Is driving manual really all that bad?

bethanne

If you are really unsure of how you would manage a stick shift, I suggest asking a friend who has a manual transmission to teach you, or contact a local driving school (it would be worth the money).

I have been driving both manual and automatic transmissions for more years than I will admit to, and contrary to what 'a lot of people' say, a manual does not cause accidents; if that were true, manuals would be illegal. And I doubt 'a lot of people' even know how to drive stick.

Your ability as a driver will determine if you rip your clutch apart or bust the engine (I thought the only way you could do anything remotely close to blowing up your engine is to drive it without oil). My moronic father-in-law thought it was perfectly normal to replace the clutch of his car every year; I've had manuals for years, never a problem.

The cons of a stick is that it becomes tedious if you sit in stop and go traffic, or if part of your drive involves sitting at a stop sign or light facing uphill (since the car will roll a little bit backwards). Cons of an automatic is that it tends to add to the price of a car.

Pros of either are personal taste; do you want to take the extra time to learn how to drive a stick?

I prefer my manual transmission car, but I do like my automatic as well.

This is one decision that should be yours to make after you take the time to try to learn stick and see if it is for you.

and you can only ruin your engine if you somehow dont shift and let it rev all the way to redline
or if you accidentally downshift into a lower gear than you were suppose to

once you learn how
an auto or manual isnt safer than the other

and the person who had to replace the clutch on his daughers care right away, the clutch was probably already history when she got it,

PMack

Manual pros - better control, sometimes better performance and economy (depends on the car and how many gears the auto or manual has), always cheaper, generally more durable, and it's much cheaper to replace a clutch than an auto rebuild as the car gets older. AND - way more fun.

Cons - stop and go traffic can be a pain with a stick (engage the clutch, disengage, etc), and it's harder to eat while you're driving, but you shouldn't be doing that anyway, right?

Anybody who says manuals cause accidents is an idiot.

I have both, and much prefer the stick.

Hope this helps

Dani G

There is nothing bad about it. The real question should be "is it bad that so many people can only drive automatics ?"

To my knowledge, the US and Canada are the only two countries in the world where most people have a driver's licence without actually being able to shift gears for themselves. I think you'll find that most Europeans don't think you're a real driver unless you can drive stick. Then again, most Europeans actually value driving ability.

There is nothing dangerous about driving manual, on the contrary. It's more likely to be less dangerous because it requires that you focus just a little more on the task at hand. You can drive an automatic on auto-pilot, but you can't do that with a manual.

Personally, I never pay extra for an automatic, in fact I don't particularly like automatics. If the car I'm buying is only available with an auto, fine, but otherwise I always buy manual. Both my daughters drive manuals, and while my wife's car is an auto, she's currently shopping for a new car and the one we're going to see tonight is available with a manual or an auto. Can you guess which one she wants ?

Bust the engine ? really ? whoever told you this doesn't know much about cars ot how to drive them...

Texas

My daughter really wanted a car with a manual transmission.

The first day after she bought it, she burnt out the clutch "learning" to drive it and immediately we put $800 work into a car that was $1500 to buy. So learning can be a costly thing.

Personally, my parents had all manual transmission cars when I was learning to drive, and that is what I learned on and I have preferred and enjoyed driving manual transmission all my life. If you spend much time on the phone while driving, or anything else that diverts your attention, you need that extra hand to shift with now and you need to stop doing that other stuff. If you don't stop texting while driving or whatever, then a manual transmission is more likely to be something else that challenges your attention if you multi-task while driving, but if you are ATTENTIVE toward your driving it gives you an increased feel and responsiveness of the vehicle toward the road.

Tom W

This is in response to Tex.....you can't burn out a clutch in one day if it was in decent shape to begin with. The clutch on your car was getting ready to go soon regardless how your daughter drove the car.

Mr.Wise

Manual trans do not cause accidents is the same as guns don't kill, it's the person. If you like the feeling of having complete control, don't mind shifting, and know when to shift (RPM's), manual is the way to go. If you drive on a lot of hills or city driving shifting can become a nuisance after awhile. If you're old or basically a lazy person, go auto.

I should add also that auto-trans cars cause more accidents. If you accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake of a manual, it will not shift down. It's automatics that lunge into buildings and pedestrians.

nogarossi81

what?? no way! theres nothing better than the feel of a manual when you are actually driving, and if anything i think there would be less chance of an accident becuase you are more focused on the activity of driving... Ive driven both, im a Brit living in America so I can be impartial, and I definately prefer Manual

shebs

They do not "cause accidents" nor do they damage engines if used properly and can be easily learned with patience.

ADVANTAGES

1. Manuals are often cheaper to buy and fix.

2. Manuals do give greater control over the car and better engine braking: this is partly why they are preferred in performance applications and in off road and haulage duties.

3. Manuals, driven properly almost always offer better economy than the automatic option.

4. Manuals are easier to start if the car battery is flat. Note some modern manuals must not be roll started either.

5. Manuals are a way of getting better acceleration, when youhave the skill to change properly.

I would go with a manual licence, take the time to learn the skill. If you travel to many parts of the world, Europe, Asia and so on, manuals are far more common, even in rental cars.

the lock man

better as milage-pretty easy to learn- if you got a lot of big city hill-id get the auto

***not single***

um i would totally get auto manual is ICKY lol no idk jk dont pay attention to me

UCANTCME

Get whatever you want but if you don't have experience you can have an accident, you can burn up the clutch and so on.

Sam

my brother told me he could do it manually
but that was the last thing he told me
he crashed later that night on the freeway

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