Cars - Do you drive a manual or automatic?

[MentalGiant]

I can drive both. My first car was a manual but my current car (well car I've had the past 7 years now) is automatic. It was the best value for the money I had to spend at the time for the model I wanted. When you only pay cash/refuse to finance (and aren't rich), personal preference on a lot of things doesn't come into play as much as reliability does, especially when you have a specific car in mind.

[MentalGiant]

Interesting responses. Some people in other internet websites told me that America has a bad public transport system, and therefore it was necessary to find a way to make people drive and afford cars without too much hassle- Hence why it's popular to have an automatic and why apparently there are kids as young as 16 driving. In Europe, public transport is at least decent and many young people wait until mid-20's to take a drivers license. Also, I noted European cars are smaller, but I dunno why. Again, the cost of fuel plays a part, it's damn expensive. I'm learning a manual because it's the standard way to go, I think it's possible to learn only automatic if I pay in a special school, but most only teach manual because it's the normal way and then I can drive both.

Depends on where you live in the US whether public transport sucks or not. West Coast- you NEED a car, east coast (unless you live in the sticks) public transport is a much more viable option. I live in the 'suburbs' and normally drive, but when I need to go downtown, I take the train since parking is always a bitch and the roads are narrow. Taking the bus around my local area though? Not happening. I could probably walk faster than it would be to take the buses around here (and Portland supposedly has one of the "best" public transport systems on the west coast!). 

I got my learned permit at 15, license shortly after my 16th birthday. It always amuses me that other countries have such high driving ages. I would say over here, it's not so much a matter of youthful age as it is distraction when it comes to bad/irresponsible drivers (not to say some young people aren't terribly distracted). I can't tell you how many middle age soccer mom types I see driving like they're drunk because they're on their phone, doing their makeup, eating ect... And don't even get me started on the elderly! An 87 year old who probably shouldn't have been on the road anymore plowed into my husbands car the other day. I wish we could send them in for a road test every year from social security age on.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

My Land Rover is manual, but I am forced on occasion to drive my wife's Phaeton, which is automatic.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

Depends, day-to-day driving, automatic all the way.  Off-road or hauling weight, manual.

[ignoramus]

Driven manual most of my life. Now it's all automatics. Too lazy.
Except the mach1 mustang. I'd give anything if it was a stick shift. An automatic in a muscle car is just not kosher.

[pocaracas]

Like Dystopia, I'm from Portugal and over here, we mostly get manual. We learn manual, most people have driven manual all their lives.
But automatic is making an appearance. It's more expensive, by some 2 to 5 thousand euros, which makes sense.
I once drove an automatic car and... well... it works. I could see me using it all the time. I can see it making it much easier to learn to drive.
One of the difficulties when learning is to know when to shift gears, not too soon, so the next gear runs smoothly, not too late so you don't waste gas... and the timing changes with the inclination of the road. There's certainly a learning curve there, until you can do it "automatically" and think about the rules of the road. Of course, you can always waste gas and be on the safe side, but your wallet will not like that.

I've heard anecdotal stories of americans who rent a car with manual gears and drive all the way in first gear... until the engine just gives up. The redline is there for a reason.

Also, parking - always leave it in first (or reverse) gear. Neutral can be dangerous...

[Alex K]

but I am forced on occasion to drive my wife's Phaeton,

Oh no, how terrible!

[Ravenshire]

I've got one of each. The Passat (day to day, around town car) is an automatic. The Spitfire (fun, sporty, zip around the mountain roads car) is a stick and I wouldn't have it any other way. Automatics are good for stop-and-go driving and for drivers who's knees can't handle the clutch any more. But for when you're out having fun on those twisting, winding back roads, give me a manual transmission every time.

[Edwardo Piet]

Neither myself nor my parents have ever even been able to afford even one inexpensive car. So kind of pointless to learn to drive one.

[thesummerqueen]

I don't know that it's "harder" to find manual transmission cars here in the US - you might have to buy used. About 4 years ago, I bought a Scion xD. It's a manual. It was cheaper than the comparable auto version, because they didn't think they could sell it as easily. I love the hell out of that car. It's an '08, so yes, I bought it used, but the worst that's happened to it has been normal outer wear and tear, and one design flaw where the tube that drains condensation and rainwater clogged up, so I had to replace the blower motor ($50). I love driving a manual. Apart from the control and having something to do in the car, it makes me look pretty bad ass to teh menz. The car doesn't exactly have a nice growly engine, but I make her pick and up and go. And she can get up to 40mpg on the highway.