Manual or automatic - what do you drive/prefer?

[I_Con]

I prefer autos. I drive my gf's man astra occasionly and its fun, but on longer drives in traffic the novelty wears off and it gets annoying.

[snortycorty]

I prefer manuals, so much more fun to drive and feels like i have more control. What I do hate is getting into an auto and going for the clutch, or driving along and going to change gears before i realise i dont have to lol. What i hate most though is after driving the other half's xf ute around (which has a 5spd) i get in my car (4spd) and 3 times now I have got to about 80kms and went to change into 5th gear, only to get 3rd! A huge lack of concentration on my behalf, and I feel so bad for my car! lucky she's a tough one! I do admit though in summer SOMETIMES i do long for a car that has air conditioning and an auto. But I'll always go back to a manual

[TS50]

Originally Posted by snortycorty

I prefer manuals, so much more fun to drive and feels like i have more control. What I do hate is getting into an auto and going for the clutch, or driving along and going to change gears before i realise i dont have to lol. What i hate most though is after driving the other half's xf ute around (which has a 5spd) i get in my car (4spd) and 3 times now I have got to about 80kms and went to change into 5th gear, only to get 3rd! A huge lack of concentration on my behalf, and I feel so bad for my car! lucky she's a tough one! I do admit though in summer SOMETIMES i do long for a car that has air conditioning and an auto. But I'll always go back to a manual

I havethe same problem, drive the TS50, a 5 speed. then hop in the Tornado, a 6 speed manual, I can never rember if i have one more gear or not

[snortycorty]

haha and again same thing happens if the old man lets me drive his car, BA mk2 xr8, always forget about 6th gear. As i live out of town there are a couple of decent long roads at a good speed, would use 6th gear more if i remembered it was there!

[DodgeVenom]

Jump in and go to work = auto.

Jump in and have some fun = manual.

[XR8-260]

I only have an auto licence so I guess I voted auto :

I would like to pick up manual later on so I can drive all those performance vehicles :evil3:

[WizBang]

I use to love driveing manuals ,but with the city kays I do each week and a bucket of bolts yan which is manual I do live to get into the ute on the weekend and just cruise around in the auto

[MITCHAY]

Manual FTW! Still loving manual even after being stuck in solid traffic for an hour! It even took about 30-45 mins just to get 98 fuel in Bateman's Bay, South Coast NSW :

[Ives]

I had no choice but to drive auto. I didnt know anyone that have manual car for me to practice on when I was on my L's and now I just dont have the time (and still the car) to practice driving manual.

I certainly dont feel less manly because I drive auto. It's funny how people can say a lot of things.

[Joes_meat]

Manual FTW.

[F6T]

I got my manual licence then went straight into an auto 4wd for 4 years - then switched to a 5 speed manual and have never looked back. Love the control - makes driving more of an experience for me. Have driven the BA and BF auto's but still would not go back to an auto.

so manual gets my vote.

[Night Runner]

Automatic for me. Get the best of both worlds. Stick shifts are fun and all but I prefer the straight-line speed (brought up on it). Go to any 1/4 mile day and you'll see what performance is. I just laugh at the guys who dis autos, most don't know their cars or squat about them just follow the flock of sheep...to me (IMO) nothing sounds better than a fully worked manual reverse valve body banging through the gears going down a highway.....sounds just like a pro-stock car.

Most factory 0-100km times are done by professional test drivers who would have spent plenty of time getting the best stats......in the real world, at the lights, on Wednesday night, same cars, different transmissions, the automatic car will almost always win. What hp% autos lose through the converter is made up through shift times, no letting up. Consistency and the knowledge that what you have under you will last for ever when built right......heavy duty. I run a 6-Speed Gear Vendors OD in my Challenger, splits the existing TF-727 gears in two allowing me to stay in the power band and multiply my torque.

I definitely agree with the smaller cars, like the Hondas having 185hp with a 6 speed tiptronic, an absolute waste of time and a manual transmission should definitely be picked in those cases. Those are the cars that give the performance automatics a bad name. When most people hear autos they think "1.8 slush box that takes 2 miles to change". Take a look back to the muscle car era in America, these transmissions Turbo-400, powerglide, TorqueFlite-727's weren't made for comfort, these are heavy duty performance transmissions which is where a lot of people seem to get confused, not sure how?

Most people talk about fun? Not sure what's not fun about owning an auto, I have as big a smile as any manual driver....At the end of the day, if it's fast I'll like it! If you wanna have "fun" buy a manual, you can have "fun", I'll be waiting at the end of the track when you're done.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by NZ-TS50

Automatic
Most people talk about fun? Not sure what's not fun about owning an auto, I have as big a smile as any manual driver....At the end of the day, if it's fast I'll like it! If you wanna have "fun" buy a manual, you can have "fun", I'll be waiting at the end of the track when you're done.

Yeah but you have a worked Auto box. Autos maybe better for drags, but look at what circuit racers use. Manuals.

Imagine if Brock, Johnson or Moffat were banging around the Mountain in Autos?.

I hate most stock Auto boxes. Sometimes when I drive a Auto, I actually feel myself not as alert, when I'm driving a manual, because there's little to do.

[Night Runner]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Yeah but you have a worked Auto box. Autos maybe better for drags, but look at what circuit racers use. Manuals.

Imagine if Brock, Johnson or Moffat were banging around the Mountain in Autos?.

Yupe, forgot to put for circuit racing there is simply not better choice than a manual to have better in/out corner control of your rpms/speed. 100% the best choice for circuit racing.

Now days there are many mods available for the automatics, shift kits, stall converters etc. Factories set their transmissions for comfort, not speed. A few cheap and easy modes like a shift kit will add longevity to the trans and make them perform a lot better, chirping the tires during shifts etc. Just like adding a triple plate or short shift to a manual car.

To tell you the truth I like both, as long as the car is fast. I'm actually looking at buying a TS50 T3 Manual Liquid silver car....well, I have his number, just have to talk nicely. lol

Wish me luck!


:Reverend:

[PoMmYwOG]

I prefer auto over manual. I like manual too but prefer auto for its smooth power.
The best gearbox i reckon is the SMG gearbox in BMW. I drove a 2004 M3 and i want that gearbox!Its exactly like a manual except the computer controls the clutch, hence no clutch pedal.I got a shock when i went to take off it started rolling back, behaves like a manual. It changes gears in approx 0.8 sec according to bmw. You got 2 modes, S= Manual mode and A= Automated mode(changes like an auto with the power of a manual). It has a launch mode too, u push the shift up and hold it , then u can launch at watever rpm u like(too much and it just dumps it and u dnt go nowhere,lol)
An XR/FPV with SMG box...damn that would fly!

I just wish ford would shorten first gear(2nd is perfect) a lil bit in the auto's, too long!! i rekon max in first should be about 65k's not 80-85k's

[Falcon Freak]

The ZF 6 speed in my BF MkII is a great auto. It kicks down on demand and is rarely in the wrong gear. One of the best features is that it down changes by itself as speed reduces in anticipation of another application of the accelerator. But I still prefer a manual transmission.

FF

[sleekism]

Can peole here who buy new Falcons do second hand buyers a favour???

BUY MORE MANUALS!!!!!!

I searched everywhere for a manual falcon and they were ever rooted or overpriced.

I was considering paying 8 grand for a base model EL with a manual!

In the end I got the Fairmont Ghia which makes up for lack of manual with a balls to the wall motor and lots of luxury.

Still if people don't buy enough manuals they might take away the option alltogether and the problem for me is that people who option manuals usually are enthusiasts who flog their car so I don't want to buy it.

The manual has to be a good one too I find that Toyota Camrys for example have really awkward feeling manual transmissions.

How do the XR8's and XR6 Turbos go with the manual?

Car mags seem to recommend going the ZF Auto and I am concerned about modifying a XR6 Turbo manual considering seeing as the typhoon neede a twin clutch.

And I still don't believe sequential mode relaces a proper manual especially in the Aurion where it decides to change for you anyway.

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by ea_silver_ghia

I didn't vote because I'm another auto driver that wants a manual. I'd never even driven an auto till about 2 months after I got my p-plates. In fact my EA was that first auto. The autos are just too boring. I love it when I get back in my parent's EBII 5 speed wagon, or even in the old 89' Rodeo! If my auto does eventually die on me (the rough gear changes indicate that may well happen), then I would hopefully have the money available at the time to convert the EA to a manual.

Well, I posted this on 31/10/05, and since then the auto got worse and worse. In about September last year, I finally took the plunge and (with a lot of help from other e-series members) converted the EA to manual. It is easily the best mod I have done to my car, and really transformed it. So now I can finally vote, because I now drive what I prefer!

[v gate]

Why is an auto box better for drag racing?

[FORD3V]

Originally Posted by v gate

Why is an auto box better for drag racing?

More consistent, not as easy to f#@k your launch up.

I prefer a manual for street use, but would get an auto if i wanted to race my car.

[fou_bleu]

Well i would choose an auto, only because they usually have sport-shift! So if i feel not so lazy, i can swap!

[v gate]

Whats hard about launching a car . Set it up properly and theres no worries . Same as an auto with a trans brake.

[FORD3V]

Originally Posted by v gate

Whats hard about launching a car . Set it up properly and theres no worries . Same as an auto with a trans brake.

You have obviously never driven a manual with massive bottom end torque.
Have you ever driven a manual with 300+ kw's?

[v gate]

You have obviously never spent the time to get a manual to work.

[FORD3V]

Originally Posted by v gate

You have obviously never spent the time to get a manual to work.

You didnt answer my question?????
But you have obviously never driven a manual with serious balls,you wouldnt no then.

[v gate]

Mate 500 neddies is what i spent my time in!!!!! Dont no what it is in giga wots. Hi 1.5 60fts and 11.1s on the Qtr. Spend money on clutch suspension box and have a go. Its bs about autos being better faster or what ever. If they were they wouldnt have their own index in super stock. Auto better than a 4 speed never!!!!! driver making a mistake you bet ya

[FORD3V]

Originally Posted by v gate

Mate 500 neddies is what i spent my time in!!!!! Dont no what it is in giga wots. Hi 1.5 60fts and 11.1s on the Qtr. Spend money on clutch suspension box and have a go. Its bs about autos being better faster or what ever. If they were they wouldnt have their own index in super stock. Auto better than a 4 speed never!!!!! driver making a mistake you bet ya

Mmmmmmm ok mate, its fairly obvious you have no idea what you are talking about :baby bott

[v gate]

explain please

[FORD3V]

Originally Posted by v gate

explain please

Explain??? Why dont you answer my original question and tell me if you have driven a manual with serious power?

If you havnt, I cant really blame you for having no idea what i am talking about.

[v gate]

Yes i do xagt top loader. I thought v gate would give it away.