Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The responses to this question are so predictable. All these car gurus and automobile experts who want to tell us how wonderful they are at driving by saying how they are so great with the stick shift. If stick shift cars were so great and popular with the general public more cars would have manual transmission.
Driving a manual transmission is similar to picking a non frost free freezer. The new technology and auto of choice is automatic transmission.
The responses to this question are so predictable. All these car gurus and automobile experts who want to tell us how wonderful they are at driving by saying how they are so great with the stick shift. If stick shift cars were so great and popular with the general public more cars would have manual transmission.
Driving a manual transmission is similar to picking a non frost free freezer. The new technology and auto of choice is automatic transmission.
Seems to me you got that backwards. The auto de-icing freezer is akin to the auto tranny. Shifting is more akin to getting out the ice scraper.
manual you know?
And yeah that's right I am a x tech, and if i wasn't and no one else was, you would still be driving a horse drawn buggy now.
I did a 360 turn from Automatic to Manual. I like being in control of my car.
Wow... does that mean all of those people who own a car with an automatic are "not in control of their car?"
Someone should have told me that the 31 years I've been driving and doing 1st and 2nd gear burnouts, powerbrake burnouts, sliding around corners in 1st gear, manually shifting into 2nd gear at 50 mph and 3rd at 75 mph, etc.
Wow... does that mean all of those people who own a car with an automatic are "not in control of their car?"
Someone should have told me that the 31 years I've been driving and doing 1st and 2nd gear burnouts, powerbrake burnouts, sliding around corners in 1st gear, manually shifting into 2nd gear at 50 mph and 3rd at 75 mph, etc.
I learned to drive a stick (standard tranny) with 2 and 3 pedals on the floor. Only a few here can say that as most do not know of what I speak. First semi/auto trans came on the mkt during the early 40's as an assembly line option. After the war they were functionally improved with the first 1946 and 1947 models.
As to the shifting...a auto can do it quicker then using the hand and clutch pedal method.
A stick (standard) will work best in a mountain situation while an auto tranny is best for level ground be it street or fwy driving.
Many people have had good or bad luck with a stick or auto trans...matter of choice.
Steve you know, you left out the VW bug with 2 pedals I know you know of it, and probably replaced a lot of that systems fuses and wires in the shifter as well.
Mac...your talking of the VW 68 yr auto/stick with the contact points at the bottom of the shifter. Yep...had a lot of problem with people resting their hands on the shift ball and of course it would jumpt into neutral all the time.
My earlier post was in reference to the old Fords with the 3 pedals on the floor...gas pedal was non existing then, Am sure you know what the 3rd pedal was for...a trippy experience for a young learner like myself those days.
As a kid learned to drive (dad was a mechanic and needed a 3rd hand at times) so cut my teeth on old daily drivers that are now called collector or classic items.
I would have a problem getting the spark and gas just right when driving.
I prefer a good manuyal. I love a good automatic. I've converted stick shift cars to performance automatics, and am converting an automatic car to 5 speed stick (and in both cases, the drivetrain manufacturer was NOT the same as the make of the car... ). Out of the hundred plus cars I've owned, the three I bought new were stick by choice. My daily driver is an automatic and I wouldn't have it any other way.
No matter what the transmission, I AM in control of my car. I don't need to wiggle my left leg every few minutes in order to feel in control, nor do I need it to keep awake or force me to pay attention. If you need to move your left leg every few minutes to stay in control, stay awake, or pay attention, get off the road as you're a danger to everyone else.
I can have fun in a car regardless of transmission alone. And a bad transmission can take the fun away, be it a bad automatic OR a bad manual.
My parents always drove automatics so I never saw anyone driving a clutch and didn't learn on one. Never had any desire to learn how to drive one. A car is something to get from here to there. It isn't a fun activity for me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
). Out of the hundred plus cars I've owned, the three I bought new were stick by choice. My daily driver is an automatic and I wouldn't have it any other way.
