VeeshanVault

Just wondering what most people prefer. I have always driven a manual for more than one reason. Oh yeah, added in the tiptronic option for people that like that. Personally I don't like it, the rpm's are all off from what im used to and it doesn't really seem efficient.

1-I like to have the clutch as an extra way to control my car in the Minnesota winters.

2-for racing (duh)

3-I think im just used to having one now and I feel more comfortable with it.


I was driving my moms Chevy Blazer a while back because my car was in the shop and I was coming up the hill to a stoplight. The light was green, and me thinking that I was driving my car LOCKED the breaks up at the light thinking I was pushing the clutch pedal in.

Luckily, it was late at night and no other cars were around.

Tiptronic is a joke

I like the smoothness of an auto and the more relaxed feeling it gives, especially in heavy traffic.

For daily driver , I'de go with the auto now (I'm Old) But for enthusiastic driving , you cant beat a stick. My last 2 vehicles (and all work vehicles) have been auto's and I am getting spoiled. Then again I sit in at least an hour of traffic every morning and evening.
One day in particular I felt SO sorry for a guy with a manual. We were stuck on the freeway (accident 1/2mile ahead, garbage truck overturned). This poor shlub had my dreamcar ... Ford Cobra (replica of course) and we were going in and out of stop and go. This thing had to of had a 10,000lb clutch in it. I could see the guys leg starting to shake after about 15 mins of stop and go.

Funkmasterr wrote:2-for racing (duh)

Would seem to be a "duh" except that not many are aware of how to drive a manual properly. An auto is a better choice for most people trying to do anything other than just go from A > B

I've gotten manuals for a long time because they were cheaper to buy, operate and maintain. They really suck in stop and go, was stuck in traffic for 30 minutes in my VW yesterday morning. Was wishing I'd driven the Toyota, but 45 mpg vs. 20 is getting more use for the VW lately

I really don't drive enough for it to be worth learning stick. Learned on an automatic and will probably continue with it all my life.

It depends.

I think everyone should at least know how to drive a stick in case you might be forced to at some point.

Tenuvil wrote:I think everyone should at least know how to drive a stick in case you might be forced to at some point.

Yep.

Yeah, that is what my dad told me when I got my first car, that I should get a stick so I at least know how to if I have to. And I have just kept up with it since.

Stick for sure, I doubt I'll ever buy an automatic.

It doesn't bother me driving it in stop-and-go traffic ever, either.

And nothing is more fun than finding a winding curvy road and giving the performance tires a workout with a stick shift car, being able to easily keep the RPMs in the powerband is priceless.

Not to mention the feeling you get when you wind 3rd gear out and slam it into 4th =) ahhh I want to go for a drive now

Rellix wrote:I really don't drive enough for it to be worth learning stick. Learned on an automatic and will probably continue with it all my life.

Quick lesson how how to learn stick.

1) Engage clutch
2) Put it in first
3) Floor it
4) Pop the clutch

miir wrote:

Rellix wrote:I really don't drive enough for it to be worth learning stick. Learned on an automatic and will probably continue with it all my life.

Quick lesson how how to learn stick.

1) Engage clutch
2) Put it in first
3) Floor it
4) Pop the clutch

Haha,
On a tad more serious note, I think people expect learning a clutch to be a hell of a lot harder then it is. I got it to the point where it was safe for me to be on the road after about 2 hours of practice in a parking lot.
I can count the times on one hand that I have stalled my car.

But then again how easy it is to do somewhat depends on the car as well. The probe I had was very hard to shift, you had to push it into gear pretty hard and the gears weren't so easy to find.

The acura I had was a bit better but still not great.

The Audi is such a forgiving clutch it's almost sad. You can practically flick this car into gear with your pointer finger, the clutch box is not a short shift, but it's close. And it is just very hard to mess up in general. All of the people that have tried a clutch for the first time in my car do well, and all of them that have drove one before are impressed with how smooth the clutch is.

Anyhow, got a bit off the point. But I will say once again that in case of an emergency situation, I think everyone should know how to drive a manual well enough to get them moving.

A friend of mine recently got an A3 with the 6 speed manual and I am in total agreement about how slick Audi transmissions are.