OT: are manual transmissions safer?

[BikeNY]

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_slow

Those of you who still "enjoy" your manual transmissions have obviously never had the thrill of driving on SoCal freeways (er parking lots). If you are ever stuck in stop and go traffic for hours, you will quickly learn to hate manual transmissions, especially if you have a stiff clutch. I drove manuals until I moved to SoCal. Automatics ever since.

Could be true, but some of us chose where to live at least partly based on traffic, at least I did.

[William]

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_slow

Those of you who still "enjoy" your manual transmissions have obviously never had the thrill of driving on SoCal freeways (er parking lots). If you are ever stuck in stop and go traffic for hours, you will quickly learn to hate manual transmissions, especially if you have a stiff clutch. I drove manuals until I moved to SoCal. Automatics ever since.

I believe it....but I ain't ever moving to SoCal so I'm good.







W.

[speedevil]

I hate to admit this, but I learned to drive a manual in a American Motors Rambler with 3 on the tree. I still remember sitting in the driveway practicing, no keys, parking brake on, and working the clutch pedal and shifting. You had to be in the sweet spot to get the shifter to engage in all three speeds. Fun memories...

[sailorboy]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

My dream frivolous car is an early 2000s M Roadster 6MT - no screens, just music and the road. They're under $20k now too.

I'll probably be settling for a lowly 228i 6MT w M Sport package though. Engaging to drive and good fuel sipper.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Good call. I had an m235i for a few years but recently sold it. It had the 8AT because when I picked it up new it was my daily driver, and I lived in DC suburbs then. I went back and forth with the decision since I would've much preferred the manual experience with that engine, but reason won out. If it was the 6MT I'd still have it in the garage today. Keep a tire budget or consider the road hazard protection option. I don't know about where you are but with the crap roads here in the northeast, I went through tires like crazy. Potholes are not your friend in a BMW.

[wooly]

Originally Posted by BobC

Friend of mine bought a manual transmission car for his teenage daughter to prevent her from texting while driving (he didn't tell her that though). Pretty clever I thought.

I did this exact thing for my sons. My middle one, now 18, hated it. In fact he boycotted and I said here's your bus pass! He relented, learned on it and is the better for it. I really am a believer in this now (manual drive limiting ability to fudge with phones). My youngest boy, now 15.5, is learning on mom's automatic but knows what's coming. He's already complaining but he knows our resolve...



Plus, I drive this car sometimes and its great fun. Almost a classic haha.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by BobC

Friend of mine bought a manual transmission car for his teenage daughter to prevent her from texting while driving (he didn't tell her that though). Pretty clever I thought.

We drive a manual car and its replacement will also be manual and that will be the car that our kids learn to drive in. We have an automatic van and the kids will not be driving that. Engaged and focused is the only way to drive a 2 ton projectile down a shared road.

[572cv]

A BMW328xi manual 6, a Nissan Frontier manual 6, a Volvo S40T5 manual 6, a Citroen 2cv manual 4 (yeah!), and a BMW 328xiD 8spd automatic. The last is the least fun to drive, but the automatic is remarkably well matched to the engine torque and much more intuitive than i would have imagined. The paddle shifters work well, too. So, mixed marks on this automatic. I'd pick it for a trip to the city. It also gets great mileage, but then, that is the 'D', not the tranny.

As to the kids learning to drive on a manual, this was a great decision, and both daughter and son are proficient and solidly attentive drivers. But the other thing i did was start them on second hand Peugeots, which I was into for many years. The peugeots (405 mi16, 505V6 ) were great handlers, comfortable and pretty zippy (speeding tickets = possible). But I knew they would break down from time to time. I wanted the kids to know that cars are machines and they can fail from time to time. They learned great lessons from those cars, and learned to appreciate the finer aspects as well as the less good ones.

[witcombusa]

Originally Posted by goonster

Car & Driver maintains a list of every car still available with a manual transmission.

On the issue of distraction . . . is there anyone who regularly drives manual that hasn't mastered the higher arts of juggling coffee and donuts while heel-toeing the 3-2 downshift?

I can put down a large pizza while working the 5sd box on winding backroads on my way home.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_slow

Those of you who still "enjoy" your manual transmissions have obviously never had the thrill of driving on SoCal freeways (er parking lots). If you are ever stuck in stop and go traffic for hours, you will quickly learn to hate manual transmissions, especially if you have a stiff clutch. I drove manuals until I moved to SoCal. Automatics ever since.

Amen to that. One of the perks of living in the middle of nowhere America I guess.

[avalonracing]

Last month I got back in a MT after many years without one. I find when my phone dings a text tone it's not that I can't look at it, it's just that I don't want to. I'm just not bored driving. I'm finding driving the GTI with a manual so much fun that I'm half-considering getting rid of my Ducati which was filling the shifting void in my life.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_slow

Those of you who still "enjoy" your manual transmissions have obviously never had the thrill of driving on SoCal freeways (er parking lots). If you are ever stuck in stop and go traffic for hours, you will quickly learn to hate manual transmissions, especially if you have a stiff clutch. I drove manuals until I moved to SoCal. Automatics ever since.

I've BTDT. Easy enough to stick it in 1st or 2nd and just let the car creep along.

Do that here in the DC area too where traffic is as bad or worse.

Pay attention to the brake lights in front of you and don't drive like the other brain dead zombies: floor it till you hit the taillights and slam on the brakes. Repeat till you get to your destination.

M

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by wooly

My middle one, now 18, hated it. In fact he boycotted and I said here's your bus pass!

We did the same with my now 19-year-old, and she's still using a bus pass. I let her learn some basics in my old truck (in a parking lot) but her only option for the road was Mom's stick shift Honda, and she bailed. I'm just fine with that.

[loxx0050]

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_slow

Those of you who still "enjoy" your manual transmissions have obviously never had the thrill of driving on SoCal freeways (er parking lots). If you are ever stuck in stop and go traffic for hours, you will quickly learn to hate manual transmissions, especially if you have a stiff clutch. I drove manuals until I moved to SoCal. Automatics ever since.

I used to have a car where I replaced the stock clutch (it was shot) with a 6-puck Kevlar laced racing style one. Go big or go home was my motto...in reality I actually did need an new/upgraded clutch as I significantly "upgraded" the power on my car but lucked out buying a new never used kit from somebody for 1/2 off. When that clutch wore out (they really don't last that long unfortunately) I got a more sensible one that was upgrade over stock but not a puck style one. Man that 6-puck was one heavy pedal and abrupt engagement. I eventually got so used to it I could drive it smoother shifting than an Auto would if I wasn't flogging it. But rush hour traffic did suck at times on it though (and I did tend to ride it in 1st to crawl it along on the barely moving highway). That eventually prompted me to hit the nearby gym after work to wait out rush hour and a get both a workout in along with clear drive home. Turns out I could get in a 30-40 minute workout and get home only 10-15 minutes later than if I would've if I tried to fight rush hour traffic immediately after work but with much less stressful traffic to deal with. For reference I lived about 30 miles away from work at that time and eventually moved much closer to work which shortened my commute to less than 10 miles (no highway required to get to and from).

I personally thought it was worse to be stuck in stop and go during rush hour on a hot sunny summer day on my motorcycle than in a car with a manual. All that surrounding heat from the other cars, sun and asphalt with full gear on made me feel like I was going to have a heat stroke. At least in the car you had AC. Instead of riding first gear on the bike I'd at times just walk it along every now and then.

[Wayne77]

I learned how to drive with an early 80s era Volkswagen Vanegon. Ginormous stick shifter with tons of throw, big bus-sized steering wheel. That thing was freaking awesome. It was dark brown. It would go anywhere. My friends called it the combat van. Good memories.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by loxx0050

I used to have a car where I replaced the stock clutch (it was shot) with a 6-puck Kevlar laced racing style one. Go big or go home was my motto...in reality I actually did need an new/upgraded clutch as I significantly "upgraded" the power on my car but lucked out buying a new never used kit from somebody for 1/2 off. When that clutch wore out (they really don't last that long unfortunately) I got a more sensible one that was upgrade over stock but not a puck style one. Man that 6-puck was one heavy pedal and abrupt engagement. I eventually got so used to it I could drive it smoother shifting than an Auto would if I wasn't flogging it. But rush hour traffic did suck at times on it though (and I did tend to ride it in 1st to crawl it along on the barely moving highway). That eventually prompted me to hit the nearby gym after work to wait out rush hour and a get both a workout in along with clear drive home. Turns out I could get in a 30-40 minute workout and get home only 10-15 minutes later than if I would've if I tried to fight rush hour traffic immediately after work but with much less stressful traffic to deal with. For reference I lived about 30 miles away from work at that time and eventually moved much closer to work which shortened my commute to less than 10 miles (no highway required to get to and from).

I personally thought it was worse to be stuck in stop and go during rush hour on a hot sunny summer day on my motorcycle than in a car with a manual. All that surrounding heat from the other cars, sun and asphalt with full gear on made me feel like I was going to have a heat stroke. At least in the car you had AC. Instead of riding first gear on the bike I'd at times just walk it along every now and then.

I'd much rather go run or ride right after work and cruise home later than everyone else than sit in traffic.

I'd get home in a much better mood not sitting in traffic.

M