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I went to pick out a VW Tiguan. Dealer talked me into test driving a Golf R. Well, all I can think about is how much fun that car was. The next morning my left knee was hurting. I've never had knee problems.
I really want a stick shift now. I've now picked out a VW Alltrack. (I'm a station wagon lover.)
Questions:
1) Will the knee issue go away after a little while?
2) Would you buy a manual car at 58?
Two notes: I don't really need a new car. My current car is 5 years old with only 30K miles. I'll probably keep it.
I'm 73, and three of my cars are stick shifts, all with stiff racing clutches. Yes, when I drive one of them for the first time in a while my left leg does feel the strain, especially in stop and go traffic, but they sure are more fun than my cars that have automatics in them.
58 is just a pup, go for it, you will love rowing around town.
I loved my little 1993 Mirage and my Pontiac Firebird with the stick shifts. It was great when we lived in a small town with little traffic. However when we moved to a bigger city with more traffic jams it became a real PITA. If you live in a city with a lot of traffic I wouldn't recommend it especially if you have knee pain.
That is a snobbish and elitist statement. The transmission choice does NOT automatically take the fun out of a car. I sure won’t turn down the chance to drive an auto Ferrari and I sure won’t be bored driving it.
To support your argument all new Ferraris, Lamborghinis and 911 turbos are automatic only....have been for years.
I went to pick out a VW Tiguan. Dealer talked me into test driving a Golf R. Well, all I can think about is how much fun that car was. The next morning my left knee was hurting. I've never had knee problems.
I really want a stick shift now. I've now picked out a VW Alltrack. (I'm a station wagon lover.)
Questions:
1) Will the knee issue go away after a little while?
2) Would you buy a manual car at 58?
Two notes: I don't really need a new car. My current car is 5 years old with only 30K miles. I'll probably keep it.
Do you have knee issues otherwise? My guess is that you just used some muscle that you have not used in a while and it will not be a problem.
It also explains why McDonald's and Subway are the 2 most popular restaurants in the world.
No, they are performance cars and dual clutch automatics provide the best performance. And traditional torque converter automatics are just about their equal now, as well. All of them are faster than manuals, so manuals are for masochists who THINK they are race car drivers.
My BMW 740i's stock automatic had 180k miles on it when I sold it last week, and still shifted and drove just fine. It wasn't available with a manual in stock form, even in Europe. Automatics can last just as long as manuals. (I know a number of these cars with over 300k miles on them now, on their stock automatics). They perform as well, and hold their value better.
Out of 130 cars I've owned in the last 40 years, the vast majority have been manuals. But my most fun cars and my most powerful have happened to have automatics. I don't choose cars based on what method of gearchanging they have, only on overall ability.
Nothing wrong with automatics these days. The new 2018+ Mustang with it's 10-spd auto is actually faster than the 6-spd now.
It's really personal preference if you'd rather bang gears and press a clutch. If you want to, then buy a stick. If you don't, then don't buy a stick.
Personally, i'd rather sit in traffic with an automatic sipping on my coffee not having to worry about a clutch pedal. Sure it can be done..but I don't want to do it. I have a 5-spd Mustang in the garage that I love banging gears in on the weekend. Minute I get stuck in traffic with it, the fun is gone. I've commuted for years with a stick, so yeah, it can be done...but I like it better when I can find some empty roads on a Sunday AM and enjoy it without worrying about traffic issues.
Due to leg and hip discomfort i finally bought my first automatic, i'm loving it as Montreals streets and highways are nothing but endless traffic jams and driving in that traffic was becoming painful. I now have the option to shift manually or just put the car in drive,makes me wonder why i insisted on manual transmissions for 50 years
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