Do you prefer driving cars with manual transmission or automatic transmission?

[Ortac]

I realise that there has previously been a topic about this, however that was a couple of years ago now and I thought it would be interesting to discuss it again and do another poll which is slightly more detailed and which splits answers according to where in the world people live.

 

Just to clarify: Manual transmission refers to cars which are commonly called “stick shift” in the USA and which have a clutch pedal.

Automatic transmission refers to cars which have a selector lever with positions labelled P, R, N, D and which have no clutch pedal.

 

For the purposes of this question, please consider semi-automatic cars (which are similar to automatic but which enable the driver to have some control over gear selection through paddles or buttons on the steering wheel) as automatic. With the way I have structured this poll, if I had tried to include this option separately it would have made it too complicated!

[nutterwithasolderingiron]

i voted manual. i like to control my own gears. makes me feel like im driving the car and not just along for the ride. saying that, for long distance motorway driving. i do like automatics more. 

[Anthracite_Impreza]

Manual. Can't boy racer in an automatic, plus I like to actually, ya know, drive.

[Lord Jade Cross]

Never even knew there was a thing as semi automatics in cars. If anyone would have said that, guns are the only thing I knew we're semiautomatic.

 

That being said, I can't really say as I knew how to drive manually before I was even a teenager. Of course some idiot came on with the "he's going to cause and accident" and out the window went driving. It wouldn't be for another decade and a half or so that I began to drive again, this time automatic and more out of need really as I didn't care to drive by that time anymore. Truth be told I don't care much about it now.

[Guest]

Manual all the way, and anything recent enough to have a paddle shift is much too recent for my liking. Come to think of it, in our 1984 Lynx everything but the brakes was manual or lacked power assist. I'm fine with power brakes, and besides, they were standard equipment by that year.

[Dreamer23]

USA - have driven both and prefer manual.

However, have driven both is relative - I've driven an automatic once in my life and didn't like it, while having driven manual for many, many years xD

I assume if I'd get used to it, I'd like automatic more for its convenience, but given that I haven't owned a car for over 5 years now and am not planning to change that any time soon, that stance is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future

[Iam9man]

Whilst it depends on the car and the road, generally automatic. Modern automatics are very smooth and I drive a fairly tall car on dual carriageways most of the time. That being said, give me a lower car on a twisty road and far prefer manual.

[RoseGoesToYale]

Couldn't make a distinction because I've only driven automatic. I want to learn to drive "stick", though.

[Guest]

I prefer automatic, I am not the greatest at gear changing so I do better in an automatic but I have a manual licence and car. 

[everywhere and nowhere]

I don't drive and won't drive.

Technically, I have only tried driving cars with manual transmission because that seems the standard in mainland Europe. But I have always been a very bad driver for reasons ranging beyond the manual* and won't try again to learn it. I just refuse to have power over other people's safety and all I want is for other people to consider my choice responsible and not "cowardly". The same, of course, goes for all other people who have decided not to drive because they don't want to risk being able to harm another person.

 

endnote:

*I have read that, supposedly, intelligent people in a way find driving harder because concentrating on one task is difficult for them. I don't like this explanation very much because, even with my open view that universal motoring is a dead end and that, instead, the solution for the future is better public transportation**, I wouldn't like to suggest that drivers are unintelligent. But still, on the other hand... that's exactly how I feel: that my mind just isn't capable of only thinking about a single task, without drifting away.

endnote to endnote :

**I'm not saying that nobody should drive, that people should be banned from driving or anything like this. I'm just saying that people should be encouraged to choose public transportation, and, particularly - that nowhere should the system force people to drive because some decidents can't imagine that not all people can drive and not all people have cars. Really, it's in everyone's interest that potential bad drivers - like myself - don't become drivers at all and instead can get where they need with public transit.

PS. Currently, due to the coronavirus epidemic, I have switched to cycling anyway. Despite not being a particularly healthy person and only being able to achieve speeds of about 15-20 km/h on my bicycle.

[weird elf]

Manual all the way.

[Guest xAveryx]

I'm from Germany and I only drive cars with manual transmission. In Germany you have to learn with manual otherwise you can only drive automatic cars and I feel like the general mindset of the people is that someone who can't drive manual, can't even really drive. I also don't know many younger people who drive automatic. Normally older people or / and people with physical problems drive automatic cars.

[Ortac]

I have driven both at times and I used to be of the mindset that I didn’t really care either way, but my feeling have changed and I now lean firmly on the side of manual.

I am happy to drive automatic if I am borrowing or renting a car, but I wouldn’t buy one as my own car.

 

I know this will sound corny, but I feel that having a proper manual gear shift makes you “more at one with the car”. Not only do I get a certain sense of satisfaction from driving my manual car that I don’t get from automatics, I also feel more comfortable knowing I have that extra level of control.

 

There has only ever been one time when I wished I had an automatic, and that was when I was stuck in the most horrific traffic jam for two hours. The traffic crawled forward a few metres every minute or so, and by the end of it my left leg felt like it was about to drop off.

 

Something that people in North America may not realise is that in the UK and Europe, for people in their teens and twenties, an automatic car has absolutely no street cred whatsoever, and any able bodied youngster who admits to owning one is likely to be teased about it by their mates.

 

I have to confess I have even been guilty of that myself when I commented to a 30 year old work colleague about his automatic BMW: “Oh mate, you’re way too young to have an automatic car! They’re like for the over 50s!”

[Larkaloke]

Every car I've owned or driven has been an ordinary automatic, and even though I asked to be taught to drive manual as well in Driver's Ed, I was told that they no longer do that here. I'd prefer to have paddle shifters; I like being able to control the gears, but I dislike clutching (only ever done it in sims, mind, but it's unlikely I'd like it more in an actual car).

[Guest]

Honestly, I am sure I'd prefer standard transmissions but was taught to drive by an alcoholic at 16. This meant my experience driving would be horrible, and while I learned to drive both transmissions, the anxiety made me give up on the standard transmission and decide to drive automatic. Never looked back.

 

I however, am looking to learning standard. For me, I currently own a sedan, but am considering a sports car for my next car, and if this were the case, it would be standard or bust.

 

I'm not so sure I'd like paddle shifting transmissions. I feel I'd like the full experience, of manually shifting the gears, and engaging the pedals, etc.

[Zagadka]

I much prefer automatic. I rarely need performance, and I'd much rather concentrate on driving than gears. I take driving very seriously, and it is stressful enough as is.

[Gloomy]

I’ve only ever driven automatic. My dad owns a couple of manual transmission cars and he’s told me how they’re driven, but I don’t think I’d have the attention span to drive them.

[Skycaptain]

In Britain 

 

I'm in the fortunate position of having two cars, one manual, one auto. For my day job I'm a cab driver, and I'll be fair here, being behind the wheel for ten to twelve hours a day in traffic an auto does reduce the fatigue level. When I was in my twenty's a 24 hour shift in a manual was fine, but now I'm nearer 50 than 40 I couldn't do it. A couple of years ago I did an 870 mile round trip with eight hours at a wedding in between, so up at 0430, bed at 0200, on seven hours sleep agregated in the previous two nights. I couldn't have done it in a stick-shift, as it was I was shot when I got back. 

If I'm driving for fun (not @Anthracite_Impreza) boy-racering (BabyBenz is 37 years old) then driving a manual is more involving and more satisfying, a clean shift where clutch, accelerator and gear lever are in perfect harmony always feels good.

 

@nutterwithasolderingiron, I'm slightly surprised by your comment. I think an auto is better in an urban area and a manual when you're out of town 

[Blizzard Avis]

I've only ever driven manual transmission cars, although I have had my license for only a year now so I am not that experienced either way. I feel like the automatic transmission I would have less control over what I and my car are doing.

[Anthracite_Impreza]

2 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

not @Anthracite_Impreza) boy-racering (BabyBenz is 37 years old

Blitz is 24, not gonna stop us!

[Skycaptain]

2 minutes ago, Anthracite_Impreza said:

Blitz is 24, not gonna stop us!

Blitz is a BMW, they're designed to wag their tail, it shows they're happy 🤣🤣

[Anthracite_Impreza]

Just now, Skycaptain said:

Blitz is a BMW, they're designed to wag their tail, it shows they're happy 🤣🤣

Blitz is very tail happy, even with sports tyres in the dry \o/

[nutterwithasolderingiron]

5 minutes ago, Skycaptain said:

In Britain 

 

I'm in the fortunate position of having two cars, one manual, one auto. For my day job I'm a cab driver, and I'll be fair here, being behind the wheel for ten to twelve hours a day in traffic an auto does reduce the fatigue level. When I was in my twenty's a 24 hour shift in a manual was fine, but now I'm nearer 50 than 40 I couldn't do it. A couple of years ago I did an 870 mile round trip with eight hours at a wedding in between, so up at 0430, bed at 0200, on seven hours sleep agregated in the previous two nights. I couldn't have done it in a stick-shift, as it was I was shot when I got back. 

If I'm driving for fun (not @Anthracite_Impreza) boy-racering (BabyBenz is 37 years old) then driving a manual is more involving and more satisfying, a clean shift where clutch, accelerator and gear lever are in perfect harmony always feels good.

 

@nutterwithasolderingiron, I'm slightly surprised by your comment. I think an auto is better in an urban area and a manual when you're out of town 

i do agree with the long driving thing. i recently had to drive from glasgow to manchester and back in under a day. god damn i've not wanted to drive since. that car honestly needs a 6th gear or a longer 5th gear. 70mph was turning 3000rpm.

 

i think because i live in a place where there is a lot of hills, i can never be arsed waiting for the kickdown on an auto. i'd rather to it myself most times. nothing worse than going up montrose street waiting for a kickdown. 

[Skycaptain]

Just now, Anthracite_Impreza said:

Blitz is very tail happy, even with sports tyres in the dry \o/

Whereas I've never given BabyBenz a dose of oppo 

[Anthracite_Impreza]

Just now, Skycaptain said:

Whereas I've never given BabyBenz a dose of oppo 

Actual blasphemy Sky. Go do it.

[Zagadka]

I've driven manual off road vehicles, because it actually matters, but I honestly don't see the point on pavement

[nutterwithasolderingiron]

dude, nothing wrong with going a bit sideways. i used to do it in my MX5. just as long as you're doing it in a safe environment and not putting anyone in harms ways.

 

[Skycaptain]

@nutterwithasolderingiron, I was very anti-auto, but my last two (including the current one) have paddle shifts so I can override the auto on mountain passes etc 

 

I'm not averse to switching off the traction control and giving it a hooffull 

 

@Anthracite_Impreza, I'll give WorkBenz 3 oppo, but BabyBenz, it's not in his nature. Even going over Holm Moss on ice nope 

 

[Grumpy Alien]

From the US, living in the UK. Never driven a manual and I think it’s an archaic form of machinery birthed by Satan himself.

[Skycaptain]

1 minute ago, Kimchi Peanut said:

From the US, living in the UK. Never driven a manual and I think it’s an archaic form of machinery birthed by Satan himself.

Obviously you've been introduced to the Austin Allegro 😋😋