Automatic or Manual transmission

M

MadDog

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I'm thinking of buying a car next year. (Chevy Cobalt coupe, becuse its cheap and has amazing gas mileage).

Now, I've been thinking of whether to buy manual (free) or automatic ($850 more) transmission.

The problem with NJ, where I live, is traffic. That's a turnoff for manual, because of stop and go. The other problem is reale value. Most americans drive auto (about 90%), so the resale value on a sporty coupe drops due to the fact that the target audience is younger males. Those would be the only ones to want to buy the car.

I'd really like to have a manual car. I think its fun to drive a sporty car and have more control over it. What do you think?
 
I really prefer manual transmission over automatic because I love to drive and be in control of the vehicle; manual is simply more fun. I can understand those who go auto tho since it *is*quite convenient, especially in city traffic. If I were to buy a car I would easily go manual since I prefer it, it's cheaper, and most people drive manual in Sweden so it wouldn't be any trouble selling it. Don't know what I'd do in your case however.
 
The way I see it is:

Manual transmission: more exxxxtreeeme (both the fun and the un-fun things). If you're in a traffic jam, you might curse the day that you decided against an automatic transmission; if you're riding for fun, you'll be glad you got the manual transmission.

Automatic transmission: less excessive. Whether you're in a traffic jam or just enjoying a good ride, it's more or less the same; push the pedal.

So I guess it boils down to: xXxTreme or not?

I'd go for manual; almost every car has a manual transmission here, so I don't have to worry about re-sell value; and I like to be in control like you said too.
 
uh? exxtreme eh? we're talking about a chevy cobalt here.

if you're going to be stuck in traffic all the time take automatic.

If you'd be buying a Ford Mustang i'd say to go with standard, but looking into a chevy cavalier or cobalt as they call it now.
If you're looking into gas mileage, check out the toyota echo.
And i just bought yesterday an 2005 honda civic (automatic) i couldn't stand driving stick in traffic anymore. I still have my 2005 toyota echo (standard) but i guess i'll let my wife drive it.
 
I prefer automatic, considering I drive on US 19 every day (that road has the most accidents per day in america...) with people who constantly cut me off, ride on my ass, throw random items out the window (yesterday i had a milkshake splat all over my fucking windshield), randomly stop in the middle of the road, etc. With all this shit my concentration is already maxed out with no room left to concentrate on gear shifting. Not to mention the gigantic 2 hour long traffic jams with people moving 2 feet, wait 5 mins , 2 feet, 5 mins.


Manual= Fun for cruising, racing, impressing a lady with your manly car prowess 8)

Automatic= No thinking required.
 
Phil the Nuka-Cola Dude said:
Automatic= No thinking required.
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That's funny, cause for me it goes vice versa. Driving an automatic requires a lot of thinking. I always try to disengage the clutch and pedal an imaginary treadle while nearly breaking the hand gear by pushing it to the side. :roll:
I don't have to think when driving a manual car, it just works... automatically (oh the irony!).
I learned driving on a manual car, I drove a manual car for 2 years and 98% of all cars in Germany DO HAVE manual transmission. It's almost impossible to find a nice used car with automatic. I don't know, the technical progress passed europe in this point 8)

@MadDog: If you learned to drive on an automatic car and are not used to a manual transmission I recommend to pay the 850 bucks.
As long as you have to think about what your left foot is doing while driving, it isn't safe and can't be that healthy.
I am a safety fanatic as long as traffic is concerned, but distraction can be fatal.
 
My wife is keen on automatics, but I think an automatic transmission is for pussies.

Couple added advantages of the manual-
(1) They save on gas.
(2) They are cheaper to repair.

If its a sports car, go manual.

While most americans do like automatics, a lot of guys will go with the manual for their first car, and if that's a sports car- all the better.

But I agree, a lot of this depends on what you plan to do. If you are in stop and go traffic, you will probably spend a lot of time in first gear. Manual can be a pain in the ass. When I commuted back and forth from law school (an hour each way) much of the time was spend in bumper-to-bumper traffic from Queens to LI, so I sympathize.

That said, regular driving is much more fun.

Also, do you plan to sell this thing soon or run it into the ground?
 
UJ, the cobalt is actually a nice looking car anddoes have a fun element. That's what everyone says who drives it.

The Cobalt's mileage is 25/35. It's a little less than the Civic.

I'm a GM kinda guy. My parents paid for my first car, which was a 99 Ford Escort. From now on, I want GM cars.
 
Yes, but in that case I wouldn't worry about selling this car. GM's lose value fast. YOu would be better off with a Japanese or German car which retain a lot of their resell value.

For example, the Honda I bought before law school cost me abotu $4200 used. I drove it for three years an hour each way (approximately 70 miles) In addition I drove it elsewhere, on trips etc. So over four years I put on at least 80K. The car got totalled in California. My insurance paid off $3500.

That was pretty sweet. I doubt you could get that for a GM.
 
No need to, good old american made cares are more durable the the plastic and toothpick constructed rice burners.
 
Elissar said:
No need to, good old american made cares are more durable the the plastic and toothpick constructed rice burners.
Click to expand...

:rofl:

heh, oh yeah, that's right :roll:
 
Now, this seems like an odd question. Over here, Automatics are an oddity, a real oddity.

I've never been in one, never known anyone who drove one, barely ever seen one advertised.

It seem particularly bizarre that "90%" of Americans drive such cars. What is the point? If us Brits (and, I believe, most Europeans) can drive perfectly well in manual why do you guys love the Automatics so much?

That said, I don't drive, or do I ever plan to. Damn murdering, polluting, capitalist pigs.

Drunken Post - Don't drink and drive, drink and take the bus, puke in the back and stagger off home
 
Elissar wrote:
No need to, good old american made cares are more durable the the plastic and toothpick constructed rice burners.
Click to expand...


True. I was helping my buddy fix up his Hyundai Tiburon the other day. It's a fun car to drive (even though he won't let me drive it any more since I once burned the clutch a tiny bit while getting used to it (This seems normal, even my ladyfriend who has driven manuals all her life, says that when you first get in a different car it can throw you)). The whole interior was very, very plasticy and not held together well. The car is only one year older than my Buick, and it had more broken interior parts than did my Corvette when I got it, and the Corvette is as old as I am. We put most of these to rights, but the whole car feels like it was made by Matel.

As to the type of transmission, go for the manual. It quickly becomes second nature, and car transmissions are not hard to shift. (then again the stick I am most often driving is a 1978 Ford F600 rack body truck with ultra-low gearing, a shift from hell, and a 200-lb return spring on the clutch). After I get out of it, I find my left foot pounding the dead pedal whenever I brake in something else. Just be careful in those cars with the parking brake in the footwell where the clutch should be!!![/quote]
 
You know what the funny part about American made cars is? They fall apart just as much as the next import. Good god look at a Dodge for god sakes... Yeah Chrysler is in a bit of a pinch but hell I have only once opened my car door and had the handle come off in my hands. And that was after 246,000 miles! On the original engine! (Subaru)
Look at Ford; lets make our engine mounts and other non-related mounts similar sizes. So when people try to repair things they just strip bolts.

Now if we are comparing older American cars to new imports... well yes... they were constructed to go through the brick wall not stop on impact. Trust me, with a 100$ 79 Buick Fastback... you find out these little things that you always wanted to know. Would it be fun to crash into that guardrail at 40mph? Or hey road barricade made out of large old growth tree stumps, lets ram them till they are nothing but bits and pieces! Or hey, I bet my Buick will smash right through your 84 Toyota Trecel if I go fast enough. And my favorite... I got stuck in this large sand pit... Lets get that two story tracktor pick up the car and drive it to solid grounds. You simply can not do all that with a new car import or not.

I honestly do not know how to drive a manual very well. But if you want gas mileage that is your choice. If you want easy to repair that is your choice. It sucks hauling a 250lb auto out of a junkyard.
 
My mom has a 2002 Toyota Camry, 10,000 miles on it. her handle broke off her door.

Ford = Found on Road Dead. They fall apart.

Dodge is alright, but they do have their problems.

GM cars have been really good the last few years (and really, over time), but press gives them bad coverage.

Imports definitely keep their value, yes. Only problem with buying anything but a honda civic is that they are EXPENSIVE. German cars over here are for higher class people. I know over there in Europe there are tons and tons of Mercedes Benz and whatnot, but that's not the same here.
 
Yes, manual transmission may be interesting, but if you have to stop and go through time to time, I think auto transmission is more practical.
 
This is a hard decision. Practicality = auto. But I'm a young guy who wants to have fun, and I really really want to have a manual car.
 
Wisdom from my buddy Mike wit the Hyundai... Women are attracted to men who drive sticks. They think it's hot. History has proven this.

Old American cars are unkillable. Newer ones are still tougher than comparable imports, although not quite as bullet-proof as they once were. We can't compare apples and oranges, but while quality has gone down all around, American cars (by and large) maintain a higher standard of build quality.
 
Heh, I'm not a really big motor-knower, I barely know how an engine works.
But I do know that the japs cars like Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Suzuki, etc, are far far superior to the american cars in terms of quality, they almost never brake down, the engine will run till you shoot it, they rock on icy ground, they climb like monkeys... See there's a reason why they are used where quality and durability really is crucial. There is only one single thing the american cars are superior in is the POWER-factor, bigger and faster...better penis-enlargers...saying that american cars are more durable than japs cars is laughable, at best.
 
Kahgan said:
But I do know that the japs cars like Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Suzuki, etc, are far far superior to the american cars in terms of quality
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Yeah, but the motorbikes never break down and sound like sewing machines. Motorbikes are MEANT to have a real noise, break down every month, and require their own specialised tool kit for repair.

Long Live The British Bike!

MadDog said:
My mom has a 2002 Toyota Camry, 10,000 miles on it. her handle broke off her door.

Ford = Found on Road Dead. They fall apart.
Click to expand...

RE Toyota: that's freaky, cos I 'inherited' (took) my dad's 18 (?, ehh, about) year old Toyota Hilux ute with nearly 300 thou on the clock (km), and all that it's suffering from (or ever suffered from, as far as I know) is a stuck heating system and bad paintwork. Seem to me that old, at least, Toyotas are indestructible.

Ford = Found on Rubbish Dumps
BMW = Badly Mangled Wok
Holden = Barely Holdin' (ah ha, ha, cough) Together.

Argh! Stop me before I inflict any more upon this innocent forum!
 
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