In North America, I would guess that about 95% of cars are automatic, and a majority of drivers don’t know how to drive manual. Here, of course, almost the opposite is true.

I used to care what I drove, and although both of my vehicles are manual, I would happily buy an auto if that’s what was available to me – providing it was from a manufacturer that had a history of building auto transmissions. Mrs SR, on the other hand, has no interest in driving auto.

Which do you drive? Is it a choice, or is it just what was available? Do you generally have a preference?

Auto, most of the model I wanted to buy 2nd hand came with it.

Doubt I’d buy another manual as an ‘everyday’ car.

On my fourth automatic now. Dual-clutch systems and even modern torque converter ones like the ZF 8-speed are pretty amazing, smooth or fast shifts as you want and usually better efficiency and performance too.

If my commute was (as it was many years ago) 10 miles down quiet twisty roads I’d still prefer a manual. If you spend any time in traffic an auto is just so much easier.

I bought an auto one time because I needed a car at short notice and within a mileage and £££age budget and it fit the bill, it just happened to be an auto.

To be fair, I quite enjoyed it. Yeah, there was some lag at times and all that but i’m not Tiff Needell so didn’t worry that I couldn’t “work up through the gears” and the engine was still big enough to “make progress” so it never bothered me – the upsides of never having to change gear far outweigh those downsides.

So I enjoyed it so much, when I had a bit of a bigger budget I bought a VW Scirocco 2.0 TSI with a DSG box, complete with flappy paddles. Now THAT was seriously a fun drive that allowed me manual control over the gears so I could go back to “Working my way up through the gears” and allowed me to “make some serious progress” when the road conditions allowed for progress making. Even on those twisty country lanes it performed amazingly, much progress was to be had.

The DSG was a vast improvement over the first box, with a lot of lag eliminated. A much smoother drive. I don’t own a car currently (moved to city) but if/when I buy another one I wont hesitate to get another auto.

Sitting in traffic is much simpler without having to bugger about shifting all the time, also.

Manual all the way for me…

Don’t like driving auto just feels like something is missing! In general I just prefer cars that make me do things rather than doing it for me.

I can see why people drive them I just don’t like it.

I’d have an auto if they were more common.

Spares availilibility is something that’s important to me….

Was going to buy auto until Chrisdiesel pointed out a replacement 6 speed electronic auto box was 11grand……

currently manual, must admit, i do like autos though. Not really sure why i bought a manual this time, possibly it was just what was available at the time.

Normally I’d say manual all the way but had a brief spin in an RS3 with a flappy paddle auto box and that was FUN! 🙂

I’ve always had manuals but I had driven a couple of autos and loved them. My wife wasn’t keen on them but when she drove our Volvo (4sp torque converter) she loved it and I do too. Our new day-to-day car will be an Auris hybrid which is basically a Prius and that’ll be a CVT gearbox and I can’t wait, I just get bored of changing gear, especially when driving for 1.5-2hrs a day in heavy traffic like I do.
if I bought a sporty car I’d want a manual so I could learn some stuff my dad can do (he used to rally drive) like heel and toeing but for everyday driving an auto is my choice now. I’d only be wary of complex paddle shift autos which haven’t been maintained properly or are know to be a bit weak.

Manual, I’ve only ever had one auto and it was horrible, but it was old, and old design and frankly a bit frustrating.

I’ve always preferred manual, I actually enjoyed driving (most of the time) and changing gear is part of that, I wouldn’t want an auto MTB for example, I want to be involved in the process (no I don’t want an manual choke or to advance the timing on the move before anyway asks).

But my next car will likely be auto/DSG or whatever they’re called these days, I can see the way the wind is blowing, the modern ones are better, they make the can more efficient and actually a tiny bit quicker, before the opposite was true. Couple that was roads that are busier than ever and spending far too long sat in sub-5mph queues there’s little point of a 3 pedal car any more.

I have a manual the wife who spends most of her time in traffic in Manchester has an auto, I wont have another manual after spending time driving her car, less hassle less stressful just simply push and go ..and boy does it go DSG smiles

I’ve always driven a manual.

I’d consider a good auto (including a twin clutcher), though all my recent autotrader searches have been for manuals (I don’t have the money to buy a good auto!).

I’ve just ordered a new company car, and after much deliberation went for a manual.
However, my colleague has just taken delivery of his (same car, but with an 8-speed auto) and hasn’t stopped raving about it.
I think this’ll probably be my last day to day manual car.

Always drove manual until the latest car, and now I’ve decided I’m not a boy racer (it’s a Volvo estate) so I really don’t miss all the faffing about.

It does have a manual mode – tried it once in the spirit of “what does this button do” and didn’t like it.

Auto. Really can’t comprehend wanting to change gear, messing about with a clutch.. Especially when queuing. Massively irritating and driving is shit enough as it is.

I’d wager that like many people your wife is against automatics because they haven’t driven one built in the last ten years, if at all.

I used to think the same thing, the same arguments as others have posted here. Disconnected from driving, lag, etc. But they are misconceptions. Modern autos have come along way, they change faster than you can do so manually and are responsive to whether you’re driving in an eco or road warrior style.

The first auto I had for any length of time I decided to use it in semi-auto and change gears myself. Inside of a fortnight I’d given up on that, just stick it in drive and leave it to it.

What would I choose? Speaking as someone who actually enjoys driving rather than using it simply as a tool to get from A to B, I don’t think I’d overly care either way. I took out a lease on a new car last month and chose a manual as emissions were lower, but I didn’t really give it a vast amount of thought.

Auto every time, if it’s a decent one. Easier to drive of course but also a lot smoother. No matter how good you are you cannot change gear with out interrupting acceleration – but the DSG can. And once you get used to it even smooth manual drivers start to become annoying and feel really uneven.

I’ve noticed (relevant to the OP perhaps) that because North American drivers are used to crap autos they don’t care, so the car companies keep making the cheap crap ones to sell over there. VWs came with crap old fashioned autos in the US long after DSG was the only option here. We hired a new Toyota Camry some years ago and the car was nice but the box was terrible. Not only are they used to that but of course the roads don’t demand anything other than getting the car moving, so it’s not even an issue.

Current car has a Spanish box.

Would have gone for the semi-auto but, because it’s a lease, I had no desire to pay for the total retail cost of the option over the 2 year period of the lease.

the wife has a small 1.3 auto, great in traffic/town less so on longer trips and absolutely fantastic in some recent heavy snow.

Our new day-to-day car will be an Auris hybrid which is basically a Prius and that’ll be a CVT gearbox and I can’t wait

Your passengers will appreciate the smoothness. It’s not actually possible to be rough with it.

I drove a car in the US (V8 people carrier with an auto box naturally) and it was absolutely fricking horrible – it even struggled (or at least sounded like it was struggling) to get up hills. I then got an diesel Audi with an auto box (V6 3.0l) – I did this because I grew fed up with the constant gear changing in my previous 2.0l diesel Audi. Yes the ‘box was lovely and smooth but I hated the lag on moving off from a standing start (which I have discussed on here many times) so have gone back to a manual.

I’d get another DSG *IF* they could properly sort out the pulling away issue but at the moment I am happy driving a manual.

Auto drivers enlighten me. I’m tempted but what happens when you pause in traffic? Do you have to sit with your foot on the brake to avoid creeping thereby burning the eyeballs of the driver behind (me at the moment)? Oh and hill starts – is it all hill start assist these days or can I still use the handbrake (if there is one)?

Driven autos at work now for about 20 years, my new car is DSG had no choice and as a strictly manual only chap I was a little apprehensive but it’s bloody excellent I never bother with the paddle shift. Still prefer manual though but very impressed by this setup.

Yes, I forgot to add a good auto box can change gear faster and smoother than you can.

In normal driving you literally don’t even notice when going from 3 to 4, for example.

When ‘making progress’ there is a slightly bump approximately quarter of a second or less when accelerating from 2nd to 3rd, for example. Incredibly quick changes.

slowoldman:

1) Put it in neutral and put the handbrake on.

2) the gearbox will hold the car stationary on a hill but apply brakes/handbrake for safety.

3) of course there’s a handbrake/parking brake (possibly electric and button operated)

Do you have to sit with your foot on the brake to avoid creeping thereby burning the eyeballs of the driver behind

Yep. But nobody cares about doing it to me, so why should I care about anybody else?! Mine has engine cutout which only works while your foot is on the brake.

Oh and hill starts
There are only hill starts in manual cars.

Do you have to sit with your foot on the brake to avoid creeping thereby burning the eyeballs of the driver behind

No, the automatic handbrake kicks in.

Auto without a doubt.

I went from an 8spd ZF auto in my last car to a 6spd manual.

I think I can safely say, as someone who does a reasonable mileage, the manual is worse in every way.

Auto for my car, manual for my wife’s. Modern autos are great, 1990s not so much.

which only works while your foot is on the brake.

You sure? Have you tried putting it into P and applying the handbrake?

For driving fun ie going out to enjoy driving a car a manual every day.

Any other time I’m converted to auto. You cant even tell its changing gear its that smooth.

However my current car is the BMW 8 speed auto and it does have issues (at lease in the hybrid). ‘Manual control’ is awful, click a paddle and it changes gear about 2 seconds later. Also put your foot down (without going near kick down) and it changes down a gear or 3 which takes an age and is annoying as there is no need to.

I always used to drive manuals but latest car is a twin clutch DSG. I wouldn’t say one is overly better than the other as they both have their pros & cons but the auto does have launch control which is great fun. A manual would never be able to replicate that but then it isn’t as engaging to drive on the open road even when using the paddles as a manual.

Depends really what you want out of the car and where it will mostly be driven but if i had to choose one it would be the auto by a very small amount!!!

I’ve always driven a manual apart from the odd company pool car – I sometimes find myself thinking how archaic it is though and in a couple of generations time they’ll be wondering why we used a stick to change gears manually.

My next car will def be auto (or electric which is basically one gear anyway), I can only really see the point in a manual for a car you take to track days and you want a bit more involvement

I’ve only ever had manuals, though I’m not really bothered either way.

The thing that opened my eyes recently was driving a car with adaptive cruise control and lane assist. I drove from Bradford to South Wales and basically didn’t touch a pedal. I steered but didn’t really need to as the car could have done some of it for me.

I felt completely redundant and realised that things like gear sticks and pedals are just there to make us feel important and needed. We’re not. It was both great and really boring at the same time!

All my cars have been manual. I love driving stick and thought its much more involving. Current car is a GTD. However, I sit on my arse in traffic for on average 2.5 hours a day.

So I’ve finally relented and my next company car is an auto, complete with Adaptive Cruise Control. This will match the speed to the car in front even to a stop and then start off again. I cant wait. It will transform my commute.

Flappy paddles too for some fun hopefully.

Would always have an automatic if I could, better for town work and just as good on the open road / making progress, you can always use the gears below drive if you want to hold the revs.

Always had manuals but my latest car is a two year old BMW X3 auto. Wish i’d switched earlier

Life is too short to have to change gear manually, and can be very tiring if you’re doing a lot of driving all day, every day. Ordered new car with a 7sp DSG box for that very reason. Have to say auto boxes have come on a long way in the last 5 years. Old auto’s with slow/jerky changes are a thing of the past, although i appreciate that a modern cheap car with a autobox could be a world away from a modern VW type twin-clutch auto.

So I’ve finally relented and my next company car is an auto, complete with Adaptive Cruise Control.

ACC isn’t exclusively an auto feature, my manual has it. It does whine at you to change gear if your revs drop too low though, so it’d be better in an auto.

johndoh – Member

Yes the ‘box was lovely and smooth but I hated the lag on moving off from a standing start (which I have discussed on here many times) so have gone back to a manual.

I had a small hatch with a CCVT ‘box mated to a traditional but electronically controlled clutch.
No lag!
Auto>manual for 95%+ of driving, but for those few times on a twisting road with a slick box… 8)