Thread: MANUAL or AUTO? which one floats your boat!

Stick definitely. I once drove a stick with one foot, the left, gas, clutch, and brake with only the left foot. Had to, I had no driver. I had just had minor surgery on my right foot and needed to keep it elevated. I did get some weird looks as I drove my Suzuki Samurai, through city traffic, with one foot on the dash.

Now this one epends on what I'm driving, and for how long. I prfer a manual car if it is a zippy thing and pun, but it might as well be an automatic if it is an underbowered boat. For larger trucks and buses and for lon trips on the open road I like an automatic. Most manual busses still have to be double cluched and thats a pain. For long long drives I like setting the cruise and going plus being able to move a bit and stay fresher which you can't do if you are going to mneed both your feet at any time.

Originally Posted by freebird

Stick definitely. I once drove a stick with one foot, the left, gas, clutch, and brake with only the left foot. Had to, I had no driver. I had just had minor surgery on my right foot and needed to keep it elevated. I did get some weird looks as I drove my Suzuki Samurai, through city traffic, with one foot on the dash.

You my friend are a LEGEND!

Originally Posted by ndw76

If I'm a passenger I prefer an auto. Because I live in Thailand, and Thai taxi drivers don't know how to drive, manual mean getting sea sick by the time you get where you are going. Thais love to ride the cluch. Sometimes it is funny to watch someone drive who really has no idea what they are doing.

WOW! Taxi riding in Bancok. So your into extreme sports? I,ve tried a couple, but never quite had the guts to try that one.

I have difficulty driving the wife's auto. I am often stuck pulling on the keys to get them out of the ignition. She will laugh at me and throw it in Park and pull out the keys.

Obviously, I was already in the space. Why on earth do I have to tell it to Park just to pull the dang keys out?

Manual all the way.

Even among the large (10k lbs) trucks I have driven, I prefer the manual.

Control is everything.

The only times I can see an automatic being advantageous in terms of performance are in drag racing (which I don't do) and in rock crawling (which I also don't do).

However, if I were to need a vehicle like a minivan, things may change.

I would love to have a manual, but my job almost requires me to have an automatic. Having the best of both worlds in a semi-automatic is very enticing.

Originally Posted by natepaint

Having the best of both worlds in a semi-automatic is very enticing.

Unfortunately for that notion, the use of the full rpm range is already available with the use of most automatic transmissions. You know that lever you slide to select "P", "R", "N", "D3" etc? Well, if you want to rev out first and second gear, put it in "D1" for the launch, and slap it in "D2" when you're ready to shift.


The real reason that a manual will always offer more control is because of the user-operated clutch.

At any moment, the user has control over what percentage of engine torque is transmitted to the transmission. This is the key difference.


Notice I didn't write anything previously about a manual performing better in common conditions. As was said before, modern performance oriented automatic transmissions have the capability to shift far faster than a human user. Faster shifts, quicker acceleration.

There is one area in which the manual transmission shines. Ultra low-grip situations where outright speed is not the goal. Think icy roads.

I'll keep my manual for the street. But, if I had a pure race car and a large budget, a dogbox would be my choice. Faster shifts than a typical manual but with the option of clutch use.

manual !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!