Why are manual cars popular in the UK and Europe
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- Опубліковано 16 тра 2024
- Automatic cars have been available for over 80 years. In this video I explore the reasons why so many people in the UK and Europe are still driving cars with a manual gearbox.
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This video is a guide intended to help people who are learning to drive with a driving instructor in the UK, it is by no means a replacement for driving lessons with an appropriately qualified driving instructor.
Laws and driving rules may be different in your country. The makers of this video cannot be held liable for any consequences caused by any information that is in any way inaccurate, misleading or missing. The makers of this video are not liable for any person's driving other than their own, it is the responsibility of the person driving a vehicle to ensure they drive safely and within the law. The makers of this video are also not liable for any person failing a driving test as a result of the information provided in the video.
00:00 What people drive
01:11 When were automatics a reality
02:36 Manual is in decline
03:13 Why people use manual
04:18 Automatic is on the rise
06:15 Should you learn manual
06:58 Is it all about he money
09:37 Outro
Good thing about driving manual in America is if someone breaks into your car they still cant steal it :P
Aha extra security feature 😂
Everyone acting all calm until the car guy driving a manual civic wants a free upgrade 😏
i remember reading somewhere that a thief stole a car but got arrested prety quickly cuz the car was a manual and he couldn't drive manual
I met a guy operting Turo with high end cars.
One of his methods to lower business risk is to provide the cars with stick shift only, because the customers knowing how to drive manual tend to be more careful and appreciate the good car, not doing hot boxing in a luxury car.
@@bernhardprziwara2392 yeah, there’s a video on this happening
When I taught my sons to drive manuals, the argument I used was that their freeloading friends wouldn’t be able to drive their cars. Worked like a charm.
Hat off to you sir.
Meanwhile my parents insisted I learn auto as they felt it was too big & unsafe a jump for me to learn manual from the start. Also as less manual cars are sold in my country, it'd likely be a long time from getting my driver's license before I encounter a manual vehicle, by which time they believe I would've already forgotten how to drive manual, & thus would still be unsafe for me to do so even if my license allows
@@lzh4950 In life if you make the training hard the actual act of driving becomes easy. I am in the UK I learn't to drive a manual. I learned in a 1.0 litre petrol when I passed my test I got my Mums car a 1.9 Diesel, she thought oh the cars old it won't be forgiving expect to stall more, nah it was jokes the car was almost unstallable and would set off in 3rd gear. if you learn to drive manual you will find driving an automatic easy almost too easy.
Theft prevention in the US too. Only ~15% of the driving population even knows how to drive a manual. While 3-4% drive manual as a daily driver
@@TOXICPUCK that's not true. I've stolen many manual cars
I'm European and I have mixed feelings about manual shifting.
When the road flows well it's fun to drive with a manual, and it kinda turns driving into a minigame where you try to perfect shifting, rev matching etc, it's really satisfying to just drop 2-3 gears when you arrive to a roundabout and just letting the clutch go with no jankiness at all.
On the other end driving in city traffic with a clutch can be really frustrating.
You rev match? What country are you from? I am from Czechia and I first heard about revmatching from youtube about a year ago. Nobody here does rev match
@@kaladivo Italy, but I think most of people don't rev match here either.
I learned the technique from the sim and I ended up applying it to the real car :P
@@kaladivo When you shift from higher gear to lower the rev needs to be higher
If you don't rev match when downshiftig, there is going to be a jerk, like you are hitting the brakes (unless maybe your car does the rev matching for you, or you are at a very low speed). It does not need to be perfect; basically any short burst of the accelerator, while the clutch pedal is pushed, to bring the engine RPM higher than idle, is helping and much better than just letting the clutch bring the engine RPM up.
City driving is hard?
*A wild reverse-parallel-parking-on-a-downward-incline has appeared!*
I LOVE Richard living his Top Gear moment, blipping on the downshift and heel-toeing like nobody's business, really cool!
Programmer in me: AUTOMATE EVERYTHING
Control freak in me: NO! MAINTAIN CONTROL
Me being Dutch: Ok, cheaper option it is.
This is very relatable
Same
Zeker waar
Lol yess
Automate everything but with with settings allowing you to change EVERY LITTLE PARAMETER
Gonna be driving manuals for as long as I possibly can. Rowing through the gears just puts the biggest smile on my face, and isn't that what life is all about?
But you're paralysed from the waist down...
same
@@rayhib lol
@@rayhib I hate you💀💀💀
*YOU NEED SUM MILK*
The only time in my life I've ever driven an automatic (I'm 34), is when I was on vacation to the US a few years ago and I got a rental. I hated how the gearbox shifted up too late for my liking sometimes. As a manual driver, you gain an instinct for when to shift, you hear it, feel it. And the automatic was just awkwardly staying in gears much too long, especially first gear when starting at red lights going green. I wanted my control back.
My understanding is that Automatic cars are much more fuel inefficient. Not sure if because of situations like the one you described.
@@DoritoBot9000typically it was actually the opposite, especially if you know how to drive economically with a manual.
I feel you man. I was testdriving BMW at a factory/development site around year +2000s. It shifted too late and my workaround has been to go back from gas and immendiately pressed the gas fully. That way it shifted slightly earlier but then, this was just like shifting manuel. So what‘s the point? It always felt like stepping on butter and suddenly (way too late) power was coming up the cellar. I dont know if gearboxes developed substantially since back then however.
@@DoritoBot9000 Modern automatics (like within the last 5 yrs) completely outclass manuals now. These newer cars are a bit pricey though and usually don't fit into the EU's regulations. Definitely when I went to Germany and Poland, I didn't see many newer non-German cars around so it might be a bit for Europe to catch up.
@@GodHandFemto Depends on the car. I live in a European capital city and use a car sharing service. Many of their vehicles are either electric or automatic. I drive around 5 different models regularly. The experience with the automatics is exactly like @mentalParadox and @bliblablubb0712 describe. These are modern models but small cars, like Kia Picanto and Volkswagen Up. Definitely not better than manuals for my personal taste. "Like stepping on butter and suddenly power comes up, late", could not have said it better. Maybe high-end models are better, this I don't know but probably. On the other hand, the experience with the electric ones is way better than these automatic. Especially, that car sharing company had new Hyundai Kona electric models that were great to drive.
Am a learner from Kenya and your videos have helped me in clutch control.
"Why are manual cars popular in the UK and Europe?"
Because they know how to drive.
And yet, they all drive on the wrong side of the road! :)
@@theadvocate4698 nope, only the UK
@Chaska Whats with you and "ElEcTrIc cArS" in the comments?
@Chaska that's not gonna happen unless they can make ev cheaper and efficient.
The ban will probably be delayed till 2050 or later.
@Chaska owning one can be considered cheaper yes.
If you just think about fuel costs.
But the money you save on fuel with a ev will still take years even decades to make up from the cost to buy a ev currently.
Also ev costs more to insure as it stands right now.
Ev costs WAY more to repair
And news Flash. Majority of the population does not have the money to buy cars that expensive.
Thank you for sacrificing your dignity running about like a looney goggling into people's cars. I passed just over a week ago and you were the first channel I found on my journey, very helpful! Keep it up Richard 😂
Haha, I did get the attention of some people. I'm happy to hear that, congratulations on passing!
Sorry about you passing away :(
@@toyotaavensis2754 Thanks for the laugh!
@@TristanBuckley :D
Aka how to get stopped and searched by the police.
I'm from the Philippines and here, if you passed with an AT, you can't drive MT. But if you passed with a MT, you are allowed to drive both MT and AT. I of course got my license by passing with a MT 😊
I'm Japanese and completely the same here😂
Singapore is the same too.
I've lived in the Philippines for the last 10 years. Nobody here knows how to drive lol. They just pay someone and they get their licenses automatically.
@@MetalGearDavid57 Quite the contrary. There's a saying here that if you're able to survive driving in the small and populated streets of the Philippines, then you're pretty much able to drive anywhere. It's always a miracle getting home without a scratch or dent on your car 😂
@jessicadee2301 Nah. My mom's filipino friends brought a lot of their bad driving habits with them when they came to SF. The main ones were merging into oncoming traffic before making a left turn, blocking intersections, and cutting off pedestrians on a crosswalk. If you consider that skillful driving, then I guess our standards are different. I've driven here 5 years and I've never seen such clueless drivers. They're not necessarily harmful to me because I've got over 20 years of experience driving but it's just funny how two wrongs make a right here, just bad drivers canceling out other bad drivers.
This was glorious...
The passion and personality of this presenter is amazing to watch.
Keep it up
I've always preferred manuals, I feel more in control. Autos make me feel like I'm piloting a boat.
@@albertocarrilho5839 Almost everyone wants that, but there are some people that don't. I don't.
@@davidc4396 i do, i like comfort, hey, auto has semi automatic mode with faster gear shifting, i don't hate on gear shifting, but the clutch
@@zackk6415 what about the clutch?
@@rockingttalent3666 dislike it
Pilot a sail boat if you really want to enjoy the journey.
I don't think one has to be keen on 'speedy' driving to enjoy a manual. I enjoy the act of driving even if that is picking my way along a narrow country lane or through town or even sitting in a stop/start queue on the motorway. I simply enjoy being at the wheel of a car. For me, an automatic is just de-skilling the experience, like an artist being forced to only use painting-by-numbers. Autonomous cars would be like doing a dot-to-dot!
I feel the same, I drive a 350z and although it is a sports car I do prefer driving any car manual. My brothers miata is slow and if it was automatic it wouldn't be nearly as good, but there's something about slamming gears that just makes it so rewarding. It's like a video game on expert mode. Car people want to feel closer to their car and I just think it's a good time no matter the car.
I think that for most people the preference for manual is about speedy driving and racing (other than cost). I don't have the habit of doing either so in 20 years of driving, the last half with automatic, I would never go back to manual. I enjoy the convenience, the noticeable calmer driving experience you get, the absence of left leg muscular problems from the clutch pedal (it's a problem for many people), and I get the bonus of enjoying at traffic lights seeing all the other cars staying behind me as they shift gears.
@@pbs36 you're saying you think manual driving is a speed thing but then go on to say that manual cars take longer at green lights to get going. I understand its a preference. But from what I've seen, car people who enjoy driving almost always love manuals. I still like a good automatic car but it takes more horsepower and speed to keep me entertained and enjoy my experience behind the wheel.
@@pbs36 You may be correct. Not the case for me and to be honest I change gear so automatically that I don't even think about it or notice it. That's part of the problem I suppose; when driving an automatic I have to actively concentrate on NOT trying to change gear. Being forced into driving an automatic feels a bit like being forced to use a stick or frame for walking. I don't want my car steering for me or braking for me or changing gear for me. But times will change!
@@richardgreenwood3355 I understand, I was scared too at the beginning of pressing the brake pedal thinking it was the clutch and cause an accident. At the stand where I bought my car, back in 2008, someone actually did that on the highway and came back saying the car braked automatically and it caused the accident. Of course no problem was found with the car
You get used, and you have a place on the side specifically to rest your foot.
With automatic I enjoy too the safety of gears behind out of the equation when a quick reaction is needed.
I'm from Germany, most cars are manual here. We've got a relatively new system, where you start learning in an automatic, then do lessons in a manual and get tested in the automatic. So you learn both ways. Seems to be a reasonable middle ground.
My colleague had driven manuals for 40 years until the day we went on a trip with an automatic car. He had some trouble remembering that you do not press the brake as if it were the clutch.
I don’t know what you are talking about, the only thing that was introduced recently is that if you attend to a driving school and learning on an automatic car, you’re now allowed to drive a manual once you passed the driving test. Before that you had to take extra lessons on a manual car to be allowed to drive a manual transmission car.
@@heindaddel2531 That's not true. When you learn automatic you need to get your licence for that first. Then you can take a few extra lessons on manual, a test drive with the instructor and you're allowed to drive manual.
@@citroniron8861 I quote: “From the 1st April 2021, the driver's license test on an automatic passenger car also applies to cars with manual transmission.”
@@heindaddel2531 I also quote: "From April 1st 2021, automatic-only driver's licenses obtained before this date can be converted to ones without this limitation *if the holder registers at a driving school and does the required 10x45min lessons* which can also be done as double lessons." If you do it later you will have to do the B197, which lets you do your exam on an automatic *if you do at least 10x45min on a manual along with a 15 minute test*
I am from Kazakhstan. AT is so popular here that the driving school near my home does not provide lessons on manual. Only automatic. I had to search for other teachers to get some extra lessons to learn how to do some exercises (especially driving to a hill). Got my driving license as manual, bought a manual car and started driving with almost no practical experience (most of hours I spent in American/Euro Truck Simulator). So far so good, thanks to channels like this.
I suppose your country has many hills/mountains and thus automatic is easier to drive.
@@Tankwiper 90% of Kazakhstan is a flat steppe so it must be something else.
How did he pass then? :D
@@Tankwipernah, it's just that the biggest share of car buyers are from urban areas with high population density and high traffic jam levels, so it makes more sense and more comfortable to drive auto, instead of manual when you stuck in traffic most of the time and not driving through highways like americans for instance do to travel from their suburbs.
After years of driving automatics here in the U.S. I recently bought a Fiat 500 Abarth with a manual transmission. I drove a manual when I was stationed in Italy many years ago, and I enjoyed it then, but found that when I returned to the U.S. manual transmissions were hard to find. I am really in love with my little Fiat. It's a lot of fun to drive, and I have a sense that I'm actually engaged in an activity (driving) as opposed to just sitting there with my foot on the gas. I'm really sold on manuals!
I bet that little car is fun!
I also own a Fiat 500 with standard transmission. A young guy was at the stoplight in a Mustang with a bad exhaust kit, and revved his engine. I put my Fiat in power mode, popped the clutch and left him in the dust, hahaha.
Poor choice of "car", great choice of transmission...
are you actually get noticed? I mean, these giants of cars won't even notice a bump with your car. I mean, cars that are that tall that an average pedestrian (1.6-1.7 m) can't look over them shouldn't be allowed (except vans like a Volkswagen Caddy or Ford Transit).
@@hugosequeira2997 Why is it a poor choice of car? I think the choice of car is a personal one; not necessarily a good or bad one.
I'm American, and the thing I like about manuals is that, in snow and ice, when braking is one of the worst things you can do, you can control your speed simply by NOT shifting. Living in a mountainous rural area and working in town, I remember, in freezing rain, getting to work in a front wheel drive KIA, and laughing at a coworker who couldn't drive down the street in a 4wd pickup.
So true. The only accident I ever had was when my automatic thought it would be a good idea to just randomly downshift in a corner in the rain. The rear wheels were just overwhelmed by the extra torque being put down and I just ended up drifting into an upcoming car. Luckily no one got hurt and I just had to spend 400 euros to get a new door and a a fender. 😅
Also if for whatever reason the gas pedal gets stuck down you can just clutch in with a manual.
Not only not shifting but also driving in higher gear, with revs ready to counter some sliding or breaking the car with engine, especialy handy on an icy downhill. Always drove manual and thinking about it, I would be unsecure driving an autimatic on ice. Maybe you can get used to it, but I feel you get bigger sense of control in manual. 😅
@@TheMcFlek but with more modern automatic gearboxes you can switch gears yourself using the pads next to the steering wheel
@@Veroxzes I love le manuals, but don't most automatics have a neutral setting...?
Learning manual can give you the entire range of car selection while out for hunting instead of being limited which imo is a huge plus for a new driver where having a reliable cheaper car to gain more experience is usually the go to for most. It also gives you more control over your car in rain / snow if its an older model without a lot of computer aid.
Later switching to Automatic is really easy, however doing it the other way around is pretty difficult especially in most EU countries. If you learn on Automatic your license doesn't give you permission to also driver Manual but getting your license on manual does permit you to drive both. It just makes sense in most cases to not limit yourself over something that will happen in a long time especially if you plan on keeping your first car for 5 years or so if nothing goes wrong before upgrading.
Driving a manual transmission is a joy especially when doing long drives. I got to experience to drive what we called in the Philippines the "Luzon Loop"
I’m Canadian, live in Canada, and I’ve had my license since I was 16. For 28 years I’ve driven automatic. Just over a year ago, at 44, I decided to trade in my automatic for a manual Hyundai Veloster N. No regrets but what a learning experience, good thing I live in an area with low population density. Your channel has helped me immensely as I’ve had no other teacher than UA-cam. This channel is the best resource I’ve found, thank you.
A nice choice, that Veloster N 👍😎
Hell of a first manual
Sexy car. Congrats. When I rent a car through work, they are usually automatic. I always try to press the imaginary clutch. The same has probably happened to you as your comment is a year old.
Good for you. Most of the Canadians won't even consider driving a stick shift due to laziness.
Dang, my first manual experience was being thrown into the deep end of Vancouver bridge-commuter traffic when my car died and I had to drive my dad's project Sport Jetta (with the mushy VW gearbox) to work. What an awful experience. I would have loved to learn in a more spacious environment. But I ended up buying my own manual car shortly thereafter for some reason, so it didn't put me off _that_ badly
I grew up in the UK and had manuals for 25 years. I spent plenty of time on track too. Now I live in the USA with heavy traffic, endless traffic lights and misery on the road. I’d never have a manual here but I wish people had them when they started out. They make you a better driver because you have to maintain far more control approaching junctions etc
Why would you move from such a good country to the USA?
@@lovrito2008 Much more higher-paid jobs. Massive country with lots to see.
@@ecnalms851 Yeah but your month to month expenses are probably significantly higher than those in Europe or the UK.
Myth, the expenses might be marginally higher but the huge bumper salaries make up for it
@@jackgunn8112 not anymore. Speaking as a 20 year old from the UK, the countrys economy fell apart after those dinosaurs voted to leave the european union. I dont blame anyone for leaving this joke of a country whilst they still can
Love that you embody the fun you can have with a manual with a car that makes driving manual a dream. I'm biased though, I also drive a MX5 ND, but I couldn't imagine a more fitting car for your story...
In Europe, WE drive the car. In the US, you sit in traffic. Simple.
You’ve never been to America have you? I drove around for 4 weeks once and never had a single jam.
@@billpugh58sure, in the middle of nowhere. Go to an actual city and plenty of rush hour traffic
@@billpugh58 good luck not getting stuck in traffic in any major city
@@LevSeven_lmao that's how it works everywhere. Go to any major European city too while you are it
@@VinyZikss no man. European traffic is different! You can go 100km/h in european traffic lol I experienced it first hand in London (I'm being sarcastic of course)
Thanks for normalising that it isn't strange to glance through car windows as I'm out walking to see whether a car has a manual or automatic gearbox 😀
I often do that myself if I'm bored and walking passed cars. But also out of interest on what the interior is like.
I do it too, sometimes try to guess what it will be before I look. I've noticed that autos are way more popular on new cars. About 70% are auto I'd say.
glance through car windows as I'm out walking , do that down my street , and the residents will be chasing you before you get to the end of the street :)
@@ConquerDriving I do it too, it’s fun lol, but have to make sure no one sees
you described perfectly the feeling and why people love a manual over a auto, the feeling of being able to enjoy the drive and not the speeding :)
Not for me, I just want to be in control, I drive very calmly.
@@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 You are more ‘in control’ when driving a manual
@@briepiemel2796 Yes.
@@briepiemel2796 You're only in control of the gear change. There's actually no difference in 'control' between and automatic and a manual. An automatic IMO just means you can spend more of your attention on driving rather than having to be concerned with changing gears.
@@Scottx125Productions That is nonsense, in The Netherlands we drive manual while learning, at the moment I drive manual and automatic cars and for me it makes no difference in paying more attention to driving. It’s not like you have to look at the gear stick while changing gears.
Love ya videos alot of effort that aint going unnoticed keep going!
I haven’t heard of having to get your license in a manual to drive one in North America. Although if they were more common I’d definitely want something like that. I just got my first manual car and wow was it a hand full in traffic for my first day, promptly called it a day and waited till late in the evening to practice. It was like starting all over!
Thank you for your videos, they have been extremely helpful especially when I didn’t have many people I know to help me learn.
Same here in Australia (mind you, I got my license over fifty years ago - might have changed) - If you did your test driving a manual, you could drive an auto, but if you did it in an auto, you could ONLY drive an auto. I have one of both, but I have to admit, I kinda like my auto, probably because I do a lot of driving in urban / suburban traffic.
@@ChristopherJones-qm2nw no shame in liking autos. Some of the nicest cars on the road are auto only and if you’re spending time in the city then having a stick is just unnecessary work for little reward.
"Big, heavy, inefficient" talking about American cars or just Americans in general? 😝
what country are you from
@@e60stevan I'm from my country
@@A.D-. alot of info thanks so much
@@A.D-. hahahaha
@@e60stevan He wants to talk shit but not get hit 🗿
I passed my driving test in Automatic. Here in Australia, after you pass your driving test you are on a provisional licence for around three years (i.e. restrictions in speed, curfew, blood alcohol level etc.) If you are on your provisionals you can only drive the transmission that you did the test in, for me that was Auto.
After I went on to my full unrestricted licence, I learnt manual, bought a manual car (gorgeous mx-5 like the one in your video); never looked back. Best thing ever. Smiles per gallon is priceless !
I passed my Aussie test in a manual, one day I will come to grips with the complex beast that is the automatic but for now I will live driving simple manual cars
@@neelparmar6690 If you drive manual transmissions you drive automatics, why do you need another test? it doesn't make any sense
@@jsantiago.b yes you are right. what he means is if you take manual test, you can drive manual and auto immediately. If you take auto test, you can only drive auto until you get full license, usually takes 3 years to get full license, and 4 years if you take drive test before 21 yo.
I took manual test in Australia too🙌
@@neelparmar6690🙂 don't be afraid to try driving an automatic. They are a bit intimidating and complicated to start with. But after a few days off practice you can get the hang of them.
@@MrHoundDoug thanks for the encouragement, compared to the manual it’s a big step up for me!
Thanks for your sharing. I love your MX-5. How beautiful it is!
i have only watched 2 videos from him, and i already like this guy so much
The feeling of driving a manual is just astonishing. Its like you can connect with the heart of the car and be in control every moment. If there's an option, i would choose to drive manual forever.
Astonishing.. I understand that people prefer manual but astonishing? Everyone his own fetish I guess 😄
i wonder what's that feeling is like but i like my automatic because im in a country with a lot of traffic and having to shift every 5 seconds is annoying to me.
@@Dani-it5sy it seems to me you don't know how to drive a manual?
@@brandon97652 How do you come to that conclusion? Sure you are reacting on the right comment?
Like Yugi who connected with the heart of the cards!
There's something mechanically satisfying while operating a manual transmission. Its like typing on a mechanical keyboard and playing a tactile fidget toys. Which is why I would also prefer a button cluttered dashboard rather than a big screen controlling everything.
It feels like operating a machine, instead of using a device designed by someone. In the world of programs and screens, it's something else to have something so direct and mechanical. Learning how clutch works when you learn how to drive, and using it to understand how your actions affect the car is one of the most satisfying things I experienced as a new driver.
meh, driving electric is way better.
I've driven a Tesla model 3, and X an I8, and some electric hyundais, They are best for commuter only imo. Are they fast? Yes, but the kind of fast that for me, like being spoonfed for you, akin to eating a really fancy cup noodle. Its nice, maybe more expensive, but still, its a cup noodle, kind of lifeless compared even to the ramen offered by a roadside ramen house.Being growing up around cars, I love the thrill of revving engines, the clicks and clacks of a well built transmission, when you can choose to lose your grip and have your car slide a bit, and to actually know my self build car's character. While I do have an electric, an ioniq, for me its nothing more than a city traffic jam cruiser as I found not much joy in driving one, and more of a lazy status symbol.
@@EffendiChungPerfectly described, there are cars you drive because you need to, and there are cars you drive because you want to.
@@EffendiChung Yeah try driving a manual for 6+ hours in mostly city driving as an Uber driver, then tell me it's better than electric.
I learned and passed my driver's test on automatics, but after I drove for a while to learn the road, I switched to manual. Learning curve isn't too bad once you know to drive in the first place.
Did you resit your test? If you take it in auto you’re only allowed to drive autos right?
@@yeknommonkeyNope, it's not required here in the U.S OF A. BABYY 🏈🦅🦅🦅
@@kyleroberts6472usa is goated for that💯
United States of Automatics
I had a manual for my first two cars in the U.S. between 2012 and early 2023, but recently got an automatic plug-in hybrid. The manuals were probably more fun and interesting to drive. But ultimately I care about the price to drive more than the experience of the drive, and my research found that it would be much cheaper to have a car that could predominately drive on electricity only for day to day driving.
Also I do appreciate that my current car has a max regenerative brake pull tab. It gives the driver a different kind of extra control similar to a manual to have two different brakes to use depending on the situation. It’s also fun to have a sport mode which is something that a manual vehicle doesn’t typically offer.
Overall I haven’t missed the gearbox as much as I expected. I’d most like a gear shifter option for a plug in hybrid or full electric car. And that’s something that apparently is being worked on.
Which car brand and model hybrid shifted to ? Interesting . I am in the same boat . Planning for a hybrid soon in India ..
Manual is manly to drive and enjoy but at certain age better to shift to AT and relax a bit.
@@AsitdyaDsr If you want a regular hybrid, Honda has a few older hybrids which offer manual transmissions. I think Toyota was working on a full electric vehicle or plug in hybrid with a clutch and gear shifter. Apparently the design was all artificial and just for the driving experience rather than to be practical, cheap or efficient like clutches and shifting other manual transmission vehicles.
@@firefalcoln Thanks. Shall check these brands . Honda and Toyota already realised one hybrid model ( each) .
Not going lie there is something so weird about seeing a driving instructor not just driving fast, but using heel and toe as well. 😂 Great video 💪💪
I learned to drive just as "in car race cam" became a thing... I didn't know there was another way. (This was before mandatory driver education)
@@doithimaceabhard7457 nice, it's something everyone should be taught, although it's easy enough to teach yourself tbh
@@acarguy3773 at the 40 second mark with Australians greatest driver (not his favorite track)
ua-cam.com/video/ljBf1v7f04o/v-deo.html
@@doithimaceabhard7457 nice
My mum's driving instructor tried to teach her to heel and toe before she passed her test. I had the same one, he didn't teach me that but did take me on a "I know you're going to speed after you've passed, I'd like to teach you to speed properly" lesson. Racing line where possible etc. He was an ex police driver.
This was before the covered the country with cameras.
Honestly totally depends on where and how you drive.
I love a manual for shorter drives (less than 2 hours) through more open areas, but it's an absolute pain in the ass when stuck in the city, or if you're doing a 5-6 hour stretch up and down mountains.
Did you spill the tofu?
Driving on a twisting mountain road for hours is the best part of driving a manual.
@@MassimoMSSR Too much of it can be exhausting, but it's still fun. 😃
_Though it becomes a nightmare if you get stuck behind some truck with no way to overtake_ 😵
Cruise control is still good for long journeys
I would be scary to drive automatic in mountains. The car chooses to downshift by turning while it's raining or snowing and you start drifting
Love your MX-5! Great spec and driving 😁
Thank you Richard for all the videos you post in this channel, one extra thing that makes manual better than automatic in my opinion is the engine braking. Sometimes when there’s a traffic jam in the highway and surprisingly i see car who is almost not moving in manual i can brake and also downshift if the brakes are not sufficient. Whereas in the automatic you have to fully rely on the brakes not to mention ABS sometimes make you feel that brakes are not braking! Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong!
I can’t control the weight of my car, that’s why I love my manual. I hate the automatics, I’m like “ I would’ve dropped a gear by now” and like 2 seconds later the automatic does it. It’s like driving a car with lag
Try a modern auto like my jaguar xfr, it will upshift and down shift faster and smoother than a manual. If you cruising at 70 mph and push throttle it will go down the required number of gears and the response is instant, it will also engine brake when slowing. You can also use flappy paddles and have full control of gearbox with engine braking and instant response to your up or down shifts. You also dont have to deal with a heavy clutch to accomodate 600hp. Finally why would you want to wave your arm and leg about when you can achieve better results by simply pulling on a paddle?
Get a better automatic then?
@@FLAMEalan yes, the human brain
@@SoloRenegade Strage cuz the manual loses almost everytime against automatic if you compare modern cars.
@@12345678930379 Yes, but most drivers aren't that good either. I got 27mpg out of a 1990s pickup in town, and 29mpg freeway with it, because of how I drove it. Even with an automatic, the typical driver would brag if they could get 25mpg out of it.
My current car can't downshift worth a damn. It always responds too slow and too late, and that car is a decade newer than the truck (and I've owned it since it had 25k miles on it in perfect condition).
When a person like me knows how cars work, and basics of gearing, fuel efficiency and such, you absolutely can get better mileage with a manual because you can do things no automatic I know of has been programmed to do. Doesn't mean a computer Can't beat a human, especially when you combine in other aspects of engine and fuel control to the mix. But among your average run of the mill daily driver budget cars, I've always been better than the automatic transmission.
I also do a better than average job of getting really good fuel efficiency out of airplanes too. Many are still manually controlled for fuel mixture, prop, etc. Whether fuel injected or carbureted. The prop is like a transmission, and you control fuel mixture as well, and many people are surprised at how much better I do. On a typical plane they might get 8-10gal per hour fuel burn, a few pilots will do 7gph, I've gotten as low as 5.7gph in that same plane. And I've gotten comparably good results in many different airplanes with many different fuel systems. They are always shocked. But I learned fuel management of planes by studying the likes of Charles Lindbergh and the tricks he developed, as well as looking into other sources on engine management, including talking to engineers from the engine manufacturers themselves. Now, more and more airplanes are starting to get electronic ignition, electronic fuel control, electronic prop control, etc. But many planes will never have such features.
Here in the Philippines manual cars are still pretty much everywhere. I passed my driving test 5 months ago and I'm driving a manual car for the first time. It's frustrating when you don't get the gear change correctly or when you're struggling up on a hill and end up stalling. But when you do get it right, there's definitely a sense of pride there. So yeah, maybe I prefer to drive manual than automatic (for now, but who knows). Love your channel, Richard! It's been really helpful for me!
Here people fear to drive automatic as they may fall asleep while driving since there is no gear shifting 😅😅
@@prithvi6078 that's true though 🤣
@@Vagren exactly. I passed my Manual driving examination two weeks ago and got my driving certificate. Requirement kasi iyan para makapagmaneho na ako ng Mitsubishi L300 Van. Delivery driver ang inaplayan ko. Hehehe 😊
@@stingcobra8538 that's great news! Ingat kayo sa pagmaneho. 😊
@@prithvi6078 so it's boring! lol
I like manuals, rowing through the gears, and rev matching etc. It's fun. But I also live in one of the world's megacities, so doing that in start-stop traffic gets very old very quickly.
There are ways to gamify driving an auto too. If you get to know how your autobox works you can get good at timing for overtaking, or pay extra attention to your cornering, and so on.
I never understood the congestion argument. I drove 10 and 18 speed trucks in most populated region of my country. I find it made me drive at consistent speed to make many greens as possible. With some experience I never had to think about shifting either. I feel more attentive driving a stick. In automatic I do not speed to stop seconds earlier, but still stop more often than with manual.
As a person who had both types I personally think it depends on the car and its purpose. For heavy traffic in the city - auto, for fun in the weekends - manual.
you can just leave it in second gear in city if it bothers you to go to third-second all the time. You can even stop and start on the intersection in the second gear, slower than in first but you are not racing are you? Just saying.
@@Ludak021depends on the car. I used to have a 2007 530d and it's hard to explain but it struggled in that sort of no man's land. I've not the car for years. I've got an E220d and a Raptor now so they're both automatic, so I can't remember exactly what it was like driving the BM but I do drive manual vans now and again and they're ok but I do recall the BM needed to be in 3rd fairly quickly before it started revving but my girlfriend used to have moody little hatchbacks and as awful a drive as they were were actually fine staying in second. Same with her Audi now. No idea what kind it is because I don't like Audi's or hatchbacks in general but hers seems to be fine driving around Liverpool and Manchester
Well done and well said! I live in the US and I LOVE driving manual. I actually first learned to drive a manual in my dad's old 2 door British sports car. I LOVED that car. It was like driving a go kart on the street. Now I drive a Honda Civic Type R and Honda knows how to make a proper manual. I am never selling that car. Another great feature of a manual is that it is the ultimate safety device. When you are engaged in the driving experience of the car and shifting gears in a manual, you are less likely to be messing with your phone while driving.
Type R nice 👍 a real drivers car! V-tec engine is one of the best
@@toomuch9762 Agreed! Thanks.
Are there inproper manuals ? And no, your brain allows you to do other things aside, otherwise Europe had less phone related accidents. It's one of the few things the brain goes on multitasking mode, like you are able to walk and talk at the same time.
@@holger_p Yes there are improper manuals. Drive a Type R and a Mazda Miata and then drive anything else and you will see the difference. You are right about our brain's ability to adapt. If we want to be an idiot and do other things to take our focus off of driving while we drive our brain will let us do it.
@@StandingUpForBetter So you are unable to put it in words. I should go and rent a Jaguar ? Little to much asked just to get an idea what you are talking about.
Each car is little different, and you get used to it.
It's not being an idiot, to watch the traffic light, to talk with passenger, to listen to the navigation system, or whatever. Cause our brain is free. It's not needed for the gear shift. As well as you don't need your brain to balance a bicycle or to stand upright. It's done by the muscles, not by the brain.
It's called the autonmous nerve system.
Can I just say that this is one of the most well-informed and interesting videos I’ve seen on this platform in a very, very long time. Thanks to you sir for recording and publishing this - definitely worth a sub!
In Germany, manual cars are the norm, and you don't see many Germans driving automatic cars there. And they are the home of Porsche, Audi, BMW, fast cars with the no speed limit autobahns. When I asked a German friend who was driving a VW Golf GTI why manual cars were so popular, he said that you can really play with the manual gear to extract the best from the engine, and it was fun :)
A shift is also being made in France where there's a very good reason to have automatic cars: the driving license for an automatic is cheaper than manual, since your need less mandatory hours of driving to get your license. People would get an automatic driving license then could spend a couple hours much later to upgrade their license to allow driving manual. And considering the insane delays there are in certain places to get a license, you really want to take the least amount of time possible to get it.
If you have passed a test in an auto, why not go ahead and book a manual test straight away? Book a couple of hours instruction on the day or day before the test. After all, you're not starting out again and the "manual" parts of the test are not demanding.
Driving is a chore to me. Although I passed my driving test in a manual car I'd never buy a manual one for myself. However I appreciate the fact that I learnt driving in a manual car. It gave me a greater understanding to the inner workings of a car.
I'm of the same opinion and one of my mates constantly gives me shit for it as I'm looking at an auto for my next car. Always saying things like "oh so you won't actually be driving your next car" ect. It's proper annoying
@@juawei1940 I mean I prefer manual but he sounds boring as shit.
@@juawei1940 figure out ways to shit on manual cars lol that's what friends are for😂
Agreed. I live in a city with a lot of traffic jams so I Just hate the constant clutch pressing and letting go. I drive a motorcycle too and its manual but somehow it doesnt annoy me. There is Just something about manual cars that doesnt click for me.
Driving is one of the only things left that gives me please in life.
1. Generally, Europe's road and traffic planning also makes it possible for manual transmission to retain its popularity in the region. But with increased traffic congestion in many major urban centres and boomtowns, automatics are peaking in popularity these days.
2. Speaking about 4-speed torque converter autos, drivers in Southeast Asia love them so much because it's very durable. It doesn't matter if it's heavy and inefficient, as long as it doesn't jerk excessively like a DSG/dual-clutch transmission or lag excessively like a CVT.
An AMT or iMT is a very popular option in India too
@@sigh9032 AMT is popular in India as it's basically putting a transmission control unit & mechatronic sensor to upshift or downshift a manual transmission. Two-pedal manual transmission (or IMT in Hyundai's terminology) is a niche technology using sensors embedded in the gearstick and also TCU to replace the clutch pedal controls.
@@sigh9032 Hyundai is putting its niche transmission technology (IMT) to the test its marketability in India. If it becomes wildly successful in India, then there could be chances that two-pedal manual transmission technology can be introduced in other markets as well.
VW did bought DCT in india, but they were so bad in indian roads, they shifted to TC later on
And Hyundai is very popular as a car brand here, and most of the customers are less enthusiast and more relaxed while driving, so they chose iMT or TC more
Europe’s road and traffic planning?
Lol.. lots of roads over there were literally used by German tanks on the way to Kursk, French knights on their way to Constantinople, and wooly mammoths escaping the advancing ice.
Learning to drive myself and just picked up an old 06 Seat Ibizia, and you're bang on the money with how satisfying shifting gears is at the right time. I'm usually too busy being nervous to notice though.😆Haven't driven an automatic, but my aunt recently got one and I rode along with her for the first journey. It seems really comfy, although she was never great at clutching up (bounced like a lowrider), so she never went very fast but now in the automatic she's going full wack down the road. I'm sure it's safer for most people in an auto but definitely not her 🤣
Funny how the americans always talk about how much they love freedom yet they don't like the transmission that gives them freedom lmao
I was afraid back then when I started to drive. I struggled with changing gears, hill starts, etc.. But with time, I gained the experience and now I can't imagine not to drive a manual because it's a lot of fun. You feel the car, you have absolute control over what you do and it does give you the sensation that you are actually driving a car and not just pushing two pedals to accelerate or to brake.
Driving for me isnt having fun, its just getting from point a to point b. So automatic for me.
@@foty8679 oh no, driving is so much fun in a manual car, especially on back roads where you actually have to use the box to help control the car, when you can have complete control you can actually help steer the car with the gears, by that I mean keeping the power in the correct range going into and out of corners!
you , sir , need to learn how to drive an automatic correctly .
Thanks for reminding me what CVT actually stood for, Constant Vehicle Trouble is what I've come to know them as.
Fantastic video mate. I’ve never owned an auto. Have 3 manual sports cars at the moment
I have a 2020 4 series with a manual box and loved driving her over in the Isle of man. Over the mountain no speedlimits loads of fun still safe :)
I also enjoy the additional control, downshifting for the extra acceleration or holding high gear low revs for steady traffic without the engine deciding high revs would be preferable
Can do all that with a DSG.
I don't particularly care about "fun" driving on the road, I just like being in control of the clutch and the gears. Takes away the guessing from how the car is going to behave, better control in city traffic and sketchy conditions and situations. Though dual clutch transmissions are pretty nice as well, just for different reasons.
Biggest reasons I prefer manuals right there. Having control over gear selection, clutch and engine braking is just so much better. Objectively better.
@@thatangrygerman2076 Most of the robotized gear boxes like DSG are so fast in changeing gears up or down that you wont even touch the + or - buttons for manual change and if you put them in sport mode you have enging braking very near manual gear box car. Once you try it there's no going back on stick. But I'll admit to you, one in a while I'd like to try my old army truck without servo or even sinchronized gearbox (so you need to double clouch for up and add the gas inbetween for down)
@@milkotablet I'll admit, DCT's are nice, they are sporty and you kinda feel lika an F1 driver when you want to. and it will shift more nicer than i ever will when just cruising.
But driving on a nice road with my 1.2L manual Clio is also very fun, the gearing is short and i can row 1-3 without breaking the speed limit. My old Peugeot 206 with the 1.1L 60PS engine was a blast to drive as well. Straight piped and bumped up fuel pressure and no cat meant more bangs from the straight piped exhaust on deceleration and gear shifts.
You could beat the crap out of it and the police would just laugh at you since other quieter cars went faster then i did xD
But man was it fun!
@@Zesserie You touched upon a great point here. Any car with a manual can be fun but for an automatic to be fun it has to be very fast atleast 300hp. I can enjoy any car with 100hp+ that is at least the size of a VW Golf as long it has a manual if it has an automatic I will hate it.
I worked for a car hire company in England, and, under licensing laws, we could accept US driving licences (for up to 12 months) for manual cars, even though they may never have driven one before, but UK and EU licence holders had to have the correct category. In practice, because we weren't in a tourist area, most of our overseas licence holders were ex-pats visiting family back home, so they had originally learned to drive in a manual, anyway. We did, however, on one occasion, have a party of middle-aged American women hire a manual car, and the driver managed to burn the clutch out within the first hour because she had been using the pedal as a footrest.
I live in America and in 2022 I wanted an new vehicle in hatchback "&" in a manual transmission. I had to settle for an Impreza sport hatchback in manual. Weak on the engine power, but I added an performance chip and it is now peppy to drive. I also changed my shifter knob for an illuminated shifter ball. Now I love driving it....😃👍
I'm italian, we are european and we love manual cars, I got my driver's license 2 weeks ago and i love driving manual cars
Same here haha
Greetings from Germany
This guy is randomly peeping into all the cars. I'm surprised nobody mobbed or called the cops on him 😂
I do it almost all the time. Of course it's not that I stand still and peep through the window but rather I take a quick look while walking. Why? I just love the interior in cars so I'm always curious how it is in different cars. So far Lexus, BMW and Audi seem to have the nicest interior but I guess it's not a big surprise 😁
Probably a really peaceful neighbourhood.
He's not in america, that's why
We don't do that in Europe😁
Well... He's not black so... 🙃
I had two cars: a truck and a big size sedan both in manual. Sedan is my daily driver and I could never imagine how fun is it to get a big sedan specifically in manual. The thing is engaging and powerful in all instances of driving. I don't mind a manual in traffic either. Never understood why people are afraid of manual in traffic jam.
For me personally, the ideal situation would be to have an automatic daily driver for the every day boring commutes, city driving, running errands and such, and then a manual project car or weekend cruiser, something a lil bit sporty but not to extreme, something like a hot hatch or one of my all-time favourite cars, the Honda S2000
Wouldn’t it get confusing? I’d be looking for my clutch on the weekdays and messing my gears on the weekend 🥲
@@aishwarya2426 confusion might happen every now and then, but unless both cars were identical besides the gearbox, I'm pretty sure you'd figure it out pretty quickly 😂
I asked my self this question yesterday and I’m so happy it’s been finally answered!
It's wasn't though. It's popular in the uk and the poorer eastern european countries
@@bambinosto "poorer Eastern European countries" I am pretty sure it's all across Europe. When we are not driving hours and hours on deserted roads then a manual just makes sense.
Just wanna say thank you, I passed my test first time last tuesday and your videos were very helpful. :)
That's great news, congratulations!
In Japan there is a two kind of driver license, one for regular/manual other for automatic only.
For me, of course manual. Stack in traffic jam is one thing but It’s more satisfying, fun to rowing shifter and watch friends face when I shift w/o pushing clutch, feel of snap into the gear by just flipping of my wrist is priceless.
Can foreign tourists legally drive a manual vehicle in Japan?
@@carultch As a tourist… I’ve never seen manual rental cars so… don’t know what to say.
If you’ll be driving your friends car you should be ok, I guess.
Making the smoothest gearchange ever is an art - and I for one love practicing it! Also manuals just sound better, with non of that over revving associated with automatics.
if you drive manual, you also going to be near the redline a lot while accelerating.
And gear changes in manual are not smooth as you will have no acceleration while changing gears. Most automatic transmissions can always provide thrust.
@@svr5423 I don't find that to be true. Automatics can't see the road, so they can't anticipate when the road is about to change, so they are forever making gear changes in the wrong direction at the wrong time.
@@svr5423 Why would you be near the redline? You can change whenever you want. Also the clutch can allow you to be pretty smooth.
@@albertcamus5970 Doesn't matter. HSD and CVT, for example, can change transmission ratios instantly. A good DSG is quite quick. Even if you jerk it around, the benefit from knowing in advance which gear you need for a manual transmission can't make up for the fact that you loose thrust during gear changes and you are slower changing the gears than the automatic releasing and closing clutches.
@@albertcamus5970 The smoother you are with the clutch, the more time you will take.
Since power is a product of torque and frequency (RPM), you obviously want to be near the red line during acceleration (consult the power or torque diagram of your engine).
Since the internal resistence is also highest there it's where you want to be during motor braking.
During the cruise phase, you'll need less power and thus want to be at the lowest RPM setting that can provide the power you need (highest gear and throttle possible for given power output).
People who program automatic gearboxes have usually put a lot of thought into it. If you change gears differently, you should ask yourself if you're doing it right. Many manual drivers are constantly using the wrong gears, e.g. too high gears during acceleration and too low gears during cruise.Often they don't know their engine's power/torque curve and they end up complaining that it's too weak and ordering an oversized engine for their next car while still ending up holding up traffic.
We all love manuals because of the reasons u do love them too ❤️ keep the good work.
In the mid '90s my family had a Opel/Vauxhaul Astra with an 1.6 l 75 HP gasoline engine. Despite the low HP number that engine was pretty fun to drive with a manual gearbox decent accelaration and a topspeed around 190 km/h. You could overtake on country roads as the car had decent accelerating from 80 - 120 km/h. A friends mother had the same car with an automatic gearbox ... a box of valium had more temperament.
the thing is though that Astra probably weighed not much more than HALF of what the current models do
@@petelattimer6808 Probably around 1.2t.
opel astra and vectra were used as police cars in the 90s here in the Netherlands
they were however 2 liter engine models (perhaps the odd 2.2 even)
and yeah, driving manual is still huge here too, still the norm
Just don’t crash 💥
I live in Canada and stll have my first car (manual) and still love it. Out of the 4 cars we own, only mine is manual and everyone else in my family drives auto. My brother has a manual swap planned for his but thats still a few years out maybe (or monthes he gets it a little hot)
I started driving an automatic, but switched to a manual transmission with my Mini Cooper S, and it is the absolute best, such a good driving experience, although I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy it as much if I lived in a city.
That part about having fun without speeding is so true. Sold my 330i automatic for a MX5. Didnt regret it one bit. Even when I had the chance to drive a M4 for a while, it just didnt really feel as amazing as I expected. There is just no way you can push the car to its limit on public roads (at least if you dont have the money at hand to just pay off the car).
Totally agree, I prefer to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
As somebody who lives in Germany i dont understand what you mean
@@xperformxperformance8039 well you won’t because you’re roads are completely different to the uk roads
@@xperformxperformance8039 Well, going just fast at the Autobahn isnt exactly "pushing the car to its limits" .
You cant even drive a MX5 at the open road to its real limits- but atleast close to it. And thats where the fun lays
Great comment, totally agree. I sold my Alfa Giulia after three years as I found it was too fast for the public road. To me a manual transmission car with 350-400 bhp hits the sweet spot.
I’ve always been interested in understanding how a Tesla/EV driver found coming from a normal family car to something that can go from 0-60 in around 3 seconds (the change must have been amazing but terrifying at the same time).
I just learned to drive in a manual and bought an automatic. We also have a manual. I think it's nice to know how to drive both. But a manual has much more control, which you definitely need in India. 👍🏼
Honesly.
Why not bouth? Sequential gearbox will be the anser.
Its bouth automaric and manual at the same time
@@carkid266 yeah! My automatic has paddle shifters so that I can switch it to manual/sports mode ☺️
Most people buy manual or imt here because they are cheap and also gives you more mileage and control and also it's service is cheaper than automatic
Lol india..
@@KyojuroRengoku98Why is India funny?
I'm a Canadian living in a rural area. I have two pick up trucks, one is a manual, one is an automatic (manuals are hard to find now a days). My every day driver is the manual, especially in bad weather. When the roads are icy and snow covered, you don't want to use the brakes too much, which can put you into a spin. Shifting down is the safer option. However, when I have to go into the big city, with the stop and go traffic, the automatic is much more convenient option. Also, driving a manual is more fun.
The Torque Converter Auto Boxes improved massively in the 2000s too. The ability to have a manual lock up on each car gave a drastic improvement in economy and efficiency. BMW straight six engines went from an 8-10 mpg deficit to only slightly worse than the manuals. Subsequent improvements saw the autos equal and then beating the manuals on mpg.
Personally, I'd still have a proper manual.
At the cost of comfort and durability, yes it is possible. But the downshifts especially are terrible with a locked converter. If they'd let the clutches slip, they would wear and lose energy anyway. So they just dump the clutches and let the powertrain bounce around on its rubbers a few times. The front tires slip downhill sideways at every bounce, you can hear studs scrape at each bounce. I think they didn't make eco gearboxes like this until 2010s.
I had a Fiesta 1.4 with a 4sp TC auto, The fuel consumption penalty was only about 5%. Moving from a turbo diesel, I did not relish going back to a gutless petrol engine so auto was the only to emulate it. It was not about town traffic but for motorways. The great thing is downshifts on the motorway or when going uphill. Whereas a manual requires a complete loss of power for a second or more, the auto shifts down without losing speed. An auto might give slightly less kick but the immediacy more than makes up for that.
People who love driving manual do it for the experience, like myself. For as long as there are enthusiasts, manufacturers will have manual options for their speciality cars.
I learned "transmission" gear changes when I was 14, in a railway maintenance trolley. It had a Ford Anglia engine and gearbox but the seat would slide forwards or backwards and you turned around. There was a reverser box to reverse the overall output shaft. It was also left hand drive so this meant that going in one direction, using RIGHT hand you had the normal H pattern with 1st top left but then slide the seat the other way and now you use LEFT hand and 1st would be bottom right, 2nd directly away and so on.
It didn't cause any issue at all, no different from swapping left or right hand drive to be honest, manual transmissions are no big deal at all :)
I'm a bit late to this but it sums it up nicely. I come from one of the US states where you can pass in an automatic and drive a manual. I hope to gain that skill soon though because it'll open up so many more fun cars to me. I love my Kia Stinger which has an automatic with manual shifting available (paddle shifters and an up and down shift in "S" mode on the gear selector), but that's only ignited my desire to learn to drive a manual transmission even more.
I grew up in Ohio, getting my license in 1978, and there was no distinction made between manual and automatic. AFAIK that’s how it was (at least back then) everywhere in the US for driver licensing. A quick web search seems to confirm that that’s still the case now.
There's states which actually check that?
I drove truck manual, simply because I always drove a car manual, my driving instructor in trucking school used to say I drove as good as an automatic clutch and I always prided myself on damn smooth shifts
I’ve been driving manuals for nearly 40 years but now I have a automatic which is so much easier than a manual no more up and down on the clutch in traffic and a lot more relaxing on longer journeys.
Longer jurneys and traffic are where automatics shine, i will probably never buy an automatic unless im pretty much forced to. Not because i don't like them; just because i enjoy the more sporty cars out there, and when you're driving a sporty car all the extra feel and connection that a manual gear box offers is a must for me.
@@francescobattistoni20 i am the same as Gordon S, drove manuals most of my life but last 3 cars have been auto,manuals in town traffic are not fun….prefer a torque converter auto as dsg’s and cvt’s are not as reliable….i have had all 3 types…..dsg was the worst with horrible judder
You seriously needed 40 freaking years to notice that automatic transmission cars are easier and better to handle?😂😂
@@francescobattistoni20 most newer sports cars have automatic where you can switch to a sporty manual mode
35 years for me. I think I will prefer an automatic at this stage of life, less hassle.
I live in the U.S. and I discovered your channel which has helped immensely in learning to properly drive my first manual car. After years and years in an automatic I understand what the “driver experience” actually means now. Unfortunate to see the manual dwindling in numbers.
Same! This channel was critical to my path toward stick shift learning and ownership. Bought my first stick a month ago, and it's like falling in love with driving all over again. What's more, it's hard to believe I didn't know before what a satisfying experience driving could be. There's part of me that wants to go evangelize about it, even though I know no one around me wants to hear it. Most folks see driving as a necessary function to get from point A to point B and the very idea that and could or should be engaging, fun, or remotely enjoyable just never occurs to them. I had several friends lecture me, saying I was mad for wanting to buy a stick. How I would regret it, what a hassle it would be. These people, never having owned a stick shift themselves, or anything with over 140 horsepower. Not to get too pretentious, but I honestly feel bad for them. It's like a Matrix or a They Live thing, or whatever movie comparison you please, where I've suddenly become aware of the world around me, and all the potential and joy I've been missing in driving, and I want to share it with everyone before it's too late and we're all driving electric cars...and nobody cares, haha.
@@MrTomfooligans I love my manual Opel Corsa Sport 2021 🤩🤙🏼
@@MrTomfooligans Nice to hear this mate, just enjoy it some people will never understand, until they see that massive grin on your face when your downshifting on windy roads
Even the Corvette is auto now. Funny because the last zr1 had 755 hp and still offered a manual.
Live in America passed my test in an automatic, but the first car I bought was a manual. Drove one most of my life when I didn’t have a truck. Made sure my daughter knew how to drive a manual and she passed her road test the first time. My thinking was that she would be able to drive anything.
I think the reason people in the UK prefer the manual gearbox is that it gives you greater control of the vehicle and acts as another form of braking.
Likewise when you are wanting to accelerate.
Also I have an uncle who had an automatic Rover and he had problems with it and because it was an automatic it had to go to a specialist garage and it was weeks before he got his car back.
Very costly and very time-consuming when something goes wrong with an automatic.
You can downshift in an automatic for braking. And many of them can be operated by 'rowing' through the gears semi-manually.
@@pinkiepie1656 why bother with it then? Just use manual shifter in the first place. For all intense and purposes you can shift from first into second and drive around the city without ever changing the gear except on the red light. Second gear will get you to your lawful max speed quickly. Of course, you should should shift into third for lower fuel consumption but you don't have to. Open road - you shift up and then leave it in 5th or 6th. It's really not that much work unless you are min-maxing.
You absolutely hit the nail on the head for me when you were driving the mx5. I'm not fussed about breaking speed limits, but I like to enjoy driving and a not particularly powerful, small, manual car allows that.
Unfortunately, my partner hates manuals so we have a small cvt auto. At least I have a motorcycle and manual old Vespa to feel involved in riding. I'll have to own an mx5 one day though, drove an NA mx5 once and it's still the most enjoyable car I've driven.
Because they're fun. It's the emotional difference between being a "Driver" and an "Operator". It's not a right or wrong thing, it's something you enjoy or you don't. I grew up with minis around the time of the original "Italian Job" and driving makes me smile.
As an older ex-trucker, having driven almost everything except an F111A. I was not too happy having to pay a lot more clams to insure an Automatic car I bought in the U.K.
After a while I understood. In an emergency, oldies hit the brake with the left foot, thinking it's the clutch, the right foot hits the Loud pedal, thinking it's the brake. Resulting in something or worse someone to be flattened. Hence the excessive insurance cost for oldies !
I have a 2018 Miata GT with a manual in the US. It’s so much fun, and as a teacher, it gives me Street cred with my students. Mines is black on black with a cherry red roof and custom exhaust. Quite unique.
After 27 years of driving, and always owning a manual car, you don’t even think about the gear change. I used to deliver parcels in a manual, in peak hour traffic, and I never felt it was a hassle. Nothing beats synchronising the shift through a set of bends. You can keep your auto or DSG;)
Muscle memory
Yeah I don't get the American argument of but its a pain in the city. You literally don't give it a thought you just do it. I don't even have 1/4 of your experience and I have the basic muscle memory for it.
I had thought about getting an automatic instead of a manual after passing my test. I wasn't enjoying the manual, but after passing and having my own car I have no issues at all.
I got tendonitis in my left elbow recently. Every time I changed gear it was painful, especially doing stop starts in heavy traffic. When my lease finishes next year I'm changing to automatic
I prefer both whenever it's convenient. I like manuals for the overall thrill of the drive when I'm switching gears and I enjoy autos for their convenience of not switching through the gears in stop and go city traffic.
I am still a little biased towards manuals in a way because my first car had stick and I adored it.
Living in America here, I had a manual GTI for a while but when I got my Elantra N (basically an i30 sedan) I went with an automatic. Apart from price and a slight fuel economy hit (not noticeable in the real world), there are no disadvantages to it. The car is fast and I can share the car with my family since most of them don't know how to drive stick. It helps that the car allows for full manual control as well. As much as I liked having a stick, I just got bored of it, and wanted more effortless performance.
I live in Jakarta, Indonesia, some of one hellish traffic in the world but still prefer manual car especially if i went to country side or taking a nice trip into other province... It's the same reason as you mention and also it's kind a feel like you have full control over the car and the limit is just only the law and your own skill while drive responsibly
I drive for a living and I spent quite some time in congested traffic each day, so for work I'm happy to drive an automatic.
My private car has a manual though :-)
Automatic historically had much higher fuel consumption that manual, it was much more expensive and not as reliable.
Technology advances quickly and things change, but it take much longer for people's preferences to change
Manuals are still far more reliable.
@@gravemind6536 depends on which manual you use. Pretty difficult to mess up making a manual in comparison to an automatic, but some companies like zf and toyota make amazing autos, lasting as long as manuals.
@@TheSuperBoyProject And also how good you are with a manual. If you stall, or hold the clutch too many times (start stop traffic) then an automatic will last far longer.
That is absolute bull^&$& !! In the 1970's it had been proven that automatics were over 92% as efficient as manuals. This was before locking torque converters, before overdrive automatics became prevelant. If you go back to the really older cars 2 speed autos were common and some even had just 1 speed.
@@terminallygray How many automatics do better than 22 km/l?
Back in 2000 we took my parents on their lifetime trip to England for 2 weeks . Picked up our rental car a Ford Focus at Marble Arch in London . Manual of course . My wife had visited many times on business so she did the driving , I had decades of manual trucks and cars ( the Porsche 914 had the worst long throw !) But driving and shifting on the left in London was not my comfort zone . She was super and I navigated the whole trip . One day she suggested I drive while in the Cotswold however in unison my parents yelled NO . Such a vote of confidence it was not lol .
I live in a block of flats with a private car park in Manchester UK. When I came 8 years ago only 2 cars out of 19 were automatic. Now, 2023 only 3 older cars are manual.
i love manual cars because you're controlling the car and it feel's so so good,also maintenance is cheaper than automatic cars
Autos need an oil change at 90,000 and then go on for another 90,000. They will last the cars life.
I would say you are controlling the car in an auto, just with two pedals instead of three pedals and a shifter. But I like a big comfortable car. I do agree for small fast cars.
@@grolfe3210 90,000? Are you for real? 😂
@@grolfe3210 in the UK we have small comfortable cars too ;)
@@ChieUbaldo he's talking about transmission oil
@@ChieUbaldo Sorry yes not clear enough. My car transmission oil is due for change at 90,000 miles.
My car (merc c class diesel) has done 95,000 miles and aside from service items like filters pads and oil, it has only needed one part, a ball joint at last test. It was only £60. Still drives and feels like new.
Back 50 years clutches, engines and rust were common at this sort of miles and age.
I've driven both. I love the control and it is just more fun to drive a manual.
I’m a disabled veteran so I’m not able to drive a manual transmission.
Love my manual ❤ as a new driver i haven't been in a auto yet.
I bought a GTI manual purely based on the fact that to reach my kids who are 140 miles away; there is a 12 mile stretch of road in the beautiful wye valley that is perfect to enjoy a run ride.