Any other MANUAL purists out there? (parody of Posmo's thread)

Atlantian

Not A Dude
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
163
I [have not] been getting a bit of flack on the forums for my view on [automatic/auto-manual] cars. As some of you might know, I wouldn't accept a[n automatic] car even as a commuter box. I just feel that [manual] does just about everything better, and allows you to do the most fun thing possible when driving a car [for yourself], [being responsible and NOT] powersliding. [It is] childish to go everywhere sideways, but just by [common sense], you can tell it's a shit-ton [more] fun [to drive a manual car].

Most people say that [manual] is more dangerous for a mediocre driver, but I disagree with that aswell. If anything, [manual] makes you a better driver by making you appreciate [feedback] on your car (esp. on snow). With [automatic], you only really care about [what's happening on your Facebook page on your iPhone] (and [if you don't shift, you don't consciously realize how fast you are going], [and then] you're going straight into the [cement wall on a freeway exit ramp]), [manual] makes you learn [car] control [more throughly], and makes you better at [judging the situation better] when needed. Other + points include more [fuel economy], [smoother] traction [control] under [adverse conditions] and [having] more [predictable controls to a car].

I just couldn't justify buying a[n automatic] car, [even if] it was DIRT cheap, and I absolutely [NOT] commute in [one]. Not when there are [plenty of manual] options available. Sure, they might [be a bit harder to find in the] used car marked (atleast they do in [America]), but there is a reason for that. [The average American motorist is retarded].

So, I ask you, are there any other people here who feel that [two pedal cars are] for feeble people who don't know what they are missing?
:)

(I understand that this post is highly opinionated and not very cohesive.)

Note: I stole this from Posmo and shamelessly edited it.

My added bit: I don't care if the two pedal is SST, SMG, DSG, PDK, wet clutch, F1 shifters, semi manual, "fastest transmission in the world" or whatever they call it. A working manual gearbox > the best 2 pedal car in the world.

I would consider a bike semi-manual transmission (3 pedals and a switch or some paddles for shifting) if I was at the track, otherwise H-gate shifter and 3 pedals for a daily driver.

And yes, I would buy a large luxury wagon with a proper gearbox.
 
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Here is my serious opinion- I love my clutch, no matter what I'm driving (car, bike, lorry) but I would consider a semimanual, ie no clutch with manual gearchange, for one reason: While I would much prefer a clutch, the most important thing to me in terms of transmission choice is that I tell the car what gear it's in. Whether that's by a clutch (preferred) or an electronic box (meh), I would drive it. Hell, when I've been forced to drive automatics, I used the L-1-2-3etc or 1-2-3-D on the 'box to gain some control. It's doesn't feel right to have the vehicle choose what gear it should be in, when it can neither make true cognitive decsisions or read my mind to find out what I'll do next.
 
For me, it's the joy of controlling the car's motion via the third pedal the the left.
 
All my cars have been manuals. It's not only the third pedal, but I love that mechanical feeling you get by rowing the shifter through the gears. And if it's a nice gearbox, like an MX-5, then it becomes an even bigger part of the experience.

I don't care if semi-autos are faster at shifting, because I enjoy driving around in manual LandCruisers too.
 
The only time I would ever settle for an auto, would be in a muscle car or something like a Jag XJ. But even in the muscle car I'd want to swap it out for a manual.
 
All my cars have been manuals. It's not only the third pedal, but I love that mechanical feeling you get by rowing the shifter through the gears. And if it's a nice gearbox, like an MX-5, then it becomes an even bigger part of the experience.

I don't care if semi-autos are faster at shifting, because I enjoy driving around in manual LandCruisers too.

There is the hilarity factor with slow cars and manuals as well though
 
Manual is great, but a huge pain in the ass to live with if your city is slammed with traffic.
 
I prefer rowing my own gears, but I would go with a good DSG with paddles. As long as I can select the gear without a nanny interfering (well besides the rev limiter).

Manual is great, but a huge pain in the ass to live with if your city is slammed with traffic.

Torque can fix that. I could leave my Mustang in third and get by in the city.
 
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Still, maybe it speaks to my total laziness, but I hate shifting and doing all the work. Give me a manual when I want to have fun, but when I am going up the hill to the store, I'll take my girlfriend's car.
 
I am mostly one. Now, I currently drive an automatic F150, but it was given to me, and if I was going to buy a huge luxo-barge like an S-Class, then I'd be fine with an auto. But for anything else, manual only please.
 
Still, maybe it speaks to my total laziness, but I hate shifting and doing all the work. Give me a manual when I want to have fun, but when I am going up the hill to the store, I'll take my girlfriend's car.
My dogs, or anything that doesn't appreciate the slight jerking back and forth, also hate shifting and doing all the work. CVT, specifically, does have it's place in the automotive world.
 
Cars should have three pedals, period.

Anything that isn't a proper manual with a clutch, including the latest electronic whatchamacallitt shift-in-.000006566453-of-a-second-gizmo transmission, is an automatic in my book, and therefore sucks.


keep in mind, this post was written by someone who hates a lot of new things, mostly just because they are new
 
Depends more on the in my case. In some cars, esp. those whose purchasers overwhelmingly choose auto over manual, those few cars that do have manual transmissions are often inferior to the modern auto boxes they are fitted with (certain larger sedans / wagons / SUVS for instance). However, 'proper' off-roaders, sports cars and slow econo-boxes, which are already boring enough, are always better as manuals imho.

I like the fact that in my group of friends I'm not only the only one whose car is neither a Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore or mid-late 90's Korean shit box, but also the only one with three pedals! This also means that I'm the only person (ie: people under the same roof as me) in my immediate family who can drive my car. This is a good thing, as my brother usually drives like a wanker and I fear he would stack it if he ever borrowed it.
 
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I live in San Francisco, which has some pretty gnarly traffic, by reputation. I dont find manuals tedious at all in traffic. If you stay a little back so you don't have to stop as often, its all good. Now driving the hills in San Francisco is a trip, but again, you just drive up hills slowly when there are people in front of you so that they all get off the hill by the time you get to the top so you don't have to stop on the hill. Its all in the technique. :) That said, I'd never get an automatic car. Definately not a flappy-paddle shifter unless it was really high end and I had the money to blow.
 
The car I've got right now is an auto, and while I don't despise it, I would prefer if it was a manual.
 
I live in San Francisco, which has some pretty gnarly traffic, by reputation. I dont find manuals tedious at all in traffic. If you stay a little back so you don't have to stop as often, its all good. Now driving the hills in San Francisco is a trip, but again, you just drive up hills slowly when there are people in front of you so that they all get off the hill by the time you get to the top so you don't have to stop on the hill. Its all in the technique. :) That said, I'd never get an automatic car. Definately not a flappy-paddle shifter unless it was really high end and I had the money to blow.

I agree. With driving a manual in a city, it's all about planning ahead and timing your stops for effeciency.
 
I'm a three-pedals car aficionado as well, manual born and raised :-D
I drove plenty of cars, manual and automatics (old school auto and CVT) and I can safely say that I will never buy an auto for myself. I just don't like this feeling of not being under control of what gear I'm in. I do like the fact that when you go pedal to the medal you get lots of noises but it's even funnier and satisfying to do the same thing properly in a manual.

However, I can see why most American people would buy a failmatic transmission, they make an awful lot of sense for the non-petrolhead people over here. I mean, most of the roads are highways and the streets are very squared. There's just not a lot of reward in having a manual car when you are just going to stay at 60mph all day long.

Plus, for new generations, it's a question of education, apart from petrol-heads who will be interested in cars and thus will want to try a manual at some point (and then see the light ;-)), a lot of people will follow their parents footsteps and drive the same thing, an automatic. I guess it would be exactly the same in Europe if automatics did catch up at some point.


Now driving the hills in San Francisco is a trip, but again, you just drive up hills slowly when there are people in front of you so that they all get off the hill by the time you get to the top so you don't have to stop on the hill. Its all in the technique. :)

I just returned from Seattle where there are some steep hills (although not as much as SF obviously :-D) in a rented Yaris (automatic as you'd have guessed) and I feel I had a lot more control over a hill start in my Fiesta than in this car. I ripped the tires fairly easily and kind of couldn't do a lot about it apart from stopping to accelerate whereas in my Fiesta I could just have played with the clutch and accelerator and not rip the tires in the first place, even on a wet road.
 
Having never driven a car with automatic gearbox, I can not really compare them and say which one is better. Only good thing that I can think about an automatic gearbox is the ease of the use in theory, but most of us as a car anthusiast won't probably rate that feature that high.

I would not consider an automatic car myself, unless I will get handicapped someway that prevents me from using the stick properly.
 
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