Escort.  I did once take off in 2nd though, not realizing what I'd even done until it came time to shift to third.

I could take off from fourth in my Jeep with some super burnouttheclutch clutchwork. That car has the most forgiving surprisingly forgiving gear ratios ever

[JREwing78]

Every car I've purchased for myself has been a manual. I wasn't eliminating automatics from consideration this last time around; it's hell in traffic jams to deal with a stick. But for all the reasons others posted, and because it was reasonably priced, I ended up with another stick.

I actually commuted 80 miles a day on a manual transmission without a working clutch for a couple months (blown clutch slave cylinder prevented disengagement). Trust me, you get DAMN good at driving when you have to match engine speeds between gears without disengaging the clutch.

[oldhippie]

I have driven both manual and automatic transmissions,given a choice I like
automatic better for stop and go big city traffic also I have had to replace clutch 4 times in the Ford van I had that was a manual transmission
while the vehicles that I had that were automatic transmissions
didn't have any transmission problems with them.
what I do like the idea of though is a manual transmission
with paddle shifters  instead of stick and no clutch peddle
just slap one paddle to shift up and the other to downshift

[vdeane]

I...disagree with that. Driving the big block F-350 was a lot harder than driving the little four-banger Dodge Colt I used to have. The F-350 had so much power that you had to clutch just right or it died, and the clutch was really heavy (the left leg hurt after a day of driving it in stop and go), whereas the Colt I could pull the clutch halfway out before it even considered stalling- you could even go from a stop without using the gas if you did it slowly enough. Same with my 4-cylinder Jeep. I don't think I could have done that in the F-350.

Probably just a bad clutch.  I have a 97 Honda Accord that behaves exactly as you describe.  The reason is that it was the first model to use a hydraulic clutch and the kinks weren't worked out yet.  It's particularly bad in wet weather.

As mentioned, manuals are better in snowy weather and hills.  There are plenty of steep hills east of Rochester south of Irondequoit bay (the most traveled portions are on NY 404, NY 286, and NY 441); most people have to ride the break to go down them, but I can simply take my foot off the gas and enjoy the ride.  I can also keep the speed a lot more constant by downshifting on the way up without having to floor the accelerator.  Downshifting is also great if you have to do something like drive I-81 in tug hill while that area is in the middle of a blizzard.

The best way to learn to start on a hill is to find a very steep hill that doesn't see much traffic (Orchard Park Blvd/Glen Haven Rd is a good example in the Rochester area) and just keep stopping and starting.

[golden eagle]

Automatic, since I don't know how to drive a manual. I did originally tried learning to drive a manual when my mom had a Mustang in the early 90s, but the car was on its last throes and she ended up buy an automatic Chrysler.

[Alps]

Automatic because I only have so many hands.  One has to stay on the wheel, and if the other is shifting, there are no photo opportunities.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Manual. Dad insisted on it for me, my brothers, and even mom.