Why do people buy manuals these days ?

Strider590

Manual gears demand the driver pays more attention to driving, this can only be a good thing.....

Nilrem

Why not a manual?

I can see the advantages of autos in some situations (if you do a lot of city driving/are driving all day) but they do tend to be more expensive than manuals to both buy, and maintain.
I also like the idea of the added control you get with a manual - being able to choose when you change up/down a gear rather than having it determined by the car itself can be incredibly handy at times (in snow/ice for example).

I guess it comes down to personal preference, where you drive, and your budget.

Gloomendoom

Strider590 wrote: »

Manual gears demand the driver pays more attention to driving, this can only be a good thing.....

This sounds like my grandfather, who believed that the lack of a heater in a car was a good thing because it kept the driver more awake.

I prefer autos, although I drive both. Modern autos often have the option of switching to manual if desired.

I'm not convinced about the poor reliability of autos either. IIRC police forces used to specify autos for motorway cars because they proved more reliable. My Rover 800 auto topped 150k with no problems at all.

jase1

You may not be convinced, but I am -- and it therefore makes it a legitimate reason for me personally not to buy them.

Manuals are expensive enough when something goes wrong.

Gavin83

Gloomendoom wrote: »

This sounds like my grandfather, who believed that the lack of a heater in a car was a good thing because it kept the driver more awake.

It's kind of true though. If you drive tired, stay cold and take your shoes off, your less likely to fall asleep.

I would always choose to drive a manual. I have driven autos and they were ok but I found them a bit boring and just found they took the fun out of driving. I like having a gear to change.

The only reason I can see for owning a automatic is for city driving, but to be honest if I was doing the majority of my driving in Central London I wouldn't bother owning a car anyway.

Harry_Flashman

I prefer a manual car. I've had an auto Freelander as a courtesy motor and I really didn't like the lack of driver input (I enjoy my driving).

Having said that, we have an auto truck at work and I prefer to drive that than a manual - guess I don't want to put in too much effort at work?

smjxm09

Automatics have come on leaps and bounds recently. I had a 2005 mark 3 Mondeo with a torque converter gearbox. It had just 4 gears and poor fuel consumption compared to its manual cousin.

I now have the face lifted 2011 mark 4 Mondeo with a twin clutch 6 speed auto gearbox with manual override. While fuel consumption is still a little better in manual mode my CO2 figures have dropped from 218 to 149 for a car that is a lot bigger than the old one.

Manuals are fine for open road driving but are a real pain when driving on congested roads. As for buying a second hand car I would say an automatic was a better bet as too many people ride their clutches.

knightstyle

I guess it is personal choice really but one thing to watch for with automatics is braking a lot or hard and then sitting stationary in drive with your foot on the brake. I am told by a very good mechanic that this can cause the hot brake discs to warp.
We have had automatics for many years since my OH had a back operation and the modern ones are so much more economical than old ones which had torque converters. As I stated on another thread we are getting just under 48mpg from our 3 year old Auris.

thescouselander

I prefer autos but they do seem to add to the costs of motoring. They are more expensive to buy, require more maintenance and can go horribly wrong. So I buy manuals because they are cheaper.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Depends on the type of automatic.

Torque converter or traditional auto's are a joy to drive, effortless seamless gearchanging following infinitely variable power application whilst pulling away...think limousine quality, no jerking regardless of how ham fisted the driver is, usually very long trouble free life IF serviced (oil and filter change) at sensible point (60 to 100k for larger vehicles, i service mine at 40k, never had an auto box problem).
Bad points...heavier on fuel due to the way they work, little engine braking so harder on the brakes.

Automated manual gearbox's, the new breed of box which (manufacturers) figures suggest are more fuel economical than a manual...which may be true for some drivers.
Remember this is a relatively normal manual gearbox with a normal clutch operated by solenoids and sensors, similarly the gears are changed by electronics...imagine trying to drive a manual car with you controlling the accelerator and brake and the passenger operating the clutch pedal...that's the gearchange quality.
Bad points, not smooth pulling away unless conditions perfect (test drive route will be.;) , jerky unpredictable gearchanges, can get confused at junctions when you suddenly go from slowing down to power, can be expensively troublesome once out of warranty (surprisingly) which is handy for the dealer.
Drive beside one for a while which has passengers aboard and watch them nodding to and fro as the gearchanges occur, can't see VIP's being ferried round in one anytime soon.
Tight manoeuvering most unpleasant, try it.

Twin clutch boxes DSG etc, a nice drive once you've pulled away, probably the best to drive of the new breed of clutched auto's IMO, but complicated and expensive...life expectancy unknown, repair bills will be eye watering.