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Driving a manual transmission vehicle is way better than an automatic vehicle, amirite?
by Anonymous1 year ago
I love my manual but I don't really believe that it measurably reduces distracted driving haha
by Anonymous1 year ago
Yeah if anything shifting gears becomes as ingrained in you as every other part of operating a car. Your left leg wasn't doing anything to begin with and you can most definitely shift with something in your right hand, so it's not like it's physically limiting you somehow either.
by AdFast1 year ago
For about the first month of learning, i tried to not go anywhere unless i had to. It was such a hassle. Glad i stuck with it.
by anya771 year ago
Same with me I'm just as distracted in each.
by Awkward_Map_89051 year ago
I think the causation goes the other way though. People who drive manuals want to drive. They like driving. Most people would rather teleport.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I had a friend, an equipment operator, who would drive his manual Colorado with his knees while doing tasks like rolling a joint. I legitimately witnessed this man roll a joint one-handed while eating fried chicken with another hand all while using a knee to shift and another knee to drive. While pulling a trailer. Irresponsible yes but the man's ability to do it all easily at once was insane.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I have a stick shift and I'm on my cell phone all the time while I drive. I'm on my phone right now driving.
by Anonymous1 year ago
It definitely impairs my ability to be distracted, driving at lower speeds. I like that I have to pay more attention because it also makes me feel more in tune with the car.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I think it does, I have an automatic and a manual, I am 100% more careful in the manual lol
by Anonymous1 year ago
Nothing worse than getting cramps from a heavy clutch.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Came here to say this lol have fun not trying to destroy your clutch and constantly stalling out during rush hour lol
by Sorry_Team49751 year ago
I've sat in Miami rush hour traffic twice a day for years in manual cars. It's really not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. But if you don't have enough experience to not stall out regularly, I can see how it might be annoying to drive stick shift in traffic.
by Anonymous1 year ago
It's not a big deal but it's still annoying even if you know what you're doing, especially compared to automatic vehicles with active cruise control
by DistributionSure4741 year ago
It is very annoying. It's way more fun in every other situation though and I feel way safer driving a manual vehicle during the winter.
by Anonymous1 year ago
As a manual driver of 10 years, it definitely is annoying. Touching 1st gear just enough to inch yourself forward and then right back to neutral.
by anya771 year ago
You'll just stall if you don't have the habit of driving a manual
by sprohaska1 year ago
Your clutch will wear much faster if you don't know the release point
by Sorry_Team49751 year ago
Yeah, but you just quickly learn that
by sprohaska1 year ago
I've driven manual vehicles most my life and spend more time than I care in traffic. I've only ever had to replace one vehicles clutch, but it was shot when I bought the car.
by Anonymous1 year ago
You're just bad at driving a manual if you stall that much
by purdylarissa1 year ago
Skill issue.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I live in rural area so, can't relate
by Anonymous1 year ago
I do regular track days and wouldn't trade the manual there. But for daily driving auto is so much easier.
by Historical_Regret2221 year ago
Used to drive a manual with a burger in one hand, while my phone was propped between by ear and shoulder, shifting gears in SF Bay Area traffic.
by tfahey1 year ago
Same I'll talk on the phone, eat fries, oil on my hands, looking for the street/exit, quickly take a sip of my drink, whatever and shift with my last free 3 fingers like a dance. I learned to drive stick on Pittsburgh hills so nothing phases you. Lol
by Anonymous1 year ago
I didn't learn stick in San Francisco, but I spent a lot of time driving there, so I had a lot of hill experiences too. And your right, it is like a dance, once you get your rhythm you don't even think about it.
by tfahey1 year ago
personally I'd want my mind to be focused on as few things as possible while operating a giant metal box going 80mph
by Adolph711 year ago
It's not that hard and becomes muscle memory or instinctual that you don't even think about it. Plus you're not shifting when you're cruising at a 80mph unless you're down shifting for whatever reason etc
by Anonymous1 year ago
Say what now? If accelerating hard, 45 is just second gear in most cars and still first gear in many performance cars.
by Anonymous1 year ago
It greatly offsets distracted driving/cellphone use because you are busy with your hands Funny you mention this because I saw a guy yesterday coming home from work talking to someone on their phone in a 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo, I was in disbelief because I was stuck behind them on the highway going home.
by Anonymous1 year ago
There's a high chance it was an auto, since the Monte Carlo used to be a higher tier car, god forbid it had 3 on the column, now that would be scary
by Felipahyatt1 year ago
ah I did not know that. I just didn't think it was automatic because I saw his arm shift gears, but I could be wrong.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I'm not going to say how I know this, but it's totally doable to drive a stick, smoke a cigarette, drink a coke and text at the same time
by Anonymous1 year ago
Not sure about one that old, but every Monte Carlo from 80s, 90s to 00s I've ever seen has been automatic
by Anonymous1 year ago
American cars have been mostly automatics for a while
by Miserable_Knee_4091 year ago
If you need to drive a manual transmission car to not be distracted by your phone, you're just a bad driver and shouldn't be driving.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Exactly
by Anonymous1 year ago
Sex is better than masterbation
by CapitalCalendar76931 year ago
And then there's Buddy.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Nah. Masturbation is so peaceful and relaxing
by Anonymous1 year ago
Not when I do it.
by Kyleigh651 year ago
My daily drive is a manual, and I honestly don't understand people who say manual cars are more fun, what is so fun about shifting a stick?
by sprohaska1 year ago
Because macho , testostrone , beer , sex , get back in the kitchen etc.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Honestly I don't, I don't understand how driving a manual car makes anyone more manly
by sprohaska1 year ago
Not all stick shift cars are fun. But fast stick shift cars are fun.
by Educational-Bit1 year ago
It's more engaging. Performing smooth downshifts at the right time can be very satisfying. This is all prerequisite on you enjoying driving in the first place and driving something other than a gutless economy car though.
by Herberthagenes1 year ago
Most gutless economy cars are manual though
by sprohaska1 year ago
When you get that extra oomph of power from revving higher than you need, it's a fun feeling. And then when you do shift it's a mildly satisfying feeling, like taking a poop haha. Overall that feeling of being a race car driver is fun.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I guess I don't know what that is because my car is pretty slow, but yeah driving fast can be fun
by sprohaska1 year ago
Actually engaging and having full control over the throttle + rpms? Maybe you aren't really pushing the envelope in your car and the whole thing is lost on you.
by Interesting_Coat1 year ago
You control when the transmission shifts, if you have a slightly louder exhaust than stock it sounds pretty nice especially when you hit that downshift rev match.
by Branson011 year ago
I know that, I drive a manual car, and so do most other people with cars where I live, and I don't see the fun in that.
by sprohaska1 year ago
I can do everything while driving a manual that I can in an automatic..
by Mckenzielisa1 year ago
No thanks.
by Any_Plastic46921 year ago
Not a single real reason other than "maybe it'll cut down on distracted driving"
by Anonymous1 year ago
I've heard it's better on gas. So far the only real reason I've heard but I don't even know how much of a difference maker it is. Got into it with people at work bc I said willing manual drivers in 2024 are pretentious and I've yet to be proven wrong
by Anonymous1 year ago
I got a motorcycle for pretty cheap. It's a manual and that's a pain. But it's Japanese so it'll last forever and is easy to fix. I'm also pretentious, but it's unrelated.
by deion321 year ago
I say this as a car guy who races regularly - no one engages in more self-fellatio than car guys driving stick lmao. Yep, you get to be more attentive while driving - because you need to make sure your gear is right or you'll stall on this hill. Ever have to sit in traffic in a stick? PITA. Manual transmissions wear out faster, and unless you're shifting perfect (I promise most of us are not), they're less fuel efficient. Don't get me wrong, when my car is hurtling towards the apex of a corner on the track - yes I need to control the exact gearing. Gimme the stick. For the city-commuting daily, though?? Auto me plz. Can you imagine the dumbest person in a car - and then mixing in the concept of clutch control & shifting? lmao
by hester401 year ago
While I agree with everything else, I don't think you need to be more attentive while driving stick to prevent stalling since after the first couple of months it should be muscle-memory anyways. There's still a lot of places where most people drive stick and it's not because they think it's fun. Hell, one of my uncles in India has a car that's stick but doesn't have a tach. I mean automatic is obviously better for the vast majority of people, but it's not like the average driver driving stick without having issues is unheard of elsewhere in the world.
by AdFast1 year ago
Yeah I may think about what gear I'm in or want to be in once a day, and only when I've been coasting with the clutch disengaged for a second. Other than that, it might as well be auto
by Holiday-Escape1 year ago
Honestly, the knowledge required to drive should be ALOT more and driver's licenses should be harder to get an maintain.
by Anonymous1 year ago
You could just put the phone down as well.
by Anonymous1 year ago
It's not the they're bored, they are responding to notifications, texts, etc.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Especially in the snow
by Anonymous1 year ago
I just wanted to say manual transmissions are great, and makes driving more enjoyable
by Remarkable_Leg3941 year ago
Can't beat that sound of a perfect downshift.
by Branson011 year ago
Or dropping a gear to disappear
by caspermarta1 year ago
This is a very common opinion
by West-Location1 year ago
I prefer driving manual
by Anonymous1 year ago
Lol if you NEED a manual just so it keeps you busy enough so you dont get on your phone, that isnt a positive for manual. You have a phone addiction.
by Anonymous1 year ago
My manuslw forester got me out of so many jams in the snow in the Sierra
by Schinnerfrieda1 year ago
If you're addicted enough to your phone that you have to look at it while driving then you'll do so in a manual or an automatic.
by shaynarunolfsdo1 year ago
Oh God it really is. You're just so much more in tune with everything. Get that speed up and you feel like one of the fast and furious crew. Lol
by Anonymous1 year ago
wouldn't know, don't care
by Disastrous_Fault1 year ago
Absolutely
by Ornkraig1 year ago
The distracted driving part is a good point, but the fact you have more fun driving a manual than an automatic is not. Most people are not driving a car because it's fun, they're driving because they have to to get to a specific location (eg work). It's only natural that they'd seek out the most simple and least stressful way of getting to that destination.
by Anonymous1 year ago
As a former manual driver, I assure you it does not cut down on distracted driving
by DistributionSure4741 year ago
Fun to drive, especially with rear wheel drive. Plus, the bonus of being able to start the car, that has a dead battery, by getting the car rolling and letting out the clutch.
by Zestyclose_Tour_19961 year ago
This saved me a couple hundred in a tow fee no doubt. My starter crapped out at night while I was about to leave work. The parking attendant told me that that was the issue and there was nothing he could do, "Unless you drive stick." So he got behind the wheel while my boss and I pushed. I was so grateful for that. Of course he made me super nervous when he told me, "Just don't stall."
by Anonymous1 year ago
Your first point just isn't true. My friend drives manual and is still on his phone. That seems more like a personal decision not tied to what type of car you drive
by Anonymous1 year ago
Ah, at last I've found my people.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Totally agree. Especially turbo charged
by MathematicianIll74411 year ago
I dont think I've ever seen a turbo that was an automatic..
by eberthilda1 year ago
A couple thousand dollars cheaper to buy is a pretty big conceivable way they are better.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Sounds like didn't look very hard. Plenty of trucks and SUVs make them and nearly all are cheaper
by Anonymous1 year ago
I understand it being better for driving for pleasure, but I rarely do that. I'm typically driving with an intentional destination and don't want the drive to be more work than it has to be
by Anonymous1 year ago
It's much more fun and engaging that's for sure
by Aggressive-Data-48091 year ago
The few people I know that drive manual transmission talk and text while driving those vehicles.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Uhhh, having had a manual for much of my life, eating, changing the radio, and answering the phone while shifting just meant you were a really good multitasker. I believe age and wisdom are why I drive safer, even as now it is an automatic.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I drove manual for a long time...once I started having to actually commute in rush hour traffic, it became super annoying having to constantly shift up and down and use the clutch. Open road, it's fun as hell. Pretty hard to find a manual transmission these days it seems. The last one I had, I had to special order it.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Mind being busy isn't a good thing. You want your attention on the road and vehicles not on your gears.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Distracted driving with more driving.
by Emoore1 year ago
I've driven a manual in traffic while holding my partner's hand and eating ice cream. Tell me again how it prevents distracted driving?
by Jaskolskialaina1 year ago
if your attention span is so bad that you can't drive a normal car without using a phone then you shouldn't be driving
by Anonymous1 year ago
I like the gas mileage I get from driving standard
by Anonymous1 year ago
Put it this way: for economy and sports cars, a manual transmission is essential. For others, an automatic is great
by Anonymous1 year ago
I appreciate knowing how to drive a manual. If I ever get on the amazing race I'll never look like a fool on tv 😂 But companies are increasing doing away with manual even as an option.
by Anonymous1 year ago
What about people who focus on the road, drivers, environment, and not their toys? Shifting would be an unnecessary distraction.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I'm all manual but I also used to text while riding my cbr900rr through SF so I doubt it would reduce distracted driving much. Where there is a will, there is a stupid way
by Paucekrosalinda1 year ago
Not a chance lmao. I learnt to drive manual but have driven automatic for years now. Wouldn't go back to manual. If you can't keep your hands off your phone for 5 minutes, driving a manual isn't going to change that! People are likely looking at their phones when they're cruising anyway, not going up and down the gears at intersections. Once you've been driving manual a while, it becomes mindless also. You're not actively thinking "press the clutch, up a gear…", you just do it
by blazestamm1 year ago
Stalling doesn't damage the engine
by Anonymous1 year ago
I'll enjoy never having to replace a clutch, thank you
by Anonymous1 year ago
It's no comparison how much more enjoyable it is to drive stick versus automatic. I will bever buy automatic if I have any choice in it.
by Interesting_Coat1 year ago
Until you're trying to smoke a cigarette and drink your coffee on the way to work in traffic. Argg.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Can't smoke a blunt driving manual
by Anonymous1 year ago
How often are you changing gears on the highway?
by Nienowemely1 year ago
After driving a manual vehicle for most of my life I can assure you I've been just as distracted as I am now driving automatic. Using your hand more doesn't make you focus more, you get used to it fast and you do it without thinking. You can still use your cellphone or become distracted doing something else. After 20 years of manual, I changed to automatic and I'm never going back
by Anonymous1 year ago
No it's not lol
by joyce561 year ago
that's not an unpopular opinion, maybe in America yes but in the rest of the world manual is the way
by OpportunityOk1 year ago
I'm surprised with how concerned Europe is about efficiency why they haven't adopted autos yet
by Kochlia1 year ago
A solid connection offered by a manual can improve efficiency by reducing lost power like through a torque converter. Also according to my friend in the UK he is noticing more cars on the road are automatic across the pond.
by Anonymous1 year ago
That used to be the case for sure but in the US at least autos get 2-3 more mpg across the board these days and it's been like that for 20 years
by Kochlia1 year ago
They have. Automatics outsell Manual in almost every European country.
by Anonymous1 year ago
People want act like race car drivers in a Honda Civic so bad
by Anonymous1 year ago
correct
by Anonymous1 year ago
How am I supposed to hold my phone AND my beer though??
by Anonymous1 year ago
Or you like grabbing diks & ballz gay boi. Manual is more fun but auto is so much easier. It ain't better
by Anonymous1 year ago
Not an unpopular opinion whatsoever
by Anonymous1 year ago
Heavy machinery is still manual mostly.
by Frequent_Pattern1 year ago
No it's not, at least not where I live, manual is cheaper
by sprohaska1 year ago
I just bought a 5 speed Civic last year.
by Interesting_Coat1 year ago
Man I love driving my manual jeep. (Insert lesbian joke here) but. It's because it's fun. It's worse in every single way.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Found the 20 something whose knees don't hurt yet. Other than the fun factor, there is no legitimate benefit to driving a stick instead of an automatic.
by Anonymous1 year ago
I've driven an automatic since I learned out to drive, and I've never had the urge to use my cell phone outside of occasional song skipping on Spotify. I'd rather be riding a train so I can scroll or play a game, but that's rural America for you. I hate driving, I want it to be as mindless as possible. I don't care if a manual is more "fun". Driving isn't a leisure activity. It's a way to get from point A to point B. If I want entertainment I'll queue up music or a podcast or bring someone to talk to.
by Anonymous1 year ago
Learning to drive manual won't change the fact that the vehicles are disappearing. Within 20 years they will be all but extinct. Electric cars generally aren't automatic or manual, so this will speed things up even more.
by Anonymous1 year ago
You are not wrong, but you are also not right. Vroom vroom
by anibal151 year ago
All of my cars have been automatic. I just don't feel the need for a manual. maybe distracted driving due to boredom would be reduced I drive too fast to be distracted :D
by Ansleyeffertz1 year ago
How old are you? I have driven manual all my life, and loved it. Recently, about 2 years ago, I bought an automatic, and for me, it's a relief. I'm 44, and tired of changing gears.
by Anonymous1 year ago
agree they're more fun but would not want one everyday. Driving in traffic and trying to park on hills is awful in a manual.
by Miserable_Knee_4091 year ago
Yes it's more fun in certain scenarios, but automatic transmissions are now more fuel efficient and last longer, theres no way I would go back to a manual for those reasons alone
by Intrepid-Lake-79421 year ago
It makes driving more annoying than it already is. No thanks.
by Anonymous1 year ago
i started out driving manual but switched to automatic and if im being honest i dont think i could go back to manual again without getting super frustrated. I was perfectly fine driving manual but as soon as i started driving automatic it made me feel like manual was just unnecessarily complicated. i dont really want to solve a dexterity puzzle every time i start my car to be honest
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