Quote Originally Posted by fire_of_avalon View Post
The only real thing manuals are better than automatics for is racing or hauling, period the end. If you know how to treat a car and a you have a tachometer, you can get just as much mileage out of an automatic as you can a manual. Manuals are more fun for some people, automatics are more fun for some people. It isn't like manuals transmissions make your car an awesome rollercoaster ride or anything.

I don't understand what you mean by more control. The gears shift in the exact same way, fuel goes to the engine the exact same way, and it'll all happen at about the exact same speeds. What does that give the driver of manual control over? The ability to blow his or her engine because they left it in neutral. That's about all I see.

And I have no idea at all what makes you think manual transmissions are safer than automatics, at all.

Really, it all comes down to preference. I don't have a preference, I can drive either. I think this is all about "I'm better than you, because I have a common but in the long run not so much worthwhile skill that you don't." Well I can talk like a chipmunk! My virtually useless skill is more entertaining.
Reality is I live in the northeast and I'd much rather say "HEY CAR STAY IN 2nd GEAR ON THIS HILL!" instead of wasting my breaks and sliding and dying. Manulas aren't good just for racing a towing. There are areas like Vermont were manuals are wonderful in winter.


and to Ed's question, you have more control with a manual since you control the gears, the car can only go so fast in certain gears, so when you have a automatic it kicks it up a gear even if you don't want to. They're set to at a certain RPM I believe so you have no choice. Also manuals allow you to use less breaks making your brakes last longer. Also shifting at I think 6500 RPM gets the most horsepower out of your vehicle and so you can do that in a manual if needed where as you can't in a auto.