Automatic drivers hate to drive!? Its boring???

[Johnf514]

As far as safety goes, inattention is one thing, but I have to say that automatics are safer because in an emergency, you don't have to think as much and you won't stall out. In duress, your mind might not work as well as usual. Stalling out in the middle of a collision event could get you into serious trouble.

While an inexperienced manual driver may run into trouble with shifting and stalling in an emergency, I can testify that an experienced and skilled stickshifter can use their mind and techniques to lessen the impact or avoid altogether an emergency. I have, on more than one occasion, maneuvered out of the way and through a near collision that in an automatic would have left me no choice but to hit the vehicles or leave the road trying to avoid them.

As you explore the world of standard shifting, your idea of safety will begin to change, as long as you always challenge your knowledge of driving manual. The better you get, the safer you will be. Good luck!

[starshifter]

I've said it before and i'll say it again. driving a stick is a safety feature.

you have to pay attention to the road when driving a standard. i hate these stupid auto drivers who never pay attention to the road, talk on thier cell phones and park 3inches behind your bumper. what happend to driving a car. if it were up to me the only things in the interior of a car would be 2 seats a shift knob a tach a steering wheel the and four pedals. [/i]

four pedals! Does yours have a foot-operated parking brake? I thought only old-fashioned American cars do.

[starshifter]

As far as safety goes, inattention is one thing, but I have to say that automatics are safer because in an emergency, you don't have to think as much and you won't stall out. In duress, your mind might not work as well as usual. Stalling out in the middle of a collision event could get you into serious trouble.

While an inexperienced manual driver may run into trouble with shifting and stalling in an emergency, I can testify that an experienced and skilled stickshifter can use their mind and techniques to lessen the impact or avoid altogether an emergency. I have, on more than one occasion, maneuvered out of the way and through a near collision that in an automatic would have left me no choice but to hit the vehicles or leave the road trying to avoid them.

As you explore the world of standard shifting, your idea of safety will begin to change, as long as you always challenge your knowledge of driving manual. The better you get, the safer you will be. Good luck!

John, maybe I missed it, but did you get over your Camaro's sudden death? I think you mentioned temporarily driving a Taurus for a while. I know how hard it is to get over the loss of a loved one but I hope you did and have now found yourself a new manual life partner.

[Sypher]

I've said it before and i'll say it again. driving a stick is a safety feature.

you have to pay attention to the road when driving a standard. i hate these stupid auto drivers who never pay attention to the road, talk on thier cell phones and park 3inches behind your bumper. what happend to driving a car. if it were up to me the only things in the interior of a car would be 2 seats a shift knob a tach a steering wheel the and four pedals. [/i]

four pedals! Does yours have a foot-operated parking brake? I thought only old-fashioned American cars do.

I think the last pedal would be the dead pedal....

[aphexcoil]

I love driving a manual compared to my old automatic Corolla. I can't even begin to count how many times I've just left the house to listen to music in my car because it is so much fun to drive.

I thought the feeling would wear off after awhile but amazingly it is just as intense a month later as it was when I first got my manual.

I'll also vouch for the fact that driving a manual has made me much more aware of what is going on.

When I drove an automatic, I never paid any attention to the traffic light patterns -- I just waited for the light to turn green. When I got my manual, I learned to observe all the lights and now I have a firm grasp for how the light patterns change. That in itself may not mean anything, but I definately have paid much more attention to my surroundings since driving a manual.

The only problem I have now is exit ramps and entrance ramps. If the sign says 25 miles per hour, that means I could easily do 50 ... but the cars in front now seem to go so sloooooooow.

[scionkid]

four pedals! Does yours have a foot-operated parking brake? I thought only old-fashioned American cars do.

You can buy an MB C350 with a 6 spd stick and a foot parking brake.

Nor is it old fashion, I was test driving a Cobalt and the dude says, "we are considering a foot parking brake in the future because it is more luxurious."

To me, that's the deal breaker. I'm not gonna // park in San Francisco with foot parking brake when I have to mess with the clutch pedal. Stupid Detroit marketing.

Aphexcoil, if you try hard with the Corollas, you can hang the rear end out taking a right turn at 20 mph. Just lift off the go pedal and momentum does the rest. I bet most people didn't find out. With my xB, I try not to pull those shenanigans--too much tire wear. But when the sign says 30, I do 45 and there isn't a hint of squeal. I can even pass Lexus on those on ramps cause they dare not go as fast. The xB is not quite an RX8 but still fun.

[Honda Rules]

Its so boring to drive when you have a G1...tat means you have to drive with sumone with four years of experience and ur driving a Automatic Car

[axiomofchoice]

I'm still actually learning to drive now, but I find driving with a manual transmission quite fun. There is usually some kind of new situation that I come across each time I drive, and I like practicing downshifting around corners. I actually like stopping at traffic lights because it's fun to accelerate through the gears, although I wonder if this will wear off as I become more experienced. I've about thirty hours of driving now. I can't yet compare to automatics as I've never driven one, however, but I can imagine them to be pretty tedious to drive.

[Johnf514]

Nor is it old fashion, I was test driving a Cobalt and the dude says, "we are considering a foot parking brake in the future because it is more luxurious."

Who the hell in design figured that one? Yes, every time I sat in my Camaro, sans foot parking brake, I felt a wave of utter blue-collar econo-stop methodology roll over me when I put my hand on that handbrake. Uh-huh.

[aphexcoil]

Who the hell in design figured that one? Yes, every time I sat in my Camaro, sans foot parking brake, I felt a wave of utter blue-collar econo-stop methodology roll over me when I put my hand on that handbrake. Uh-huh.

LOL

[IMBoring25]

Having loads of time in a manual vehicle with a foot-operated parking brake, yes, it does get a little tedious, and it prodded me to get better at unassisted hill starts faster. Having to shift to neutral, take your foot off the clutch, apply the parking brake, put your foot back on the clutch, shift to first, and then lean over to release the parking brake all-or-nothing (So if you release it early, you're out of luck) is enough to try anyone's patience and means there's no such thing as a quick stop-and-go.

"Foot-operated parking brake = luxury," is just the kind of inanity I'd expect when marketing gets ahold of the design process and takes it away from the engineers and the real car guys.

[Johnf514]

Sounds like GM (see the Cobalt above) needs to put a little money into R&D . . .

What money?!