Manual vs Automatic Transmission

[FunInTheSun]

OK, you've heard my thoughts, lets hear yours. Open discussion, so lets be kind.

Great topic! Everybody has an opinion!

I love manual transmissions, and I try really hard to love automatics, but I don't. Automatics are for convenience. And I love convenience, but for driving, sometimes the convenience exacts a high price for me. There are several things about a manual transmission that automatics lack, because it's not even on anyone's radar.

Automatic gear selection is cool, but there is a limit ti how intelligent this can be. Impossible for any car to know what gear you want to be in next. They are like dogs. If hooman leaves, he's leaving forever. In a car, if hooman takes foot off gas, he's never going to put it back on again, so if you take foot off gas for a turn, the tranny upshifts so the engine braking doesn't slow things down too fast. But that leaves the engine idling, and the tranny in top gear, not ready to smoothly accelerate out of the turn. So when you do get back on the gas, it's, paue, hiccup twice and THEN get going. Not smooth. Me no likey. When I'm the program, sometimes I slow down by stepping on the clutch and coasting, and maybe down one because I'm slowing down. Then just roll on the throttle and smoothly re-engage the clutch at the exact right moment. Beauty and joy from a well-executed driving maneuver. And it doesn't even matter what kind of vehicle it is. It's just the way I LIKE to drive. Auto trans has no way to be programmed for this behavior. It's just the way I like to drive. You can criticize me for my style if you like, but, the real point is this.

The real big difference between auto and manual is the clutch vs torque converter. I like the direct control of torque applied to the wheels that you get from a clutch. Gear selection is whatever. I don't care as much about that because even the dumbest auto gets that right, except for un-programmable scenarios like I elaborated above. Paddle shifters, meh. It's still going to be in a gear and not coasting... Can't dump the clutch if you don't have one... CAn't instantly disconnect a runaway engine with a stuck throttle in an auto. (Although we do have an automatic torque reduction program if you are on the gas and brake at the same time. Guess how I know this. I thought something broke...) Try doing a silent downshift so the guy next to you doesn't realize you're about to pass him. Autos always make so much drama. It's a lot of little subtle things that I do without thinking about it too much, and just can't do it with an auto. I never got bothered by clutching, but I've always driven low-powered imports, so I never had a 180 lb clutch pedal to deal with. That would get old.

Autos are dumb, and suck at some things, especially the subtle and sometimes stupid stuff I think of as having fun behind the wheel. I don't love automatics, but I have never driven one with direct brain input yet. SO maybe someday. Until then, Manuals are fun, and I love them, but I don't have to love every minute of the drive to get along with my machine. I just accept her limitations, and enjoy that dual scroll turbo blast in S mode. She's not as smart as me, but she IS dedicated to the task, and takes care of things while I'm eating my breakfast sandwich and drinking coffee in the command console. Can I get the self-driving autopilot, please? Oh, one that can be turned OFF, though...

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[GTHAYS]

Manual any day of the week.

I know my fuel economy would be worse, as I'd be into the turbo constantly, but to me, that would be a better experience I'd be willing to pay for...

I miss my 03 F150 S/Cab. BUT as I am retired and after 3 years it's only got 8500 miles. I have grown VERY attached to Tex. Get in pull a shifter go. Pretty sweet and the gas mileage is so much better than the Old F150.

 

[GTHAYS]

Sticks are the most fun to drive, up until recently when the knee got really bad, I drove a stick everyday.

I have taught all my kids to drive a stick, because when I was younger I knew of a situation that was almost tragic.

So, something of interest to those of us who have kids.

A girl was at a party in a bad part of town, the people she was with were leaving, she wanted to stay a while, one of them tossed her his car keys and said "just take my car home" it got late, all seemed good, until she walked out to find it was a stick, she was instantly stranded, she panicked bad, she was locked out of where she was because everybody had left before she knew what was going on, she had to leave but had no way to go, she was there for 2 more hours until somebody thought "she should be here by now" they went back and rescued her, she was hiding in the car when they found her.

Saw that color today in the wild. LOVE IT. I wished it was available when I got Tex. Love that "Panzer Grey".

 

[BUDXR7]

Manual in everything. I don’t mind it in traffic either. There is something about being an integral part of the acceleration process. I fear the day “manual drive” cars are no longer allowed on the road. My kids may never get to drive my 7 spd bronco (or any car for that matter) and I don’t think they’ll be better for it.

 

[cVelBlu91]

I just had a flashback to my 1st Ranger. The truck was a blast to drive. Regular cab, short-bed with a 2.9 V6 and 5 spd manual. Thing would fry tires all day long. My only complaint......I'm 6'3''. If I had the left turn signal on, my knee would turn off the turn signal when I let out the clutch...lol. I'd forgotten how small the 1st gen Rangers were.

I had a '98 with the 3.Slow and 5MT 4x4, I'm 5 foot 7 and even I still managed to bump the turn signal stalk. Weirdly though, that was never a problem with my 2002 that replaced the 1998.

Frying tires was very easy in the 2002 - 4.10 towing axle, and 4.0 V6. ?

 

[CB750F]

My wife said , manual. So, happy wife, happy life.
Our girls drive manuals too. Sport car is manual, so I'm good.

 

[Apples]

This issue (auto vs. manual) will never be solved! There are just too many folks out there who are convinced of some superiority of one over the other. Unfortunately, most of the arguments are based on false assumptions, innuendo, and lack of prudence.

If there is one truism among the muddied waters, it is simply this: Regardless of your stanch stance, automatics will soon replace manuals, in the vast majority of vehicles. To be sure, a few manuals may remain for specific uses, but even those will fall to the wayside in due time.

The King is dead, long live the King!

 

[KJRR]

Learned to drive 4 on the floor and have driven 3 on the tree. Still have a stick in the toy but for daily driving, gotta be an automatic. Too difficult to eat my avocado toast, drink my $10 Latte, post to facechat and shift gears while going to work. I'm just not that talented.

 

[AdamHarris]

Every time a manual is offered in "vehicle x" the take rate is in the single digits. Yet, seems like all these "manuals or die" folks come out of the woodwork for posts and discussions like this and are SO overly passionate about changing every gear with their hand. Where are ya'll when its time to place that order and lay down that big $$ for vehicle x.? Yep..thats right..you're there, ordering an Automatic, because its just better (all passion and theoretical and "wishlist" arguments aside).

 

[AzScorpion]

Every time a manual is offered in "vehicle x" the take rate is in the single digits. Yet, seems like all these "manuals or die" folks come out of the woodwork for posts and discussions like this and are SO overly passionate about changing every gear with their hand. Where are ya'll when its time to place that order and lay down that big $$ for vehicle x.? Yep..thats right..you're there, ordering an Automatic, because its just better (all passion and theoretical and "wishlist" arguments aside).

I do think some would order one if it were available, but you're right about the takeaway rate. They had a graph on the Bronco forum (over a year ago) of the percentage of those who bought the auto or the manual and it was something like 23% stick and 77% auto. Now I bet those numbers get even smaller once the initial surge of Bronco orders are filled and that stick number drops into the single digits.

 

[Marpater]

No.

No they dont.

If I couldn't turn the traction control off I literally wouldn't be able to get to work when it's snowing, without putting it in 4x4.

Never had this issue with any of my old rwds that didn't have "advanced" electronic nanny systems.

This sounds so familiar to the ole, motorcycle with antilock braking system vs ones without. So many riders will profess to say if you know how to ride you can stop better without, what did you call them, " Nanny systems".
You bought 4 wheel drive use it, why on earth would you buy a 4 wheel drive vehicle and not use the feature and then compare that to a rwd, just not a viable argument.

 

[JasonTremor]

The demise of the manual isn't all about take rate. It also includes an epa aspect. Dodge is in that boat with the manuals in their hellcats currently. The major argument for the automatic is that you can electronically control shifts and thus have more control over emissions. The manuals also aren't compatible with emissions driven things like displacement on demand which is why if you order a Camaro With the manual transmission, it doesn't get that feature.

The last Toyota Tacoma manual I attempted to order was met with no allocations and at least a year wait pre-pandemic.

 

[Blmpkn]

This sounds so familiar to the ole, motorcycle with antilock braking system vs ones without. So many riders will profess to say if you know how to ride you can stop better without, what did you call them, " Nanny systems".
You bought 4 wheel drive use it, why on earth would you buy a 4 wheel drive vehicle and not use the feature and then compare that to a rwd, just not a viable argument.

The abs thing is true for cars/trucks as well.

This new ranger is the only ranger I've had that I havnt removed the abs fuse during winter months. The other two trucks abs systems were infinitely too touchy, I could stop the damn things quicker without the advanced idiocy.


My point clearly went over your head though.

Dude I quoted claimed that the fancy nanny electronics make for a better vehicle than an advanced driver.

Clearly not... because IF I had a rwd truck... id have to disable that bullshit and rely on MYSELF to make it up my road all winter. That specific electronic system would make my rwd useless, where my previous rwds that didn't have that nonsense had no issue.

An advanced driver in a vehicle from 1973 will always have the advantage over some shlub who NEEDS these electric systems to stay out of the ditch and/or the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of them.

 

[myothercarizahearse]

An advanced driver in a vehicle from 1973 will always have the advantage over some shlub who NEEDS these electric systems to stay out of the ditch and/or the rear bumper of the vehicle in front of them.

second that

 

[Blmpkn]

second that

It's really a topic that's not debatable.

All of the world's fastest racecars have T.C, E.S.C, ABS...

Wait.... no they don't ?‍

Why? Because that shits garbage if you know how to operate a vehicle.

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