Stick or Automatic???

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Realistically, everybodys applications are different pertaining how we use our vehicles. My preference, if its a 4 cylinder I go with stick shift. Now for 6 & 8 cylinders -- I prefer automatic transmissions. What is your preference & why?

P.s. I believe "everybody" should learn how to drive stick shift!"
 
When I was young , I liked a stick shift .

When I drove a delivery truck , they were all stick .

I am an old man now and I prefer an automatic . Plus , Wifey can not drive a stick shift .

Best of luck to you all , :)
 
I like a nice stick over an automatic, but not all manual transmissions are created equal.

My first car was a '63 Chevy Biscayne w/ a three-on-the-tree, no synchro down into first. That car,my driver-training car, an early-70s AMC Hornet w/ a three-on-the-floor, and ancient late-50s Chevy Apache three-on-the-tree work truck were likely the only non-4-cylinder MT cars I've ever driven. I think a Powerglide would have been a better tranny for the Biscayne.

I fell in love w/ the RWD Japanese 4-speeds of the day. The first one I drove was my friend's '70 Datsun 1000. It was a blast.

It took a long time for the FWD cars to mimic tbe feel of the RWD MTs. I found an early VW Rabbit difficult to shift - the tranny felt like a broomstick in a bucket of rocks. Our present car, an '09 Mazda 5, is a delight to shift. 3 to 4 is literally one finger. Yay for Redline MT fluid!

We had an old RWD Mazda van w/ a 5-speed MT, and it too was a delight.

Strangely enough, I enjoyed a couple of 5-in-the-tree vans in New Zealand.

Many new ATs are quite reliable now, and I think a good one will outlast a clutch. Regardless of my preferences, MTs are on the way out I'm afraid.
 
Both my cars are manuals. I got tired of Fords FWD ATX failures. Unfortunately Hyundais 6 sp manual is not the best. But for the Accent with a five sp the 1.6L it's a great match, could use another overdrive gear though. Those with the ATs complain about lackluster performance and poor gas mileage. Neither is an issue with the Accent.

The only issue with a manual and low powered engines is getting into snow suddenly and being in the wrong gear. Trying to just plow through snow when the engine is lugging doesn't work well. An auto trans would just downshift and you would be in good shape.

Plus manual transmissions are less likely to be stolen by someone driving it off......
 
Me? It depends how good the automatic is. I can live with a good one, but there seems to be a lot of sucky automatics today being programmed to upshift too early to make the EPA fuel mileage numbers higher or simply horrid automatics like a 2017 Nissan Versa I rented while my car was recently in the body shop. I've always thought what makes or breaks the driving experience is the transmission first and foremost.
But America has voted and very few people want to buy a new vehicle with a stick. My wifes likes sticks and had a hard time finding the exact Audi she wanted new with a stick.
 
I dont know how to drive an automatic. The only reason that we have one is because my wife owned her tahoe before we got married. Everything else is a stick.

Edit...except for the maveric.
 
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I think everyone should learn the basic operating principles of stick shift. If they're ever in a situation where it's essential they drive one they'll wish they had.

Regardless of engine and vehicle size/type, it really depends what the driving environment is and how good the transmission ratios are. I've never regretted buying a manual in my Cruze because I view it as a car that lends itself to the engagement of manual shifting, anyway - and the automatic is a slush box. However, I've driven an '03 Passat 1.8T that felt pretty right with an automatic. Rowing the gears in my grandpa's '96 Lesabre would be strange and the 4T65E isn't a bad unit.

I was driving long before legal age in a '75 CJ5 with a 258-6 and 3-speed in the floor. An autmatic would have been much less suited to running around the farm, creeping through the woods, pulling stumps, etc. IMHO pretty much any vehicle intended to fill the traditional role of a Jeep is better with a stick shift.

I've pondered how much cooler my '85 GMC 1-ton would be converted to an original-type 4-speed instead of its TH400, but then I realize I've come to appreciate the truck as an automatic, the TH400 is hard to beat, and it being a SRW 4x2 it's really a highway truck and shifting would be one more thing I'd have to keep track of when managing a large trailer through traffic instead of depending on the automatic to do what it needs to. OTOH, the '84 K20 that I had for a couple months before getting the Oneton, with its 350/4-speed, was a good combination and was a good combo for someone that spent more time off paved surfaces than I do.
 
My next car will be semi-autonomous or autonomous, so AT or CVT.

I love driving stick but my commute has a lot of stop-n-go.
 
I grew up on a farm so driving a stick was learned long before I could get a license. Over the years have had many vehicles with a standard, but today I would only have an automatic.
 
I would own stick for everything because I hate how horrible shifting the automatics are today. But because I drive so many miles for work and a good portion of that involves stop/go traffic I decided to opt for the automatic.
 
Its maddening that you can't get a lot of cars with a manual today. I had plans back at the end of 2015 to buy a VW with a diesel but could not get a new one with a manual as they were all sold out. I really like the manual in my Mazda 6 and I do like the manual in my truck. If I had a more powerful truck I would be ok with an automatic I think.
 
Originally Posted By: E150GT
Its maddening that you can't get a lot of cars with a manual today. I had plans back at the end of 2015 to buy a VW with a diesel but could not get a new one with a manual as they were all sold out. I really like the manual in my Mazda 6 and I do like the manual in my truck. If I had a more powerful truck I would be ok with an automatic I think.
I was looking at a new Accent sport model, I wanted the rear disc brakes. But it only came with an auto. If I wanted the stick I had to get the base model with the clumsy drum rear brakes.
 
Vehicle is probably a lot less likely to be stolen, since probably 99% of these car thieves now days have zero clue as to how to drive a standard trans. There are tons of instances where the criminals break into a vehicle and are easily caught because of their simple incompetence with a clutch and stick shift.

I agree that every one should learn to drive a stick, I was fortunate enough to learn how to drive a standard trans when I was about 13 years old. My grandparents had a small ranch in eastern Wyoming so got to drive an old Buick car with "3 on the tree" with grandma to the mailbox which was about a mile away, also learned on my grandpa's old international pickup with a "four on the floor" but for most kids now days, unless their grandpa or uncle has a farm, they are unlikely to encounter a standard trans in their life time. Few autos that are not expensive sport cars have standard trans anymore and I would say that most dealers sell probably 98% auto trans vehicles. Even most 18 wheeler trucks are auto now, and the military has no more standard trans vehicles in the inventory. I recall back in the late 90's while in the Army our platoon had to load hundreds of the old jeeps onto rails for a long trip somewhere to be scrapped and crushed.It seemed a crying shame as they were nice vehicles. I personally would prefer a standard trans, unless I lived some where with lots of hills, but have not owned one for many years now. My standard transmission days are likely over.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I dont know how to drive an automatic. The only reason that we have one is because my wife owned her tahoe before we got married. Everything else is a stick.

Edit...except for the maveric.


Do not know how to drive an automatic ?

Just put it in D or R and take off . You will soon figure out there is no clutch petal .

Or , were you just being facicious ?

Best luck to you all , :)
 
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I dont know how to drive an automatic. The only reason that we have one is because my wife owned her tahoe before we got married. Everything else is a stick.

Edit...except for the maveric.


Do not know how to drive an automatic ?

Just put it in D or R and take off . You will soon figure out there is no clutch petal .

Or , were you just being facicious ?

Best luck to you all , :)
Goes to shift and slams on the brakes, been there done that....
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
I would own stick for everything because I hate how horrible shifting the automatics are today. But because I drive so many miles for work and a good portion of that involves stop/go traffic I decided to opt for the automatic.

I find the last few years they are great.

But whatever..Always had a stick til 2007 when we got our Forester..Automatic.

Last year bought a Spark with manual. It strictly my car. I could live with either. Wife can drive a manual fine but won't have one for her car. I don't care that much.
 
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