Manual or Auto?

[Guest ReadyPenny]

Hi Guys

 

Just wondering because I am nosey - do you still prefer to drive a manual or have you converted to the Aussie way and now drive an auto? We bought a manual, I hate autos it's like driving a go kart to me!! Our car is in the paint shop because I didn't look where I was going one morning when I backed it off the drive - oops!!! They gave me an auto as a loan car and it got me thinking..... why do so many Aussies prefer autos??? Mmmmm the mind boggles!! Although I have to admit (much as it pains me to do so!) that this morning whilst sat in traffic on the way to work my "clutch leg" was not aching :biglaugh:

 

Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter, particularly if you have been here a while

[duncan-clan]

Most cars here are automatic due to the fact of the large engines...my ford XR6 turbo is a 6 speed auto but with the option of semi- auto and with the traction control off is so much fun

 

Alex

[Guest ReadyPenny]

Now Alex that's all a bit "technical" for me! LOL Do you mean it goes faster?? Forgive my naivity I am not a petrol head, I just know that I feel more in control of my manual Holden Cruze and that it moves off from stationary much quicker than the auto Camry I'm driving at the moment. There doesn't seem to be much torque going on!!

[duncan-clan]

Hell yeah faster...did get 255kph...that car has now gone,now have motard race bike so much fun

Wife has kia grand carnival 3.8 v6 she said its to quick for her but she does love the power

 

Alex

[Guest ReadyPenny]

Ah NOW I understand!! Doh! Thanks

[xzibit]

I drive a manual. I can see why autos are popular here, especially in the city with all the stop-start at the lights. But I never feel in full control of an automatic car, especially driving a little energetically. There's little to no engine breaking, and if you get a flat battery, good luck trying to bump start it.

 

Also, unless a car has a large amount of torque, the gearbox is always going up and down, especially in small engines. I wouldn't consider an auto in anything less than a V6 as every auto I've driven in less was terrible.

 

In conclusion, even though I'd like auto for the lights, I shall stick to manual.

[Guest Guest5035]

depends on the car i'm driving, a manual if its the VE GTS or a auto in the wifes car..

 

stevo

[Guest Tina]

Before i came here... i had never drove an auto... i now have an auto.. it is the easiest way to drive, just like a go cart... i think a tall 2yr old could drive an auto very easily (not a fast one of course)..

 

hubby has a manual.. but secretly loves driving my car, denies it of course...

for the first year over here, i had to sit on my left hand whilst driving as it kept moving and doing silly things like going for the gears, and when you have a passenger in the seat who has never driven a manual, they kind of look at you strange when your left arm does a kind of circlular motion in mid air....

 

so for me now even if we went back to the uk, i think i would deffo consider an auto if we still had two cars.

[Guest ReadyPenny]

It's really strange Tina isn't it? As I said though, my leg wasn't aching when I arrived at work from on and off the clutch, I'm really short so I cant rest my heel on the floor of the car and depress the clutch all the way down, so my leg "hovers" in mid air every time I need to change gears, which gives me a very achy leg after my 1 hr journey to work each morning and home again in the evening!!! Maybe just maybe I might consider one next time we replace the car. I can't believe I just typed that!!!!

[Guest Sachertorte]

I love manual, but I completely agree that a small engine is not suitable for auto. When we bought our family car (2.5 lt not turbo) we test drove both version of our model. The constant high-pitched revving of the auto made us feel the engine was so lame! But manual worked fine. My husband has a European auto but his car has tons of bhp and it drives like a rocket.

However when we were first here, the auto did help me driving around in unknown areas as I could forget about the gears whilst I focused in getting where I wanted to.

Plus it gave me the occasional buzz of leaving hairy chested bikers behing at traffic lights

[ajford]

Must admit I love my go kart. Never drove auto til I came here now I hate it when the car goes to garage and they give me a manual.

 

Lisa

[DAVID.CHRISTINE]

Just love my manual mini cooper, just the power when setting off,

[jtct]

Our little Yaris is auto and we love it. Great for all those steep hills around here too (as well as frequent stops for traffice lights)

[jim and adel]

Mine's auto and Adel's is manual. If going for a bigger car it would be auto, smaller, manual, but beyond that I don't really notice which I'm driving (but then, getting away first at traffic lights isn't high on my priorities).

 

Jim

[Guest ReadyPenny]

Mine's auto and Adel's is manual. If going for a bigger car it would be auto, smaller, manual, but beyond that I don't really notice which I'm driving (but then, getting away first at traffic lights isn't high on my priorities).

 

Jim

 

 

LOL it's not high on mine either Jim, I'm a bit of a Sunday driver to be honest BUT it does frustrate me when it takes folk ages to move off at the lights!

[snivag]

'They're' not very good at driving automatics, imagine if "they" had more controls to worry about!!!!!!

[scooterdan]

We had a manual for 4 years when arrived.....as i was against autos..... that car has no died!!

 

So i bought an auto....and love it!! (but maybe thats just because the car is 15 years newer than the last!!!) I drove though so many lights and love not having to go up and down every 2 secs!! I can also use it as a sports semi...but haven't yet had enough road to play on!!! Agree that small engines are rubbish autos though!!

 

Next car will be auto too....!!

[Guest smit]

We had a manual for 4 years when arrived.....as i was against autos..... that car has no died!!

 

So i bought an auto....and love it!! (but maybe thats just because the car is 15 years newer than the last!!!) I drove though so many lights and love not having to go up and down every 2 secs!! I can also use it as a sports semi...but haven't yet had enough road to play on!!! Agree that small engines are rubbish autos though!!

 

Next car will be auto too....!!

You must have now realised that you can use your mobile or put on your make up whilst still driving:wink:.............true adeladian

[snivag]

In all seriousness, it depends on what you want to do with the car. I have a six cylinder Commodore automatic and it is a great car. My wife also had a six cylinder commodore, we sold that one and bought a Suzuki Swift auto, this is a very small car and as she only travels to and from work (6km each way) this car has halved her petrol bill, there is no problem with the engine going up and down gears, basically because her journey is flat. Obviously we would not use the Suzuki to go to Melbourne in, but for around town, great car. I'm presuming that you are not a 'girl racer' and have no need to make sure your in the right gear for the next super fast corner. This is coming from an ex petrol head, still ride bikes though:wink:.

I AM A CONVERT

[Guest stephensteve]

Hi Guys, I have driven a London black cab for 15 years and they are autos all the way ( apart from one !!)

 

An auto is so much better as the clutch and gears are such a nuisance, never a manual ever again...!!!!

 

cheers..

[sueoc]

Hi,we have got both Auto and Manual and I find they both have their benefits.The auto is a doddle to drive,and relaxing,but with the constant changes in speed limits i find it is easy to become complacent and stick to a speed that becomes comfortable,only to find i either have to slam on a bit,or find a big 4x4 rammed almost into the boot in a nano second!:shocked:The Manual keeps me more alert,with the changing of gears as required,and as necessary.That's my Story,and i,m sticking with it!

[Guest moonraker1959]

I prefer a manual myself,but have driven auto's(loan cars)before and found them ok.Not sure if this is true but is'nt an automatic more expensive to fix than a manual?I seem to recall someone telling me that a long time ago,is it true?

[Guest ReadyPenny]

Well I'm on day 4 of driving the Go Kart and I hate to say but I think I might be becoming a convert!!! Hubby admitted last night that he finds it more relaxing to drive!!!

[Guest Caz Doyle]

I'm still in Ireland but drive an auto here I love them! point it in the right direction and off you go!

Never liked driving manual and will never go back!!!

[nikkinoodlesuk]

We have both auto and manual and enjoy driving both, I was driving my mums little manual when visiting UK recently and forgot how much fun driving a manual is, but gotta say the auto is so much easier and i'd say a lazy car to drive, I suggest have the best of both, one for fun and feel like your in control and one for easy crusing!!