Auto to manual

[ShoGun]

Driven both. Can honestly say the manual is more fun to drive IMO

[akyp]

Not to add fuel to the AT vs MT debate. But if you're on the fence, buy the manual. Why? Because in 5-10 years all cars will be auto only and you won't even have the choice.

[dem00n]

Originally Posted by akyp

Not to add fuel to the AT vs MT debate. But if you're on the fence, buy the manual. Why? Because in 5-10 years all cars will be auto only and you won't even have the choice.

They said the same thing 10 years ago, still not true to this day.

Manuals will always be around, they may be less and less but they will always exist if there is a market for it.

[HotLava]

Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere

I commute 425 miles a week in thick SF Bay Area traffic... in a manual.

Wow, it takes you 2.36 hours to commute each way? You must love your job. I mean, "thick" traffic is about 18 MPH here in Los Angeles. Or is "thick" a nice 55 in SF? A long commute has nothing to do with miles and everything to do with time. Auto or manual, you're hurting when it takes one hour to go seven miles on a Friday night.

[Demandred7]

To be honest, if Toyota/Subaru hadn't done such a good job at the auto, the manual may have been more attractive to me.

Coming out of a Corolla auto, you realize how good an auto can be. The auto does as its told in the FR-S and has a pretty good brain on its own. In the Corolla, you shifted into ranges (s1-s5) and then based on throttle input, it would choose the gear appropriately (ie. s1 = 1st gear, s2 = 1st or 2nd, s3 = 1st, 2nd, or 3rd,....). I developed a style to force it to behave as a true semi-auto should, but, it never really felt right. Also the shifts in the Corolla were relatively slow compared to the FR-S. You had to anticipate the lag time as to when you actually did your shifting. Had the auto been similar to the Corolla, I would force myself to learn stick.

Also, if a car came with a CVT, I would force myself to learn stick. I haven't found a CVT that I have liked yet.

Having the auto allows me an added bonus to my situation. It allows my wife to drive if I have had a few too many wobbly pops. She has zero interest in learning to drive stick.

[kbye]

Auto vs manual debate is dumb in my opinion. Consumers should have a choice and buy whatever driving style fits them best. People have practical needs too, it's not just about buying a sports car to have an "experience".

That said I am ordering my sport-tech brz with a manual transmission. But honestly most of the elitist comments come from the stick shift club.

[EAGLE5]

The saleswoman today told me women order manuals more often than men do.

[BlaineWasHere]

Originally Posted by HotLava

Wow, it takes you 2.36 hours to commute each way? You must love your job. I mean, "thick" traffic is about 18 MPH here in Los Angeles. Or is "thick" a nice 55 in SF? A long commute has nothing to do with miles and everything to do with time. Auto or manual, you're hurting when it takes one hour to go seven miles on a Friday night.

Not exactly, but also yes.

I drive round all day making sales calls in my FR-S. Some days I might drive it for four hours. I try to avoid peak times and really bad traffic, but often times I can't.

Bay Area traffic is really really really bad. But it still doesn't compare to LA. I know that. But I'm from Michigan (Grand Rapids) and any commute from anywhere at any time never really has you sitting in traffic unless there was a multi-car accent.

[Gixxersixxerman]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

. Auto makes the car slower and less engaging.

Wouldn't care to meet me at willow springs and test that would you

I've driven both.. I miss the stick when acting out of line.. Drifting and such.. Anything else.. I love my auto.. I don't race on the streets, and I drive sensibly.. I also get almost 40mpg.. And drive it in manual mode all the time..

For me and when I bought it and did 70 mile round trip for work a day.. The auto fit me best.. But if they would've had my car in a stick, I would've got it.. I almost didn't get my auto because like most I wanted a sports car with a manual.. But after a very spirtied test drive I was hooked

[jmaryt]

Originally Posted by akyp

Not to add fuel to the AT vs MT debate. But if you're on the fence, buy the manual. Why? Because in 5-10 years all cars will be auto only and you won't even have the choice.

excellent point! very real possibility!

[jmaryt]

Originally Posted by akyp

Not to add fuel to the AT vs MT debate. But if you're on the fence, buy the manual. Why? Because in 5-10 years all cars will be auto only and you won't even have the choice.

Originally Posted by dem00n

They said the same thing 10 years ago, still not true to this day.

Manuals will always be around, they may be less and less but they will always exist if there is a market for it.

understandable,however,i believe what he means is,the ''slush" box has progressed technologically,and MAY render the ''stick" obsolete at some point!

[Gixxersixxerman]

I agree, 10 years ago I don't think even the best auto's would compare to just the one in the twins.. Much less a DSG or anything that's in the Ferrari, Lamborghini, or what's Porsche call it PDK.. I do think I'll be telling stories to my grand kids about the time when we used to used a "stick" to manually shift gears in a car

[jmaryt]

Originally Posted by dacedace

Interesting, i was considering the Auto because im such a lazy driver. In the end i got a manual becuse thats all i could get.

As good as the auto is, its complexity might be a problem in the future. Where as the manual is just refined bricks and mortar. so to speak.

manual requires a fluid change at 30k the "slush" requires a 60 k fluid change,so your maintenance costs will be higher with the stick,UNLESS the fluid change for the "slush" is very expensive,then all bets are off,and the manual is cheaper over the long term.

[cgrey]

Originally Posted by Chad

Right on man, i think it's just laziness when people use commute times in traffic as an excuse. If you understand the advantages of manual transmission, traffic is simply not a valid argument against it.

Besides, you will have a deadly left calf to show off to the ladies. Just make sure you remember to show them the left one only lol.

I find stop and go traffic easier with a manual. Autos are annoying, won't idle slow enough and require braking. I'll often commute 45 minutes in stop and go traffic and not touch the brake( or the clutch).