Real men drive a manual

obi_waynne

obi_waynne

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Do wimps prefer Automatics, do real men only drive manual cars? Does it matter?

Are all automatics the same?

Why do some prefer autos and some prefer manuals?

Is there anyone out there who is equally happy to own or drive both?
 
I prefer a manual as it gives you full control. The way things are going though most cars will probably be auto before long.
In the states pretty much all cars are auto with the exception of the people who want a more involved experience.
Most new sports cars are now auto with the flappy paddles on the steering. I would prefer to get a new gtr with a manual box but its not even an option.
Takes a bit of the fun out of driving in my opinion.
 
Playing devils advocate then, a DSG with paddle shift still gives you full control and instantaneous gear changes? ;)
 
It will still change gear itself if it doesnt see enough revs though surely?

Not saying that its a massive issue but for me I like the feel of full control and being able to down shift from say 5 to 3 if the situation requires rather than the shifting that auto boxes do.
 
Rubbish! I prefer an automatic especially as mine is tiptronic. I stand 6' 0" and tip the scales at 17st 9lbs. It is safe to say that I am no wimp, I use to love smacking drunken idiots around when they crossed the line, especially while I was on the doors in rave clubs supplementing my students grant ;)
 
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Haha T9 I think you have taken the question a bit too literally ;)

It is quite weird going from manual to auto for the first time. I drove my mates one time and my left hand and foot would go for a little wander during shift times :)
 
I remember that well Adam, the first time I drove an auto it was a little disconcerting to say the least. Took a while to learn to keep the left foot sitting on the foot rest, but once I did I loved it. It would take one hell of a car for me to go back to a manual.
 
ive got an auto atm, tbh its probably not the best example of what autoboxes are capable of as it only got 4 forward gears. but i can honestly say i would take a manual over an auto anyday!! the auto has made me lazy/relaxed/bored while driving ive even adopted the yank middle armrest driving position. i need to be more involved in driving the car!!
 
Personal choice really.

But I'd like to propose this. Let's say all cars had, since the dawn of time, been delivered as two pedal machines with automatic gear selection, from several ratios, as standard. Of course you can always over-ride in the steptronic way (like my car and T9's car).

Hypothetically: In 2005, someone comes along and adds a third pedal, which has to be used to change gear and control the vehicle's speed in ultra slow traffic. The steptronic or paddle arrangement is replaced with a stick pointing up out from between the front seats. How would we feel then about manual gearboxes?
 
autos are fine in fact I prefer them for day to day driving but.................

going fast like round a track dont think there is any comparison autos ar slower and a lot less fun
 
Hi Guys. I drive an old Merc 220 diesel ato cause i"m disabled and have a lot of pain in my left leg. But when I get into my GTO stick shift I forget the pain, their nothing like flying up to a sharp corner on A Roads and meeting the engine revs to wack it down to second and squeal it round that bend, up to 7000 rpm and into third. You cant do that with an automatic unless you got something like a Lamborghini or Maserati with paddle shift.
Just got the GTO back on the road 1st April, new plugs running good. Give me the pain, but when I go shopping I take the Merc! D.V.
 
Don't care too much for the manly manual thing but I do get bored and frustrated with auto boxes fairly quick, I like to be a operator in the car I'm driving rather than a passenger. Manuals allow more control and you can play around with the car more. Casually cruising about and suddenly need to or want to go straight to full power, man in a auto box I've felt like driving it of a cliff, or driving to keep the car in it's power band without it down shifting on you, no thanks I'll take a manual every time.
 
I have always been a little suspicious of men who are very assertive about their masculinity (don't think that is spelt correctly). If you are happy with who you are there is no need to shout about it. It is almost as if they are constantly trying to reassure themselves or trying to hide something :)

HD's point about if autos came first is a very good one, as I don't think manuals would have caught on.

When autos first appeared they were slow, expensive and fuel hungry.. Not so today.

Horses for courses. My auto Chevy is perfect for day to day driving and especially for towing and slow traffic.

However, for spirited driving, whether that is road or track, I prefer a manual.
 
The way things are going I wouldn't be surprised if the manual transmission became an optional extra when buying new.
What I want to know is why in America most cars are auto and over here its the other way around?
 
The dsg equipped vag cars are now quicker to 60 than their manual counterparts, and better mpg. The slight delay in taking up drive from rest has been minimised, and they change gear so much quicker than a manual can. All autos are going this way.

I only have a bog standard Aisin slushbox but if I need to press on I kickdown, if I kickdown fully I am dropped 2 gears, so for instance 4th to 2nd, and off I go, I doubt this takes that much longer than dog-legging in a manual.

I can stick it in semi-auto and it will really only auto change down when the revs are at idle, and it will not change up even at redline.
 
I have driven auto cars, and I can not stand them. I find I tend to pay less attention when driving an auto, maybe not less attention, but possibly lazy. I cant put my finger on it. I disagree with cruse control as well though.

I just think it takes out a vital element of driving. Knowing what revs are. Knowing what revs should be, knowing what gear your in for what.

Auto's only have one purpose for me. Towing. And even then, some are unable to perform hill starts! :p
 
Stuck in traffic or toddling round the safari park last week I loved my auto.

They're a very personal choice though, and some cars suit them and some don't. My Signum does. My Cliosport 172 would not have.
 
HDi fun said:
Now strangely I'd rather tow with a manual
Click to expand...

Ai, but probably only if you have a proper towing vehicle like a Landy or a Jeep.

Towing a trailor or caravan with a small engine (less torque than a diesel landy or jeep) like a 1.8 petrol would cause you to rev a lot higher when moving off or changing gear, where as with an auto, it should be smoother.
 
bigbadjoe said:
Ai, but probably only if you have a proper towing vehicle like a Landy or a Jeep.

Towing a trailor or caravan with a small engine (less torque than a diesel landy or jeep) like a 1.8 petrol would cause you to rev a lot higher when moving off or changing gear, where as with an auto, it should be smoother.
Click to expand...

I towed a 1200kg trailer with my 2.2 HDi Peugeot remapped to about 320lbft (over 400 Nm). It was effortless. Took off happily at idle and just feed in the torque. I doubt my 528i would make such an easy job of it.

Wouldn't even consider towing anything with a 1.8 petrol car.
 
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Shoot me down then :p

I would have thought an auto would be better. Maybe not. In that case, I'd never have an auto (as I know I'll never be able to afford a GT-R lol)
 
bigbadjoe said:
Shoot me down then :p

I would have thought an auto would be better. Maybe not. In that case, I'd never have an auto (as I know I'll never be able to afford a GT-R lol)
Click to expand...

BMW is about 100lbft down on the Peugeot. If the Peugeot had been automatic (they never did the 2.2HDi with an auto, sadly) it would have been better still.

So I think we agree on all points :)

Fact is I am happy with either auto or manual tbh. Provided it's not some ghastly 3spd slushy thing
 
Not a massive fan of auto's to be honest though I've only driven a couple. It's not the box's fault though it's my own. I was taught to drive and always have driven (pretty much) manual cars so it feels alien to me and the one's i've driven have seemed to have exceptionally keen brakes. So combine forgetting you don't have a clutch with a sharp brake pedal and...... not fun. lol! I'd cope with one for motorways though i'm quite sure :D
 
adam1983 said:
What I want to know is why in America most cars are auto and over here its the other way around?
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Because, according to the stereotypical myth, most Americans have trouble chewing and walking at the same times so driving a manual car would be damn near impossible (sorry tommytwincams and others) :)
 
T9 man said:
:lol::lol: Now where is my can of worms photo? :blink:
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Given the detail we all indulge in when it comes to handling characteristics it does seem odd that the auto/manual thing is so divisive.

It's an interesting thread, though still a pointless one. Perhaps a change of title would help.

Waynne ------ where the heck are you? You started this :)
 
Growing up, I was always taught that automatics are the lazy man's car. I was born in 1989. Growing up, my mother had a 1.9L automatic Ford Escort wagon (estate), then the 3.4L automatic Z34 I have now, meanwhile my father had a 5 speed manual Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup truck. My father refused to drive an automatic as his personal car until health issues with his hip and back dictated it, and in 2009 he traded in the Ranger on a Nissan Maxima 3.5L with a 5 speed automatic. That car was still hard on his back with him getting in and out of it, so he traded it in in 2011 for a Chevy Silverado pickup. It's much easier on his back to lift himself up into a big truck than to lower himself into a car.
 
Wow what a thread. I got a GTO non turbo, stick shift & a Merk 220 diesel auto, it even has a toe bar. I like to drive both of them. Hey guys summer is trying to firer up, so who gives a *^"~ what you drive as long as you have fun doing it & it don"t burn to big a hole in your pocket. Hope to meet some of you guys at some of the many events this year and have a beer with you.
REAL MEN DRIVE CARS.
DAVEVEGAS666.
 
Drove an automatic Land Rover once. Had as much power as a sleepy kitten, and was about as interesting as watching paint dry.
 
The fastest street-legal production car in the world is an auto, able to be driven in semi or full stick-it-in-D-and-forget mode.

They're going to do a version of the Veyron next year with 1600bhp, 0-60 in 1.8 seconds. And it'll be an auto.
 
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