(Topic ID: 226447)
Warrenton, VA
I learned to drive manual. It's what my parents had. But I always had automatics. That's just the way it worked out. Then in 2001 I bought my first (and last) new vehicle. I checked "manual" on the order. It lives in its own garage and comes out to play most Sundays.
One new feature I have on the BRZ is called hill hold assist. The theory is that you can take your foot off the brake, to the gas without having to ride the clutch while on a hill.
I tried it out to see if it was worthwhile, but for me, if you already know how to drive it’s not important (I’m not driving in San Francisco steep hills so I didn’t find it beneficial).
It kind of had a sticky feel to it as if the parking brake is on. Supposed to only be operational on hills, but a few times I’d be on mostly flat ground and I’d try to take off without gas, in other words just ease off the clutch where it would normally be ok to do, but the hill hold caused me to stall as of the park brake was halfway on.
Quoted from TheLaw:Hows the throw length on the shifter in those? WRX has always had just a pitiful shifter, and a short-throw is 'needed'
I got mine with the sti short throw. Not sure if that's standard, or an option.....
Quoted from TheLaw:Hows the throw length on the shifter in those? WRX has always had just a pitiful shifter, and a short-throw is 'needed'
My car came with the optional short shifter kit already so I can’t tell. To me it’s perfect, just great and much like my S2000.
In fact the BRZ compares favorably to the S2000 in every way (except the S2K had the magical 9K redline and the extra 35 horses). The shifter was probably a bit shorter/better in the S2000 but I can’t say for sure because I sold it 10 years ago. I think the shifter was more light feeling on the S2000 and less notchy feeling on the S2000. S2000 shifting was like silk while the BRZ you definitely feel the click click when you shift.
I’m sure the BRZ has the edge on the WRX if that’s anything at all like my Legacy, I’m not saying they are compatible but I believe the AWD Subaru’s will have a cable or something to attract the shifter to the transmission rather than being directly into the transmission on a RWD car. But I’ll admit I’m not sure because I’ve not driven a STI
Much prefer manual, but they are a dying breed. A few years ago I was looking for sporty, AWD, with hatchback and so it would be somewhat practical and MANUAL. Literally no options out there until I stumbled upon a VW Golf R. Now, the strange thing is I had been to two VW dealers and neither one had heard of or mentioned the R. Tracked one down and after chipping, Dieselgeek short shifter, etc. it was a really fun car to drive. All that being said, I replaced it with a truck last year. Although I miss the active driving of a manual and hadn't owned an auto in 30+ years, I hate to admit it, auto was the best choice.
Quoted from tamoore:I got mine with the sti short throw. Not sure if that's standard, or an option.....
Quoted from rai:I believe the AWD Subaru’s will have a cable or something to attract the shifter to the transmission rather than being directly into the transmission on a RWD car.
Without the kit the the WRX has a throw aboot as long as that dodge truck up there; insane.
Love the BRZ, maybe i'll get one when I retire.
Quoted from TheLaw:Without the kit the the WRX has a throw aboot as long as that dodge truck up there; insane.
Love the BRZ, maybe i'll get one when I retire.
Here’s a great video. Toyota 86 on Autobahn 149 mph.
My first car, which happens to still be my current car, is a 2002 Accord with a 5-speed manual. It's all I ever drive, and all I've ever driven, day to day.
It sucks. Full stop.
I drive a lot during the day. My job takes me out into the field all over the state, and often other states. I easily pile on 35k to 40k miles per year, possibly more. Nothing is worse than chugging along at a crawl in city traffic or on the highway. Left foot gets fatigued. The car bucks and shudders at low speeds, and it's just an all around pain to drive. Mountainous areas and hills aren't a challenge, but I always get some guy riding so far up my ass, not knowing I'll have to roll back ever so slightly before the clutch re-engages. Sure, I could use the handbrake to hold myself, but I really never feel like doing that. Fuel economy is slightly better than what was available from the 4-speed auto at the time, BUT 5th gear is so freaking low, my car screams down the highway at 80 mph. The only saving grace is that Honda really knows how to build a smooth revvy engine. It might hold the tach high, but it always feels like the engine is enjoying itself.
I got to say, the car itself is brilliant though. Nearly 200,000 trouble free miles, original clutch. Only a failed O2 sensor, and a leaky valve cover gasket that I'm too lazy to replace. I plan on driving this car until it's 100% dead. But rest assured, my next car will be an automatic. To me, a car is a utility, and I'm not concerned with spirited driving, speed, or driver engagement. Get me from A to B in the easiest way possible with the least amount of effort.
My last ICE car (Internal Combustion Engine) that I'll ever own was fantastic. 6 speed demon. This picture was taken right before I sold it. It had 70,000 miles and looked like new. I really thought that I would miss it, but my Tesla is SO much better than anything I have ever owned. It's the future. I don't miss the Infiniti one bit.
Work van is automatic
Family explorer is automatic
Cobra is manual
Corvette is manual
Of all of them I drive the automatics the most.
Manual for as long as I can.
I've only owned a few automatics in my life - mostly the cars that my wife drives.
Starting in 1978 up to today I've always had a manual transmission car as a daily driver.
69 Ford pick up 3 on the tree - My First Car
79 BMW 320i 4 speed
79 BMW 528i 4 speed
79 Saab 900 hatch 5 speed
86 Saab 900 sedan 5 speed
76 BMW 3.0Si sedan 4 speed
74 BMW 2002 coupe 5 speed
88 Pontiac Fiero GT 5 speed
89 Audi Quattro wagon 5 speed
95 Saab 900S 5 speed
98 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 6 speed
03 Ford Focus SVT 6 speed
13 Ford Focus 5 speed
15 Ford Focus 5 speed - My Current Daily Driver
Luckily I don't have to put up with much city traffic. Even then I'd probably be OK with it. Driving is entertainment for me. Without a manual it isn't as entertaining.
I'll be disappointed and/or depressed when I can't have a manual to drive.
Quoted from rai:One new feature I have on the BRZ is called hill hold assist. The theory is that you can take your foot off the brake, to the gas without having to ride the clutch while on a hill.
I have that on my Audi S4. I like the feature because they replaced the manual e-brake with an electric one. Mine only holds the car for about 5 seconds then you have to reapply the brake.
A few other things my Audi has that I never had in other cars is it brings the rpms up from 900 to about 1100 when completely stopped, clutch pushed in and in first gear.
Also it has rev matching on spirited downshifts so you can go from 6th to 5th or 4th to 3rd and it will blip the throttle when you cross over neutral. I haven't figured how to turn it off, so heel and toe downshifts are weird sometimes if I'm doing that.
My last 2 cars (about 15 years worth) were manuals. I just get bored driving automatic. Although, while my wife can drive manual, she doesnt do it often, so she won't drive my car. Can be annoying sometimes, but not enough for me to buy an automatic.
I pulled out the VW "Automatic Stick Shift" from my '74 VW Super Beetle and replace it with a 4 speed stick. Clutch/brake pedal bolted in place of the old brake pedal and the tube for the clutch cable was already in the center of the floor pan.
I prefer a manual trans. Not all cars were available with them. I bought an '87 Audi 5000CS Turbo quattro new which only came in a 5 speed stick that year. Amazing that a flagship luxury sedan only came with a stick. It was fine with me. That car had 286,000 miles when I donated it to a charity motors place.
I replaced the clutch once on it.(Bad throwout bearing) but since I was in there, I replaced everything. What a bear of a job. Two floor jacks needed to get that transmission out & back in.....
I had to order a Jeep Wrangler with a manual because they didn't have any on the lot.
But more importantly, my 16yr old son drives a manual Saturn. It's perfect, no texting while driving and he can't loan it or let his friends drive it. I will be looking for another manual in a few years for my 12yr old.
I prefer the manual 2000 Vette (6spd short throw ftw) in the fun car, and the auto G8 GT for the grind to and from the city.
The car in my avatar has a manual valve body th400.....so best of both there Haha.
Quoted from TheLaw:Without the kit the the WRX has a throw aboot as long as that dodge truck up there; insane.
Love the BRZ, maybe i'll get one when I retire.
these guys describing the BRZ shifter said it feels a bit shorter than the WRX. My car came with the short throw optional shifter.
Quoted from Luzur:Been driving manual daily for like 19 years now, and im done, its gonna be automatic from now on.
Starting to think that way, too. I don't mind the manual in traffic but I do a lot of commuting. Driving just doesn't seem like as much fun as it used to be.
Guess I am getting old or something. I have a VW GTI and it's pretty fun but most of the time I am just getting from A-B. My kids will start driving soon and I want to teach them how to drive a manual. With 3 kids, that's just asking for trouble but that's me. Finding a manual option in a car that can comfortable fit 4 or more people and not cost a fortune is getting hard.
Quoted from jawjaw:Finding a manual option in a car that can comfortable fit 4 or more people and not cost a fortune is getting hard.
I wouldn’t say that. You can get many cars with MT. You just have to look around. Probably most dealers will stock mostly AT but there are a lot of MT cars you can still get. Accord is one example.
Quoted from G-P-E:Drove manuals for years and loved them.
Currently driving car with a German piece-of-shit 9-speed sloppomatic.
QmiG (resized).PNGQuoted from jawjaw:My kids will start driving soon and I want to teach them how to drive a manual. With 3 kids, that's just asking for trouble but that's me.
I taught both of my boys to drive on our 1995 900S with manual transmission. The first day or two of training they both swore at me. Once they had it down they would prefer to drive a manual to this day. I handed down my 13 Ford Focus to my oldest when I got my 15 Focus. He's had the car for about 16 months now and lives in the Washington DC metro area which is as bad as anywhere for driving a manual. I've asked if he is tired of having the MT even living where he does and he has no desire to part with it and really enjoys it.
Quoted from rai:I wouldn’t say that. You can get many cars with MT. You just have to look around. Probably most dealers will stock mostly AT but there are a lot of MT cars you can still get. Accord is one example.
https://www.caranddriver.com/flipbook/every-new-car-you-can-still-buy-with-a-manual-transmission-in-2018#25
I’d definitely recommend test driving the Accord with the manual before buying. I have a 2016 Accord Coupe and it has the worst manual tranny I have ever owned, and I’ve been driving a manual since age 14.
Daily - Automatic
Fun Car - Manual
I learned to hate manual in Chicago traffic, but damn if it doesnt feel like DRIVING when you drive a manual.
Being a drummer (for enjoyment) I always wondered if other drummers preferred manual shifting (since we're used to doing alternative things with different limbs).
My last car was the the Mazda RX8 and since the auto trans on that was a huge compromise, I got it new in manual. I drove that car (mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn) for 12 years until it was time for a new ride. This time around I was getting a used 911 (the Targa with the hatchback and usable space inside).
I didn't even consider an auto trans in the car, and put several offers to buy one (which weren't accepted due to the Targa being hard to find). At the last minute I test drive a PDK just to try it and thought "Damn I could live with this " since you can paddle shift or use the console shifter.
Going with PDK meant I had to go with a 2009 or later which more than doubled my budget, but I really enjoy the car and end up doing a decent amount of selecting my own gear.
There are still times I miss the manual, (and I believe my cars value would eventually rise in value if I had gotten the manual) but in traffic I'm happy I made the compromise.
I'm also hating many of you that have room for multiple cars and multiple pins!!!
I have always owned at least one vehicle with a manual. Banging the gears out on a curvy road still works me up and puts a huge grin across my face. Think of when you snag the gc on a friends pin. It is kinda like that. 
LA stop and go driving sucks. You need an automatic to survive here. That being said, I love my 73 VW thing.
Quoted from Mad_Dog_Coin_Op:LA stop and go driving sucks. You need an automatic to survive here.
Reminds me of a funny story. Had my brother in town and he wanted to drive my WRX STI, and so we went on a drive in the middle of the day. We turned a corner and then he said let's open this baby up as he turned to get on the ramp for the highway. I screamed -"No-don't take the highway!)-ump too late-coming to screeching halt-bumper to bumper traffic sucks! I literally have to time what time of the day it is and where I need to go now. Colorado feels like it is turning into California ):
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