Manual or Automatic

[HotelUser]

Do you drive a manual or an automatic? Which do you prefer and can you drive a manual?

I can only drive a automatic, I don't even know anyone who owns a manual.

[Mathew]

I'm learning how to drive a manual right now. An automatic would be so much easier... then I could just go and stop easily without having to worry about getting the clutch wrong! :P

I do find it interesting how automatic is standard in the USA and you have to pay extra for manual, whereas the opposite is true for the UK.

[HotelUser]

[@]@Mathew[/@] really? I didn't know it's standard over there. I don't have the statistics but I don't think a lot of people drive them over here. I know some vehicles like sports cars, or farm or fire trucks are often manuals here though.

[dirrty]

manual. i'm a lazy/rubbish driver tho so i always forget what gear i'm in :(

[Mathew]

[@]@Mathew really? I didn't know it's standard over there. I don't have the statistics but I don't think a lot of people drive them over here. I know some vehicles like sports cars, or farm or fire trucks are often manuals here though.
Yep. Goodness knows why though, considering automatics are so much nicer! My Dad always wants to bring the US rental cars back home with us! :P


;7329265]manual. i'm a lazy/rubbish driver tho so i always forget what gear i'm in :(
Oh I keep forgetting too... then my driving instructor tells me off for looking down at it! :(

[dirrty]

i passed a year ago (omg i think a year today wooo~) and me still doing that is terrible lmao. oh and i still can't reverse park lo, no way i'm mastering that anytime soon

[Mathew]

I'll be doing reverse parking in the next couple of lessons. I've just done three-point turn and reversing round a corner the past few times... ugh it's actually quite difficult! I was speaking to a friend who said that the driving test in the USA is much easier - you just drive around a track set out by cones rather than being on the roads. It's almost like they want you to fail, over here! :(

[HotelUser]

I'll be doing reverse parking in the next couple of lessons. I've just done three-point turn and reversing round a corner the past few times... ugh it's actually quite difficult! I was speaking to a friend who said that the driving test in the USA is much easier - you just drive around a track set out by cones rather than being on the roads. It's almost like they want you to fail, over here! :(

In Canada where I am anyway you drive on the actual road. It's very easy but they are still very picky. I know a lot of people who failed their road tests.

[j0rd]

I drive a Manual, I find it very strange that automatic is really default in the states, and in UK manual is default.
I have had a shot of my dads automatic and found myself going for the clutch all the time!

[Catzsy]

I can drive manual and automatic but I have an automatic. Much easier on the whole. :)

[Recursion]

I learnt to drive a manual (since it gives you a manual and automatic license, which learning auto doesn't) and I drive a manual. My dad switched from an automatic to a manual car the other year, he hated the tiny 'lag' between him putting his foot down and the car actually doing anything, especially on junctions etc... that was an Audi.

[Metric1]

I used to only drive automatics but the last car I bought (328i) was such a good price I couldn't pass it up (6-speed manual)..

[Swearwolf]

both but i prefer manual cos the noise is fun and so are roundabouts.

[Martin]

Manual. Would feel lost without ma clutch/gears combo :(

[Camy]

I've got a manual, drove an automatic a few months ago and I didn't really like it. I quite like having gears to change, although I can see why people would have an automatic if they're just driving around the city.

[myke]

manual. so much more control, more fun too.

[tdi]

Manual all day long. Drove my uncle's Merc down to Thirsk last year which was an automatic. It was nice and comfortable, but I still prefer manual.

[Oleh]

Manual, would like to drive automatic but the whole thing isn't too popular here so cars (I think) cost a lot.

[Technologic]

Manual all the way, automatic is just boooorrriiinggg. Although, flappy paddle semi-auto is quite fun too, (drove my friends S3 round a track a couple of weeks ago)

[barttsimpson]

Manual, can't stand automatics, I prefer to have control over my gears

[GommeInc]

I drive a manual (which also means I can drive an automatic). I much prefer manual cars, I drove an automatic people carrier and found it a bit uncomfortable to drive. It's not hard to drive a manual, and I'd hate to be the sort of person who reduces their physical and mental ability for something unconvincingly considered "easier".

[FiftyCal]

I drive a manual, and always will. I find it really hard to drive an automatic, i try to push the clutch in and i realize it's not there, and i always try to shift but i find out it's also not there! So yeah, i'll always drive a manual, it's really fun anddoesn'tmake driving so boring (H)Fun for going fast too, go from 5th to 3rd and haul A** :)

[Robbie]

Manual. Automatic is like driving a go kart ;)

[jackass]

I actually don't know anyone that drives an automatic from around my area! :P

I'm currently learning in a Manual, just covered three-point turns and parallel parking etc. today!

[FiftyCal]

It's a good thing to learn, everybody should learn it!

[HotelUser]

[@]@fiftyCal[/@] I'd like to, but I don't think I'll ever have a good opportunity to, none of my family or friends own a standard!

[Zuth]

Once you learn a manual, you dont really think about changing gear etc, you just do it automatically. Like others have said, manual is standard over here.

[FiftyCal]

[@]@fiftyCal[/@] I'd like to, but I don't think I'll ever have a good opportunity to, none of my family or friends own a standard! Bummer man. Luckily my dad had the same idea as i do, all of his trucks are a standard transmission so i was lucky and learned from him, i kinda taught myself mostly in a big field.

[N!ck]

Manual all the way.

I don't even know anybody with an automatic.

[FiftyCal]

[QUOTE=N!ck;7337139]Manual all the way.

It's the opposite living in the United States. Everybody drives an automatic. I had to teach all my friends how to drive a manual. It's suck that most cars today are equipped with an automatic transmission unless you ordered it with one, but even then most cars don't even have the option of ordering a car with a manual transmission unless you had like a 2012 Mustang GT or a Chevy Camaro SS, if you back a like 10-20 years, there were a lot of cars that had a manual, even minivans had them

[Eoin247]

Usualy just drive automatic because it's the car my dad let me practise on :P. I probably should learn how to use a manual better, have only used a manual a few times.

[Zak]

I only know a few people who own an automatic. Personally I drive a manual, I'd learn to drive a manual as well because then you can drive both automatic and manual. Manual gears aren't hard to learn either, a few lessons and you've got them mastered.

[Re-Call]

Started learning to drive manual when I turned 19... did 10 block lessons & failed at clutch control,stalled & biting point so I gave up. Re-started again when I was 20 did another block of 15 to see if I could master it... nope same problem! Ok so turned 21....3rd times the charm right??? WRONG... the instructor I had was the same I had from my previous failed attempts said that I should try automatic.. now my friends where all like "Ohh cheater!!, it's not hard to learn manual!!" Yeah alright for some but for me it was beginning to get me down, sooo I said last attempt i'll try automatic and I loved it!..I passed my theory ... and had 15hours of automatic lessons and passed!

So if anyone is thinking of starting to drive try manual!... and after a couple attempts you still can't grasp it.... go for automatic!.. end of the day a car is a car no matter if it's manual or automatic, still gets you from A to B. I must have dodgy legs that stopped me from mastering manual

[Scania]

Manual, 18 speed gearbox. Also, half of them get split in half to give you even more.

[GoldenMerc]

I passed with manual, but with both my parents cars as automatic i am starting to like being lazy :P