Going back to manual from automatic?

movilogo

Anyone ever went back to driving manual car after owning automatic for few years?

If yes, how did it feel? Did you regretted the decision or it get used to it after few weeks?

PS: My license is manual.

BeenThroughItAll

movilogo wrote: »

Anyone ever went back to driving manual car after owning automatic for few years?

If yes, how did it feel? Did you regretted the decision or it get used to it after few weeks?

PS: My license is manual.

I've had both, and swap between manual and auto on a regular basis, sometimes driving both in the same day, sometimes going months between changes. Longest I've driven just autos was about eighteen months.

Personally, I just get in and drive. I like autos, but I'm not bothered by jumping into a manual and driving it. Only time I miss an auto when I'm in a manual is when I'm in slow moving traffic for more than half an hour or so.

movilogo

I own just one car (auto) which I had for last 5+ years. I have occasionally driven manuals in the meantime (hire car, loan cars etc.).

The cars I like to change to are not available as petrol auto (when available the diesels are all AWDs with poor fuel economy + higher price tag + chance of DPF/fuel filter blocking etc. issues).

I do drive fair amount in city traffic/M25 sometimes.

Ebe_Scrooge

I've never found it a problem. It's like riding a bike - when you know how to drive a manual you'll never forget how to do it.


Personally I much prefer a manual, I feel I have more control. Having said that, the auto that I drive ( my wife's ) is an old 04 reg Zafira, so I wouldn't be surprised if more modern autos are much better. It is great when stuck in traffic round town though, can't deny that. But most of my driving is motorway and open country roads, and I much prefer the manual - especially for the open road.

DKLS

movilogo wrote: »

Anyone ever went back to driving manual car after owning automatic for few years?

If yes, how did it feel? Did you regretted the decision or it get used to it after few weeks?

PS: My license is manual.

It was totally fine until I changed job and had to commute on the M62, I swapped back to an auto after a month of doing that trip. At rush hour the M62 does a passible impression of a NCP car park.

Iceweasel

I have both a manual and an auto and jump out of one into the other without a thought.

I won't buy another manual-box car ever again I think.

I find that I have so much more control over the gear-box with a 'Steptronic' or similar system.

Most decent autos these days have the option to select the gears yourself as well as have a fully automatic mode.

Even in fully automatic I can decide when the box changes up or down by the correct varying of pressure on the accelerator.

My auto is faster accelerating and more economic than the manual equivalent.

Many cars are now only available with an automatic g/box - no manual option - especially the ones with a 'sporty' image

Gloomendoom

I have both and can quite happily swap from one to the other. Very occasionally, I will (almost) forget to dip the clutch when stopping at a junction.

My wife's car is a manual but that will be swapped for an auto when it comes time to change.

movilogo

Most decent autos these days have the option to select the gears yourself as well as have a fully automatic mode.

Mine is old school 4-speed torque converter auto. Even there I had the option of manually selecting gears if wanted. The shifter has slots like PRND321.

It is a shame that market is very limited for petrol automatic crossover/SUV. Some do come with CVTs which I find horrible! You can't really override in a CVT unlike in traditional autos.

JP08

I drove manuals for the first 10 years or so then had a good ten years of almost exclusively driving automatics (might have driven a couple of manual hire cars in this time). Even had the joys of a column change automatic from the early 1960s. Last 5 years have back in manuals. The switch back was not a problem.

I prefer automatics, provided they are coupled to a suitably lazy engine, older small engined autos are jerky abominations.
In traffic they are great. On the motorway in combinations with cruise control they are even better - don't drop out of cruise if a gearchange is necessary. I even preferred it driving an automatic in the Yorkshire Dales - sudden stops where oncoming drivers take a proprietary attitude to the single track road, hill starts in awkward situations, suddenly steepening hills that require a slick downchange. All somebody elses problem in an automatic. Great.

They are not so great if you are an "enthusiastic" driver who likes to give it beans up and down the box on a twisty B road. But there aren't that many of them where you can get a clear run, and it hasn't been my thing for many years.

Ebe_Scrooge

JP08 wrote: »

They are not so great if you are an "enthusiastic" driver who likes to give it beans up and down the box on a twisty B road. But there aren't that many of them where you can get a clear run...

Guilty as charged

Probably why I prefer the manual, especially given that my regular commute is one of the few roads I know of where it is safe and fun to do so.

stator

If you have been driving automatic only for a few years I think you should be cautious.
Personally I would pay for a refresher lesson or two from a driving instructor. Get used to operating a clutch again before you're on your own.
If you drive automatic and manual regularly then it wouldn't be an issue, but if that was the case I doubt you would have started this thread.