Do you prefer manual or automatic ?

Manual or Automatic transmission?

  • Total voters
    137
I followed in my dad's footsteps. His whole like he was militant about manual. "If you're not using manual transmission, you're not in full control of the car." Then when he got old and retired he bought his first automatic and never went back to manual. Well, I'm not retired, but I'm in my mid 50s and after driving manual my entire life I bought a new car last December. 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring. Pretty much every system in the thing is automatic, and I'm loving it.
 
I learned to drive with manual but my current car is automatic (wasn't even looking for one, but I bought a used one and the best deal on the model I wanted just happened to be an automatic).

If you are going to go for an actual drive manual is way more fun. But for the day to day driving around the city (which is what I do 95% of the time) I prefer automatic.
 
I used to drive a manual. Lived a lot more rural at the time, and it could be enjoyable. Now I live in a city (DC) and fuck that noise.

That being, said there's no 3rd option, EV, which are a single gear and have no transmission. A great feeling when you can just floor it and not have to be slowed down by gear changes. No stupid bubububu noises, no buzzing engine, just pure quick, quiet, and smooth acceleration.
 
I enjoy driving my manual sports car sometimes but also enjoy driving my automatic compact SUV at times.

I don't suddenly grow labia when I'm not driving my manual car, as much as I'd like to.
 
Manual being the standard here, so I only ever had that. Never even driven an automatic.

All the crossovers, SUVs and EVs are automatic. And seeing that nowadays dealers almost exclusively sell those kind of models, I'll be driving an automatic eventually.

So, for all this time, I prefer manual because I don't know any better.
 
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My 2010 Jeep Rubicon is a six-speed manual, and I generally love it.

HOWEVER, I've found out that my Jeep is not unique with it popping out of reverse, or just having a difficult time going INTO reverse. Seems to be an issue with most of the manuals of that body style (JKU).

So, when I buy another Jeep, I'll get an automatic. I'm tired of dealing with this.
 
I learned on a manual. It just sucks. I don't want to think about switching gears constantly, as I live in the city. Changing to automatic was revelatory.
 
My first few cars were manuals and my last few were automatics. I do enjoy a manual but convenience has won me over.

I refuse to buy a car with a CVT though.
 
I remember buying a Scion tc standard. Had no clue how to drive that. Learned quick though and prefer it overall. Moved to Seattle and it was FUCKEN TORTURE. I have an automatic now cuz the wife can't drive standard and I can't teach her lol.
 
I've only ever driven manual. It becomes second nature soon enough, but I remember it making learning to drive stressful af at first.
 
In France manuals were the only option for years. So all my childhood I saw only manuals. Started to drive on manual.
When hearing in US it was mainly automatic, I find it weird because manuals was the only way to drive. Automatic was easy mode.

Then few years ago I went for a E-car, so automatic, and I would never go back to manual. Now I have a hybrid and love the automatic. No need to think about gears etc... I like how chill it is.
But I am not a lover of cars or driving in general so...
 
Manual. I do appreciate automatics when it actually makes sense to have them. Like in supercars like a Bugatti Mistral (I don't know if I want to change gears manually in a car that is powered by a W16 engine). Or in buses (automatics tend to optimize better for fuel efficiency and material wear).
 
It depends on the type of vehicle you are talking about. Let's be honest.

Manual vs automatic is not a one size fits all.


Are you talking about Sports cars?
Pickup truck?
Commercial Vehicle?
Construction vehicle?
Motorcycle?
Jeep wrangler (its own category, if you have ever driven one).

In a family sedan or pick up truck, absolutely automatic.

Edit: I would be SHOCKED if the over 50% of people who voted for manual, could actually drive a Manual!
 
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Coming from SA, whose like 100 years behind everyone and only really started adopting automatic cars in the last 5 - 10 years by most.

Automatic is the logical answer, purely for less human error. When you live in a country where the majority of the people on the roads (maybe not majority but a large percentage of the population) have bought their license illegally due to all the bureaucracy behind passing legally. you'll be thankful that cars can't stall or roll back etc when you are driving by them.

I also find Gear stick insistents to just be elitist. You aren't a racecar driver. When is that 0.6s gear change differential really going to be important in your life on the day to day getting around town.
 
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MilkyJoe said:
Preferring an automatic would be an admission to homosexuality
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Bring on the cocks then.

I've owned and driven many manual cars including my first car ever (shitty 90s Saturn, 2000 Civic EX, 1997 BMW M3 E36, 1998 Golf VR6) and overall owned/driven more manuals then automatics BUT for a daily driver I prefer automatic. Driving for me sometimes is a moment to shut my brain off and I like being able to just "coast" through errands and stuff.

"Fun" cars though? Manual 100% if available but I'm not one of those dudes going OMG THE NEW SUPRA DOESNT HAVE A MANUAL IM NEVER BUYING ONE. That being said I don't want a new Supra because I don't want an inferior BMW engine in my Japanese sports car.
 
Manual everywhere, I don't even notice it, also, when I'm driving I'm driving so I don't need my left hand to watch the phone or do other bs.
 
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The only automatic cars I have purchased have been family cars for my wife.

Automatic cars aren't bad. In this day and age, they are typically much faster than their manual counterparts. But there is nothing like driving a manual sports cars, rolling through gears on the freeway in the summer at sunset, or through a canyon on a crisp Saturday spring morning.
 
Unknown Soldier said:
Manual trannies haven't been in newly produced cars for decades now, excepting a few companies who cater to the tiny group of people who still want to shift gears themselves in their niche sports cars like Miatas and GT86's

I believe Porsche no longer offers a standard manual tranny option on the 911, because the cars have gotten so fast that no human can shift the gears fast enough. They might still offer one on the Cayman and Boxster, I'm not sure about that
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Porsche still makes them for both the 718 and the 911. You can even get the new Carrera T or a GT3 with a manual transmission.

Honda still makes them. Toyota still makes them with the Supra. Subaru still produces a manual transmission. The mustang is still offered in manual. Aston Martin also offered a manual with the Valor and Valiant.

They are much less common than they used to be but there are some amazing manual transmissions out there these days.
 
hououinkyouma00 said:
Bring on the cocks then.

I've owned and driven many manual cars including my first car ever (shitty 90s Saturn, 2000 Civic EX, 1997 BMW M3 E36, 1998 Golf VR6) and overall owned/driven more manuals then automatics BUT for a daily driver I prefer automatic. Driving for me sometimes is a moment to shut my brain off and I like being able to just "coast" through errands and stuff.

"Fun" cars though? Manual 100% if available but I'm not one of those dudes going OMG THE NEW SUPRA DOESNT HAVE A MANUAL IM NEVER BUYING ONE. That being said I don't want a new Supra because I don't want an inferior BMW engine in my Japanese sports car.
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I swear the new GR Supra offers a manual, no?

I'm usually chauffeuring the family around in my wife's SUV so I figure if I am going to have a car for myself that I drive around a few days a week, I might as well buy something for the experience so manual transmission is a must. It's not that it's better or more efficient, or faster even, but it is no doubt more engaging.
 
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