Manual or Automatic? Why?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

You're ability to detect sarcasm or jokes is proportional to the time you've been on this forum I guess

The problem is it wasn't sarcasm. Shaky has stated how hard the AT is to use in stop and go traffic many times. I also believed he was joking the fit=rst 5 or 6 times he said it.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by DC86

For any and all you guys and girls who got their 86s and chose manual or automatic transmissions, why did you choose it?

I'll bite.


I bought auto because:
1) It was the last 2015 left at the dealership and all they had and I don't like the idea of have a dealership drive a car down from one of there network dealerships rather then putting it on a trailer. The only time I would be O.K. with that is if I ordered it brand new from the factory and would have time to wait for it.
2) The paddles are a lot of fun, not DSG quick, but quick for a torque converter auto in my book


Was planning to mod it from the get go, e85, uels and a tune put it right at or very slightly above a stock manual FR-S at this point, only way to make it demolish a manual is 4.88 gears But it also could be a plus that the auto fuel economy is easier to attain?

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by DC86

Oh, i thought it was the opposite no?

Not for me.

If you're not accustomed to driving a manual, traffic is more stressful because you're on the wrong side of the higher learning curve. Once it becomes an extension of your body, manual is easier because you have better fine control of the car. I can coast along at 3 MPH if that's how fast traffic is going. I can drive it comfortably in first gear at 6 MPH. At those speeds in an auto, you're having to hold the car back using the brake, and that's tedious.

My Jeep is an auto, and it sits up higher so that I have much better visibility than the BRZ. But it's a chore to drive in traffic by comparison because I'm constantly having to ride the brake. I rarely have to ride the brake in heavy traffic in my BRZ. I've been considering swapping my Jeep over to a manual to make it easier to handle in traffic.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

You're ability to detect sarcasm or jokes is proportional to the time you've been on this forum I guess

It's not sarcasm. Once you achieve fine control of the car, the manual is much easier to drive in traffic.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Shaky has a thing where he believes all ATs are actively trying to pull the car forward at full speed all the time so you have to maintain constant full pressure on the pedal.

That's not true and you know it.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Shaky has stated how hard the AT is to use in stop and go traffic many times.

Also not true. I never said it was hard. I said it was tedious. Because it is.

It's not my fault you never completely learned how to drive a manual.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

It's not sarcasm. Once you achieve fine control of the car, the manual is much easier to drive in traffic.



That's not true and you know it.



Also not true. I never said it was hard. I said it was tedious. Because it is.

It's not my fault you never completely learned how to drive a manual.

LOL how did this become about me? I have never said I had an issue driving MT slow. I still don't understand what ATs you drive that are trying to move too fast at idle. If they move at all it is easily controlled by light pressure on the brake pedal. Nothing tedious about it.

[humfrz]

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

It's not sarcasm. Once you achieve fine control of the car, the manual is much easier to drive in traffic.

Uh of course it is.....

[Spuds]

Manual, obviously, because manual is better. Didn't even have to drive the auto, I just know.

But enough of that, what I really want to hear is everyone's opinion of lightweight pullies.



...

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

LOL how did this become about me? I have never said I had an issue driving MT slow. I still don't understand what ATs you drive that are trying to move too fast at idle. If they move at all it is easily controlled by light pressure on the brake pedal. Nothing tedious about it.

It's more tedious than using the engine to control speed, and it's certainly more tedious than sitting relaxed, touching no pedals at all.

Driving a manual is a skill that 90% of Americans don't have. As a result, the majority of Americans have the mindset that driving a manual is a difficult skill in all scenarios. Driving a manual is difficult, so driving a manual in traffic is also going to be difficult, with the added stress of people all around you judging your skill and watching you screw up.

But the majority of Americans are wrong. Driving a manual is not difficult. They only think it is because they don't know how to do it.

Likewise, driving a manual in traffic is also not difficult. People only think it is because they don't know how to do it, and they're too worried about what other people will think of their skills when on display in front of thousands of other drivers packed around them.

Traffic shouldn't be a reason to avoid a manual unless you're just not willing to put in the effort to learn how to drive it.

[qcbaker]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Not so much the frequency of the request but the passions it seems to bring out. It is the FT86club equivalent of extremist politics.


After 42 years of driving MT I don't find it any more engaging than pushing the brake pedal or turning the steering wheel. All shifts just sort of happen and I don't put even a microsecond of thought into it. It impacts my focus and distractions in no way whatsoever.

Gotcha. Seems like a weird thing to get extremist about, but whatever lol.

As for MT vs AT, when I say engaging, I mean that it makes me feel more connected with the driving process and I like that. As for focus, maybe its just me then, but I feel that driving a manual keeps me more focused since I need to know when to shift and all that. Unless I'm on a road trip or something because driving around on highways for hours staying in 6th doesn't really differ much from doing the same in an AT.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

It's more tedious than using the engine to control speed, and it's certainly more tedious than sitting relaxed, touching no pedals at all.

Driving a manual is a skill that 90% of Americans don't have. As a result, the majority of Americans have the mindset that driving a manual is a difficult skill in all scenarios. Driving a manual is difficult, so driving a manual in traffic is also going to be difficult, with the added stress of people all around you judging your skill and watching you screw up.

But the majority of Americans are wrong. Driving a manual is not difficult. They only think it is because they don't know how to do it.

Likewise, driving a manual in traffic is also not difficult. People only think it is because they don't know how to do it, and they're too worried about what other people will think of their skills when on display in front of thousands of other drivers packed around them.

Traffic shouldn't be a reason to avoid a manual unless you're just not willing to put in the effort to learn how to drive it.

How are you using the engine to control the speed without touching pedals? I guess I don't know how to drive MT after all since I still have to use the gas and clutch in stop and go traffic.


Driving an AT is no more tedious than a MT in stop and go traffic it is just a different set of motions both of which suck equally.


I 100% agree with the rest of what you said there. As you know one of my favorite statements is that the hardest part of learning to drive MT is getting over the fear of learning to drive MT.

[qcbaker]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

It's more tedious than using the engine to control speed, and it's certainly more tedious than sitting relaxed, touching no pedals at all.

I'd love to see a video of you getting a manual transmission car to stop and go in traffic without touching any pedals...

[Adam_L]

Originally Posted by finch1750

I chose AT because I read threads after searching.

Like this one.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6485

That is a good read. I went manual due to : 1. I'm still able to drive manual, and it's still fun to drive . 2. It's lighter weight, and less money then a Auto . 3. Car thieves (younger) are most likely unable to drive a manual, and they will steal the auto/PDK car. 4. I don't live in/near a big city, so not so much stop/go for me (if you do frequent a larger 40k+ city, then a Auto could be a better choice), I'm flowing most of the time going 40-65mph in 4th-6th gear. Those are the main reasons.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by qcbaker

Gotcha. Seems like a weird thing to get extremist about, but whatever lol.

LOL You are still new here.