It seems like a lot of people here drive manual, which is cool. My father wouldn't let me get a car until I learned to drive manual, because of the bad winters here and it's better in the snow. Boy! I'm glad I learned.

I'm in college right now and having a manual car is a mixed blessing. I don't know ANYONE else who can drive one, not one person, and I know a lot of people. :P The good part is no one asks to borrow my car, but the downside is, if I go on a trip with someone in my car, we can't "take turns" because they don't know how!

Personally, I love manual and don't want to get a car that doesn't have it. I feel it's more fun to drive, better on gas, and I have more control.

What are the pros/cons of both though? Is manual truly better on gas? Which transmission type is less likely to break down and have problems?

 

Here in Japan the regular 5AT is not offered unless you get the 4WD version, the auto option is the CVT and it is listed about 2km/l (4.7mpg) better than the MT. Even there the EPA ratings have the AT slightly better, but I believe overall they are pretty even on the EPA numbers. What FE comes down to is the driver and his/her ability to control the right foot. Mine is pretty heavy and even in the horrid traffic of Tokyo Metropolis over the 9 months of owning the car my average is like 29.38mpg with a tank low of 23.86 and a high of 40.18.

For me, I will always only drive a manual unless Honda stops putting them out all together or I just physically am unable to enjoy rowing the gears and pushing down on the left pedal. Automatics to me, even with paddle shifters, just offer so much less of an engaging drive and bore me. I love driving and if it becomes boring to me, then I might as well just take public transportation.

 

Me too! I love driving! I hate driving automatic because it makes me feel like I'm driving a go-cart.

I had to borrow my mother's automatic car to haul some REALLY heavy/large stuff (wouldn't fit in my Fit, sadly) and gosh, I hated it. I felt like I was driving a toy.

 

Maybe you need to drive a shifter kart, well even a proper kart and you might not compare it to an automatic. hahaha

Seriously I would much rather drive a kart even without gearing compared to an automatic vehicle.

 

GO MANUAL... only get an AT if the situation really... I mean really reeeaaalllly needs an AT.

 

Seconded.

"I don't like A/Ts because they drive like go-karts" is really kind of unfair IMHO. Karts are massively punishing to drive because of the unassisted steering and the effort required to carry speed through turns - much higher compared to driving a road car. The fact that some of them just have one forward gear means it's one less thing to worry about.

I've driven manual gearboxes almost all my life, but I readily admit they're not a match for some cars. Small cars though are at their best with a self-shifter.

Just my two cents

 

You're right. I learned on a 3-speed on the column. Damn...did I just age myself? LOL

 

I learned on a manual because that's all there was except perhaps for some exotic of some kind or another. I've driven many manuals including a Corvette, Porsche 911 and a Miata. My present Miata is an automatic. You get to a point in life where you don't have to prove anything nor do you have to brag any more and you can take the easy, comfortable route without loosing your manhood.

 

Well for me, it's not about ease and comfort, though rowing and controlling the third pedal is not one I see as a chore even in the daily grind of Tokyo traffic, but something that adds to the driving experience. Driving an automatic is not about losing manhood with me, it's just boring. For me, I started driving with AT because that is what the family had. I didn't learn on manual until later in life when I moved to Japan. Spent 30 minutes in a parking lot and driving around an empty part of the base and off I was into traffic and I have never turned back since.

I'm not proving anything nor bragging, I just love driving and as stated if it came down to having to have an automatic, I might as well just take the train. At least that boring ride I could sleep. :D

 

I'm Filipino by origin (everybody drives manual)... lived and graduated college in the Philippines. Learned to drive when I was 14 yrs old... I'm 37 now :)
Family owned a pair of FORD FIERA and is where I learned to drive. The gear shifting were nightmare on these things and I could still remember my self grinding gears. Along the way, I have driven an ELF and a left hand drive CANTER carrying loads of fruits and veggies from grandma's farm unto the city market. It wasn't fun, instead, it was a chore. The fun part was when I got my first car in high school, drag racing a mid 70's ralliart.
It's always wise to learn driving on manual, everything else just follows nicely. The rewarding part... once you learn manual, it will never be un-learned... it will stay with you forever...

google images...
FORD FIERA (my first real accident... flipped it lol)

ISUZU ELF

MITSUBISHI CANTER


:)

 

Not any more they don't. You'd be hard pressed to find a car that's got a self-shifter these days...blame the marketing of automatic transmissions as a luxury item for that.

You can't even get a GE8 with a manual gearbox here...if you want three pedals and playing with a funny looking stick, it's GE6 or nothing.

Commercial vehicles are still largely self-shifted though.

:)

 

So a AT feels like a go-cart to you. Well i think a Fit does feel like a go-kart no matter what thats why i got mine. I have had both AT and MT Fits. I got to say i perfer the AT when it comes to the Fit. Now far as sports cars go i rather have a MT. I love MT just not in some cars like the Fit

 

It's sad but many countries where manual was the norm for long time (France, poor countries) it's just because it's cheaper on gas and to buy, not because they like more to drive. It's not for nothing that turbo diesel are so popular in Europe, people take the M/T but are too lazy to downshift to pass people...

And in Equateur everyone was staying in 3rd gear in town to take corners at 20-25kph... we could hear the engines forcing all the time out of the corners (fortunately they have old engines with big displacement most of the time).

 

i hall so many people at college in my car its not even funny... and i drive a manual... its no problem.. and you'll be surprised how many people know how to drive stick.... hell theres girls that drive my car that actually drive my own car better then i do.

 

Perhaps I misused the word "go kart". I usually call a golf cart a "go kart" and that's what I meant. Golf carts are dead easy to drive.

Yes, A/T feels like I'm driving a golf cart no matter what car I'm in.

Honestly, if you feel that the Fit drove like one I'm not really sure why you bought it but each to its own.

 

I considered a manual fit, butt tested one in the showroom, but it simply didn't have enough space for me. My right knee usually extends into the area where first and second would be, and I need the space where the clutch pedal would be so I can stretch out my left leg from time to time.

Always had a manual before, and if I'd bought a Civic (with a bit more legroom), or an Accord (if I could locate a 5MT Accord) I'd have probably gotten one. The Fit is fairly short on legroom; not an issue if you have short legs, but not the best for me.

I get my fun/engaging/clutchin'-and-shiftin' experience on the motorcycle... it's the vehicle I take when that is key. For commuting to work, I can live with an automatic, especially one that lets me manually shift when the mood strikes.

 

Really? You must be huge. I am 6'4 and 285lbs and the Fit accomodates me just fine.

The only thing I can't do is heel-toe in the fit, but my feet are large enough that I can blip the gas with my little toe and hold the brake with my big toe. So it's more of a toe-toe maneuver which has taken some getting used to...

 

Just long legged. I'm 6'1, but with a 35" inseam... I've never in my life had an issue with headroom in a car, but legroom is a big deal. If I always wore loafers, sneakers, or sandals, I could probably manage, but when I commute to work wearing thick soled combat boots, it doesn't work as well.

 

I'm an average-sized girl (5'7'') and the Fit fits me just fine (manual) but I do run into problems when I drive with my tall friend in the passenger seat. His knee keeps hitting my stick shift and then I fuss at him. ><

 

Stick is inherently much more active and engaging, especially in these smaller, nimbler cars. I find myself paying far less attention to the matters of driving when with an automatic. Boring!