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Stick Shift or Automatic?

Do you prefer Stick Shifts or Automatic Transmission Vehicles?

  • Stick Shifts

    Votes: 91 80.5%

  • Automatics

    Votes: 14 12.4%

  • Automatic Carrot Sticks

    Votes: 8 7.1%
  • Total voters
    113
#21
My first car was a stick but that was the only way to get a little more oomph out of it's mighty 70 or so horsepower engine (1985 Ford Escort). I had to redline each gear to avoid needing a calendar to measure my 0 to 60 time.

My last two cars have been automatics and that's fine with me. The previous one was an Accord and it had enough power in its little 4 cylinder engine to handle my driving needs. And since most of my driving was around town (IOW stop and go) I didn't miss the constant shifting. It also shifted smoothly enough that I hardly ever noticed.

My current car (Acura TL) also has a sport shift mode which I think I decided is perfect. I can drive the car like a stick if I want to, I never have to worry about missing a shift even a little bit. A little push is all it takes to shift.

If I had a real sports car, then a stick would be the only way to go. but other than that an auto is fine for me. And as I said, an auto with a sport shift mode is ideal.
 
#23
I hear that stick shifts get 2 miles more to each gallon of gas than an automatic (courtesy of the "almost-useless fact" sheets on the back of the stall doors in my dorm...)...

I drive an automatic, and I would probably hate having to shift to a stick shift, simply because I don't like having to worry about that stuff...

yup...

:)
 
#25
My first car had a manual transmission (1987 Toyota Camry), and now my most recent car has a manual transmission (2002 Acura RSX Type S). While I love driving stick for the shear fun of it, when you have a standard 9-5 job, it can get a little tiring driving in rush hour traffic every day with it. Stop and go traffic can be a real pain in the knee's. But, I prefer the manual transmissions throttle response so much more than an automatic, that I have a hard time purchasing one. However, when I get in my wife's car with an auto transmission, it just feels so much more relaxing to drive. Even though driving manual is second nature now, when ever I get stuck in stop and go traffic in my wifes car I thank god that I didn't take mine. It is very likely I will give up my 1st love (manual transmission) and purchase my next car with an auto transmission. Though, I will also purchase at least a V6, so it will still be reasonably fun to drive. I'm thinking about getting an Acura TL for my next car.
 
#28
I'm driving an automatic civic at the moment, and my next car will probably be a manual - I hate having to fight with the car to shift soemtimes (dead stop then uphill, the car will refuse to go into 4th until I'm either going over 40 uphill or once I reach the peak and start going downhill.

Anyways, I spend about half my time driving in neutral (save gas....pump and glide for the win!) and automatics are starting to bore me where I just get sleepy if its just straight up driving with it.

Maybe I'm weird like that.
 
#29
hbarcat said:
You only want an automatic transmission if you:

1) Spend all of your driving time in stop and go traffic.

2) Have a race car. (in which case you have a high stall speed torque converter and manual valve body)


For all other applications a manual transmission is the only alternative.
Click to expand...

I agree with the first one, but an auto in a race car? Drag racing, sure if thats what you want, but definitely not any other type of racing.
 
#34
hbarcat said:
You only want an automatic transmission if you:
2) Have a race car. (in which case you have a high stall speed torque converter and manual valve body)
Click to expand...

I drive a muscle car and I tend to do quarter mile drags quite a lot. Anyone with an automatic usually gets laughed off the track.

By the way, my muscle car is chopped up Plymouth Duster with a 720 inch engine and a 5 speed manual. If it was automatic I would seriously contemplate killing myself.
 
#38
Ericman197 said:
what :eek:

did you bore/stroke out a 572 (or some other big block) or did you buy it was a super high end crate engine? what's your 1/4 mile time?
Click to expand...

I use two engines, made into one giant engine. The original engine compartment was made for a 360 inch engine. Unfortunately, the engine was terrible. So, like any decent american, I decided to be a douche and buy two aftermarket 360's and combined them. Unfortunately my car's compression ratio is ridiculously high and I live in fear of blowing myself up.

Last quarter mile drag I did was on my birthday and was completed in 11.2
 
#39
BellBottomBlues said:
I use two engines, made into one giant engine. The original engine compartment was made for a 360 inch engine. Unfortunately, the engine was terrible. So, like any decent american, I decided to be a douche and buy two aftermarket 360's and combined them. Unfortunately my car's compression ratio is ridiculously high and I live in fear of blowing myself up.

Last quarter mile drag I did was on my birthday and was completed in 11.2
Click to expand...

Two engines combined? How does that work... you're running all 16 cylinders? I'm not sure how you fit both of them in there but that sounds pretty cool. I would think with that much displacement you'd be in the <10 second range but 11.2 is still a great time.
 
#40
Manual.

For drag racing, an automatic is better if you're running a turbocharged car and you have a high rpm stall converter. You can mash the brakes and the gas, and you will be building boost before you even leave the line. Granted, I'm talking about full-on drag cars, with a gigantic turbo (or two), not a slightly modified street car.

For all other racing, a manual is better. SEQUENTIAL transmissions are included as manuals. Those are what are used in F1, WRC, etc.
 

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