Could a manual trans keep a ADD person more focused ?

[Cd]

I have extreme anxiety when it comes to driving.
( Actually, anxiety in everything really )
I find that my mind is always racing a million miles an hour, worried about everything.
I tend to look at each and every car as it passes me in the opposite lane ( the cars coming at me ) and i make a mental note of what type of car it is, or some sort of useless info.
I used to have my SuperMID hooked up and found that i dwelt on that constantly, versus the usual nonsense.

When on the open highway, i know that you do not shift gears or press in the clutch and such, but when driving in town, do you guys think that a standard transmission would help or hinder my anxiety ?

I tried a stick early on and rolled into the person behind me, so I have an aversion already.
I really hate my automatic though, and envy not being able to P&G and such.

I plan to try ADD medication, since it may be better for anxiety than the Zoloft i was on before. I quit it since it didn't help my anxiety, only the depression. I hear that ADD meds are highly addictive though.

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Cd

I have extreme anxiety when it comes to driving.
( Actually, anxiety in everything really )
I find that my mind is always racing a million miles an hour, worried about everything.
I tend to look at each and every car as it passes me in the opposite lane ( the cars coming at me ) and i make a mental note of what type of car it is, or some sort of useless info.
I used to have my SuperMID hooked up and found that i dwelt on that constantly, versus the usual nonsense.

When on the open highway, i know that you do not shift gears or press in the clutch and such, but when driving in town, do you guys think that a standard transmission would help or hinder my anxiety ?

I tried a stick early on and rolled into the person behind me, so I have an aversion already.
I really hate my automatic though, and envy not being able to P&G and such.

I plan to try ADD medication, since it may be better for anxiety than the Zoloft i was on before. I quit it since it didn't help my anxiety, only the depression. I hear that ADD meds are highly addictive though.

Absolutely. I have ADD/ADHD/ODD along with a ton of other problems and I found I am much less 'bored' so to speak once I got a manual. When I drive my Mustang (which is auto) I find myself picking at random things around the car and just in general more distracted. Hope this helps.

[UltArc]

In a word: yes.

It turns every drive into a performance. Every shift can be better...every thing you do can be fine tuned and exact, the way you want it.

You can easily turn a little janky weak thing (my Insights for example) into performance vehicles. You chose what you do, and do what you want. There is no manual slouch.

It is the epitome* of the spirit of driving.

[Cobb]

Although I think I got it under control, I like sticks too. The cvt hunts and varies too much. I wished there was a way to lock it at the highest ratio vs the ratio thats a thousand rpms higher.

When I drive my stick I seem more relaxed and although I reached to feel what gear I am in at time since I average 3000 rpms at 60 mph Im fine if its 5th gear cause its the highest gear. Sometimes I drive in 4th as it gives more powerful engine braking in heavier traffic and Im fine pushing 4500 rpms. I could never do that in my insight.

[vskid3]

Originally Posted by UltArc

It turns every drive into a performance. Every shift can be better...every thing you do can be fine tuned and exact, the way you want it.

This. While you probably can't push the car's abilities to the edge during everyday driving, you can be perfecting your abilities with every shift.

I personally think my Prius is better than a conventional automatic in being able to be bent to my will, but nothing beats a stick. All the cars I've owned have been stick or hybrids (in the Insight's case, both).

[Cd]

My next car will be a manual then.

But unless i have a wreck, chances are that i will have this ( automatic ) car for the rest of my life.
I drive less than 10 miles a month, with a trip to Houston once or twice a year - so about 200-400 or so miles a year.

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by vskid3

This. While you probably can't push the car's abilities to the edge during everyday driving, you can be perfecting your abilities with every shift.

I personally think my Prius is better than a conventional automatic in being able to be bent to my will, but nothing beats a stick. All the cars I've owned have been stick or hybrids (in the Insight's case, both).

WHAT!!!!

I push my Insights all the time. It is a JOKE of a performance compared to my Mustang in power, but I can lay down the power, shift into second and blast to third- it's exhilarating! AND, I am only doing ~60 by the end of the ramp, merging into traffic lol

Not really on topic, but like James May has said, these little zippy cars (I would mandate with a standard) are the best. It is easy to push them to 80% and above on the streets, and be legal, vs many performance oriented cars. I was chasing my roommate, her in one of my Insights, me in the Mustang and I could not keep up(to a point). Her just driving usual (abusive) and me pursuing, I could barely keep up. This was mostly back roads, 25-35 MPH zones. A one lane 90° turn, she smokes me through. She rolls her eyes at the words "driving line" but me clipping those corners as tight as my sidewalls would let me, she pulled away from me.

Narrower.
Lower center of gravity.
Shorter wheelbase.
Half the weight.

Now, when the 35 turned to 50, I was gone, and of course caught right up after the turns, but a standard in a little car- pure driving pleasure one can have legally and safely on public roads, even when pushing cars to limits (by%) than most Ferraris and Lamborghini's ever see.

Please note, there was no wreckless operation. I do not speed to the point of getting points, speed limit <46, only 4 MPH over, >55, up to 9 over. Nothing to endanger another person or driver, only passing in passing zones and when safe. But that's what's nice- being legal, being engaged, and having fun while completing an ordinarily boring task that I need to do regardless.