City driver - should I get auto or manual?

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by ericmpena

I have a manual, but I often wish I had gotten an automatic. I hate that ... Also, I hate that my gf cannot drive my car...

Make a date out of it. It literally took me 15 minutes in a parking lot to teach MomHawk how to drive my '85 MR2 when we were dating. It's just not that difficult of a thing to do and she will appreciate you for it.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Tart

I don't try to stick onto the bumper of the car in front of me though, I leave about a 2 to 3 car gap so I can just cruise in 2nd gear most of the time and barely even have to touch the brake.

This is what I do also. I stay in a low gear and try to find the average speed of traffic like the big trucks do, so that I can avoid that annoying rocking forward and back of constantly braking, accelerating, braking, accelerating. That's a lot easier to do in a manual, and I actually prefer driving my BRZ in most traffic situations to driving my Jeep with the auto. It makes for a much smoother ride.

Originally Posted by new2subaru

Leave a 2-3 car gap around here and you will have 2-3 cars fill it...

Let 'em. Fuck 'em.

I drive mostly in Texas, a state in which practically everyone is an asshole. The inherent asshole nature of the Texan particularly manifests itself in traffic. Every Texan driver wants to "win" traffic. That doesn't necessarily mean driving fast or getting to their destination faster. That just means staying in front of you, even if they don't actually want to drive faster than you're driving. They don't like people passing them, so if you do pass them, they'll speed up to pass you to win, then slow down again. Sure, drivers in other states do this too, but not as aggressively as Texans. Texans go to extra lengths to make sure you know you just lost traffic.

This impulse to win is particularly nasty in heavy traffic, and worst in Houston. Because they don't want anyone to beat them at traffic, they all tailgate the cars in front of them to prevent anyone from slipping into their lanes. Since they don't leave a safe stopping distance, stops are more abrupt, so that traffic that should have just slowed down a little ends up coming to a screeching halt instead. When traffic moves, they're so deathly afraid that someone will slip in front of them that they slam down the accelerator, only to have to slam the brake again. "Stop and go" in Houston and other parts of Texas actually becomes "race and skid."

This is actually why Houston traffic is so bad; Houston drivers are just assholes who cause their own traffic jams with their desperate need to win traffic. If they would calm the fuck down a little, traffic would actually move more smoothly.

What I do instead is to leave a big gap as was noted above. When the asshole in front of me slams on his brakes, I'm in a low gear already and just engine brake to slow down. By the time I get there, that asshole has slammed down his accelerator again. I also look past the car in front of me to anticipate slowdowns and respond earlier and more smoothly. If I can't see around the vehicle in front of me, I watch their shadows out to the side.

Yes, people see the gap I leave and jump in front of me, not because my lane is moving faster, but because they see a chance to "beat" me at traffic. "Ha ha! I got in front of you!" the asshole celebrates. Then he has to slam on his brake. Meanwhile, I just slow down a little and open that gap again. Because fuck him, I'm not trying to win traffic.

This driving technique does usually piss off the asshole behind me, especially assholes driving brodozers. They're saying, "What the fuck are you doing! Close the gap! You're letting people beat us!" Well fuck those guys too. I'm still not trying to win traffic and don't care if they are.

The people it usually doesn't piss off are truck drivers and people in nice sports cars. Often if another sports car driver realizes what I'm doing, he'll back off my bumper and do the same thing. We don't have anything to prove. We don't have to "win" traffic to overcome some innate Texan penis envy.

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

Sucks when youre in traffic going uphill though (like an on ramp, oh my fucking god).

This is the only time I wished I was in an automatic:



That bridge sucks.

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

Going downhill is fun too. basically like an automatic, I can just stay in neutral and use gravity + brakes XD

I use engine braking downhill and still try to find the average speed. It makes for a much smoother ride.

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

This is the only time I wished I was in an automatic:



That bridge sucks.



I use engine braking downhill and still try to find the average speed. It makes for a much smoother ride.

That's what I see every time I merge from Williamsburg Bridge to the BQE, and from BQE to the LIE. Every time. Unless its like past 12am.

Engine braking downhill doesnt help when I need to constantly stop :|

[s0sl0w]

Originally Posted by ericmpena

I have a manual, but I often wish I had gotten an automatic. I hate that my clutch squeaks, even after the dealership has "fixed" the issue already. Also, I hate that my gf cannot drive my car.
As for driving in traffic, it can be annoying sometimes, but usually it's not really a problem. I wouldn't buy an automatic just for driving in traffic. I'd buy an automatic for other reasons though like mentioned above.

Then teach her...

Seriously?

[Mim]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

I drive mostly in Texas, a state in which practically everyone is an asshole. The inherent asshole nature of the Texan particularly manifests itself in traffic. Every Texan driver wants to "win" traffic. That doesn't necessarily mean driving fast or getting to their destination faster. That just means staying in front of you, even if they don't actually want to drive faster than you're driving. They don't like people passing them, so if you do pass them, they'll speed up to pass you to win, then slow down again. Sure, drivers in other states do this too, but not as aggressively as Texans. Texans go to extra lengths to make sure you know you just lost traffic.

This impulse to win is particularly nasty in heavy traffic, and worst in Houston. Because they don't want anyone to beat them at traffic, they all tailgate the cars in front of them to prevent anyone from slipping into their lanes. Since they don't leave a safe stopping distance, stops are more abrupt, so that traffic that should have just slowed down a little ends up coming to a screeching halt instead. When traffic moves, they're so deathly afraid that someone will slip in front of them that they slam down the accelerator, only to have to slam the brake again. "Stop and go" in Houston and other parts of Texas actually becomes "race and skid."

This is actually why Houston traffic is so bad; Houston drivers are just assholes who cause their own traffic jams with their desperate need to win traffic. If they would calm the fuck down a little, traffic would actually move more smoothly.

What I do instead is to leave a big gap as was noted above. When the asshole in front of me slams on his brakes, I'm in a low gear already and just engine brake to slow down. By the time I get there, that asshole has slammed down his accelerator again. I also look past the car in front of me to anticipate slowdowns and respond earlier and more smoothly. If I can't see around the vehicle in front of me, I watch their shadows out to the side.

Yes, people see the gap I leave and jump in front of me, not because my lane is moving faster, but because they see a chance to "beat" me at traffic. "Ha ha! I got in front of you!" the asshole celebrates. Then he has to slam on his brake. Meanwhile, I just slow down a little and open that gap again. Because fuck him, I'm not trying to win traffic.

This driving technique does usually piss off the asshole behind me, especially assholes driving brodozers. They're saying, "What the fuck are you doing! Close the gap! You're letting people beat us!" Well fuck those guys too. I'm still not trying to win traffic and don't care if they are.

The people it usually doesn't piss off are truck drivers and people in nice sports cars. Often if another sports car driver realizes what I'm doing, he'll back off my bumper and do the same thing. We don't have anything to prove. We don't have to "win" traffic to overcome some innate Texan penis envy.

I just wanted to take a little extra effort to thank you for this post. To me its a reminder that traffic can always be worse in other parts of the world. Luckily Sydney drivers generally all follow your ideal and are more relaxed, especially in heavy traffic. Most are happy to be puttering along at a steady pace (even if slowly) than constantly stopping and starting every few seconds.

Reading your post was a rather cathartic experience.

[Traffic]

@extrashaky

Great post

[ARTBRZ]

I wish I had gotten auto when I do leg day workouts.

[Stratoside]

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

All these posts about manual being fun in the city... either sarcasm or people who have never driven in real city traffic.

The only fun I have driving in the city is scaring the shit out of people who are thinking about jaywalking.... by staying in first gear.... while staying below 25MPH because thats the damn speed limit here.

Then get an automatic.

I enjoy driving in the city on a manual, i love going back and forth on the gear shifter

[soulreapersteve]

Originally Posted by ARTBRZ

I wish I had gotten auto when I do leg day workouts.

Just think of it as a "cool down" period... or more reps for more GAINZ!!

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by Stratoside

Then get an automatic.

I enjoy driving in the city on a manual, i love going back and forth on the gear shifter

Or maybe you just dont realize what you consider city driving isn't how it is for everyone else?

City driving in NYC is usually shifting between neutral and first... so fun........

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by ARTBRZ

I wish I had gotten auto when I do leg day workouts.

"Hey guys! It's leg day!"

[ericmpena]

Originally Posted by s0sl0w

Then teach her...

Seriously?

I've tried a few times, but she got frustrated and didn't like it. Now before you "seriously" try to give me relationship advice about forcing her to do something that she doesn't want, just remember this is a car forum and we've been in a relationship for 5 years...so "seriously"...it's not your problem if she doesn't want to drive my car.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ericmpena

I've tried a few times, but she got frustrated and didn't like it. Now before you "seriously" try to give me relationship advice about forcing her to do something that she doesn't want, just remember this is a car forum and we've been in a relationship for 5 years...so "seriously"...it's not your problem if she doesn't want to drive my car.

My wife will not even ride in mine much less drive it. I am fine with that.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

My wife will not even ride in mine much less drive it. I am fine with that.

Same here, but that is more because her knees are practically embedded in the dash due to the infant seat that would usually be behind her.