Why do you drive an automatic (unless you don't)?

[SentraSE-R]

I've only owned 4 ATs, but a dozen MTs. My wife has to drive an AT because of physical limitations. I prefer MTs for better mpg, better power, better control.

Some of the comments in this thread are wrong, IMO. Driving San Francisco's hills, I'd never do a hill start w/o the emergency brake. Sure, I could w/o slipping, but why burn your clutch disks?

Two other questionable comments were claims of AT longevity and MT lack of it. It's not difficult at all to have a clutch last well over 100,000 miles. When the AT in my Chevy Astro died at 130k miles, the transmission repair shop said I was lucky, as most owners with that transmission had them fail near the 100k mark.

[dcb]

It is also conceivable to make clutches easier to change, i.e. more like brake pads, a-la motorcycle basket clutch. Some of the newer dual clutch transmissions might have a simpler clutch change procedure, dunno, probably not, not a big deal to drop the transmission every 130k.

[IsaacCarlson]

I'd rather replace a clutch every 80,000 (for instance) than rebuild an AT. It is much quicker, easier, and there is less chance of internal contamination.

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by nemo

Learned to do hill starts in a 66 Catalina with a 3 on the tree. Talk about roll back.
road.

That 66 catalina must have been 220 -40 inchs long!!! was it the 4 door?
can't imagine it came w/ a stick!!

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by IsaacCarlson

I'd rather replace a clutch every 80,000 (for instance) than rebuild an AT. It is much quicker, easier, and there is less chance of internal contamination.

I have 224,000 on my 02 Q45 AND still the factory original trans. I do replace the fluid every 50k.

[darcane]

I picked "I couldn't get the car I wanted with a manual because they aren't made (excl hybrid)" which isn't 100% true. For my style/generation of truck, I was finding thousands with autos, but even expanding my search to the entire US, I found a grand total of three for sale with manuals after several months of searching. A few years later, GM, Dodge, and Ford stopped putting manuals in half-tons completely (Toyota and Nissan never had them).

Mike

[darcane]

Originally Posted by Cd

I don't like the idea of rolling into the guy behind me at a stop light while on a hill.
I tried to learn to drive a manual car as a teen and completely failed. Now as an adult, I don't see how that i could just go buy a car with a manual and drive home without first getting comfortable with it.
I'd end up stalling at every light, or miss a gear. I have enough to worry about while driving without worrying about what gear i need to be in.

I tried teaching someone how to drive a manual a while back, she just couldn't get it at all. Then her car died and she needed something to get around in. I lent her my S10 with a manual tranny (She wasn't getting the 6spd Corvette...). After driving for a day, she was getting good at it.

Dive in and do it and you'll learn fast.

Mike

[gone-ot]

...Spanish motto: "...el ejercisio hace maestro..." = the practice makes master.

[TheMarkofPolo]

I've only owned autos ( 1986 Ford LTD Wagon, 90 Olds 88, 07 Vibe), but learned on manuals my parents and friends had.
The perk of learning manual is that when you have a professor with two Corvettes, who simply must take them both to a photo shoot for the local Vette Club, you just might get to drive one of them!
Drove his 65 Vette for a little bit, then drove his 2000 6-speed the rest of the day. Yum.

Only reason I keep with autos is the amount of city driving I do, and the fiance can't drive a manual. Roadtrips would suck more if I was the only one who COULD drive.

[Thymeclock]

Only reason I keep with autos is the amount of city driving I do, and the fiance can't drive a manual.

City dwellers usually understand this implicitly and rural dwellers often don't.
When the highest speed limit in suburbia is 40 on major roads and there is a stop sign on virtually every corner it's not a 'clutch friendly' environment.