Algonquin Assassin Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Drive manual vehicles? When I first started driving I really dreaded driving a manual, but with practice it became second nature. IMO I think it's the best way to learn how to drive. Alot of my friends got their licence in an automatic, but they still can't drive a manual. Automatics to me feel very lazy. Everytime I drive one I don't feel as alert. So yeah how many of you guys learnt how to drive a manual vehicle, or currently drive one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I drove my mothers car over the weekend when it was really hot because she has air conditioning. Her Honda has a completely rubbish automatic transmission which pissed me off to no end. I found myself trying to trick the car into doing what I wanted it to do. Today it was cooler and I jumped right into my car with glee, I love having a manual transmission, having complete control over how hard and how fast my engine works to get me moving, screw having a microchip guess what I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretch. Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Most people in the UK drive a manual. I am one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick Stop Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Yeah i drive a manual. I love having a manual transmission, having complete control over how hard and how fast my engine works to get me moving, screw having a microchip guess what I want. Thats why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picolini Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Never have... would love to at least try it. But my guess is for a DD I'd want an auto, still. Just never had the chance to drive manual, I'm sure I could do it. I understand the concept of how it all works and why you do what. So the only problem will be learning the timing and motions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayC Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I'd have an auto if I didn't drive so damn much. Fuel economy is far too important for me to waste it being lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin2006rhs Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I wish I had a 5 speed in my Ranger. It being a company vehicle kinda leaves me without any choices in the picture. My lil ranger only gets like 19 -20MPG....I could use the 2-3MPG bump that comes with driving a manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1066ant Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I wouldn't consider buying a manual car as my 1st, here in the UK most cars are manual and you really need to practice using the gears! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuckindumass Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I drove only manuals for over a decade, for all the economy and control reasons. But after driving as long as I have, automobiles are becoming just an appliance to me. And just as I want my toast to pop up when done, I can't be bothered to change gears when they're done. Now I know I'm getting old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambo_Augusta Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 i drive a manual and everytime i drive an automatic i keep wanting to change but relise that its an auto so i try to make the car change but it doesn't which annoys the crap out of me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K^2 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Automatic annoys me. Prior to filing a bug against any of my code, please consider this response to common concerns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*gta star* Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I drive a Manual, don't mind driving Automatic's though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuckindumass Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 i drive a manual and everytime i drive an automatic i keep wanting to change but relise that its an auto so i try to make the car change but it doesn't which annoys the crap out of me The first year I was driving I pretty much drove manuals only, a column-shift Coronet and a floor-shift Javelin. One day my Dad asks me to gas up his Fleetwood. Leaving the station, traffic is fast and heavy. So I stomp the gas, pull onto the highway, and reflexes took over. I stomped my left foot down when the revs got high, grabbed the lever, and jammed it into park at 30mph. Luckily, the Fleetwood had an extra-wide brake pedal, and it caught my foot as I stomped the imaginary clutch pedal, fully locking the brakes and most likely preventing pawl stripping. Luckily no one hit me from behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick Stop Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 When i see a nice car and get all excited as i go up to see it i get really disapointed if it turns out to be an auto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algonquin Assassin Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 (edited) When i see a nice car and get all excited as i go up to see it i get really disapointed if it turns out to be an auto. Hahaha same here. Everytime I see a nice old school muscle car (Camaro, Corvette, GTO, Mustang etc) I always hope it's a manual, but I feel disappointed if it turns out to be auto. Rambo_Augusta- I remember the first time driving an auto. I went to slow down into the corner, and went to jump onto the clutch, but realized it didn't have one. Basis instinct really. Edited February 10, 2009 by Miamivicecity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mav. Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Unfortunately our family don't have any auto cars and such I wasn't able to learn manual when I had my learner's permit. So I'm stuck with auto until I/they decide to get a manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suction Testicle Man Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Personally I find auto annoying in anything nippy - though I've learnt to enjoy it in panel vans and larger cruisers. Gears have a direct connection with the speed of a car, and so just as I wouldn't like having a car decide when to accelerate; I feel like having a hand on the gears is more intimate with the road. Suction Testicle Man smooches road I also like to gear down when coming to a stop so that my sh*tty engine doesn't fall asleep when the clutch goes down If at first you don't succeed, you fail, and the test will be terminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zyo Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Mostly driven and owned manual. I like autos though, lazy me. Both have their merits. Vehicles are tools though, whatever gets the job done, LHD/RHD auto or stick, it's all good. GTA IV REAL NYC AT GTAFORUMS GTA IV REAL - V8 RUMBLE http://gtaforums.com/topic/782964-reliv-gta-iv-real-v8-rumble/?do=findComment&comment=1067267056 https://www.nationstates.net/region=gta_forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I could use the 2-3MPG bump that comes with driving a manual. That's another thing, being able to short-shift to save petrol, as opposed to having to fiddle with the throttle to get the engine working the way you want it to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muscularmatt Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 let's bottom line this... automatics are GAY, if you only drive them and not a manual, then you cant drive and your license should be revoked. harsh, but fair methinks i despise them so much, leafing through the autotrader, really liking a car, and then seeing the word AUTO at the end of the advert - it's like lusting after a woman and the finding out she's a transexual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick Stop Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 it's like lusting aftera woman and the finding out she's a transexual You pretty much summed up my view of Autos right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin2006rhs Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 it's like lusting after a woman and the finding out she's a transexual Yeah...only with cars, finding the stick is a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slamman Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I happen to love automatic Trannys....they're God's gift to motoring...like POWER everything! I think the first car I had was a four banger manual, I recall burning every clutch out in it, and thankfully, freeing up your arms and legs in the cabin means you can consume drinks and rest your feet more. I don't mind having less to do and get the same joy from driving. The GM trannies are very good ones. Not the least of which, the one paired to my 5.7 liter V8 TPI small block! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garfield 2 Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I never drove a car with auto gearbox. Even though my dad has it In his BMW I never drove his car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blades Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Being in the UK, I drive a manual. I don't think my 1.2 punto would cope with an auto, it's slow enough as it is! The only vehicles I drive with auto gearboxes are all terrain forklifts. Actually, they aren't fully auto, you select a gear and it has a torque converter. You can pull away from a standstill in 4th in them! I've also driven a tractor which had a 4 speed manual with a transfer box with low, high, and reverse. Yep, that's right, 4th gear in reverse! The forklift I mentioned above can do that too actually. Oh, I tell a lie, I once drove a 1998 Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 auto. It was sh*te. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black-hawk Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) Being in the UK, I drive a manual. I don't think my 1.2 punto would cope with an auto, it's slow enough as it is! My friend drives an auto 0.6L Turbo Smart. Oh and yeah, I used to drive stick, now I drive an automatic. It's like the best thing that can happen to a vehicle. Manuals are great for track days but are a pain in the ass when stuck in a traffic jam. For daily driving autos are the way to go. I will never, ever, ever buy a car with a manual gearbox from now on. Also, I test drove a 2009 Mazda 6 the other day, oh it was painful to be controlling a manual again. Never again. Unless I become a professional rally driver or something. EDIT: Hell, everyone in my family drives automatics. Edited March 18, 2009 by Black-hawk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog_day_sunrise Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Manuals aren't that much more annoying that autos in traffic jams. I don't know where that idea comes from, but it's easy to go neutral-handbrake in a jam, and ballancing clutch and throttle is satisfying rather than annoying. Never going to buy auto, regardless of how many miles I'm doing, how old I am, or how much traffic there is on the roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmmstnr Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) I think manuals are fun. My car is equipped with a slushbox (until I remedy that) so I can also see the benefits of having the car do a little work. But I mostly think it's fun driving a manual, I like having yes-men as controls, doing exactly as I say rather than a committee that eventually comes up with a compromise as to what I wanna do. I like to drive my dad's '88 Ford Ranger. The stick almost makes the 2.3l feel like it's doing something, and it averages 28-31 mpg too, mixed urban and highway Edited March 18, 2009 by rmmstnr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelman Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Just a note on the economy aspect - although technically autos are less efficient and produce lower mpg in the test figures, in the real world they're usually more efficient than a manual. An auto box (ignoring anything in "sport" mode where they try and hang onto gears for longer etc) will always change into the highest gear possible when not trying to accelerate hard, and an auto box never forgets to use the highest gear possible - whereas humans do. I'd wager that the way most people manage their manual gears, they'd get much better economy from an auto always dropping it into a high gear at every opportunity, and only changing back down when required. Having said that, I should add that although I've driven plenty autos and manuals, my own cars have always been manual, and always will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog_day_sunrise Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Just a note on the economy aspect - although technically autos are less efficient and produce lower mpg in the test figures, in the real world they're usually more efficient than a manual. Not true. It's possible, if you set your brain to "drive in economy" mode, to change up well below the threshholds that an auto box would use. Additionally, think of all the power being wasted in the inefficiant torque converter system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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