[narlus]

it struck me when i was in ireland that the automatic transmission is not very popular outside of the US. is it because of gas mileage and initial cost reasons? or something else? just curious what the distribution is on the

edit - i've been in a manual for pretty much my entire life (inheirited a POS ford escort from my grandmother which was auto, and that was my city urban assault vehicle when i lived in boston).

 

[I Are Baboon]

I have automatic because I like to hang my left foot out the window when I drive.

 

[jacksonpt]

depends on the vechile... anything that's even remotely fun to drive should be stick. But for cars/trucks/etc, I like the auto. It's easier to eat/shave/do work during the morning commute when I don't have to shift.

 

[McGRP01]

I'm torn. I much prefer driving a std., but when stuck in stop/go city traffic having a clutch is just a bitch and wears out your left leg. I voted for "stick" anyway....the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[dh girlie]

I have an automatic so I can hold my phone and a beer while driving...

 

[PonySoldier]

One is far more alert in the mornings while eating/shaving/working/reading/talking and having to shift

 

[Toshi]

depends on the vechile... anything that's even remotely fun to drive should be stick. But for cars/trucks/etc, I like the auto. It's easier to eat/shave/do work during the morning commute when I don't have to shift.

agreed. my pathfinder is an auto and rightly so, i think, given its 4500 lb weight. however, something like a mr2 or even an accord should definitely be a stick

 

[Westy]

Right now I will only drive a car with a standard transmission. If I lived somewhere where there were frequent stop and go creeping traffic jams I would have to consider an automatic. Whenever I have to drive through DC I always end up with a very tired left leg.

That being said I like the idea of some of the new type automatic transmission that have a traditional clutch but use hydraulic solenoids to control everything. Of course they are only found on higher performance cars like an M3, I think.

 

[=[Stinky]=]

Im rocking an auto, would perfer a 5spd in the truck...
It would suck in the ATL traffic.... Or would it?

Its easyer to drift corners/burn out in a manual.

 

[Toshi]

toyota offers a sequential manual on the mr2 (as in a real manual, not a slushbox with torque converter) with steering wheel buttons and no clutch pedal...

http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/mr2spyder/key_features/smt_shifter.html

 

[SkaredShtles]

I get a stick because of the proven reliablility of the standard transmission.

You *very* rarely ever hear someone saying, "Yeah - I had to take my stick in for a new tranny at 30K miles"..........

I've only ever seen one manual trans blow up.

I wish I could've gotten a stick shift on the Odyssey.

Oh yeah - sticks are sooooooo much nicer to drive in the mountains, too.

-S.S.-

 

[Zark]

I drive a manual and all my cars have been manuals. If I lived in congested traffic area (if I didn't kill my self that is) I'd drive an auto to prevent the dreaded "clutch foot"

Reasons:
Gas Milage
Initial cost
just better on mountain roads

 

[buildyourown]

That's because outside of the US, only handicap people buy automatics.

That said, I have a 5sp in my 1ton truck and my left thigh is becoming a bit overdeveloped.

 

[splat]

I'm torn. I much prefer driving a std., but when stuck in stop/go city traffic having a clutch is just a bitch and wears out your left leg. I voted for "stick" anyway....the pros outweigh the cons.

My thoughts exactly.

I am Currently driving a stick in my Subie. Wife has an Automatic in the van.

 

[PonySoldier]

Flatlands=Automatic I prefer manual for driving up and down the Mountains here in Colorado..

 

[DamienC]

I am Currently driving a stick in my Subie.

It makes an Outback with the standard 2.5L engine quite peppy.

 

[pnj]

I'd rather drive a stick. I think they get better gas milage...?

driving an automatic just makes me feel like a nancy...

 

[SkaredShtles]

It makes an Outback with the standard 2.5L engine quite peppy.

Hmmm...... I don't know about "peppy" - how about we just say it makes it "tolerable"

-S.S.-

 

[BikeGeek]

Gears are overrated. SS for life!

 

[peter6061]

5 spd manual in one and 6 spd manual in the other, though I completely agree with the stop and go traffic thing...and I'm stuck in it every morning.

Now I'm contemplating an auto that gets some kind of ridiculous gas mileage as it's starting to cost a lot to get to my riding spots on the weekends.

 

[SkaredShtles]

5 spd manual in one and 6 spd manual in the other, though I completely agree with the stop and go traffic thing...and I'm stuck in it every morning.

Now I'm contemplating an auto that gets some kind of ridiculous gas mileage as it's starting to cost a lot to get to my riding spots on the weekends.

I don't agree with the stop and go thing - it's not that much effort to make a few more shifts........

Of course, I live in Denver - our traffic may not be quite as heinous as what the rest of you deal with.

-S.S.-

 

[peter6061]

I don't agree with the stop and go thing - it's not that much effort to make a few more shifts........

Of course, I live in Denver - our traffic may not be quite as heinous as what the rest of you deal with.

-S.S.-

It's not necessarly the shifts, it's the slowly letting the clutch out only enough to inch along 1/10th the speed of the bicycle who is passing you on the bike path beside the highway and then braking enough to slow down so you can repeat this 3 seconds later when the guy in front of you moves forward another 10 feet. If I get into second at all, it's only for 1-2 seconds and then I'm stopped again.

 

[SkaredShtles]

It's not necessarly the shifts, it's the slowly letting the clutch out only enough to inch along 1/10th the speed of the bicycle who is passing you on the bike path beside the highway and then braking enough to slow down so you can repeat this 3 seconds later when the guy in front of you moves forward another 10 feet. If I get into second at all, it's only for 1-2 seconds and then I'm stopped again.

Hmmm.... I usually just leave 'er in 1st and crawl along if traffic is that bad. Luckily, it's not that bad very often.

-S.S.-

 

[BikeGeek]

It's not necessarly the shifts, it's the slowly letting the clutch out only enough to inch along 1/10th the speed of the bicycle who is passing you on the bike path beside the highway and then braking enough to slow down so you can repeat this 3 seconds later when the guy in front of you moves forward another 10 feet. If I get into second at all, it's only for 1-2 seconds and then I'm stopped again.

When I lived in your neck of the woods, I found it took me an hour to get to work whether I was on my bike or in a car. I sold my car.

 

[Nate at RIT]

Std all the way. I get confused when I try and drive an auto. Almost did some big damage to my mom's auto when I tried driving it. Plus, I like having more control over the car. Only time I would consider it would be in frequent stop/go traffic (city), but then I'd just ride.

 

[peter6061]

When I lived in your neck of the woods, I found it took me an hour to get to work whether I was on my bike or in a car. I sold my car.

Yeah, with my schedule, I find I can only ride in on Thursdays and Fridays as I have school or my 'other' job after work usually. And the Thursday/Friday thing only happens if I don't go out on night rides the nights before.

I always look forward to Thursday and Friday.

 

[Echo]

Standard all the way baby.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

The only time I see fit for a manual transmission is for a "fun" car, not a daily driver. There is no way in hell I'd drive another car/truck without an automatic in our Fed up Bay Area traffic.

 

[binary visions]

Standard. The only reason I'd own an automatic is if I had no choice or the deal was simply too good to pass up (i.e. the car was exactly what I wanted for much less than it was worth, only it was an automatic).

 

[SkaredShtles]

Standard. The only reason I'd own an automatic is if I had no choice or the deal was simply too good to pass up (i.e. the car was exactly what I wanted for much less than it was worth, only it was an automatic).

Why does it seem that intelligent people generally prefer standards?

-S.S.-

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Standard. The only reason I'd own an automatic is if I had no choice or the deal was simply too good to pass up (i.e. the car was exactly what I wanted for much less than it was worth, only it was an automatic).

Resale/trade-in is better with a auto.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Resale/trade-in is better with a auto.

I'd not trade years of driving misery for a few hundred more when I sell.

Of course, I tend to sell cars when they've reached the bottom of their value curve.

-S.S.-

 

[narlus]

probably because a lot of people can't or won't drive a manual, so you lose a big chunk of the market. the key is to run yr car into the ground over a decade+, so that on a percentage basis it's a very small hit and doesn't mean squat.

 

[Lex]

Standard all the way baby.

I've never owned an automatic in my life. My first car was a standard for cost reasons. My truck was a standard because it was what they were offering a reallly good deal on. Both of my Jetta Wagons were/are standards because the turbo wouldn't be any fun with an automatic.

When Mazda agreed to replace my wife's car after a service screwup, she insisted on getting an equivalent car with a standard. She wouldn't even consider the automatic even if there was no additional cost to us.

 

[pnj]

Std all the way. I get confused when I try and drive an auto.

My car is a std. but my parents were in town a few months back and I drove my dads truck. (because I know the city and they don't..)

my mom and dad are in the front seat next to me when I went to stop I JAMMED on the brakes. they both hit the ends of their seatbelts, kinda hard. (we were only doing maybe 10 MPH though). my dad said, "What the hell are you doing!!??". my response was, "trying to push in the clutch..." :

I did it a few more times that day as well..... :nuts:

 

[Westy]

I spend half my time in rentals and have no problems switching between Std and auto. But because of that I can never remember which fricken side of the car my fuel filler is on.

 

[SkaredShtles]

probably because a lot of people can't or won't drive a manual, so you lose a big chunk of the market. the key is to run yr car into the ground over a decade+, so that on a percentage basis it's a very small hit and doesn't mean squat.

Even better is to buy the car 5 years old, then drive it into the ground. Don't have to take the big :nuts: in depreciation that the first 5 years will get you.

My Honda was an '01 with 32K on it - got it for $15K. Figure I'll drive it for 10 years, put 150K more miles on it, then give it to the kids.

-S.S.-

 

[Brian HCM#1]

probably because a lot of people can't or won't drive a manual, so you lose a big chunk of the market. the key is to run yr car into the ground over a decade+, so that on a percentage basis it's a very small hit and doesn't mean squat.

I had a few manuals, I just care for them anymore. If I were to buy a Porsche, Corvette or something of that nature, I WOULD want a manual. But for sitting in traffic for 1- 1 1/2 hours each day...............F that.

 

[binary visions]

Resale/trade-in is better with a auto.

I'm one of those people that drives their car until it doesn't pay to repair it anymore and sells it for whatever they can get. At that point in the car's life, no option in the car does much to affect its resale value - the thing either runs well or it doesn't, and that sets the selling price.

 

[SkaredShtles]

I'm one of those people that drives their car until it doesn't pay to repair it anymore and sells it for whatever they can get. At that point in the car's life, no option in the car does much to affect its resale value - the thing either runs well or it doesn't, and that sets the selling price.

Best "used car" sale I ever made was an '85 Audi 4000 Quattro that I blew the motor in........ still got $500 for it.

-S.S.-