The Ultimate Auto Versus Manual Thread?

[DieselPaul]

Manuals make boring cars fun to drive. Manuals make fun cars even more fun to drive. My sports cars are sticks. My daily is an automatic. I get tired of rowing the gears around town.

[Mark DiSilvestro]

As I said earlier, I have no problem with a good automatic. They're just much harder to find in old cars - at least old import cars. As hard to find as manual trannys in newer cars. Most people today, at least here in the US, prefer automatics. 5 years ago, when I got my '98 Altima, there just weren't any similar models availble with a stickshift. My Nissan has a decent automatic, but there are still times I would prefer to choose my own shifts in that car. OTOH, I recently got a chance to test-drive a '98 Altima, like mine, but with a 5-speed. That clutch felt abnormally heavy - like the clutch in a big truck or muscle-car. So maybe I wouldn't have liked a stckshift Altima so much.
Now, the clutches in my diesels are light & easy!

Happy Motoring, Mark

[KarTek]

My history of vehicles and trannys:

1971 Ford Maverick - C4 auto, never a single problem but I wanted a 4sp because it was "cooler".

1980 Ford Fiesta - 4sp, great shifting little car, my autocross years.

1981 Honda Civic - 5sp, another great shifting car. Had to put a clutch in it but that's it.

1986 Nissan Stanza - Auto, vile transmission that frequently stuck in 2nd gear...

1973 Merc. Capri - T5 manual, shifted very nicely after I rebuilt it.

1994 Ford Ranger - 5sp, another good shifter, newer technology case mounted shifter.

2000 Ford F250 - 6sp, great tranny to be so big and heavy. Shifted great when new but it's getting worn now and probably needs new synchros.

1986 Corvette - 4+3, manual/auto, has an auto overdrive on a manual 4 sp. Terrible shifter mounted to the body rather than the transmission.

1992 Ford Aerostar - Another horrible auto - A4OD. Pukes out half it's fluid on hot days. Leak free on others.

1998 E300 - 5sp auto, good so far (crosses fingers...)

Bottom line: Manual is more fun and I can rebuild it if I have to. Auto is more convenient but it's a black box and a complete mystery to me. I would have to pay the big bucks to get one rebuilt if it was needed.

[okyoureabeast]

I'd cruise in an manual if I had one. No reason to hate on either one, but there are times where I can imagine a manual gear box being annoying. Especially in our cars since we don't have cup holders.

I don't like either option. Can we have a manual and an auto trans option

A Manual annoying? NEVER! I have had beaucoup miles of stop and go five feet, stop and go five feet........ in freeway traffic jams, and I have NEVER wished for an automatic! Wishing for an automatic? What blasphemy!

You're either a manual lover or you're not. I'm a manual lover, period.

I taught both my kids to drive a manual and drive one well. They both drive manuals even today. I think they take pride in their ability to do so and enjoy the comments.

[KarTek]

Good for Larry for teaching his kids the art of shifting gears. I think the ability to drive a manual at least gives the driver some sense of what is happening in the mechanicals of the vehicle.

There's a lot to be said for that in our "twist and go" society.

[Stevo]

Taught my daughter to drive in the 64 VW Bug, and her first car was a 78 manual 240D,

I was proud of her when she hopped in my Dodge/Cummens truck without hesitation when she had a piece of furniture to move. My neighbor's daughter could only drive automatics so they got her an auto 80s Volvo Sorta limited her ability to drive other family vehicles.

we're a 'gear jammen fam"

[woodrat]

I almost never own or drive an auto car or truck at all. I do have an old GMC pickup that was just given to me that has an auto, and years ago I had a Mazda 4WD van that I liked pretty well, but the sketchy problematic auto was part of why I sold it. My old Dodge/Cummins truck is a five speed, my Subaru is a five speed, and I can probably count the number of auto transmissions I've owned on one hand, but I've owned over 80 rigs.

I'm getting a 240D in a couple of weeks, and it is a stick. My brother got a 220D a couple of years ago that was an auto, and he could barely get around the hills in Seattle with it, and sold it pretty quickly.

About three years ago, I saw a late 70s diesel Benz wagon that had been a grey market car, and it had a stick. I still kick myself for not doing whatever it took to come up with the money for that one.

I plan on making sure that both daughters leave home being able to drive manual transmissions!

[markho]

Originally Posted by okyoureabeast

I'd cruise in an manual if I had one. No reason to hate on either one, but there are times where I can imagine a manual gear box being annoying.

how else would i text and drive at the same time? Did i ever mention the time i tried to teach my wife? She and i were living together in sin and we almost broke up. She stalled into a sand dune in my old suzuki samurai and freaked out on me in pure panic. she thought she was going to die or something. women...

[alabbasi]

I chose manual, but I really like the MB automatics, they are fantastic... the manual transmissions that MB put out ... not so much.

I love driving MB automatics, if I really want a manual, I'd get a BMW.

[tonkovich]

manual.

tho very few know how to drive them, especially the column mounted ones.

easy to push start too.

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by tonkovich

manual.

tho very few know how to drive them, especially the column mounted ones.

easy to push start too.

One time, I gave a friend's 20-something son a ride to the Metro in my '60 Fintail. He asked me why I was working this lever-thing near the steering-wheel?
Told him it was the stick-shift.
He said "No way!"
A properly sorted out Mercedes' column-shifter may work better than some of their floor-shifters.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Originally Posted by alabbasi

I chose manual, but I really like the MB automatics, they are fantastic... the manual transmissions that MB put out ... not so much.

I love driving MB automatics, if I really want a manual, I'd get a BMW.

You've GOT to be kidding! I've driven several manual BMW's AND MB's and I NEVER notice the difference. I think you just need more manual transmission practice.

[markho]

Originally Posted by LarryBible

You've GOT to be kidding! I've driven several manual BMW's AND MB's and I NEVER notice the difference. I think you just need more manual transmission practice.

ohhhhh snap!!

Sorry i'm not very smart, as you all know by now. Whats the difference between column and floor shifter exactly? Are you saying that MB has a steering column manual shifter ?

[JEBalles]

Originally Posted by LarryBible

A Manual annoying? NEVER! I have had beaucoup miles of stop and go five feet, stop and go five feet........ in freeway traffic jams, and I have NEVER wished for an automatic! Wishing for an automatic? What blasphemy!

You're either a manual lover or you're not. I'm a manual lover, period.

I taught both my kids to drive a manual and drive one well. They both drive manuals even today. I think they take pride in their ability to do so and enjoy the comments.

I agree. My mum also drives a 5-speed civic, my dad a 5-speed 530i (and 6-speed 911) and whenever we go get ice cream in the MB, I have one of my sisters (11 and 13) shift gears so I can keep my hand free for the cream.

I actually think the MB shifts very well, smoother than the BMW. Long throw, but it's a passenger car, not a sports car. It's a relaxing drive, you take your time with the shifts. Shifter is a little loose, but it does have 250k on it.

The ONLY time I can even think about owning an auto is in an old cadillac land yacht. But even then...