Drove a 6spd manual yesterday...don't miss it

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Originally Posted by edyvw
Once I was visiting home and my brother had at disposal Peugeot 508 GT 2.2 hdi with some 300 lb-ft and automatic. It can go 155mph like nothing. Other car he had was FIAT 500 1.4 naturally aspirated, manual.
I took 500, had much more fun, regardless that it has hair dryer under the hood and that overall, it is miserable vehicle compared to 508. But manual+mountain roads....


Makes a huge difference. In South Florida the nearest thing to mountain roads is the drive out of my community and various speed-bumps along the way.
 
I actually think manuals , or the desire for them, are becoming more popular with younger people. I know a lot of millendials and zoomers who would like to drive manual but can't find them.
 
I used to be adamant about only owning manual transmission cars. For reasons of enjoyment, economics, and security, I never wanted to own an automatic. Motorcycles changed that. Now I don't really care for cars. I could care less if it is a manual or automatic car, cars are just my bad weather and hauling devices. Motorcycles are cheap and fun. I go to them when I have an automotive itch. Although I must say, I still think manual transmission is much better in snow then an automatic. The ability to modulate control as soon as the wheels start slipping is yet unmatched by automatics, at least in my experience.
 
Originally Posted by JunkdrawerDog
Originally Posted by edyvw
Once I was visiting home and my brother had at disposal Peugeot 508 GT 2.2 hdi with some 300 lb-ft and automatic. It can go 155mph like nothing. Other car he had was FIAT 500 1.4 naturally aspirated, manual.
I took 500, had much more fun, regardless that it has hair dryer under the hood and that overall, it is miserable vehicle compared to 508. But manual+mountain roads....

When I was in high school and college, I has a '72 Spitfire 1300. That car was fantastic fun to drive hard. Felt like you were going so fast and yet the reality was that the car would rarely top 80-85 mph. It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slowly.

Fun sports car and almost forgotten.
My Mom had a '59 Triumph Herald Sedan; sort of the same animal but not that good looking

Spitfire
\
[Linked Image]

Herald
[Linked Image]
 
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I started driving in 1983. I drove manuals off and on until 1993. I started driving commercially in 1991 and shifting all day at the job and then shifting my own vehicle was tiring. So I switched to autos. In October 2018 I decided to get a manual for the first time in 25 years. I bought a 2019 Toyota 86. I traded it in this past September on a Mustang again with a manual. I will probably hold onto this car until I either cannot stand shifting any longer, arthritis in knees becomes too bad to clutch, or if the car doesn't last. More than likely my next vehicle may well be an auto again. But time will tell

Don
 
Originally Posted by wemay
Originally Posted by edyvw
Once I was visiting home and my brother had at disposal Peugeot 508 GT 2.2 hdi with some 300 lb-ft and automatic. It can go 155mph like nothing. Other car he had was FIAT 500 1.4 naturally aspirated, manual.
I took 500, had much more fun, regardless that it has hair dryer under the hood and that overall, it is miserable vehicle compared to 508. But manual+mountain roads....


Makes a huge difference. In South Florida the nearest thing to mountain roads is the drive out of my community and various speed-bumps along the way.

Yeah, true. I am not sure manual would make sense there. Though some back roads I am familiar with around redneck riviera would be OK to have fun.
 
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Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by wemay
Can you still be a car enthusiast and not want a manual transmission?


Yes, though the car snobs who masquerade as enthusiasts will try to tell you otherwise.



Is it virtuous to be a car enthusiast?

Is it important to be recognized by others as a car enthusiast?
 
I really miss driving a car with a standard tranny!! Driving an automatic is driving me crazy! A huge plus in owning a standard,no one will ever ask to borrow your car!
 
Had a 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4. Automatic and 12mpg town and 15mpg HWY.

Just traded it for a 2000 Honda CRV RT4WD and a 5-speed. Absolutely no regrets and really enjoying the 27mpg in mixed driving. Didn't have it long enough to see what it does on the highway as far as MPG.

Because of the manual transmission the CR-V feels just as quick as the Tahoe. But with 125% decrease in fuel consumption.
 
Originally Posted by brages
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by wemay
Can you still be a car enthusiast and not want a manual transmission?


Yes, though the car snobs who masquerade as enthusiasts will try to tell you otherwise.



Is it virtuous to be a car enthusiast?

Is it important to be recognized by others as a car enthusiast?


There are people who enjoy things and can see why other people might not.

But then there are people who think that anybody who doesn't share their opinion is 100% wrong, and will make that opinion known, because god forbid someone enjoy something they don't.
 
I never really liked AT, don't like how the car perform and it takes a good part of the fun of driving. I know that there are some great AT transmissions out there, but there are also a lot of bad ones.

The only bad manual that i drove was from a Samba Bus, you could actually miss the 4th gear and put it in 2nd if you did not pay attention. And i was stuck in a 5 hour traffic. That is what pain looks like
lol.gif
 
One nice thing about a manual is that you can depress the clutch when decelerating and not have your speed drag the engine RPM around. Something that a shiftable automatic can never do.

However, today's throttle by wire "lag monsters" can drive weirdly with a manual. As the desired response is often not there. Making it a less pleasant experience.
 
Originally Posted by wemay
I haven't owned a manual transmission equipped vehicle for some years. Yesterday I drove one for the day, my brother's 370z. It was fun for...ohhh...10 minutes. Before this drive I had nostalgic feelings but no more. Can you still be a car enthusiast and not want a manual transmission?

I've owned a 370Z. That is not the car to drive if you want to enjoy a manual transmission. The 1-2 shift is janky, the transmission even when new grinds sometimes, and it's notchy AF in inconsistent ways with constantly varying shift-effort as it warms up. In short, it would make a fine experience for a dump-truck.
 
As I've mentioned before, I have always driven manual Bimmers prior to the M235i, but the manuals in the M240i and 230i don't feel as smooth or as precise as-for example-the close-ratio five speed in my Club Sport. In the case of the M235i/M240i I really prefer the automatic because it works so well in that application. It's relatively fast on the track yet it returns good fuel economy on the street. When I took my M235i to my home track(Putnam Park) the transmission shifted at the points I would have selected 99% of the time(in Sport+ mode for the car and Sport for the transmission). Anyway, I have the Club Sport to practice heel-toe and other techniques- and with @150 hp I can beat on it like a red-headed stepchild with no fear of attracting the attention of law enforcement. My Wrangler is also a manual- it suits the character of the TJ perfectly.
 
Can't get into a vehicle with a synchronized manual transmission anymore. Can't even float in one anyways.
 
Me, I like them both. They are just different, and each excels at different things. I have both... and I couldn't see having only one and having to choose.

I would like to get to know dual clutch automated manuals better in future. One former colleague who bought a GTI DSG conceded that they're fun but not as much fun as a manual. He bought it due to his wife's need for it.

Some would disagree, here, but I'm told you need to drive it a bit so that your shift (direction) intentions are plainly broadcast to the Transmission Control Module.
 
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Just got back from a couple week road trip form Zurich to Rome and back. Very disappointed the rental turned out to be an AUTOMATIC Alfa Romeo Guilia. Really wanted a manual for this trip. The main reason was to determine whether my next car should be a manual or auto.

I have to say I loved the top gear of the Alfa. 2k rpm at 80 mph felt so relaxed on the Autostrada. (Hopefully I wasn't pushing 3k past too many speed cameras...) At 1300 km on the car the trans has a very smelly leak, but that's another post.

The biggest reason I'm not sure if I want a manual again is because they don't have the same top end gearing as a modern auto. I test drove a Focus 5 speed that spun at 2500 rpm at 60; an auto is a lot lower. An Audi S4 manual spins at 3000 rpm at 80 mph. Manual BMWs spin about 500 rpm faster than automatics. I just prefer using torque and low rpms at high speeds.
 
A manual is fun occasionally. But for a daily driver? [censored] no.

I'd like a C6 Vette. Maybe one day I'll get one. It'll be an automatic.
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994
A manual is fun occasionally. But for a daily driver? [censored] no.

I'd like a C6 Vette. Maybe one day I'll get one. It'll be an automatic.


You shift a manual automatically after you drive one for a while. It's like breathing.
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
As I've mentioned before, I have always driven manual Bimmers prior to the M235i, but the manuals in the M240i and 230i don't feel as smooth or as precise as-for example-the close-ratio five speed in my Club Sport. In the case of the M235i/M240i I really prefer the automatic because it works so well in that application. It's relatively fast on the track yet it returns good fuel economy on the street. When I took my M235i to my home track(Putnam Park) the transmission shifted at the points I would have selected 99% of the time(in Sport+ mode for the car and Sport for the transmission). Anyway, I have the Club Sport to practice heel-toe and other techniques- and with @150 hp I can beat on it like a red-headed stepchild with no fear of attracting the attention of law enforcement. My Wrangler is also a manual- it suits the character of the TJ perfectly.

Also keep in mind that you get less boost drop out of an automatic.
 
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