Poll : anyone bought a manual transmission and later wished they got an automatic
 

I realize that "to each his own" and I should test drive them both and decide for myself, not let other people on the forum influence this key decision. Understood.

I've only recently learned to drive stick - not very skilled yet - and it's not fun (yet?). I like driving the automatic GS, I floor the pedal and take off, no hassles with shifting, which I'm not good at yet.

This is a daily commuter, 4 miles each way on city streets, and for running errands two or three times a week that might involve a little stop-and-go on the freeway for 30 minutes. I will never track it, just play a bit on freeways/highways, racing the rice rockets.

Everyone tells me, "trust me, you once you get used to manual you'll much prefer your vette in a manual then an automatic!" I want to trust them. It's a leap of faith , but I was wondering if anyone here was ever in the same situation.

Has anyone bought a manual sports car before they really knew how to drive stick, and then later switched to an automatic because they never really enjoyed the manual? If such people are far and few between, I'd be much more interested in going for the manual.

Thanks.

My previous car was a Z28 with a 6 speed. I replaced it with a auto Corvette. Most of my driving was in the city and I got tired of shifting.

Nope, every vehicle (3) in our garages right now all have manual transmissions - two 6-speeds and one 5-speed.

Since a lot of my driving is not in city areas I much prefer my manual. I'd probably still go that route even if I was driving in the inner city.

Absolutely NOT! Sure, if I drove a luxury car I may consider an automatic, but not in a sports car. Are you nuts?!

Bottom line, if you have to ask this question you should get an automatic.

My Corvette is my DD and I drive approx 30,000 miles a year. I have a M6 and would NEVER go to an automatic!! My wife has a Jaguar XKR and even though its fun to drive I find it BORING with the automatic trans to say the least.
In any case enjoy what makes you happy:D

Only if I had a hottie in the passenger seat who needed some right hand attention.

stick with auto. You just learned stick and being its a dailey driver you are prob going to hate it after a while.....

I can't make up my mind what I like. Presently, two of the cars in my garage are manuals, and two are automatics.

With what you wrote... automatic.

Going to be hard to find many on here meet the "before they really knew how to drive stick " that picked a manual for their cars.

I try to get all my vehicles with manuals. The only exception is my truck.

It just depends on where you are in your vehicle owning journey, the driving you do, and your personality. I've had both. My GS is a MN6. I went back and forth and back and forth over whether to get an auto or a manual. My '94 was a manual. I have another car to drive that is an auto. If I had not had that car, I might have been more inclined to get an auto Corvette.

A manual DD gets old, especially if your drive is boring, has a lot of lights, traffic, etc. Having to constantly shift up and down between gears 1-3 while not going faster than 45 really takes the shine off having a Corvette. However, once you get someplace where you can stretch its legs, you will be glad you have a manual.

I thought a auto with paddles would be the perfect compromise, and it just might, but the other car I have is an auto with manual mode (Jetta) and I hardly ever shift it myself. I just put it in Auto and go.

Ken...go for the manual. If you had a daily two hour bumper to bumper commute I'd suggest the automatic but for the full vette experience go for the manual..

You'll be glad you did...IMO...

my first vette was an automatic z51 back in 1998 and I eventually had to sell it and get the manual....not because it's faster but because it's sooooooo much more involving and fun

I Drag Raced Sticks for years BUT ...........
 

:cool: When in doubt? Whip the auto out! :D

And Have A Great Day!!! :thumbs: :cheers:

PS: If you want some rubber on the shifts without even trying? just push down on the pedal some after a trans tune from either a hand held or custom TCM tune. People will say "Man that guy knows how to shift!!! :D and most guys who do drive a manual really are not that good at it or they would be Kicking Rangers buttt. :thumbs:

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/s...crap_again.jpg

If you can't answer the OP's question, then don't post in this thread. We don't need yet another debate on which is supposedly better.

The question: Has anyone bought a manual sports car before they really knew how to drive stick, and then later switched to an automatic because they never really enjoyed the manual?

In your situation, I would go with the Auto. I would not, however, race the "rice rockets."

Love my mn6. I dont believe in driving a proper sports car with an auto but thats just me.

IMHO, stick is the only way to go. Unfortunately I got an auto so the wife can have some fun too. Thank God for the paddel shifters. Wifey don't know it yet but next one is back to the stick shift.

The manual can be a PITA in stop & go driving, and I kinda felt the same way you did at first; in that I may have made a grave error and should have just gone with the Automatic as I was not a very good shifter at first. However, as I got better and more comfortable with the clutch/stick, even though at times it can be annoying in busy traffic, I definitely feel I made the right decision as you're so much more involved in the driving experience when you're able to manually shift and it's what a true classic sports car should really have... however, to each their own. With an auto, there's always the floppy paddels if you want to manually shift too, though I'm sure for many people out there it's just no the same.

all of my cars have been auto including my supercharged 350z. I bought my vette 6 speed not knowing how to drive a stick. So i learned to drive manual after i bought my vette (because i wanted a stick shift). Learning on this car was NOT easy, but i have NO regrets! I love drving the stick and now i wonder why the hell i never got a stick on any other car before! i drive it every day, rain, traffic, road trips. I feel like it is more fun and really brings out the personality of the car!