Do you prefer driving an automatic or a manual?

[Kualma]

I recently changed cars and now drive an automatic. Wish I got one years ago - so easy to drive! What do other people prefer and why?

@Amrapaali

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4712532-to-learn-to-drive-in-manual-lecturing-dp?page=4&reply=122803532

Depends on the driving. Automatics are great for traffic and city driving. Manuals are much better on grades and rural driving - it's nicer to have control with the gears rather than relying on the brakes.

I can only drive automatic as took my test in one, I have never felt out of control, struggled to parallel park or do a hill start (they still have handbrakes!) the newer ones with brake assist never roll backwards if you actually turn in on, I have never understood the whole out of control mantra that manual drivers cite as being against an automatic gearbox.

We have one of each and I hate driving the manual

I think it’s best to let your daughter make the decision between learning in an automatic or manual. Then you can’t be blamed!
I learnt in an automatic & never regretted it. My husband was slightly irritated at one time that we had to buy an automatic car but now he much prefers them to manual so there’s no issue.

I used to do over 25000 business miles a year, and then about 14000 personal miles. I'll always have an automatic now.

That's because you've never driven a manual.

I don't understand what "not feeling in control" means when driving an automatic? Is this about older automatics?

I would encourage someone to learn in a manual to learn that skill though.

Manual because I like to be in complete control

Manual . I just like the physicality of driving .

Automatic definitely. Especially for driving in traffic. No-more lurching when first gear is too low and second too high. We have a hybrid though so it uses continuous variable transmission rather than being an automatic with five or six gears. This means its incredibly smooth. It also has engine braking and it is very responsive. If you need a bit of extra oomph you just push down more on the accelerator. It is amazing and actually much more responsive than a manual I think.

I drive a manual for years. I hired a car in the US and that was the first time I drive an automatic. I was so impressed and amazed how much easier it is. Now I only drive automatics.

Automatic 100%. Stop, start. No chance of stalling. What’s not to love?

I’ve had both. Prefer manual. I’m in a Honda with vtec which is more fun towards the top of its revs, so that might have something to do with my preference. Plus the gearbox is absolutely lovely.

We have one of each and both have their good and bad points. I drive the auto mostly because its the family car but I do love my little manual as its nippy! The auto is a pain trying to parallel park on a hill.... To anyone watching it will look like I can't drive as it stops when it likes, and I have to give it a little bit of gas to move it an inch, such a pain in the arse! 🤦‍♀️

I don't know why drove kept getting changed to drive. Makes me sound like I can't speak English.

Automatic for motorway driving but manual for town, country roads and fun!

I despair of the automatic every time I want to nip into a gap in traffic in town, it's so much slower to respond than my manual hot-hatch. The most fun driving is definitely in a manual.

Automatic all the way. Fuck that shit changing gears and moving my left leg every time I need to go faster/slower in stop start traffic.

Took me over 25 years to realise though 😳 wish I’d done it earlier. My gear stick is behind my steering wheel and is soooooo easy to drive.

Bit perplexed with everyone saying you have 'no control' in an automatic. I drive an automatic at home and a manual at work. I don't feel any less in control in my automatic car. A lot of newer automatics can actually shift gears a lot faster than humans, and one bonus is that you can keep both hands on the wheel. It's subjective of course but I have never felt unsafe in an automatic.

Manual for me. I've driven automatics and DH has a brand new 4x4 automatic.

I don't mind autos but I prefer full control.

When driving in the middle of the night down windy icey/compacted snow/Black ice roads, the my front wheel drive manaul is the best, I can drop down the gears to slow so I don't have to brake on potential lethal ice rink roads, and use my hand brake if nessary too.

DH convinced me to take his car with all the recently snow, it was awful not having control, even though it could be flicked into manual it didn't feel the same and it wouldn't let me drop it to 1st on a down hill icy junction. I just wanted my car back were I could feel the road, the engine and be in full contol

When learning to drive my dad took me to iced over car parks and taught me how to drive on ice and practiced sliding out of control to learn how to react, I can't unlearn the need to control now.

automatic any other time of year yeah great I don't mind.

Automatic definitely. I can manually change the gears on my car, it has paddles on the steering wheel, but fuck that, too much hard work. It’s dead easy to parallel park on a hill too, I live on one and don’t have a driveway so do it a lot.

I prefer to drive a manual, because I feel like I'm actually driving it.

I've been driving since I was 15 (licence in NZ) & I'm now 54. I've driven the occasional auto I've the years, but this is the first Auto I've owned.

I only (reluctantly) bought an auto as, at the time, I was driving into the city every day with a ton of traffic and my knees were objecting, badly!!

I miss 'driving', Auto is like sitting in an armchair steering between A & B.

id like another manual, but my knees are whimpering at the mere mention of it!!

I think youngsters should learn to drive, not just steer around in an automatic. To me it's like learning to cook v learning to shove ready meals in a microwave.

I guess the ‘no control’ thing is to do with engine braking, you don’t really get that in an auto, do you?

Autos are a pain on hill starts, parallel parking, windy country roads.

Maybe you haven't driven one for a while? They're a dream on hill starts - no equalising of clutch and accelerator, I park perfectly, and I hated having to change gear through country lanes.
And automatics are much kinder to your knees. I'd never go back to a manual.

Modern automatics with all the latest gizmos of the past 15 years eg hill start assist that holds your car on the hill, cruise control etc are very good.
However as to which I prefer, that depends on the purpose and the journey route.