Regrets on Automatic?

[DrawingWaves]

Originally Posted by trekkie

A flick of the fingers isn't as fun as a good row through the gears.

But now autos even get better gas mileage.

It's a bit of a bummer, manuals are so much fun.

Do you actually care that much about better gas mileage? Yeah autos probably get couple miles more, but then again why not drive a Prius? It's auto with great gas mileage. We have an entry level sports cars, and sports cars like to eat their gas especially once you start having fun with them.

[trekkie]

Heh, look at my current car

I'm saying the common justifications for why manual are changing. That's all. My next car will be a manual, no doubt. I love them and have missed it while I haven't had it.

[kchiang4200]

the aftermarket shift knob on my auto lets me hit the + and - at supersonic speeds.

[Drive]

I have an automatic, no regrets here Loving it.

[Photonic]

Originally Posted by whaap

Tell your buddies that you all enjoy cars but the only difference is they use their left foot and you use the paddles on the steering wheel. On top of that you shift up and down much faster, more efficiently and with less effort than they do. And even further on top of that you can put it in the automatic mode when the spirit moves you and they still have to use their left foot.

You guys are just lazy and don't know how to heel toe :-P . You also cant perform shiftlock drifts when its wet or snowy out.

Nah nah ..I see the appeal of an auto. But buy a truck or an elantra. Not gonna hate just *sigh* why take the best drivers car and REMOVE yourself from the experience by making it more automated.

[Suberman]

You can certainly drift the automatic on snow or ice, exactly as for the manual. Heck, I can drift an awd Audi on snow or ice...or even a fwd car while using the handbrake.

Also important to remember is the automatic uses a lockup clutch in the upper five gears so is in fact the same as a manual when actually driving.

That's why manuals are dying out, no advantages anymore.

[nyfries]

The only time I wish I didn't have to use my left foot is when I'm super super tire. At that point I shouldn't be driving any car anyways.

Oh and once u figure out how to rev match and heel toe. It's just as easy as flicking a paddle but it's a billion time more fun.

[DaJo]

[chrisl]

Originally Posted by Suberman

You can certainly drift the automatic on snow or ice, exactly as for the manual. Heck, I can drift an awd Audi on snow or ice...or even a fwd car while using the handbrake.

That's not exactly an accomplishment. I can drift my Outback on ice (actually, I spent all day today on a frozen lake). I can break all 4 tires (Blizzak WS70s) loose in 2nd gear at 2500rpm (where it would be making something like 155lb-ft at the crank had I been at sea level, but since I was at 8500 feet, it was probably more like 115-120lb-ft). Pretty much every modern car can break even the best studless winter tires free on ice, regardless of drivetrain layout.

[Turkish]

I've driven both if I chose to buy again, I would probably say the transmission didn't matter and not make that a decision factor as I have enjoyed both and would not regret either. My $0.02. It's your car, not theirs.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by DrawingWaves

Do you actually care that much about better gas mileage? Yeah autos probably get couple miles more, but then again why not drive a Prius? It's auto with great gas mileage. We have an entry level sports cars, and sports cars like to eat their gas especially once you start having fun with them.

Considerin this is my only car and I had one hell of a commute yes, mpg did factor pretty good. The AT sits about 800 RPM lower at 70mph. That makes a pretty big difference.

Thats not to say I havent driven my car where I got terrible mpg, but since its very dual purpose it mattered.

Originally Posted by kchiang4200

the aftermarket shift knob on my auto lets me hit the + and - at supersonic speeds.

So true. Just got a new one myself and it makes it feel less robotic/ mechanical, in a good way. Much smoother and compared to before.

[whaap]

Originally Posted by Photonic

You guys are just lazy and don't know how to heel toe :-P . You also cant perform shiftlock drifts when its wet or snowy out.

Nah nah ..I see the appeal of an auto. But buy a truck or an elantra. Not gonna hate just *sigh* why take the best drivers car and REMOVE yourself from the experience by making it more automated.

Why are you addressing this to me? It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to look under my user name to see I don't drive an automatic.

[Jegan_V]

It would be one thing if the automatic was a awful unit and regretting choosing it because of that. However I have driven the automatic FR-S and its one of the best automatics available in a market where many are indeed terrible. The paddle shifters nearly mimic DCT shift times making it feel very fast, many other automatics have to send your shift inputs to a committee before it acts on it and sometimes they don't. The car is only a tad bit slower due to taller gears but ends up with better fuel economy. I'm now used to driving MT so yeah I'm going with a MT plus its an aspect of control that I love, and on a car that's all about driver control I do want more of it if possible. The beauty of buying a new car is you do have a choice when its given to you, if you went with the auto there had to be a reason, as is the case with a manual. In the end you shouldn't have regretted the decision regardless of which one you chose. I can only see regret when you really wanted the manual but ended up with the auto.

[Mikem53]

Originally Posted by Suberman

There are no advantages to a manual shift transmission in our modern computer controlled automobile world.

The advantage is you get to enjoy shifting yourself, it's called driver involvement.