Manual or Auto - which do you prefer?

Well hear we go again, some months ago I posted, when I had my last T5 Manual that I would never go back to Auto. Then last summer I drove to Torquay and got stuck for 5 hours at the end of the M5 stop start for 3 hours. Also got stuck on the way back for 5 hours. My left leg got cramp, and I am very fit. Never again, so, sold the T5 and got my latest T6 Geartronic. Being a very lazy fat bstard at 65 its an auto for me. Next move is to employ a chaufeur for my long trips allowing me to work on my laptop whilst stuck in traffic.

[Hashluck]

Manual always so far.

I sometimes get told to worry about depreciation but the price difference new is rarely reflected used and enough used buyers look for manual so it all evens out.

Gordon Brown just made the decision easier.....

Manual T5 (S60 and C70) just inside Band F. Geartronic just inside Band G!

[LankyTim]

Manual diesel Rover 75s are a band lower than Autos too. Dimwits.

[andykem]

My first auto was a 1967 S-type Jag. Spoiled me for life. Why anyone would want to fart about with a manual escapes me. There's nothing you can't do with an autobox that that you need a manual one for. In today's traffic clutches are an anachronism.

Said enough!
Andy

[LankyTim]

Nothing like an autobox to take the strain........

aaahhhhh.... ZzzzzzzzZZZZZzzz

[st5ve]

When you drive a powerful/luxury auto car I tend to find you are more relaxed at the wheel, driving is more comfertable and there is a lot less stress, surley a good thing when it comes to driving. My T5 auto gives me as much performance as I need whilst driving.

[friedfrog]

Manual everytime, the first auto I had was an Astra (I was young & it was cheap) it was so fantastically boring that I went off driving for a while! I forget which manual I had to replace it but it was like having a new toy, I felt like a 7 year old at Xmas with a 5sp manual to play with again. When i was about 28-29 I had a Rover 827 auto (company car) because of the V6 power and the cr*p chassis you needed to cling on for dear life if the right foot was getting heavy. It was far more fun than the Astra auto. But there was still something missing (the manual box)!
I drive a lot of different cars in my line of work and I always prefer the manual, (with the possible exeption with Mercs)
I really enjoy driving and the more I can control the car the better I feel, I always turn traction control off for instance (where possible)
I don't like all the computer wizardry interferance when driving I like to feel in control,
Give me a car like they used to make em' any day!

I think a bad manual is far more involving than a good auto, so manual everytime!

ff

[st5ve]

I cant identify with people who drive manual cars and state they are more in control, if it's the fact the driver can select what gear they are in appose to the auto, which does it for you when you are in D, but you can still select other gears if you choose to do so with the auto box. There again whilst driving with auto transmission there is no need to take your hands of the steering wheel to select gear, and the right foot does all the work no need to use left unless disabled or you choose to do so. I suppose it swings in roundabouts how much you want to use your gears etc, most of the auto boxes in Volvo's are comparatively good unless you want to go for a lot more bhp/torque then they are a bit more limited than there manual equivalent.

[Alec Dawe]

If you really want to DRIVE, then I'd say a manual box every time.
If like me you drive 30,000 miles + a year, and have a bad back, and now getting pains in my left calf muscle every evening, then I'm seriously thinking about a nice auto box for my retirement car!

[dodgyken]

I am another 50/50 split man.

For a drive, a proper drive, a drive when the needle flirts with the redline and you and the car are working together then you can't beat shifting cogs manually. Yes it is slightly snobbish, and the middle ground boxes are getting better, and autos are getting more cogs and faster changes. But get a manual change right, get the blip on the downshift to happen subconsciously and right and it is driving heaven.

However, for wafting around town or along the motorway, give me a big old barge with an autobox. The Mercedes was the first automatic I had paid for by my own money - and I loved it. It was a new modern 5-speed job, but it didnt try and think for itself. Fixed ratios, no trying to learn my style. You always knew where you were.

The Volvo is the same - 3 nicely spaced ratios + the overdrive - a brilliant 1st to 2nd gear change - even at full throttle. And just lovely and relaxing to drive.

There is a proviso to this, the automatic is best served with a large portion of torque - anything less than 160lbft - and the gears can start to hunt - especially with adaptive boxes.

Wafting is this seasons racing!