Do you drive or prefer to drive a stick shift car or truck?

Question

My current car is a PT Cruiser with a manual shift. I enjoy driving it--and four of my last six vehicles have had stick shift--two had automatic transmissions.

I have nothing against an automatic transmission, but like shifting gears for myself.

What's your preference? Total control or supervision of what your car is doing?

Answer 1

i prefer an automatic, but if i wanted to thrash a car and test 1 on a track, i'd wanna take a manual!

Answer 2

i think using manual shift is real driving.

Answer 3

I been driving a shift since 1982.  I've owned 4 stick so far.

But my wife has the Audi tiptronics.  And at my age it does everything I want out of manual without the hassle in heavy NYC traffic.

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So my choice will be (in order of preference)

(1) Tiptronic style auto

(2) manual shift

(3) Motorcycle

(4) automatic tranny car.

Good Luck...

Answer 4

I'm totally with you, Warren.

I drive a Subaru Legacy (5-speed) and a Chevy Nova (3-speed column).  I prefer the control of a manual shift, plus I get better gas mileage.  Only my pickup was an automatic, and I wouldn't have minded if it had been a stick shift as well.

Answer 5

definitely stick! its not just fun, but gets the driver more involved with driving, therefore creating better drivers ;)

Answer 6

Mate I got a Subaru Forrester XT in manual, and will never get ever convert to autos. Manuals rule!

Answer 7

I can drive anything, but I have gotten spoiled with an automatic.

I didn't know they made the PT Cruisers with stick... Could it be three on the tree?

heh hehe

Answer 8

I prefer stick but in the city it's more practical for me to use an automatic.  Too much shifting at every stoplight every block.

Answer 9

give me a car with a stick any day! real cars have 3 pedals.

Answer 10

Thank you for another VERY interesting question.  To me, "a truck don't feel like a truck without a ton o' gears"--I find myself wanting more than stock.  I'm already programmed into double-clutching in anticipation of a 'box with all dog clutches on the gears, as many heavy-duty gearboxes haven't any synchros unless they've air-shifted secondary sections.

My 1994 Ford Ranger, for instance, came with a Matsuda M5OD-R1 five-speed off an eight-plug 4-2.3 and 10" clutch; I'm already fixing to shoehorn a ZF S6-650 six-speed out of a 3/4-ton pickup or chassis-cab into this Ranger, due to an identified need for a shorter Reverse gear than the M5OD-R1 has and a comparably short Low forward gear in order to tackle some STEEP driveways that currently force me to slip the clutch a lot (NOT recommended, as the clutch will wear out a LOT sooner than the engineers calculated for typical use).  The S6-650's aluminum case will mitigate the inevitable weight gain from the additional gears and also give me two PTO provisions in case I need a remote hydraulic pump in the future.

To date, Dodge has frustrated me in this regard, as well, as the Cummins 6BTA5.9-180 really wants a big rig transmission such as the Eaton-Fuller FRO-12210B fleet five-plus-five (or a Mack TRTXF- or TRQF-77 twin-sticker as a fallback if I can't fit the air compressor I need anyway for tools).  As you read earlier, the TorqueFlite 518 was designed for Hemis and I found it marginal for the 6BTA5.9.  The New Process 5600 and Mercedes-Benz G56 are wanting in this regard, as many found their respective Reverses too tall for control when backing heavy trailers; the Spicer ESO66-7 could also be marginal in this respect.