Automatics

MassiveJim said:
rev matching I do, but I have bit fat size 12 feet so have never been able to successfully heel and toe
Click to expand...

It's easier on some cars than others, in manual sports cars they will usually position the pedals to make it much easier. But it takes quite a while to get good at it.
 
For commuting or long distance driving I prefer an auto.
For shorter drives without much traffic I prefer a manual.
 
MassiveJim said:
When driving "normally" I guess an automatic would make sense, but as a driver experience I just can't see how auto could be better.

when spirited driving, I use my gear to control the car speed in a way that I don't think is possible in an auto.
I also use engine breaking a LOT.
I haven't driven many autos though so probably not best qualified to be 100% certain about that statement.
Click to expand...

I had a loaner Auto Subaru BRZ for a couple of hours yesterday, in all honestly other than the satisfaction of rowing your own gears it really didn't detract from the experience.

It'd still let me downshift from 6th to 3rd at ~70mph and did offer significant engine braking when doing so
 
Frozennova said:
I had a loaner Auto Subaru BRZ for a couple of hours yesterday, in all honestly other than the satisfaction of rowing your own gears it really didn't detract from the experience.

It'd still let me downshift from 6th to 3rd at ~70mph and did offer significant engine braking when doing so
Click to expand...

The BRZ/GT86 auto box is a torque converter but somehow doesn't feel like it, it's also super durable. The manual is still far better though :p
 
Nasher said:
Same here, I use engine braking a lot. Also rev matching and heel and toe (because why not). You can't do that with an auto.
Click to expand...

On mine I can just push the stick to the left to manually shift and do engine breaking fine and effectively force rev matching though not rev matching like a manual (though sometimes the auto takes over).
 
Last edited:
covered in excess of a million miles over the last 10 years all of them in manuals,

recently switched to an auto for work( long distance airport transfers/taxi driver) and would never go back to a manual now

that said the weekend toy (omega) is a manual and wouldnt have it any other way
 
Must admit I am going auto next time 100% even if I have to spec it, although the TT RS which is my most likely purchase is only in auto anyway like most (now all maybe?) of the RS audis.
Whilst I think if your driving at 9 or 10 /10 then manual is just better with how capable cars are now thats just asking for trouble if done on the road frequently.

Whats also an option is remaps of the box as well, so you can change the dynamics, they are not all optimised for faster changes etc.
 
I Used to always say manual all the way for spirited driving, A collapsed left ankle forced me into an auto (Mk7 Golf GTD DSG) and I was expecting to hate it, I kept a manual car for the fun drives (6 speed 325ti) but as the ankle got worse I replaced it with a traditional auto (330ci). There is a world between tc auto and dsg but I just dont miss it to be honest.
 
Auto all the way, I prefer a traditional slushbox though, currently have a DSG VW and it's a horrible thing would never buy another.
Sometimes I drive the missus car which is manual and find it a bit of an antiquated way of driving, who really want to stir a stick around and operate a clutch?
The toy is a manual and while it's fun kicking the clutch, it definitely puts the car at a big disadvantage in performance terms compared with similar power cars with autos, for example a mapped 335i DCT will walk it in a drag race and the difference is just in the shifting time.
 
Auto since 2011 , every now and then i get to go in a manual car.

Had a go in most Auto boxes there is out there , 4 speed, CVT, DSG, e-CVT, DCT, ZF8 etc
 
Auto here since 2014. It works so well on a car with a decent engine. I now have M240 and the B58 engine coupled with the ZF8 gearbox is so nice. Breezes along without effort and sits in traffic when you have to but when you punch the throttle in sport + it flys up the gears. Flappy paddles if I feel like being more involved. I don't miss a manual at all.

My daughter has a 3 cylinder corsa with a auto of sorts and whilst its easy to drive i'd hardly call it fun. She's happy enough with it and couldn't handle learning in a manual. With autos being so popular now and move to electric in the coming years I think she'll be fine.
 
I drive a manual but I like an automatic hire car abroad, it save me trying to open the door instead of changing gear, most automatics have manual semi-automatic selection as well
 
Where I live it's allot of stop start driving, I do only have an auto license but don't regret it.

When I tried to learn manual I tried learning in a skoda fabia horrid and a vauxhal mokka x but horrible things, 2nd instructor said I was getting it but I just didn't enjoy manual driving so swapped to auto only

I also felt can concentrate more on the road around me in auto instead of faffing with the gears every minute. This could just be my anixty though

Anyway wife has licence for both, after she has been driving the auto she won't go back to manual now.

She had to use a courtesy car few weeks back that was manual and was not impressed.

As I only have used the DSG box I can't compare to other auto varients but I think it's great, we have a seat leon tsi

I do laugh at friends who say can't get as many cars in auto, which is false as there is plenty new and old and most newer cars still get done in auto
 
Don't most people stop liking manuals (or at least prefer auto) when they reach their late 20s/30s? Happened to me...
 
I like autos on the right cars! I'd want an auto for my daily driver! can do without but prefer auto just because it's easy and rarely do I get the chance to "play" with the car.

for my fun car it's manual all the way and my s2000 ticks that box big time, the gearbox is epic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom