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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think most folk still drive manual cars

399 replies

Bambambini · 14/04/2015 13:23

Curious to know how many here drive manual or auto. Also how many have never even tried an auto. Sort of mini poll as having words with a yank on another site. Your participation will be appreciated if not rewarded!

OP posts:

lertgush · 17/04/2015 12:56

I'm guessing you have something like a BMW M135i?

No, I have a Honda Odyssey :-)

lertgush · 17/04/2015 13:01

For instance in snow, you might want to stick to a very low gear. Or put it into neutral if you're skidding.

Eh? High gear in snow. Foot off brake when skidding and steer in the direction of skidding till you regain traction.

But the thing that makes most difference if you're going to be driving in snow is your tyres not your engine type.

woodhill · 17/04/2015 13:13

my auto has some gears for snow I think. never had to use them.

richthegreatcornholio · 17/04/2015 13:37

No, I have a Honda Odyssey :-)

Sorry, by the way you were talking I thought you had something fairly quick. I'm a big Honda fan though.

richthegreatcornholio · 17/04/2015 13:38

my auto has some gears for snow I think. never had to use them

It's a different shift map, will pull away in 2nd and get into higher gears sooner than normal.

woodhill · 17/04/2015 13:39

ok but is separate and I think it is there for that reason

MrsMillions · 17/04/2015 13:41

DH's car (4x4) is auto. He was fed up with foot on clutch in traffic jams so keen to go auto with this car. My little runaround is manual. I'm happy with both but feel mine keeps me honest!(DH's car has automatic everything it seems - lights, wipers, electric hand brake...)

Shamalamalam · 17/04/2015 13:51

My auto has a snow mode.

I've also got a sports mode, it goes like shit off a shovel!

Mine is actually tiptronic so I have some manual gears but have never used them. The snow mode copes fine with the snow we have here

lertgush · 17/04/2015 15:27

Sorry, by the way you were talking I thought you had something fairly quick. I'm a big Honda fan though

Me too - it's the second one I've had and it just seems to do the job really well. I looked at loads of alternatives and just kept coming back to this one. One day when the kids are grown I'll get the Beemer :-)

FanFuckingTastic · 17/04/2015 15:31

I'll learn in an automatic as that's all I can drive, feasibly.

MagratGarlik · 17/04/2015 15:56

Both of our cars are classics (and manual gears). There is no way I'd swap either of them for a modern automatic car - ours are lots more fun to drive and I do drive about 500 miles each week.

Sirzy · 17/04/2015 16:09

The automatics I had had no issues with quick acceleration or getting away at lights quickly or anything. It was fantastic!

chemenger · 17/04/2015 16:34

Those of you who don't have problems with sluggish automatics have never driven a 2008 US Chevy Tahoe. I think the accelerator worked by sending a fax to the engine rather than any direct connection. Worst hire car ever (was also the size of Wales on the outside and about the same size as my Fiat 500 on the inside). I'm happy to accept that better autos are, well, better and less annoying. I still don't want one.

Jasmine2233 · 17/04/2015 16:37

I drive a manual car but i think auto are better, the clutch when there is traffic is annoying. I might upgrade to auto when i buy a new car

Mangobubbles · 17/04/2015 16:47

Just bought an auto as needed a bigger car, I love it!

richthegreatcornholio · 17/04/2015 16:56

I've also got a sports mode, it goes like shit off a shovel!

What is it?

Twatfreezone · 17/04/2015 17:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 17/04/2015 17:13

chemenger - about 9 years ago we had a Chrysler Sebring as a hire car. That too had the responsivess of an ailing slug and the handling was knuckle bitingly bad. Fine on long straight California interstates. Bloody terrifying on a mountain road.

lertgush · 17/04/2015 17:25

Plenty of underpowered manual cars out there too.

unnaturalmakeup · 17/04/2015 17:36

I'm not sure American makes like Chevy and Chrysler are the same as autos people on this thread have.

I loved my Focus Zetec auto and it was great fun to drive.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 17/04/2015 17:54

Unnatural - no that's true. The whole set up of great big wallowing US gas guzzlers is a world away from the smaller engined European market and consequently their gearboxes need to be able to cope with different power delivery.
I wouldn't want one of the old automatics or a DAF cvt! Modern dual clutch and cvt are a world away from those.

unnaturalmakeup · 17/04/2015 18:09

I think their chassis and handling is just totally different too. It won't just be the transmission, I am sure.

Christinayangstwistedsister · 17/04/2015 18:19

Rich

Why doesn't it make sense, I have an automatic with a sports box...it's not difficult

GiddyOnZackHunt · 17/04/2015 18:48

Well yes but it was the powertrain that was really being discussed :)

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