We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Why choose to drive manual? :)

1678911

Comments

  • Ebe_Scrooge
    Ebe_Scrooge Posts: 7,320 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Iceweasel wrote: »
    Do Lamborghini still offer manual boxes? I thought they had stopped offering them as an option.

    Ferrari certainly don't make any cars at all now with a manual box.

    I do believe you're correct. Seems an awful shame to me - in a car like that, stirring the gears is a large part of the fun. Well, to my mind anyway, a lot of others on here seem to disagree !:)
  • bugslet
    bugslet Posts: 6,874 Forumite
    DUTR wrote: »
    . In fact thinking about my own car, not only are the gears automatic, so are the headlights, wipers, braking, handbrake, distance to the car in front, radio volume, cabin temperature , screen demist and those are the things that quickly spring to mind :o

    I don't have any of that - I drive a 55 plate ex GPO van ( 5 dogs, I've trashed cars in the past, now I just give in). I like having things to do. OH used to have a car with all the twiddly bits on and I always felt that I was just sitting there and pointing it in the right direction.
    95% of the time I am not driving for the driving experience, I am going somewhere as safely and in as relaxed a manner as I can.

    In fact, I think some of the frustration on the road is people have spent a small fortune on a car and want to play with it. Unfortunately, these days it isn't going to happen, so having a gear stick to fiddle with doesn't really do anything for the driving experience, and with anything but narrow country lanes being limited to 50mph or less, you are going to struggle to find roads where control makes a difference, so you are left with admiring the smoothness of your own gear changes, exploring the torque curve and so on.

    I don't know if it's control with me, I just prefer a gearstick. It's like trucks, you used to have to really be engaged to drive one, now, well lets say they aren't called hairdressers trucks for nothing.;) I think I get too relaxed and that's when I get bored and don't concentrate on the road so much.

    My Oh was much like yourself Ian - each to their own is what I say:)
    I do believe you're correct. Seems an awful shame to me - in a car like that, stirring the gears is a large part of the fun. Well, to my mind anyway, a lot of others on here seem to disagree !:)

    Agree! Don't think it's right or wrong, it's just a preference.
  • BillJones
    BillJones Posts: 2,187 Forumite
    Your wife?

    Hah, quite the opposite!

    I used it once with her in, and was told never, ever to do it again.
  • iltisman
    iltisman Posts: 2,589 Forumite
    I get 85 mpg out of my Manual Diesel Panda on a run of 100 miles I doubt very much that I could achieve that with an auto box. I drive small autos in the US regularly and using similar driving methods struggle to get 40 mpg.(UK Gallon)
  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Why pay a premium to allow a machine to perform a task I can equally and easily perform myself. ;)

    I prefer a manual for no other reason than I feel more involved driving with one and I can find better use for the extra couple of grand that I'd spend in buying the equivalent auto.
  • DUTR
    DUTR Posts: 12,958 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    neilmcl wrote: »
    Why pay a premium to allow a machine to perform a task I can equally and easily perform myself. ;)

    I prefer a manual for no other reason than I feel more involved driving with one and I can find better use for the extra couple of grand that I'd spend in buying the equivalent auto.

    No one can deny that you prefer manual for your own reasons, the couple of grand thing though, not sure where that comes from, as it's not up to others to dictate how/where to spend money worked for by the observed.
    There comes a point where one has saved in all corners they can and then find they have some dispoable income, that is better disposed of than sitting looking pretty on paper for others to fight over when the account holder passes away or health deterates to a level they cannot enjoy what they have earned.
  • kwmlondon
    kwmlondon Posts: 1,734 Forumite
    In my experience, smaller cars with smaller engines don't work as well with auto boxes. There's not as much momentum/energy in the car once it's moving, the engine doesn't have as much power in a little car and they're usually cheap so won't have sophisticated gearboxes. Also, if a car weighs relatively little, the automatic transmission will add more weight proportionately.

    Once you get to bigger and more expensive and powerful cars it's a different proposition.
  • I expect cars have stayed predominantly manual because that's what people have been used to for years, so there's still demand for them. In my experience manual gearboxes are better for the smaller engine cars whereas an auto in similar seems to be "all show and no go".

    Personally I've had both but much prefer automatics. Commuting 50 miles each day in stop/start traffic, town, single carriageway, dual carriageway, roundabouts, queuing traffic etc going up and down a manual box soon wears thin. Also much easier for overtaking or pulling into a gap on a roundabout.

    I'm on my second DSG now and although I did admittedly have mechanical issues with the first, it was all replaced under warranty. The second (current) is much smoother with no issues. I expect they're continually improving and I'd definitely have another one.

    DSG has the performance, responsiveness and economy of a manual but with the smoothness and convenience of an automatic :T
  • DSG is two manuals and no clutch though :D (figuratively speaking)
  • colino
    colino Posts: 5,059 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Not really, it is more accurately speaking, two manual gearboxes and two clutches.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.4K Life & Family
  • 258.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.