BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Cars Stick vs Automatic

I like stick shift because they are usually cheaper and they are fun to drive. although I don't drive stick shift very much so every once in a while I leave a big skid mark on the road from accelerating too fast <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Personaly I prefer a stick shift, thats probably down to the fact I have grown up arround stick shifts and learnt to drive in one. I have driven company cars and still have to say that I much prefer the 'raw feel' of a stick shift, In a comparison the feel of driving a BMW 7 series or an aston martin vantage to a beat up white ford seria 2.4L rear wheel drive <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> nice. , and the seria wins hands down, it feels like a caged beast that I am aware of how dangerous it could be if I let it go, whist the BMW and Aston martin felt like a luxury living room on wheels. When driving an automatic more than any thing I miss the clutch. In terms of safty and ideal car yes I want ABS and traction control and all the computer gubbins to translate what I am telling the car to do into what I want it to do, yes I would like the car to perform what I ask of it as eficently as it can, but I want to be aware of the fact that I am driving a car, I want to be litening to the tone of the engine to tell what the revs, it gives me a lot of information about the car, how well its running and if there are any problems without distracting my attention from the task in hand.

an earlier comment was made describing that automatic was 'safer' as it was less distracting, I have to dissagree, I would say it is a task that keeps your attention to what you are doing and you dont have to take your eyes from the road to do it, which is alot more than can be said for checking your speed (one thing that concerns me about the safty of speed traps). Another reason I think stick shifts are safer is when something goes wrong at 70MPH and the engine cuts out in a stick shift you stamp on the clutch and cruise whist pulling into the hard shoulder, the one and only time this has happened to me in an automatic it stayed in gear and quickly started to grind to a halt before you fiddle with the stick to find nutral. Not pleasent for me or the person behind me I expect. Then how do you bump start a automatic... you can't and they are a heck of a lot more complicated to fix and look after yourself.

in conclusion of that essay I prefer stick shift.

enough of that, I am a Cat in a Hat

That's an excellent point - and I agree highly that driving NEEDS to be a constantly interactive task so you are always aware of what is going on.

A lot of people really do take driving for granted, and I have seen people with cruise control on eating AND talking on the phone while they sort of 'aim' the car with their knees on the steering wheel!! Now tell me that that person is prepared if an animal jumps out of the bushes or a car near them has to make a sudden lane change.

Just want to say, last night for the first time, i actually drove a standard out on the road for miles and didnt stall it or jerk it!!! i am SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!!! for years ive been scared of stalling, jerking, rolling back. i always have an automatic, and my husband always has a standard. i envied that he could hop in either vehicle and drive, but i was limited to just mine. i just didnt want to be bothered to shift and clutch with kids in the car, but last night i set my mind to it and i did it!!! i know its simple and sounds dumb, but i'm 30 and just figured i was resigned to having automatics because i just simply didnt have that coordination to get the whole thing down. well, once again, I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!! ha ha im pysched and had to tell someone!!

That's great!! And it's definitely a valuable skill to learn. What if you're out somewhere and there's an emergency, and the only car there is a standard? I figure it's one of those need-to-know things like how to light a candle or so on <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hi !!!!!!

I'm new to this board.
I've been a car nut from back in the 40's and became a hot-rodder in the 50's,at that time the average driver drove a stick shift car.

I really think everyone should have a basic know how to drive a stick shift car.

In fact that should be a requirement in learning to drive.

I have had a few opportunities to learn how to drive a stick shift car and I was lost. (How sad is it to admit that!?)

I am so happy just getting in the car and putting the car in drive and not having to worry about anything else. Call me lazy.

My husband drives a stick shift car. Never drive his car. No plans to. But I will try and learn maybe in the spring just to be able to say I can in case I have to move the car.

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Victoria

I have to admit the responses are all over the spectrum. The question was "What type of transmission do you prefer?". There are two types of transmission Manual and Automatic (The automatic that you can manually shif is still an automatic transmission!). That being said, I prefer an automatic when driving in the city or rush hour traffic. I prefer the economy (initial cost, repair/maintenance, etc.) of a manual transmission.

If you learn to drive an automobile with a manual transmission you will discover that they are no more dangerous or difficult to operate than an automobile equiped with an automatic transmission. However, you could use that as an excuse to avoid the embarrasment of stalling the engine, bucking through an intersection, laying rubber, etc while learning the coordination of applying gas while engaging the clutch.

Woo hoo!! I'm glad to hear that there are other women out there who prefer stick as well. I find that I am more in control of my driving with stick. However, for those of you who are city dwellers as well, I'm sure you can sympathize with the frustration of using stick for city driving...

id say go with a stick. @ 1st i was lost but i love it. a 5 spd is a pain in town but its worth it. also, i have a sayin that was told to me by my boys, real women drive sticks. (even if ure not good at it, u still made an attempt)