Stickshift or Automatic?
 

Right now, I am in limbo between the car I'm supposed to be driving (the stickshift) and my dad's car (an automatic). Since I am INFINITELY more skilled at driving the automatic, that is my current preference, but I expect that to change once I start driving the stickshift more. And once I get the hang of first gear and I don't kill the engine anymore.

What do you all prefer?

Manuals can go faster more quickly, usually.

Zoom zoom.

My car is an automatic and it accelerates sooo slowly. It makes me sad. The only manuals that we have in my family are nice and expensive cars that I wouldn't want to drive because they are nice and expensive, and I don't want to crash them and/or ruin their transmissions.

I drive a manual 350z and while I love driving manual most of the time, sometimes I just don't want to do it. Recently I've been playing tennis at home with my friend and we usually go to Jamba Juice after that. If I'm the one driving, I'd rather take one of my parent's cars since they're automatic because I just don't feel like driving stick. Now I'm not saying that driving stick is tiring or anything. It's just more work than I'd want to do when I'm tired.

All in all though, manual does give you more control and does let you control gas mileage a little bit better (though not by much). It's fun and definitely a nice skill to have if not just for the sake of knowing how to drive stick.

I like driving a stick shift for about two minutes, then I remember why I will never own one again. Multi-tasking while driving is almost impossible when you're driving a stick. I do realize I shouldn't be doing anything besides driving when I'm behind the wheel, but why lie. There's a lot of eating, drinking, lip gloss applying and CD changing that isn't going to do itself.

Put it in D for Dumb and go!

I can't drive stick. I'm a heterosexual and don't have big truck / expensive car syndrome.

Driving stick is not only faster, but a hell of a lot more fun.

I drive both. I prefer neither, really. Like Alice said, multitasking is a bitch when you're driving stick, but in general it's better on gas and it's a lot more fun.

Driving automatic is easier, but kind of boring.

Menina, if you really want to learn stick fast, get yourself in a pickle with the stick where you just HAVE to learn it. I learned it in a matter of 40 minutes when I bought a stick vehicle with the expressed purpose to FORCE myself to learn.

If you're determined, you can totally learn it quickly. =D

I prefer manual, like by a lot. But unfortunately my current car is an automatic. I am currently trying to find a 6 speed manual Acura RSX at an agreeable price, so yeah, I love manual transmissions.

Every car that I've ever owned since I was 17 was a stick shift and really would never dream of buying anything else. I learned to drive it when I was 12 years old and it's just a lot more fun for me.

I've been trying to get my sister to learn how to drive stick shift but it's like Mexican broads can't fucking learn this shit. :mad:

Manual all the way. I love feeling connected to the road and fully involved in the driving process. Automatic feels too disconnected. It's like the difference between using a sequencer and actually playing music. Driving an automatic still feels like I'm just a passenger.

Yet I'm sure you have power steering, which kills the general feeling of the road as you're driving.

My Infiniti is SUPPOSED to have power steering but it hasn't worked since I bought the car and I refuse to fix it.

I don't think it does all the time. Sometimes, it's nicer to be able to focus on just steering instead of switching gears. That's what I experience anyway.

Sadly, I drive an automatic. I wanna learn how to drive a stickshift for kicks.

My dad would teach me, but all our cars are automatic.

I've been driving a manual for close to 6 years now. It wouldn't kill me to drive automatic, but if I had my choice I'd always choose manual transmission.

Automatic for life. I drive in way too much stop-and-go traffic to bother with a clutch.

Interesting, I didn't know so much people loved manual.

I like automatic because I have no clue on how to drive manual and it looks complicated with all the changing gears. Plus, I'll probably be one of those slow driving grandpas, since I have no urge to go any faster than needed.

Yeah, manuals are GREAT for highway driving and long-ways-between-lights. Once you're in the gear you want, you can even whip out a sammich and eat it no prob.

But get into the city and your arm will get tired faster than you can say "holy shit my arm's tired I wish these fags would just go die somewhere."
Then if you're driving solely in the city long enough your arms will be disproportionated. You'll have to lift weights solely with your left arm to match them back up. It's horrible. HORRIBLE! :><:

I'd way rather drive a standard.

I hate driving Automatics seriously DDD:

While I CAN drive a stick, it would be a pain in the ass as I live in the city and the traffic blows. I'll stick with the automatic. ;)

I can do both, but I prefer an auto just cause I like to do a billion things in the car when I drive like mess with my ipod. But my car kinda has the best of both worlds in a way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...fling/car4.jpg

It's one of those sequential shifters where you can either put it in regular drive, or shift it sideways where you can manually pick the gear. You tap up to shift up and pull back to shift down. Still kinda gives you that racecar feeling, but is great when your friends who can't drive stick have to cart your ass home after a heavy night of drinking.

I have driven a stick while delivering pizzas before. In the suburbs, so I am usually shifting a lot. It's not too bad and it doesn't really get all that tiring. You guys must get tired very easily.

I don't know if it's just me being reckless, but I've never had trouble multitasking in a stick. Talking on the phone while turning, sifting through an iPod or eating. I've done it all and it's not terribly hard. Sure, harder than an automatic, but not difficult.

I would say that me preference depends on the type of car I am driving. If I'm driving something that is faster and sportier, than I would prefer a stick as it would benefit from it greater. Something other than that I would probably prefer to be an automatic.

The lazy man's manual for the win. I prefer to have both due to the fact that clutching is a bitch in stop and go traffic.

Oh please. :tpg: I drive a manual while talking on the phone and filling out my bank deposit slip and eating a cheeseburger. It aint that hard! Ok, maybe not.

I've been driving stick for a few years now. At this point I don't even think about shifting when I shift. I currently own a Saturn Ion and a Honda S2000, which are both stick. I don't plan on going back to automatic until I get married and have a family car or something. (Ha!)

You just wait until you have six screaming brats in the backseat and see if you don't need that right hand to reach back and flail with.

I drive a manual 300ZX, and it's really a lot of fun. I just cruise around all the time just for the sake of driving a bit. The only thing I dislike about the transmission is when I'm sitting in traffic. Besides that, everything is smooth.

Too bad I can't drive at all right now with this fucking hand. :(