auto or manual

[sss]

well i would never buy a manual any more what about you lot?

[woodyracing]

half the fun of driving is changing the gears.

[sss]

no half the fun is picking things from yr body using your finger

[Tristan]

Auto?? You're kidding, right?? I mean sure, they have their place, but ultimately not for me I'm afraid.

[TimD]

Depends on the car, surely. An automatic Mini (and yes, they did build them) seems to be a contradiction in terms, as you want to be utterly in touch with everything the car is doing - why else would you buy a Mini?

But I wouldn't, by the same token, drive a manual Jag or large Mercedes. They're supposed to be mile-eating cruisers, and if they don't have every labour-saving device imagined, then they aren't doing their job properly. And I must confess, there's something immensely seductive about driving a large, sumptuous car, and being able to effortlessly put 150bhp down without messing about at a traffic lights, knowing the autobox will do everything for you.

[brickkicker]

Id like one with the semi box with the paddles on the steering wheel.
But other than that it would have to be a manual. No fun in driving a car that does everything for you.

[Bluebottle]

I had a friend a few years back who had an auto Mini, she didn't choose it, she was given it when her grandmother gave up driving. It was 10 years old and had a genuine 6000 miles!
I've driven an automatic Corsa and didn't like it. I've also driven a Buick Century with an auto box and quite enjoyed it for the reasons Tim outlined. Other auto's I've driven include a Hyundai Accident (horrible car!) and a Bedford ambulance (the only vehicle I've ever owned with an auto box)
On the whole I prefer a manual, although auto is easy about town. Our Hurricane (Spit based kit) just wouldn't be the same with an auto box!
Does anyone know any pitfalls of towing a trailer with an automatic geared car?

[bella]

autos are great when you're on the motorway (if you need to get out the way, floor it and it'll drop down a gear) and in traffic, mm lazy.
manuals are great all other times.

i prefer a manual meself but can see the advantages of both. however, only time i've been done speeding was when i was being lazy in an automatic....

[KC]

I have owned six vehicles in my day and none of them have been automatics. I like driving a manual. I don't care if its in traffic or on the highway.

[EERO]

I'm with KC, I drive in pretty horrid traffic daily, but I'd rather have a shift-even in a big Merc.

Both of our V-dub's are standards.

[rdjones]

Manual, they are much more fun.........

[woodyracing]

especially if the engine sounds nice.

[Tristan]

But bella, you're on the motorway, you floor it... nothing.... ahhhh!! There we go. Kickdown.

No. Not for me. I want, dipclutchclicdownto4thHITME!! kickdown!!

[Bluebottle]

I'm quite fond of the flick-the-overdrive-out-and-floor-it kick in the back!

[Lee Janotta]

I'd NEVER drive an auto tranny by choice! NEVER, EVER!!! Not even in a truck the size of a house with no synchromesh in the 4-speed!!!

[alfasud]

Drove a Jag XJS once. Nice car, wonderfull engine, but the auto spoilt it. I want the gearbox to change gears when I want to..... not when it decides to. If I wanted someone else to change the gears for me I'd take a taxi or a bus.

If could have been worse I guess - it might have been an automatic Ford KA !!!!!

[GTV27]

Depends what you want the car for:

Basic transport - auto OK Newer design autos are more efficient and more responsive than ever before (and have more ratios - 5 and 6 speeds becoming more common).

Enjoyment or racing - manual (or semi-auto manual - ie Selespeed/SMG), no question - gives much better control over when and how much power goes to the wheels, and importantly how weight transfer is controlled between the front and rear wheels. Autos, to date, have not provided enough throttle control to do this (not that I've driven them all obviously, and am quite prepared to be proved wrong by technological improvement).

[coln72]

Autos tow ok. As long as you have a big enuough transmission cooler for the job.

If I was driving in a big city everyday, I would go the auto, but for any spirited driving I love a manual.

[racer69]

Manual, it's gotta be, much more fun

[Damon]

gotta be manual hasn't it! It's all so boring otherwise.

[Chris Gray]

I drove my Grandad's auto Volvo and, for the first time ever, found myself getting bored with driving. Then again, that could be down to the fact it was a old G-reg 240 thingy. Manual boxes are way better.

[TimD]

Trust me, Chris. Manual Volvo 240s are just as soporific.

When driving an auto, I have found it quite entertaining to learn just how delicate are the movements required on the throttle to make it do exactly what you want it to. And once mastered, the gearbox pretty well can be made to change up and down at will. It'll never be an option for the sportsman, but it's a fun techique to learn nonetheless.

[woodyracing]

you can't heal and toe an auto box for one thing, or at least not in the normal way.

[medler]

After a week of having to go up and down a 16 speed gearbox, spending the weekend driving an automatic is a joy, especially in towns. I've owned several Jags and really enjoy the whole experience of "wafting" through the traffic. Still its fun to have a good manual car if you can find the right bit of road, but even better to have a motorbike.

[racer69]

Originally posted by woodyracing
you can't heal and toe an auto box for one thing,

Exactly