spook 0 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 people who like to drive fast generally enjoy driving. people who enjoy driving seem to prefer manual transmissions. hence most hoons would drive manuals. i haven't seen too many impressive burnouts done in automatic cars i don't care either way. i'll stop stirring now... Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 automatic. Comfortable. I've got 280ps and kickdown is sweet. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Originally Posted By: warhawk I'm a biker, so manual for me! Didn't Honda to an automatic LeadWing? Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 In my sports cars Manual. My current van is auto and I have no problems with it. I find auto's better in big traffic jams. Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Originally Posted By: Journey Man Originally Posted By: warhawk I'm a biker, so manual for me! Didn't Honda to an automatic LeadWing? That IS a car. They just forgot to put the other 2 wheels on. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I have never driven an automatic. Link to post Share on other sites
AK 77 0 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 In the UK automatics are generally for the elderly, the disabled or those who lack the co-ordination to pass their driving test in a manual (seriously, a well-meaning garage mechanic asked a friend if his wife had had some kind of accident, as her car at that time was an auto! lol.) I think manuals are safer - apart from the control on snow, going downhill, etc, they make you think about your speed more, like, why are you in that gear / at that speed. Auto drivers (in Japan, anyway, it seems) like to stay in cruise control - meaning too slow on the straights and too fast and loose in the corners - like they are trying to drive at a constant speed. I know that is just lazy driving... but hey, that's autos! Plus, manuals must be more fuel efficient - driving an auto is like talking to someone who is a bit slow and you have to shout - you have to over-rev to get the slug to change gear. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Nah, AK77, you have a very limited view of this if you are talking to grease monkies. In the UK, I passed my bike test at 17, those were the days of 250cc, and passed my driver's test (manual) at 17 also. cos without transport in the UK, you're crippled. I did my boy racer stuff on a 500cc bike and a Golf GTi. I enjoyed it quite a lot. Now, I prod along in an automatic 'cos it suits the traffic conditions and it is a really refined drive. Even if I bought myself a Ferrari, I'd go for the clutchless sequential. The gear change is 0.05 sec. Try that on a manual. Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 City stop start driving is best suited for an auto though overall autos can make you lazy as others have pointed out. I have an auto not by choice though (its hard to say no to a free car) I must have driven 20-30 different cars before coming to Japan and only two were autos: both my bosses company cars, a Ford Fairmont and a Toyota Camry. The first time I drove one I didnt know what to do with my left leg at the start, I kept trying to hit the non existant clutch! I came to Japan and the two cars I have had were both autos! On country roads with hills and bends, a good car with a manual transmission is so much more fun and lively. Most country roads in NZ are like this especially in the Sth Island. I think everyone should learn to drive in a manual car as it helps you understand, to get an appreciation of the mechanics of how the car works: the clutch, the gears, revs etc, you have to think about it. Starting your driving career in a auto, you just put it in "D" and go, you never understand whats happening under the bonnet. I used to work with a guy who summed it up like this. Auto = steering wheel attendant manual = driver Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I never drove an automatic until the rental cars at my regular rental place in Oz were auto only. I do find it better for stop-start city traffic, though country I like manual. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Quote: Auto = steering wheel attendant That's a good one Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Originally Posted By: thursday. cos without transport in the UK, you're crippled. never driven at all and I still have full motor function in my limbs Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Originally Posted By: muikabochi I just heard someone today say that 80% of cars here in Japan are automatic. That sounds a lot!! That does sound like a lot of automatics. I don't drive here, but if I did, I'd definitely opt for the manual. Not only is it more "fun", but equivalent cars here have smaller engines than the same model overseas. Of course even back in the States, I'd still choose the manual if given the choice (automatic was the only option on my curent vehicle). 80% still sounds like a lot though. Almost all my friends here drive manual, and most of the Japanese expatriates I know back in the US drive manual - especially people in the >50 demographic. Wonder if the sway toward automatic is a recent thing? Link to post Share on other sites
snobee 0 Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Had tons of cars with about 7 autos. Definitely horses for courses, BUT as far as autos being limp and not a real driving experience is a bit naive. Suggesting that you become det-uned to the sensitivities of it all, is p'haps so for some, but I love seamlessly throwing my auto surf around - city & country - charging up & down hills and slapping the stick into 2nd or 1st quicker than a manual if necessary. It's just a different experience - not better or worse. And I love driving manuals back in Oz, racing thru the gears & slamming down to bring it to a halt. I just like driving. BTW Me Jane - howz auto hill starts tough??? Link to post Share on other sites
LiquidX 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Quote: and slapping the stick into 2nd or 1st quicker than a manual if necessary. Can't you just do it quicker in manual? Anyway I tried Automatic once here in Japan and it felt very strange. I'm sure you get used to it. But I like the idea of changing gears manually. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Sometimes you roll back a little on a hill start in a manual. It's supposed to hold you still but it doesnt work on steep hills I find. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 There's a feature on most modern autos called hill start assist. Take your foot off the brake momentatily and it does not roll back. Then you put your foot on the gas and accelerate away. You have to put your left foot on the brake on older autos if you're too lazy to use the handbrake or if you have these pesky foot parking brakes. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Wow, to think I've been using my left foot for all those years and I didn't have to! Must go for a drive and try it. I need to find a hill. Hmmmmm, maybe the road up to Kamui will do. Actually I left foot brake all the time when I drive an auto. Anyone else do this? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I left foot brake on go-carts Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I used to use my left foot all the time when I first switched to automatic, but I got used to it. I still reach for the handbrake too, despite having a foot handbrake now. The space where the handbrake should be is great for storing stuff though so its convenient. The thing I love about an automatic is it is so smooth changing gears. I dont miss the 'driving' aspect of doing the manual work of changing gears at all, but thats probably because I have zero boy-racer ambitions, I'm not interested in engine size and add-ons, and I drive very carefully, economically, and friendlilely. For me a car is a practical instrument to get from a to b, I quite enjoy driving but I dont get a big buzz from it. If I did, I would of course get a manual though, and customize/tune the parts. I would like to know the statistics of which cars get in more accidents as a ratio. I would guess that automatics have more minor accidents and manuals have more serious/fatal ones. It will be interesting to see in 10 years if the west embraces automatics as the default shift-type as Japan has. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Originally Posted By: bobby12 It will be interesting to see in 10 years if the west embraces automatics as the default shift-type as Japan has. some of the west already has. Finding a manual car in North America is quite a task, although I've been told they exist I've never actually seen one... Originally Posted By: bobby12 I would like to know the statistics of which cars get in more accidents as a ratio. I would guess that automatics have more minor accidents and manuals have more serious/fatal ones. This type of analysis works for high powered sports cars v family cars but would probably fail for automatics in any sort of global analysis because some countries have very few automatics, in particular European countries where what automatics there are tend to be high powered luxury cars. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 our first batch of GTRs arrived in Jan. 40 have been sold so far. By the way, they're automatic with paddle sequential shifts. The real beauties are in the background. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Nice! Do you get to play in them? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 More nice gadgets, thursday! Different kinds too! Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Er, didn't notice you incl. "in japan" in the first post, shrug. (never driven in Japan). Preferred manual when I was young, and would prefer it occasionally in certain vehicles (4WD, performance), but for general day-to-day around town, highway travel etc. Auto is by far the way to go. Link to post Share on other sites
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