Question to Manual Drivers

assassinX

assassinX

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Do you guys enjoy driving a manual vehicle?

I am pretty new to driving, and just got my license. I have a choice between an automatic vehicle or a manual, I heard they are pretty fun, but hard to learn. Any advice would be helpful. :cool:

Also if anyone is interested the car I'm looking at is the Lancer O-Z Rally Edition 2004. :)
 
It's not really hard to learn manual. It becomes second nature pretty quickly. 10+ years into nearly all-manual driving and I don't think about it anymore.
 
it's something i want to learn....but not permanently
 
I will never go back to an automatic. I will not lie though, I was intimidated by the clutch and afraid of stalling out in traffic and looking like a dork. However, I decided to go out and buy a 5-speed car, forcing me to learn or be stuck with a very expensive paperweight.

Things to note:

Manuals are less expensive to buy.
Manuals get better gas mileage.
Manuals give you more control of the vehicle.

What first seems hard will eventually be fun. I really, really enjoy driving a stick. Of course, now I don't even notice that I've changed gears, as it has become second nature. Also, some people will try to sway you to an automatic pointing out the cost of replacing the clutch. However, a clutch is significantly cheaper that rebuilding an automatic transmission.

Plus, the basic understanding of using a clutch and shifting gears will make it easier to learn to ride a motorcycle if you are ever so inclined.
 
I learned how to drive on an automatic but I've only owned manuals. I agree with the above sentiments. It becomes like second nature to the point that you'll miss it when you drive an automatic. However, it's a real pain in stop n' go traffic.
 
once i learned how to drive stick, i decided that my next car would be stick. its more enjoyable to drive and everything else above. the only time it sucks is driving in san francisco and in really bad traffic, but traffic sucks anyway.
 
Well, I just recently learned how to drive manual, and it was quite frustrating for the first few days of trying it. However, once you get the hang of it, it is a lot of fun. Personally I want one of those cars that are hybrids and you can switch back and forth. Automatic for in town, Manual for the open road.
 
I will reiterate the annoyance of driving a manual in town, especially if it is stop and go traffic. When going to school, there was a 17 mile stretch that had about 40 stop lights spread over that distance and driving a manual was awful.

Aside from that it's fun, and once you know how to do it you won't forget it.
 
Even living in town i refuse to drive an auto. Pretty much all the reasons to drive a stick are already mentioned above. It really is a lot more fun to drive one, makes you feel more connected with the car.
 
If in alot of stop and go traffic, that's the only downside of a manual.

I've been driving one since my 2nd car ever owned and would be VERY hard to go back. Not the re-learn auto but just because manaual is fun, exciting, gas saving, more control, and just plain better driving.

my next vehicle once my Geo dies will be a hybrid of some sorts... so I may be stuck going to an auto...
 
Sticks are easy to drive, shouldn't take you more than 15-20 minutes to get used to the basic operation.

All of my cars are sticks but then again I work from home and am really never in heavy traffic. I can understand how some people could get frustrated with a stick in stop and go traffic but IMO the benefits outweigh the negatives.

However, I wouldn't stress the gas savings when deciding between a manual and an automatic simply because, at best, it is just 1-2mpg but in most cases it amounts to much less than that in real world conditions.
 
The gas milage can also be much worse in a manual. My cousin got in a bad habit of reving the engine into fairly high RPMs whenever he shifted. I think it just gives you more control, and it's up to you how you use it.
 
[quote name='R1V3R5']Things to note:

Manuals are less expensive to buy.
Manuals get better gas mileage.
Manuals give you more control of the vehicle.
[/quote]
One more to add:

Given the greater complexity of automatics, manual transmissions are generally more reliable.
 
I prefer stick, but autos are a nice feature.

Consider this, if you are on the phone a lot for work or whatever, the stick is going to be a lot more difficult in traffic.

If you are trying to eat in the car or do anything that requires the use of one hand....... then the stick is going to be a bit more difficult.

Otherwise they are a nice thing to have, and people dont always want to borrow your car either if they cant drive it.
 
[quote name='Filbert']The gas milage can also be much worse in a manual. My cousin got in a bad habit of reving the engine into fairly high RPMs whenever he shifted. I think it just gives you more control, and it's up to you how you use it.[/QUOTE]

Very true. Automatics are tuned from the factory with gearing optimized for fuel economy. While in theory it is possible to achieve better MPG with a manual, it is also possible, and probably more likely, that driving a manual will result in a decrease in fuel economy because the driver will probably spend more time in the performance powerband.
 
Those hybrid gear systems are a joke - it's not even close to the same thing as a manual - but it definitely is automatic.

manual ftw, even in the city - you're faster off the jump and have more control, and if you know what you're doing, get better gas mileage.
 
Whatever you decide, you should learn how to drive stick (IMO, everyone should know how). God forbid you are out somewhere and there's an emergency or something and the only car available is a stick.

I've been driving manual cars for 10+ year and I prefer it.
 
advantages:

control
faster (usually)
fun (debatable)
better gas mileage when driven properly (usually)
reliability and relative low cost to repair
people can't borrow your car

disadvantages:

you have to shift (a pain in traffic)
harder to multitask
people can't borrow your car
 
[quote name='tehweezner']

disadvantages:

you have to shift (a pain in traffic)
harder to multitask
people can't borrow your car[/QUOTE]

I would move "people can't borrow your car" in to the advantage category. People ask to use my car, I tell them it's a stick, and then they say that don't know how to drive them. "Oh, sorry man," I say to them. "Maybe someone else has a car you can borrow?" Hehehehehehehe.
 
[quote name='R1V3R5']I would move "people can't borrow your car" in to the advantage category. People ask to use my car, I tell them it's a stick, and then they say that don't know how to drive them. "Oh, sorry man," I say to them. "Maybe someone else has a car you can borrow?" Hehehehehehehe.[/quote]
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I love that.

I love manual, and prefer it.
Even a shitty car is more fun with a manual transmission.
 
I really want to learn stick so I can drive my boyfriend's car into downtown during my summer internship. It gets double the mileage of my car, and so that'd save lots of $ and gas. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get it once I start.
 
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