Automatic or Manual (driving poll)

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Big Crunch


Are you a used car salesman by any chance?

No...why do you ask?

[drake]

There aint lights everywhere garth

I know some nice stretches of highway and back roads where a little acceleration could be utilized......that being said, it doesn't matter for me, because I drive one of the slowest accelerating machines on the road. 4 cylinder ford ranger ain't much on acceleration, but she sure tries!

[Garth Vader]

Yeah I know, best acceleration to have is from 100-130 kph cause that's what you need passing on 2 lane highways. Around here that's important.

So you have one of those vehicles that list acceleration as 0-60: yes

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by SlowwHand

No crap, Provost? Wow! Thanks for the pearls of wisdom.

Sheesh Sloww, you really are turning into the Apolyton grouch

Yeah, I have a little Peugeot 106, 1.1 litre. It is only a small car so it isn't as slow as it may at first seem. And it is good with the petrol, I get nearly 50mpg which is good at the price of petrol over here...

[Eroberer]

I still think that is ridiculus, PH. I have a 1.6 liter in my Civic, and the best I've gotten is 56. There are hybrid gas-electric vehicles that don't get 50mpg (although I can't explain it, the Toyota Prius is one). Do you know how much your car weighs?

Is it something where your mile is shorter, and your gallon is bigger? I thought UK gallon was smaller, but I just thought of measurement differences. What are your exact figures?

[Saras]

Eroberer - MB's mostly come with Steptronic transmission, meaning it's automatic, but you can switch to manual shifting.

Sporty 2-door SLK's, CLK's and SL's can be pure manual, i think.

[Eroberer]

Yea, I don't count manumatics as anything other than automatics. Even in the MB's they'll shift when you approach the redline and even shift down a gear before you tell it, all in "manual" mode. By all accounts I've read, the automatic actually gives better acceleration, my guess being swifter gear changes and sooner lock-ups.

Also, I am fairly sure you can only get manual transmissions in lower-class models, like the cheaper SL's, SLK's and C-class cars, here in the states. Is that the case in Europe, too?

[Saras]

Duno, two weeks ago I test drove a 290 bhp BMW 540 with a steptronoc transmission, and drove it to the godawful limits of its torque and power, and there was no automatic shifting at or BEYOND the red line in manual mode.

But it could be different for MB's - after all, beamers are drivers cars, MB's are glorified cabs for rich elderly passengers

[Monoriu]

As a driver who doesn't know much about cars I am utterly bewildered by this thread.

I drive an automatic. I notice there are P R N D 2 and L gears in my car but I only use 3, ever: P R and D. I use P when I park my car, R when I need to, and D for everything else. I never bothered to find out what N, 2 or L does......someone told me that 2 and L are for slopes but D works just fine, however steep the slopes are and I am quite familiar with steep slopes. N means no gear IIRC......why someone would want to use that is beyond me. When I am in a traffic jam I use the brake, why bother with handbrakes? That's for parking only, right?

[Sikander]

Imran,

Take it from an experienced driver, you are better off with someone who knows how to drive a manual (and wants to) than someone who has your opinion about driving, regardless of the fact that the manual driver has to have one of his hands off of the steering wheel some of the time. Manual transmissions give superior control to accelleration and decelleration, (which you could look at as forward / reverse control much like the steering wheel is a left / right control). A good driver will drive better with a manual transmission in the vast majority of situations.

If someone finds the whole driving experience is almost overwhelming, then perhaps it is better for that person to drive an automatic, as it is one less thing to screw up or get flustered about. Of course for the rest of the world it is probably better if that person just takes the bus.

[Saras]

Amen brother Sikander!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sikander... I dunno, I prefer driving an automatic. One less thing to worry about. I prefer to worry about less things .

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Sikander... I dunno, I prefer driving an automatic. One less thing to worry about. I prefer to worry about less things .

Well, I guess we agree then. I worry less when I have more control over the car. The movements are all second nature to me by now, I can clutch and shift in my sleep!

[The Mad Monk]

*insert naughty comment here*

[Sikander]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
*insert naughty comment here*

Clutch my girlfriend and shift my package?