I've always drove automatic cars and I think I will continue to drive one for quite some time. I'd love to learn manual some time though.

I can't stand driving Automatic cars. They feel so incredibly unsafe to me.

Manual is the way to go for me :p Feels safer, and is more fun to drive as far as I'm concerned.

Automatics have more fun! (at stopsigns)

Every car I've owned has been a manual.

A lot of people talk about "multitasking," really if you're behind the wheel you shouldn't be doing anything other than driving. Even so, shifting and doing other shit ain't that hard. If it is, you might just be horribly uncoordinated.

It's become like walking for me. I have to make a conscious effort to not try to shift when I'm driving someone else's car.

Automatic is for old people and idiots. It's inefficient, expensive to repair and boring as hell. Plus, controlling your speed is much easier with a manual, because of EBE and clutch/accelerator footplay.

:wrong:

Automatics are really slow when it comes to gear transitions. The clutch engages really slowly compared to what someone could do with a nice four-puck ACT and the right tension on the linkages.

Automatics are also something that most people will be driving in the future, whether it is by choice or not. Hybrid, Electric , Hydrogen etc.., pretty much do away with the traditional powertrain.

As a side note, people are allowed to have their preferences, and that does not make them idiots for wanting to make their lives that bit more easier or just not wanting/able to put the time in to learn. While I agree that currently manuals are overall better, automatics have been slowly catching up in terms of efficiency. That, and i've seen far too many people unable to properly drive even with an automatic, so would hate to see them try and with a manual =/.

Seriously what is all this hate on the automatic transmissions?!? I can pick up a good used automatic transmission for my 94 Honda Civic for 150 dollars. If I was being stingy I'm sure I could get that price down to 100 dollars by shopping around or haggling. Integra auto transmissions run for about 100 dollars. Manual transmissions for that car run about the same price used.

So you have never owned an automatic and can't really speak from experience. That is good to know.

You are thinking of the old hydraulic automatic transmissions that use a torque converter.

Unless you are telling everyone that you can shift in less than 10 milliseconds (VW Golf GTI is reported to shift in 8 ms) a Direct-Shift Gearbox (which is a type of automatic) will be able to shift many times faster than your manual transmission can.

Gumby: You're still ignoring the fact that when automatic transmissions break down they're rather expensive to repair, whereas manuals are simple enough to work on.

Most cars don't have Direct-Shift Gearboxes. And I can downshift in a manual a hell of a lot faster than it takes an automatic transmission to decide whether by flooring it I mean keep going in this gear or downshift. Plus, don't go saying "hey all these old transmissions are cheap as manuals lol" while saying "brand new transmissions are the ones that are as good as manuals" in the same post. The contradictions hurt.

Take our 95 Astro. Driving around 60mph is miserable because it keeps trying to figure out whether it wants 3rd or 4th. PICK ONE, DAMMIT.

That is because they have made it next to impossible to get parts to repair them. :(

I wish more cars did! Most people don't buy an auto transmission for the performance, they get it because to them driving is getting from point A to point B while doing as little as possible. I love my manual, don't get me wrong but there is nothing wrong with an automatic transmission either (besides being more boring to operate) and from some of these posts they make it sound like you'd have to be retarded to want to use one.

That would piss me off too.

I don't know stick, and I don't think I would really care because I also mess around with radio dials, AC, windows, and Ipod to really care. But I wouldn't mind learning since you'll never know when you need to drive stick. Like that time I went clubbing and the guy who drove me was drunk and asked if I drove stick. I was frightened the whole way back.

I never really took the time to learn how to drive a stick shift. So I just stick to the automatic cars. Eventually I will get off of my lazy butt and go learn how to drive stick.

I prefer manual just because I feel like I'm in more control of the vehicle. It is incredibly annoying when I'm driving an automatic and I need to pick up speed in a hurry. Generally speaking, I've found that automatics just don't offer the quick acceleration I sometimes need that is always available with a manual transmission.

I actually first learned how to drive manual through necessity. My place of employment has a vehicle that is a manual and it was a great way to learn.

I do, however, second the opinion of those who find it somewhat cumbersome to drive a manual when trying to multi-task. Thank goodness for bluetooth technology because talking on a cell phone is infinitely more dangerous to do when driving a manual if you have to actually hold the phone (for obvious reasons).

Err....no.

The danger from talking on a cell phone comes from the fact that your mind is distracted, not because of the occupied hand. Even when driving manual.

i concur. Beig distracted is dangerous. If you have 2 minds and can talk while still being focused (and think), it ain't much of an issue.'

I personally drive a manual... and so far prefer manuals.

But I REALLY hate the power steering on my car... makes the steering feel.. disconnected.

Is it true power steering or does it just have power assist?

I imagine if you're driving a manual while holding onto the phone with a hand the lack of three hands would be a real danger.

Unless you think it's normal to steer with your knees or something.

I've tried it before. Ignoring the fact that you could, you know, DROP THE PHONE if it was a real emergency, it's perfectly easy to hold the phone in your right hand and shift gears with the phone still in your hand. I've done it.

Also, speakerphone.

My favorite is a stick shift its acceleration on my ford is very....I can't think of a word. WoW

Have you tried driving without power steering? My car sometimes loses it and let me tell you, it's a pain in the ass when you're making sharp turns at low speeds and have to put a significant amount of effort into turning (not to mention it's embarrassing as hell when you start struggling to turn the wheel all of a sudden with someone in the car).

On the topic though, I drive a manual and definitely don't enjoy driving automatics nearly as much. I've never had an issue with multitasking and I regularly eat and fiddle around with music while I'm driving. Whether or not I actually do have more control over the car, it certainly feels like I do.

I imagine that's lots of fun for the person you're talking to on the phone when you're doing city driving and shifting frequently.

It's REALLY not that hard to do. Especially if you're not doing a lot of turns on the road.

(I used to smoke, talk on the phone, road rage, and shift at the same time. I don't recommend it.)

Guys, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this why the headset was invented?

One less task to worry about, you know.

All of the members of my family know how to drive stickshift, and my bro is obsessed with stickshift. I, on the other hand, really never learned how to drive it. I tried to, but was never really into it. So I bought my car automatic.
I talk on the phone and text at the same time when I'm driving some nights, so I can't do that if it's stickshift.

Except that the first car I drove was a 1975 Monte Carlo (Automatic). All of my parents' cars that they've owned since I've been old enough to drive have been automatic: Volvo S70T, Infiniti G35, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Mitsubishi Galant GT.

I've also driven many other "sports" or "competition" style automatic vehicles: (mostly tiptronic equipped porsches) 911 Targa4S, 911 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo, Mercedes SLK55 AMG... the list goes on.

The problem is not in the mechanics of the system itself, is that all of these systems are computer controlled, which it has to make immensely complicated calculations and "guess" what the driver wants to do. So, yeah, in a straight line and just mashing the gas, once the CPU adapts and you're out of first gear, you'll get great response times, but this philosophy breaks down when you're dealing with cornering and then having to maneuver coming onto the freeway in traffic.

Manual removes all of the guess work.

my first car didn't have power steering.. which is why i found the sudden shift towards power steering.. disorienting, no doubt it makes driving much easier, but occasionally i enjoy the feeling of fighting or exerting force.. makes u feel like you are actually driving..

automatic is great and all, but it brought alot of idiots to the street.. no offense.