DocNo, we'll agree to disagree. My previous DD was a '96 Sunfire - a little 4-cylinder with a manual trans. I hated it in stop and go traffic.

I love driving manual and I have never had any problems or complaints about it until I took my X off road. The first trip was pretty bad... The second was a bit better and overall things started to improved. However, trying to go over boulders is still something that I struggle with.

Had I had to do things again, I would have gotten an auto only for one reason: My significant other. The X is the spare car and when our primary one breaks down, my girlfriend cannot take the X since she does not know how to drive a stick shift. We end up spending $ on rentals and that is no good... So far we spend around $1.5K on rentals this year (it is a long story) and the amount spent on the auto tranny would have justified itself.

Stick. Stick. Stick. Stick. Stick. Stick.

Stick. Stick.

Ok, now I'm finished.

funny how most of the people who swear by the stick don't live in areas with traffic.

Me personally I've never driven anything extensively with a stick. So Im going to have to stick with the auto.

Nice way to talk about us while living in our country.

I am lazy and fat tho - I fit right in. I'm talkin about Skinny British folk who are wannabe yanks, rather than those who come and take over the place like myself.

I prefer auto for off-road use and manual for highway use.
However, if I had to contend with daily stop-n-go traffic, I would get an auto with a "sport-shift/manu-matic" mode.

Stick for On-Road
Stick for Traffic
Stick for open highway
Stick for City Streets
Stick for Towning
Stick for Sand
Stick for Mud
Stick for Dirt
Stick for Snow
Stick for Desert
Stick for Mountains
Stick for Beaches
Stick for Off-Road
Stick for Crawling

Auto for ... I guess not.

I prefer driving a stick vs auto. Besides.....it just seems wrong to have a automatic 4x4

My X is a stick and I live in Cali, i've never really minded stick in traffic, just leave it in first. The way this thing is geared you can drive at a walking speed without stalling. I spend more time in traffic than i do off road, but when i do go off road, I'm always so happy i have a stick.

My X is auto, and I sure do enjoy rock crawling with that alot more than I do my Jeep that is manual. Of course I don't have the Crawler gears yet... and when I get those, i'm going hand throttle But without those... my knee is killing me at the end of the day.

Loved my '02 stick. Hate my 05 stick. Clutch way underengineered.

It's a bit of a pain in the ass to smoke a cigarette and drink a beer at the same time while driving stick.

I prefer an auto.

Just how I am.

I have owned sticks before but like an auto better.

Pfffft...rookie

So this thread seems to say:

Auto - If you are a careless driver who would rather multi-task than pay attention to the road.

Manual - If you have driving ability and care about other drivers on the road.

x2. I first test drove the supercharged with an automatic -- nice and performed decent. But then when I test drove the supercharged with the 5 speed, I knew this was way more fun and better performing. No regrets getting the 5 speed.

k_enn

Just test drove the stick , and to tell you the truth , I found it very jerky and notchy , I actually prefer the auto now and the I like the way the supercharger kicks in on the auto

OE

I have an auto I would much prefer having a stick. However, it occasionally sees tow duty and we wouldn't be able to tow the boat with the stick.

Luckily I can drive stick in the 924. And its not that hard to do it with only one hand

I was dead set on getting an automatic for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. Then I made the mistake of test driving a supercharged 5 speed

Was just driving it around tonight (had to go to Costco in Deleware - long story, don't ask) and I still thoroughly enjoy it (even if i did have to sit in stop and go traffic at a stupid toll plaza on I-95 for 20 minutes ).

That goes away with practice

Yeah that is what the thread says :rolleyes:

I think the truth is that most folks simply don't know how to drive stick. This is most especially true with younger drivers (under forty). Don't drivers nowadays get some sort "automatics only"-type of wording on their driver's license unless they do a road test with a manual transmission vehicle?

I'm an old fart who learned to drive with a stick over twenty years ago but haven't, sadly, driven with one in over ten years. Chalk me up as one of those lazy, 'shiftless' Americans.

_Lazza

no

It is not that I do not know how I just choose not to do it. I am not lazy or irresponsible I just like an auto. For most people it is that simple. Not the other way around.

Jeez like a mac vs pc debate.