I find it funny that I ordered a manual for almost exactly the same reason. I feel like in an auto, it is reacting to me wanting to pass or merge and I am forever trying to push the gas exactly far enough to have the car shift to the gear I want yet not so far as to drop to a gear too low. I like a manual because I know what gear I want at least several seconds before I hit the gas and I can be proactive where an auto will always be reactive.
This is why I drive in "manual" mode 99% of the time. Even if it's just some simple overtake work, I like to be in the right gear. Also, for a forced-induction car that produces a lot of low-end torque (my car or the upcoming EB S550), it's nice to stay in a high gear while using heavy throttle. The only way to do that is with a manual or by staying in manual mode on an auto, otherwise the transmission kicks down a gear or two as you lay into the pedal.I find it funny that I ordered a manual for almost exactly the same reason. I feel like in an auto, it is reacting to me wanting to pass or merge and I am forever trying to push the gas exactly far enough to have the car shift to the gear I want yet not so far as to drop to a gear too low. I like a manual because I know what gear I want at least several seconds before I hit the gas and I can be proactive where an auto will always be reactive.
Granted the situation is made worse by my under powered, over weight minivan, but I drove an automatic 2005 mustang and an automatic BMW 335i and while both were fine vehicles, I liked the manual 350Z better in traffic. Yeah, I know, I'm :headbonk:
Just glad we have options. Enjoy your car!!
I find manual vastly superior to automatic in stop and go gridlock. I can control my speed much more accurately and can crawl at a slower speed, while being able to instantly accelerate and decelerate without touching the brake pedal. Every time I'm in an automatic, when I'm in traffic, I feel like I'm on the brakes so often that I worry about them getting too hot. When I drive a manual, I'm not touching any pedals most of the time and controlling the vehicle more accurately while doing it.I find it funny that I ordered a manual for almost exactly the same reason. I feel like in an auto, it is reacting to me wanting to pass or merge and I am forever trying to push the gas exactly far enough to have the car shift to the gear I want yet not so far as to drop to a gear too low. I like a manual because I know what gear I want at least several seconds before I hit the gas and I can be proactive where an auto will always be reactive.
Granted the situation is made worse by my under powered, over weight minivan, but I drove an automatic 2005 mustang and an automatic BMW 335i and while both were fine vehicles, I liked the manual 350Z better in traffic. Yeah, I know, I'm :headbonk:
Just glad we have options. Enjoy your car!!
Pretty much any modern auto box allows you to control individual gears (if you want to utilize engine braking, for instance). Not that it's as fun, but that's a moot contrast point.
No offense, but if you really think that then you're doing it (AT) wrong. Everything I can do with a manual in stop and go traffic I can do with even less effort in an automatic. I can down shift/engine brake in an automatic, I can slip it into neutral and wait at a light in an automatic, if I need to move forward a car length or two I can hit D for a second then back to N. If that's too much acceleration I can tug on the e-brake for a more abrupt stop. In fact, I could do all of that with both of my feet hanging out the window if I wanted to.
Agreed, but most automatic's won't hold first till red line. In my manual I can keep it in first and just get on and off the gas. My transmission never gets into 2nd. So when traffic ahead of me randomly gives it gas, then hits their brakes and slows down, I can speed up with them and just let my foot off the gas while at high RPM's in first gear and engine brake. The problem here is that most automatics want fuel economy and will upshift as soon as it can, my manual only does exactly what I want.
You're missing the point. Yes you can downshift an automatic, but can you NOT UPSHIFT an automatic when it wants to upshift from 1st to 2nd?
I'm sure it depends on the transmission. My 335i's ZF 6-speed locks up at an incredibly low ~1100ish RPM and at some very low speed. It's like throwing an anchor out back if I lift off in second, and first is just stupidly short to the point that I never start in it, even from a dig. Neither will the ECU, if it's left in the default shift mode, only in "drive sport."
Same thing in an automatic, though - I'm in traffic all the time where I'll go an hour or more only touching one pedal (the brake). Car will get up to at least 10 mph in neutral, and in a real traffic jam you're seldom going to go faster than that.
The main difference is that you don`t have to keep using your left foot to keep depressing the clutch pedal but simply move your right foot from the brake to the accelerator. Do that for an hour or so you`ll need to self inject yourself with a Cortisone Shot into your left knee joint to relieve the stiffness and pain!
That's exactly one of my gripes about driving a car with automatic - being forced to ride the brakes in very slow speed driving. Stepping only on the 'stop' pedal in order to keep 'going' just feels wrong.
Yeah; I meant "at idle," but, brain fart.
