Stick shift?

Question

I drive a stick. ( a manual transmission if you will ) What is the downside of having a manual compared to an automatic trans.?

*******I LLLLLLOVE my manual. And all of your answers are great. I knew having a manual over an automatic was better. I am a young, female, who loves to conquer the road! I think everyone should try at least once! I just wanted to know, because people look at me wierd like, "why would you drive that?" And for the record LMAO. I have had a smoke, eaten a bagel, with orange juice, while on the phone, WHILE driving about 95 miles per/hr. to the hospital for a friends emerg. (so i was under stress) I made it safely, and not hungry, just to sit in the hospital for about 3 days! If you can handle a stick, and do it well, you can handle the world. Who agrees? :)

Answer 1

let's see...

automatic service required every 30K
manual if driven well......................100K

Most cars with auto trans explode every 90K
manual..............................................live forever and replacement is one third if not less required

tired left leg-Advil 5.99

annual savings compared to automatics-500.00 if not more

feeling cool with that shifter in your hand..PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

Like the person said above me, but you can hold the gear for longer and you choose when to shift, so you can let the revs build which will get more power out of the engine and so you will accelerate faster-Very good for overtaking or beating poeple off the lights if you're into that thing :)

I've only ever driven a manual, I tried an auto for about 30mins but didn't like it because you don't have as much control over the engine as you do in a manual. Also you can use engine braking in a manual where as you can't (as far as I know) in an auto, so if you hit a bend very fast, all you have are the brakes to slow you down in an auto, but with a manual, you can use the brakes and change down a gear or two and you slow down faster and you can pull out of the corner faster too.

Manuals also get better fuel economy and they tend to be cheaper to fix if they go wrong, either the gearbox or clutch goes, where as with an auto box, it tends to be a lot more money, especially if the car is Japanese.

I'd personally stick to with the manual if I was you. Or whichever you enjoy the most.

Answer 3

Please, let me share my opinion. The manual is nice to have for a specific reason. I had just given birth a week prior and was on an interstate with the outside temp over 102 degrees when the alternator decided to go out. The car stalled out on me while I was driving. I downshifted which started her back up again. Needless to say at that time I had no cell phone and the manual helped me make it to a station to use a phone rather than if it were an automatic, I would have stalled with a newborn on an interstate, no cell phone in high heat. It would have been a miserable situation maybe even dangerous.

It is an inconvenience to shift gear through town all the time if your a cell phone user but now most states are making that illegal and it's dangerous anyway. That's the only downside I see to an manual.

Answer 4

Manuals can be nice for gas mileage on the highway they are OK too. But I drive mostly in town it's a pain. I've been driving over 40 years am the worlds worst at taking out clutches and throughout bearing. It used to be a cheap fix now days it will cost me around $800 to replace them. I know the growl coming from the clutch tells me needs some TLC and that is what an honest mechanic has quoted me.

Answer 5

I drive a Jeep Wrangler with a stick shift; the only difficulty I have with it is if I'm stuck in traffic, and just creeping along - using the clutch constantly under those circumstances is a bit of a pain. However, I REALLY like driving a standard; I can't see myself ever paying to have an automatic transmission again. I feel I have much better control over my driving in general with a stick, especially since I live in the foothills of the Cascades.

Answer 6

Depending on your comute and type of car, but is mostly a convinience issue if you have a Japanese car with a manual transmision your maitenace is going to be ussually lower than if you own an automatic also gas mileage is higher with a manual, the downside is you will have to keep shifting gears all the time.

Answer 7

The first Obvious downside is having to shift the transmission yourself. Besides that one downside; having a manual transmission also means you have to perodically replace what's between your transmission and your engine; namely your clutch. Also having to shift your manual transmission for every gear change is one more distraction. (cell phone, food, drink, talk, etc.) that could lead to an accident.

Answer 8

Well, if you consider having to push a clutch pedal and having to move a little stick to change gears "work", that would be the down side. I think it is fun, makes you pay more attention to what you are doing, and "you" are in control of what "you" want the vehicle to do. Oh, you have to have the clutch replaced every 50 to 60K miles, around $200 if you do it yourself, $500 to ? ,to have it done, if the automatic goes , $1500 and up. I'll take jambing gears!

Answer 9

Just being stuck in stop and go traffic. When it is time to replace the clutch it would almost be time to rebuild an automatic and the clutch is much cheaper plus you get better milage with the stick

Answer 10

You have a tired left leg from clutching. Manual's get better MPG than automatics.

Answer 11

The downside is you have to physically shift gears. And over about 75,000 miles you will need a clutch replacement.