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Manual vs. Automatic

What kind of car do you drive?

  • Total voters
    115
DirtySouthDeacon said:
I learned on a stick, but drive automatic bc stick in ATL sucks balls. I tried to teach my wife to drive a stick when we were engaged. She is short and puts the seat all the way up. So, when she started "bucking" due to not enough gas/clutch release, her tits banged the horn and "honk, honk, honk" as she bucked. That ended that lesson.
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This is hilarious. Does she have the tiniest legs in the world?
 
HailToTheDeacons said:
I learned to drive on a manual 1987 CJ7 in the snow (thanks, Dad). Drove manual for 2 years, but have been automatic ever since.
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Nice, I learned on a '95 YJ... up and down the neighborhood hills. Started the day I got my permit.

First two cars were autos (they were Volvos, didn't see the point). Current VW GTI is a 6-speed and I love it. I'm basically of the opinion that if the car is fun to drive, I'd totally consider a stick*. If not, I wouldn't bother. The only thing I dislike about mine is that I get really shitty mileage around town (which is most of my driving) and a lot of that has to do with the manual. If I got another one later - and I really would - I'd strongly consider the auto because the double clutch VW box is so slick.


*It's a double-edged sword though because the box needs to be good. I was looking at a Civic Si before I got the VW and wrote it off immediately because I absolutely hated their transmission.
 
You can probably move 1/2 the people in the "can drive if needed" category to the RTQ category.
 
Rented a right drive manual Volvo in Ireland. That took a couple of days to get used to.
 
HeavyPetter said:
Rented a right drive manual Volvo in Ireland. That took a couple of days to get used to.
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maybe a dumb question, but is the clutch and stuff at least on the same side?
 
lbE08 said:
maybe a dumb question, but is the clutch and stuff at least on the same side?
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AFAIK yes, and the shift pattern is the same as well (i.e. you move left to right as you ascend gears). Makes it easier to produce left and right-hand drive vehicles when you don't mirror.
 
wfudkn said:
While it doesn't engage all that often (or at least I don't notice it when it does), a lot off new cars, including my own, have something called hill helper which keeps the e-brake engaged either until you reach the friction point or for a half second once you take your foot off the break (different cars have different systems). A lot of purists hate it and would rather be badasses by using the e-brake manually
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People, besides 16 year old kids learning to drive a manual, use the e-brake on a hill?
 
My dad taught me to use a stick by driving to the furthest point on our property, switching seats with me and told me to drive back to the house. It was a 1982 Chevy S-10. It wasnt difficult for me to pick up because I'd been driving tractors for years at that point.

I've driven an 18 wheeler, and that didn't really bother me either. The most difficult thing I've ever driven was a 1977 firetruck we had with a 5 speed with a split rear end. It was much more difficult to get into gear than the tractor trailer.
 
RacerDeac said:
People, besides 16 year old kids learning to drive a manual, use the e-brake on a hill?
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If you read any car forums (which I don't very often), apparently they do. I can't remember the last time I had to do that.
 
I have both. The sports car is manual and the sedan and truck are auto. It really depends on the use. I like driving the manual the most. I also taught my daughters how to drive a manual.
 
My father swore I would learn to drive a stick before I graduated from high school. He taught me in a gravel parking lot. Fortunately it was deserted because a lot of gravel got thrown that day. My first three cars were manual but last two were auto. Thinking about going back to manual for the next car.
 
lbE08 said:
maybe a dumb question, but is the clutch and stuff at least on the same side?
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Yeah, everything's in the same place, but it feels much different. And you're also having to concentrate on driving on the left side of the road and remembering which way to look for oncoming traffic. It gives the brain a workout.
 
wfudkn said:
If you read any car forums (which I don't very often), apparently they do. I can't remember the last time I had to do that.
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I guess it depends on the car forums. I don't know any driving enthusiast types who would claim using the e-brake to get started on a hill is a good technique for anything other than maybe off-roading. I've been auto-xing and road racing Mazda's, BMW's, Mustang's, Porsche's, etc for about 15 years and have instructed others on doing so for a good chunk of those.
 
RacerDeac said:
I guess it depends on the car forums. I don't know any driving enthusiast types who would claim using the e-brake to get started on a hill is a good technique for anything other than maybe off-roading. I've been auto-xing and road racing Mazda's, BMW's, Mustang's, Porsche's, etc for about 15 years and have instructed others on doing so for a good chunk of those.
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Now that's awesome
 
I took my driver's test when I was 16 on a stick and I was pretty damn proud of that. Kept a stick for the next 18 years until first kid was born and we had to get a more family sensible car that my wife could also drive. Miss it big time. It is a father goal of mine that both my boys will learn how to drive a stick-its a life skill that everyone should have.
 
HeavyPetter said:
Yeah, everything's in the same place, but it feels much different. And you're also having to concentrate on driving on the left side of the road and remembering which way to look for oncoming traffic. It gives the brain a workout.
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Yeah, in the bahamas we drove on the left, which was so bizarre when making a turn. More than once I looked the wrong way for traffic (there was rarely any so it was ok, but definitely one of those 'oops!' moments when it would happen)... on long, empty stretches i'd also frequently drift to the right and then realize i was coming head on towards a car (these were rural island roads w/ no painted lines, so it was easier to wander). Nearly all of the cars down there were left-side drivers, though, so it was just bizarre all the way around. Yay british colonialism + american influences...
 
lbE08 said:
Yeah, in the bahamas we drove on the left, which was so bizarre when making a turn. More than once I looked the wrong way for traffic (there was rarely any so it was ok, but definitely one of those 'oops!' moments when it would happen)... on long, empty stretches i'd also frequently drift to the right and then realize i was coming head on towards a car (these were rural island roads w/ no painted lines, so it was easier to wander). Nearly all of the cars down there were left-side drivers, though, so it was just bizarre all the way around. Yay british colonialism + american influences...
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we're probably going to end up renting a car when we're there for the honeymoon. so you're saying the cars will be normal, but the roads will be opposite? that's going to confuse the heck out of us. sounds like dhtoy is going to be responsible for all of the driving. i want no part of that.
 
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