Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Its waaaayyyy more fun in stick, i have driven stick all of my life and have only ever owned a stick shift car. Personally my feeling is these types of cars should only be made in a stick, such as the STI and the EVO.

I actually have the oppositte problem, it is harder and harder to find non sports cars in a manual transmission. I'm looking for a new SUV and there are about 3 of them that come in manual transmission, some toyota small one, the honda CRV, some hummers and the nissan xterra, i like the xterra(have one already) but that is all i know of... and i'm looking for a new SUV and don't want another Xterra

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This is surprisingly true. It took me months of searching to find my 06 Mustang with a manual trans.

It blows me away that in a performance car such as this, people actually prefer an automatic. Do they not know the joy of downshifting to pass some slow wanker, getting thrown back in your seat and hearing the tires chirp as you shift up and leave them in your rearview mirror?

Stick = fun to drive and more performance

Auto = predictable and lazy.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

lol at people who think stick = being a REAL man. This psychological complex needs a name of its own.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

All you got to do is marry Kobe and then get him to bang some white girl in the ass and he'll get you whatever fast car you want as an automatic. It worked for Vanessa as she scored herself the only auto Lambo.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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lol at people who think stick = being a REAL man. This psychological complex needs a name of its own.

[/ QUOTE ]Stick Envy

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

this thread is pretty funny and toolish at the same time

wtf? is there a spellchecker on this site now?

anyway, I have an audi RS6, and it only comes in auto cause the maual tranny they had at the time couldn't handle the power from the engine. It does have the paddle shifters which I use a lot.

I would rather have a stick for sporty cars. The ones the OP mentioned would be much more fun in a manual. I also agree completely with those who think that driving a stick is an essential life skill. It is, and the OP shouldn't be so lazy and just learn it.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

Manual transmission on cars for public roads are for wankers.

You want performance? Get on a track in a real race car.

In every other case, get an automatic.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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I'd love to see a list of skills that are as ubiquitous and as easy to learn as driving a stick. What are your examples of things I'd spend 100% of my time learning for free? Calligraphy? Proper bowing? Downward-facing-dog? How to neg girls, lowering their self-esteem enough to sleep with me?

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exactly how easy was learning to drive stick to you? I'm guessing you found it much easier than most. Also, ubiquitous? I could easily see anyone going through life without ever needing to drive a stick without it being any inconvenience.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Do they not know the joy of downshifting to pass some slow wanker, getting thrown back in your seat and hearing the tires chirp as you shift up and leave them in your rearview mirror?


[/ QUOTE ]Do you not know that all automatics will automatically downshift for you if you floor the gas pedal? Do you not know that most automatics have a little stick that lets you select another gear, if you so desire?

The situation you describe is not a situation where an automatic is quicker than a manual. A manual is quicker only in corners, because you can downshift before the curve, instead of after the curve like you would in an automatic.

(FWIW, I actually have a manual as my daily driver. It's more fun and I'm used to it, since I've been driving a manual most of my adult life (Of the 5 cars I've owned, 4 have been manual). But I'm shocked at the militant anti-automatic in this thread.)

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Being militantly anti-automatic is a lot more queer than getting a fast car with an automatic tranny, fwiw.

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This is so wrong.

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What's more manly:

* "Yeah, I bought an automatic. You got a problem with that [censored]?"

* "I can't get an automatic or Billy will make fun of me."

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Do they not know the joy of downshifting to pass some slow wanker, getting thrown back in your seat and hearing the tires chirp as you shift up and leave them in your rearview mirror?


[/ QUOTE ]Do you not know that all automatics will automatically downshift for you if you floor the gas pedal? Do you not know that most automatics have a little stick that lets you select another gear, if you so desire?

The situation you describe is not a situation where an automatic is quicker than a manual. A manual is quicker only in corners, because you can downshift before the curve, instead of after the curve like you would in an automatic.

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I'm sure he knows that autos downshift. But it doesn't feel the same as shifting yourself. There's nothing wrong with driving automatics, but for most people a stick is more fun.
And it has nothing to do with racing on public roads or whatever that other guy was trying to say. 99% of the time whether you drive a performance car or a grocery getter, you won't be driving it hard or using its high performance potential. But ordinary daily driving is more enjoyable with a stick, at least to me.

I personally am not at all bothered about driving a stick in traffic or on hilly streets, but I can see how other people might find it cumbersome.

Obviously, most people do not enjoy a stick enough to have one over the convenience of an automatic. About 2/3 of new Corvettes, the pre-eminent American sports car, come with an automatic.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Manual transmission on cars for public roads are for wankers.

You want performance? Get on a track in a real race car.

In every other case, get an automatic.

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What if I actually enjoy driving a manual and the better (in most cases) gas mileage that goes with it?

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

A wanker with an excuse.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

You're funny.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

I don't see why this is even something that needs to be considered with other people. OH NOES!!! Someone might think I'm not cool, because I don't have the correct gearbox in my car? I think that is far more nancy than any of the other myriad suggestions.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Also, ubiquitous? I could easily see anyone going through life without ever needing to drive a stick without it being any inconvenience.

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Didn't daryn start a thread in OOT about going to Europe and asking if he or his three friends should learn to drive stick, or if they should pay extra for auto at every stop?

Again, you miss the point. Yes, you could go through your life without ever needing to know how to drive the majority of cars on the planet. But given how little time it takes to learn, it's a really cheap skill to pick up.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

you need a custom title. I propose 'Sally'

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

I'd probably die if I tried to drive a stick that I had to use with my left hand. It definitely wouldn't help if people didn't even drive on the right side of the road.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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I can understand driving automatic if you live in a city with a lot of hills. Using the hand brake at every stop sign gets old really quick.

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you're doing it wrong.

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I still don't know what is hard about learning the timing to move your right foot from the brake to the gas quickly while letting up on the clutch, but I guess some people were never taught properly.

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In South Africa we drive pretty much only manuals and 99% of people can't do this reliably on an uphill. It's generally just safer to use the hand brake.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

I don't know how to drive stick.
But if i was going to buy some sweet sportscar to drive along the highway or late at night etc I'd def just take the time to learn it. But living in LA I would never want a manual as my full time car.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

MT in cities is nasty.

MT in any other situation is sheer joy. If you enjoy driving get an MT if you think driving is just to get you places get an AT and dont bother getting a nice car.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

OP,

What it really gets down to is what YOU want to drive. Who cares what other people think of you - it's not their car.

Basically, there's a huge stigma attached to owning a sports car in automatic. In the past, it was because these transmissions were slower. This is hardly the case anymore.

The sad truth too is that 90% of manual drivers suck bad enough that people in an auto would keep up with or outrun them.

I can drive stick, but have never owned a manual, so I'm not particularly good at it. Having always lived in or near a large city, the thought of driving in rush hour traffic with a manual makes me want to vomit.

You can still get the manual control of a car without dealing with all that crap - paddle shifters and other semi-automatic systems out there make this possible.

My suggestion is to go take a day or two to learn manual, and then decide if you are willing to sacrifice some convenience for the "fun" factor. It's useful to know, and you may prefer it.

For me, living in DC and driving on the beltway, that "fun" factor is quickly canceled out by 90 minutes of stop-and-go rush hour traffic every day.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Do they not know the joy of downshifting to pass some slow wanker, getting thrown back in your seat and hearing the tires chirp as you shift up and leave them in your rearview mirror?


[/ QUOTE ]Do you not know that all automatics will automatically downshift for you if you floor the gas pedal? Do you not know that most automatics have a little stick that lets you select another gear, if you so desire?

The situation you describe is not a situation where an automatic is quicker than a manual. A manual is quicker only in corners, because you can downshift before the curve, instead of after the curve like you would in an automatic.

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I'm sure he knows that autos downshift. But it doesn't feel the same as shifting yourself. There's nothing wrong with driving automatics, but for most people a stick is more fun.
And it has nothing to do with racing on public roads or whatever that other guy was trying to say. 99% of the time whether you drive a performance car or a grocery getter, you won't be driving it hard or using its high performance potential. But ordinary daily driving is more enjoyable with a stick, at least to me.

I personally am not at all bothered about driving a stick in traffic or on hilly streets, but I can see how other people might find it cumbersome.

Obviously, most people do not enjoy a stick enough to have one over the convenience of an automatic. About 2/3 of new Corvettes, the pre-eminent American sports car, come with an automatic.

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<font color="blue"> Thank you. This is exactly what I was trying to say. Yes, I'm well aware that autos will downshift for you, but it's much more exciting and fun to control that yourself. And I never said it was FASTER than an Automatic, I was simply expressing the enjoyment of that particular situation.

This isn't about who's cool, or envy, or any of that other jazz some of you are trying to spew. This is all about what you prefer to drive, and I expressed that with an example of why manual is more fun for me.

It's a personal preference, that's all.</font>

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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I can understand driving automatic if you live in a city with a lot of hills. Using the hand brake at every stop sign gets old really quick.

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Hand brake is not necessary if you know what you are doing, unless you're on a 45 degree slope with somebody 6 inches behind you. You just have to be able to catch it with the clutch before it rolls back more than a few inches. You can also heel and toe.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

I'm a confirmed stick shift driver, but I have to say that automatic transmissions are a lot better than they used to be. A lot of them now even work reasonably well in mountain driving. Twenty years ago, if you drove an auto in the mountains, you expected to have to manually downshift a lot. On uphills, they would constantly shift up and down if you didn't and you would have to manually downshift on downhills to keep from over-using the brakes. A lot of autos now will pick the correct gear and stay in it on uphills, and, with cruise control, some will even downshift autmatically on downhills.

OTOH, I honestly can' see getting a sporty type car and handicapping it with an automatic, unless you have wife or girlfriend who insists on the auto. Once you learn to operate a stick, it becomes well, automatic, and it gives you a little more control over the car.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

I drive a VW Golf TDI that has 100HP... it's not especially fast, although its got a lot of torque, but the fact that I can heel-toe downshift into a turn and then power through the turn and shift on my way out makes the car fun to drive.

I personally don't see the point in getting a regular automatic with a "sporty" car, learning to drive stick isn't very hard and it makes driving an all around better experience.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

Manual = more control over the car. With a car like a WRX, it will be more fun to drive with a manual. However, in traffic, a manual is just disgusting. Obviously a trade-off, but having owned fast cars in both automatic and manual - after a certain amount of horsepower (375+), I would prefer an automatic.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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fwiw, its not that i dont want to learn driving a stick its just that I dont want to.


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Do they have traffic jams where you live? Do you drive in them?

I've had stick and auto, half a dozen of each, and if there's any chance I'm gonna be in stop-and-go traffic I want the automatic. Nothing puts me on tilt faster than shifting endlessly at 5 mph.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Also, you will someday be asked to drive a stickshift. This could be anything from a drunk buddy's Beemer to a moving van. If you cannot do so, you will be mocked mercilessly until the end of time.


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You forgot carjacking.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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This is surprisingly true. It took me months of searching to find my 06 Mustang with a manual trans.

It blows me away that in a performance car such as this, people actually prefer an automatic.

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The Mustang is sold to old farts my age and up (49) and they will not push a clutch.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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But given how little time it takes to learn, it's a really cheap skill to pick up.

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I actually disagree

also, when you keep saying that everyone is 'missing the point', it makes you seem like a pretentious douche. I guess that's pretty standard for an internet message board. Though it is certainly a valid one, I understand 'the point' completely, and disagree with it, thanks.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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wtf is up with all these "lol automatics are for the gays!" comments.

i know how to drive manual, but its a pain in the ass when you're in traffic, hills parallel parking, etc. When I'm driving, I like to put in as little effort as possible, I'm not out there drag racing Nick Hogan, so what do i care.

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this is how i think also. driving in places with bad drivers (like myself), lots of stop and go, all kinds of radio options and cell phone distractions...driving a stick just seems silly to me.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

Reasons to go with a manual: Apparently most people think it's cooler, and some people prefer the feel of it.

Performance related arguments are all outdated. FWIW I have always driven manual and still do, but the only reason manuals aren't obsolete is because of cost. There is technology out there that will outperform a manual transmission in every way.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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I am going to buy a car and a lot of the cars I like are the semi-trick ones like VW GTI and Subaru WRX. The problem is I don't know how to drive a stick shift. Am I a big tool if I get these cars in automatic and just use the paddle shifter occ.? fwiw, its not that i dont want to learn driving a stick its just that I dont want to.

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lol, at mentioning VW and Subaru in a fast cars thread.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Manual transmission on cars for public roads are for wankers.



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Interesting. I'm thinking of updating my ignore list. Welcome to the club!

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Performance related arguments are all outdated. FWIW I have always driven manual and still do, but the only reason manuals aren't obsolete is because of cost. There is technology out there that will outperform a manual transmission in every way.

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I don't know enough about cars to refute this but if this statement is true then why is this technology not offered on higher end sports car?

Last time I bought a performance car where price considerations were not an issue the dealership didn't mention this technology as an option.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

I don't care enough about driving to get a manual, so I'm not sure what to do when I buy a fast car. I might get insulted by a bunch of people who enjoy driving. oh noes

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Performance related arguments are all outdated. FWIW I have always driven manual and still do, but the only reason manuals aren't obsolete is because of cost. There is technology out there that will outperform a manual transmission in every way.

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I don't know enough about cars to refute this but if this statement is true then why is this technology not offered on higher end sports car?

Last time I bought a performance car where price considerations were not an issue the dealership didn't mention this technology as an option.

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I could be wrong, but i believe he's talking about tiptronic transmission, which originated in formula 1, and is now featured in several sports cars.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

Tiptonic transmission from my understanding is just a hybrid where you basically have an automatic that you can override and turn into a clutch-less manual transmission.

This would actually imply to me that the automatic aspect of the transmission is not as good as a manual transmission or there would be no need to override the automatic.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

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Tiptonic transmission from my understanding is just a hybrid where you basically have an automatic that you can override and turn into a clutch-less manual transmission.

This would actually imply to me that the automatic aspect of the transmission is not as good as a manual transmission or there would be no need to override the automatic.

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that's not true. if people wanted to be able to override the automatic, they have the option. it implies nothing about which is better.

Re: getting fast cars in automatic....
 

Depends on the car you get. I love a stick, but my new BMW is paddle shift becasuse its performance is much better.