Manual transmission "snobs"?

[Mr_Incredible]

Tranny snobs. Fishing snobs. Wine snobs. Muscle snobs. Clothes snobs. Electronics snobs. House/yard snobs. Take your pick. Some people just gotta look down on others to make their own choices seem better or right.

I've had nine A/Ts over 30 yrs and never had a bit of trouble with them. Some cars can only feel sporty with a manual, but A/Ts are comfortable and smooth.

 

[Trucku]

Wow some real AT haters here....
Some of you talk as if they relentlessly fail.
I never owned a manual car. But I get to shift time and time again when I ride my motorcycle. Only vehicle I have ever had with any issues with an auto was my 02 explorer and then I flushed it and all was well in shift world. With the newer cars you can't baby the pedal all year long than expect it to shift like a sports car, especially when your computer has catered driving for a light foot. One is not more manly than the other. If you think so then you have issues. You might as well complain about power steering making you a more weaker girlie man and go cut your lines to bring you back to manliness.

 

[crw]

All things being equal, I'd take a manual every time, but...

When I was looking for a used car recently, it's getting awful hard to find one that has a MT (and also is good enough in other ways) anymore. If you insist on a manual, it's like taking the available market and throwing away 7/8ths of it.

When I go to Europe on business, nearly all of the cars over there are manual. Even the rental cars. When the rental car agent over there detects that an American has arrived at their counter, they always ask if we're OK with driving a manual!

Then when my colleagues from Europe come here, they get in the rental car and momentarily panic when they don't find that third pedal....

I'm teaching my daughter to drive. "Her" car will be the '95 Protege with a MT. She has been complaining bitterly that she must deal with the manual, but someday she'll thank me. (I hope.)

 

[Quattro Pete]

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She has been complaining bitterly that she must deal with the manual, but someday she'll thank me. (I hope.)

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If she moves to Europe, maybe.

 

[brianl703]

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I can testify to three families I'm acquainted with that all have kids approaching driving age, and they are ALL looking for cars with A/T for thier kids' first cars.

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A friend of mine's son is turning 16 in a few months, doesn't have his learner's permit yet, but already knows how to at least get a car with a manual transmission moving. (Which is 95% of the battle). He's looking to buy a used pickup truck with a manual for his first vehicle. (I believe son is going to buy the truck with his own money as opposed to mom 'n' dad buying it for him).

 

[biomed_eng_2000]

Technology will make manual transmissions obsolete. Do F1 cars even have clutches anymore?

 

[biomed_eng_2000]

above I meant:
Do F1 cars even have clutch pedals anymore?

 

[ccs v2.0]

My friend bought his daughter a stick when she turned 16 using the logic that if one hand is on the steering and the other has to shift, there's less time to get distracted with cell phones/texting, ipods, etc. Can't argue with that.

 

[rpn453]

I'll add that all of my closest friends prefer manuals. It must be due a common personality disorder. We are an odd bunch of engineers!

 

[brianl703]

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Technology will make manual transmissions obsolete.

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Weren't they saying that back in the 40s?

 

[LouDawg]

I hope no one took the word "snob" literally. I only meant to reflect generally on the attitudes of *some* who drive manuals. As I said, if it were just me by myself, I'd get the manual (if I could find the one I wanted) for most of the reasons I listed in the op. But I wouldn't fault most for getting AT's, because the reality is that most people simply don't know enough to know what they don't know...you know?

 

[CBDFrontier06]

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My friend bought his daughter a stick when she turned 16 using the logic that if one hand is on the steering and the other has to shift, there's less time to get distracted with cell phones/texting, ipods, etc. Can't argue with that.

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She'll probably do what my sister's best friend did when she traded her automatic Camaro for a 5-speed Nissan pickup...drive around in 2nd gear all the time.

 

[sprintman]

After 26 vehicles of which one was an A/T I'd go for the ZF 6-speed Adaptive Learning A/T in my next Ford Falcon or Territory. Hard to beat IMO

 

[Axe Man]

I guess I'm a snob. I'll die with a stick shift in my hand.

Never met an A/T that I liked. Especially modern ones with lockups and overdrive. Never in the right gear at the right time. Always hunting around. Won't downshift unless you mash it. I could go on but you get the point.

 

[vol245]

Driving an automatic is boring to me. I have owned mainly 4 cylinder cars with a stick since I started driving in 1973. The few ATs I have owned shift too soon and are gutless. I like the engine braking I get from a manual too. It is too bad that MTs are so hard to find and many, many models do not even offer them. I own a Honda Element and a Mazda 3 hatchback and both are manuals.

I'm not a fan of the paddles or any other shifting feature that manufacturers offer on their ATs. I want my left leg and coordination to be involved.

 

[pidster]

I'm definitely a M/T "snob" in that I would never want to own an automatic vehicle. I don't look down on anyone that does or think I can drive better than them, it's just personal choice. I like controlling the transmission directly, and as stated before an AT sucks the life out of a small 4cyl compared to a stick shift. I've never had any problem getting tired in bumper to bumper traffic either, and my car has a lightweight flywheel and performance clutch. 99% of stock setups, especially newer models, just have efortless clutches and I don't see the heavy traffic thing being an issue unless you have a physical disability.

It's all about what suits you though, no reason to drive a stick if you prefer automatic. Its your car, get what makes you happy!

 

[742]

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I'm teaching my daughter to drive. "Her" car will be the '95 Protege with a MT. She has been complaining bitterly that she must deal with the manual, but someday she'll thank me. (I hope.)

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If it helps, my 16 year old daughter did thank me last week. And she most certainly was not happy about the situation at the start. (She had no choice--not a single automatic in the family.)

Transmissions are a personal choice, but it bothers me that my fellow citizens make such a big deal out of something that is not difficult to learn. I think that it says something about how we approach driving in this country.

And is there any advantage to an automatic other than heavy traffic?

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

4 speed auto's are awful. 5 & 6 speed auto's make the driving experience more pleasant.

I prefer a stick shift where applicable.

 

[TallPaul]

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Technology will make manual transmissions obsolete.

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Weren't they saying that back in the 40s?

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Most likely what will make manual trannies obsolete is lack of sufficient demand to support the production costs.

 

[Colt45ws]

I dont know. I like my auto. I had to drive my moms manual saturn when I was back up in washington in november. It is fun...on a straight and level road. Driving it in the city annoyed me, espically in seattle. I also dont see how it makes you any more aware driving a manual rather than a auto. I think thats more driver attitude. I couldnt really care less about the percieved "manliness" or whatever the #@$%!.