Fewer drivers pick the stick: The increasingly rare manual - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Barcock;51184071]Ten years ago: circlejerk about driving a manual Today: circlejerk about the circlejerk about driving a manual It's fun. Sorry you can't drive it.[/QUOTE] I can drive stick, it's fun if there isn't traffic but like had been said several times already its outdated as fuck. I don't drive stick because I personally think it's fucking stupid because it reminds me of wannabe ricers and nearly everyone around here who drives stick drives like a complete jackass Don't be a twat, don't assume I can't drive it because I don't prefer it. Frankly, it sucks dick driving manual in New Jersey. [editline]10th October 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=LurkingKing;51184090]After driving both automatic and manual, I definitely prefer manual. I really love the feeling of switching gears for some reason, and it makes driving more fun and involved for me. It's also nice to be able to know how to drive both forms.[/QUOTE] Is there anyone out there who knows how to drive stick but not automatic? :v:

[QUOTE=Kylel999;51184093] Is there anyone out there who knows how to drive stick but not automatic? :v:[/QUOTE] One time at work we had to wait for this guy because he didn't realize he has to push the brake to get the thing in drive :v:

I wouldn't drive anything but a stick shift ever since I picked it up. Makes the regular drive so much more interactive and fun. Automatic is boring as hell. I don't know why people complain about traffic, it's really not that bad. My leg has never gotten tired from working the clutch in traffic.

[QUOTE=Hillo;51184106]One time at work we had to wait for this guy because he didn't realize he has to push the brake to get the thing in drive :v:[/QUOTE] I'd post a picture of that M&M commercial where Santa passes out when he sees the M&M's but I'd probably get banned "They [i]are[/i] real!"

the elitism around manual driving has always astounded me heck it's literally even in the opening post

My most terrifying driving experience ever was my dad attempting to drive an automatic hire car in San Francisco

I guess it all depends on the person. I have a "sporty" car, and I have a racecar. For those things I absolutely NEED to go stick. However I use a small van and company car on a daily base, and in those cases I couldn't live without automatic. I only see stick being something for enthusiasts in the future, as there's performance gain.

[QUOTE=Kylel999;51184093]I can drive stick, it's fun if there isn't traffic but like had been said several times already its outdated as fuck. I don't drive stick because I personally think it's fucking stupid because it reminds me of wannabe ricers and nearly everyone around here who drives stick drives like a complete jackass [editline]10th October 2016[/editline] [B]Is there anyone out there who knows how to drive stick but not automatic? [/B]:v:[/QUOTE] Me. I've had drivers license for nearly 2 years now and yet to sit in an automatic D: Automatic is slowly moving in, but only because the newer cars basically ONLY offer automatic. There's noone I know that would prefer automatic over manual, rural area or not, it's just more fun as you have more control over your vehicle and you're more involved in the whole process.

[QUOTE=Plate Phelps;51184120]I wouldn't drive anything but a stick shift ever since I picked it up. Makes the regular drive so much more interactive and fun. Automatic is boring as hell. I don't know why people complain about traffic, it's really not that bad. My leg has never gotten tired from working the clutch in traffic.[/QUOTE] It's not about your leg getting tired, it's just the tedium of it. 30 minutes of stop & go traffic is pretty common around where I live. Ripping up backroads in a manual with some power behind it is fun as shit though.

[QUOTE=No_Excuses;51183996]The fastest transmissions have always been semi auto. Computers control the clutch, engine RPM and gear change. Driver just selects the gear. Very fast and consistent shifts.[/QUOTE] but they were still trash in road cars for a good while spoiler: a lot of people who consider themselves enthusiasts don't care about having the fastest shift

Manual is just way more fun, offers you more control over your car, and not only is it great for keeping you from getting carjacked, it also keeps your sister from borrowing your car and leaving her shit in it. I've only been driving manual since july of this year and it's turned driving from something I have to do into something I get to do. Yeah the first week of stalling sucked and so was the fear of rolling back into a car, but after that it became like second nature to me. The only part of it that actually kind of sucks is when there's shitty traffic going up an incline because then I have to leave some room ahead of me so I can crawl in first and some asshole cuts in front of me

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I chose a manual for fun, because my commute is less than 0.5 miles, and I live in an area with no hills. I'll stop buying manual when my commute gets longer than 30 minutes or when self driving cars become standard.

[QUOTE=Strontboer;51184134]I guess it all depends on the person. I have a "sporty" car, and I have a racecar. For those things I absolutely NEED to go stick. However I use a small van and company car on a daily base, and in those cases I couldn't live without automatic. I only see stick being something for enthusiasts in the future, as there's performance gain.[/QUOTE] Doesn't then OP literally say that automatics today change gears faster than a human can

[QUOTE=Kylel999;51184161]Doesn't then OP literally say that automatics today change gears faster than a human can[/QUOTE] in amateur racing it's not about having lightning fast shift times that might be 0.0001 second faster than someone elses

If I'm not driving stickshift, then I don't feel like I'm driving a car, but rather operating a appliance. :saddowns: [QUOTE=Mr.357;51184025]I don't think I've ever seen an automatic here. I do come from the south which is generally considered poor here. I don't know if I'd go for one even if I were given a choice because I'm already used to the stick.[/QUOTE] Manual transmission gearboxes are often "fill and forget" when it comes to oil (except for some FWD & AWD cars when driveshafts has to be removed for one or more reasons). So the only thing to worry about is clutch wear, especially since syncromesh wear is rare in most cars lifetime. And even then, you can still drive it with worn syncro's, you'd need to shift at the correct RPM-to-speed ratio for the gear in question though. Which is part of the reason they're still popular in rural and generally poor countries, they're simply simple, durable and low maintenance.

[QUOTE=Kylel999;51184161]Doesn't then OP literally say that automatics today change gears faster than a human can[/QUOTE] Having a racecar doesn't mean you have racecar with 2016-good automatic.

Americans? Hardly surprising, it's been that way since the 90's. But here in Europe I often peak at the interiors of brand new cars and even top-of-the-line mercedes are still mostly bought with a manual.

[QUOTE=rampageturke 2;51184168]in amateur racing it's not about having lightning fast shift times that might be 0.0001 second faster than someone elses[/QUOTE] Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus. [QUOTE=rampageturke 2;51184168]in amateur racing it's not about having lightning fast shift times that might be 0.0001 second faster than someone elses[/QUOTE] Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus. [QUOTE=*Freezorg*;51184176]Americans? Hardly surprising, it's been that way since the 90's. But here in Europe I often peak at the interiors of brand new cars and even top-of-the-line mercedes are still mostly bought with a manual.[/QUOTE] Mercedes hasn't sold cars with real stickshift for a while, those you've seen are the typical [I]"I can't believe it's not a manual transmission"[/I] dual-cluch semi-auto's. You're still at the mercy of a computer for when you can change gear, and many times you can only "blip" the gearstick up and down to change up/down instead of the typical H pattern.

[QUOTE=Van-man;51184179]Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus.[/QUOTE] Ask any racer, any real racer. It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning's winning.

[QUOTE=*Freezorg*;51184176]Americans? Hardly surprising, it's been that way since the 90's. But here in Europe I often peak at the interiors of brand new cars and even top-of-the-line mercedes are still mostly bought with a manual.[/QUOTE] Weird, the better mercs over here have been autos forever. When searching for used mercs you'll get more results when you put auto in the gearbox requirement

[QUOTE=SuperDuprKyle;51184006]I have a stick and I fucking hate it. Going up hills is actually living hell, I actually fear for my life when I have to stop on a hill and the horror of rolling back and hitting the car behind me. It sucks balls.[/QUOTE] ...Don't blame that on the car's transmission. Come to Europe and see if we're rolling back into each other's cars left and right. We're not. You fail the driving test if you let the car roll back. If you want to make it easy for yourself, use the handbrake, even if it isn't the "skilled" approach.

[QUOTE=Trebgarta;51184197] I wonder thered be stick on a self driving car[/QUOTE] Probably not.

[QUOTE=Van-man;51184179]Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus. Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus. Mercedes hasn't sold cars with real stickshift for a while, those you've seen are the typical [I]"I can't believe it's not a manual transmission"[/I] dual-cluch semi-auto's. You're still at the mercy of a computer for when you can change gear, and many times you can only "blip" the gearstick up and down to change up/down instead of the typical H pattern.[/QUOTE] But I do see relatively new mercedes with a H pattern. Maybe not ones from this year or the last but still relatively recent ones. It is true though that 90% of the automatic cars I do see (which is a very small number) are Mercedes, the rest being Range Rovers and the like.

[QUOTE=Dr.C;51184190]Ask any racer, any real racer. It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning's winning.[/QUOTE] He specifically mentioned amateur. Those are often people not in for winning the race, but for putting their skills to the test along with others. And there stickshift gives you a technical challenge to show off your reaction times and micro-management when driving. [QUOTE=*Freezorg*;51184195]...Don't blame that on the car's transmission. Come to Europe and see if we're rolling back into each other's cars left and right. We're not.[/QUOTE] Handbrake (from standstill) or heel-toe speeder & brake [QUOTE=*Freezorg*;51184206]But I do see relatively new mercedes with a H pattern. Maybe not ones from this year or the last but still relatively recent ones. It is true though that 90% of the automatic cars I do see (which is a very small number) are Mercedes, the rest being Range Rovers and the like.[/QUOTE] Probably around 10 years old but well maintained then, they were most popular with manual in southern'ish Europe

[QUOTE=Van-man;51184179]Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus. Often fun is first priority, winning is just a bonus. Mercedes hasn't sold cars with real stickshift for a while, those you've seen are the typical [I]"I can't believe it's not a manual transmission"[/I] dual-cluch semi-auto's. You're still at the mercy of a computer for when you can change gear, and many times you can only "blip" the gearstick up and down to change up/down instead of the typical H pattern.[/QUOTE] I have driven same year model E350 and a E250 merc, E350 had a column shift+paddle gears and holy shit it's so much better because you can put shit like your phone where the shifter would be

The only way I'm rolling back into another car is if they're literally less than 6 inches away from my bumper. I don't even use my handbrake, I just let the clutch out until it grabs then I immediately let go of the brake and give it gas. Honestly, manual isn't hard to drive, it's just something you have to learn and practice because you can't learn how to feel from reading about it

In the UK if you a licensed to drive Manual you can drive auto but not vice versa. So unless you have a jolly good reason most instructors will teach you to drive manual just because it covers everything. I would imagine most people are used to manual as a result and just buy a manual car, that or second hand cars are cheaper and more likely to be manual.

Shame, too, they're better in literally every way you can think of to the automatics in use today. CVT? Drone drone drone drone drone, TC slip wastes shittons of gas, wear out quick. Planetary automatic? TC slip wastes ton of gas, wears out quick, battle between lifespan and smoothness. The smoother it shifts the less lifespan you get out of the bands and clutches(It slips the hell out of them for smooth shifts), more often you have to change the fluid. Rougher it shifts the longer it lasts, but less comfortable. Computer-controlled sequential box: Herky-jerky in parking lots, clutches don't last long, fragile, stupidly expensive. You want good gas mileage? Fun to drive? Harder to steal? More engaging to drive? Less likely to get borrowed? Simpler? Cheaper to buy? Cheaper to maintain? Longer lived? More reliable? More in your control, something that's increasingly slipping away with every new computer added? You ever wonder what it's like to have a backup method to start your own car when the battery or starter doesn't do the trick? Get the stick. Unless you've lost the use of a leg or an arm there is no compelling argument in favor of the auto. And this is coming from someone who's using one every day. Fucking christ do I hate the automatic in my police car. I'm converting the fucking thing to stick at first opportunity. Biggest thing I miss about my old truck, the third pedal.

[QUOTE=Van-man;51184213]He specifically mentioned amateur. Those are often people not in for winning the race, but for putting their skills to the test along with others. And there stickshift gives you a technical challenge to show off your reaction times and micro-management when driving. Handbrake (from standstill) or heel-toe speeder & brake Probably around 10 years old but well maintained then, they were most popular with manual in southern'ish Europe[/QUOTE] Thread is to messy to specifically reply to everyone. But yeah I race in an amateur class you could say. Money is a big issue, manual transmission is cheap and reliable. A cheap or even semi-auto transmission would break down in no time.