Poll: Manual vs Automatic Gearboxes
- Thread starter wordsmith
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Manuals are amazing . . . automatics are so boring to drive . . . however I don't like my dads acura (really hard to shift gears), but love the VWs so easy and fun!
It's hard to explain...It's a "feel" thing. If you hold light pressure on the stick right before the gears start to grind you can feel the teeth skipping each other and if you tap the accelerator right before you push it into gear, the gears will actually spin themselves into place. It doesn't work taking off (of course) because obviously you'd have to floor it to do it and not stall out and the 1st gears are square cut, not helical and wont slip into place. It would be like grinding your teeth together. I wouldn't recommend trying this though due to the expensive nature of the repairs should something go awry. I would keep this info in the back of your head in case your clutch ever takes a shit. At least you'll be able to make it homespace_oddity said:
I don't drive myself, but from playing videogames, I always go automatic, because I just can't be bothered with all the gear changing, although when I was learning IRL I had no problem with it, I don't think I'd have minded an automatic.
To me, the only advantage to automatic (coming from a gaming perspective) is a slight increase in acceleration to top speed and a little more control, and I can't see me needing that with a max speed of 70 in the UK and most of the time not managing to escape 30.
To me, the only advantage to automatic (coming from a gaming perspective) is a slight increase in acceleration to top speed and a little more control, and I can't see me needing that with a max speed of 70 in the UK and most of the time not managing to escape 30.
I taught myself to drive stick and I love it. My uncle lent us his second car, a Mazda Pricidia, for a couple months after the transmission blew on our Windstar. It was either learn it quick or don't drive. No option for me. Driving it is so much fun! Like my dad says, "Driving an automatic isn't driving. It's pointing."
On the other hand, sometimes I prefer automatic. Some days I just want to point and go. Veg out... I suppose that's a bad thing to do on the road?
On the other hand, sometimes I prefer automatic. Some days I just want to point and go. Veg out... I suppose that's a bad thing to do on the road?
That's where (racing) games get it wrong. If you do it right, you will accelerate faster when driving stick. If you get lazy though, you end up slowing down between gears. (I suppose that also applies with city driving. You can't always tear off when the light turns green.) And having driven both, I think stick gives you more control. Just a personal preference there, though. I don't know if there's much difference.SenseOfTumour said:
Every car I've owned has been manual. It's far less common in the US, and there is something of a novelty when people see you drive stick. The trade-off is though you get better gas mileage, commuter traffic jams are an exercise in frustration and general anger. Though, in fairness, any traffic block causes me to have those feelings.
Huh. Based on my experience in real life, I would expect far less people to be able to drive manual.
Anyhoo, I learned to drive on a manual, and I'd prefer a stick in almost any situation, the one exception being stop-and-go traffic, in which case I would most definitely prefer an automatic.
Anyhoo, I learned to drive on a manual, and I'd prefer a stick in almost any situation, the one exception being stop-and-go traffic, in which case I would most definitely prefer an automatic.
MANUAL! nothings more fun then down shifting to pass up some idiot, pumping Enter Shikari's "sorry your not a winner"
