Discussion: USA's obsession with manuals is stupid

Posted by Instinct043@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 64 comments

I see so much love for manuals and hate for automatics. To the point that some people say they'd rather drive a manual minivan than an automatic sports car. And it's just stupid. Yes manuals are fun. But it's not 1965 anymore. Automatics can be fun too. You can pick your gears, down shift and feel and control the car just as well as a manual.

Then the other part. The non enthusiast cars. Who the fuck wants a manual for a boring daily driving car that you commute and sit in traffic with most of the time. If you have a audi A4 for example. That car will not suddenly become a sportcar because it has a manual. It will just be more effort to drive.

I'd like to hear other people's opinions on this

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SUPREMACY_SAD_AI@reddit

op is a jabroni

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Tony-cums@reddit

He can’t drive a stick. That’s why.

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Tony-cums@reddit

TIL OP doesn’t know how to drive a stick. That’s ok.

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Time_Definition6179@reddit

Firstly can you drive manual? Secondly I wouldn’t say obsession. We have more automatic cars being produced than manual ones but your take seems super left or super right. As in you can’t like/enjoy both. Then to say a A4 isn’t a sports car? Have you seen a FBO 3.0t A4? If not look it up.

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Yes I can and do drive a Manual. I'm talking about enthusiasts not normal people in their suvs etc. And a big or powerful engine doesn't make a car suddenly a sports car. If I put a powerful engine in a camry it's not a sports car.

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1989toy4wd@reddit

Sounds like you are jealous because you can’t drive manual.

A manual econobox can be more fun than an automatic fast car. When a car is fast you have few options to really let loose. A slow car you can have a blast flooring it between stoplights with no risk of a ticket or accident due to excessive speed.

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Plus_Aura@reddit

I can drive manual and heel-toe downshift Rev match so good, I do it without even thinking about it.

A fun car is fun with or without a manual trans.

Being able to floor it between stop lights and not getting tickets doesn't sound like a fun car.

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Supper_Champion@reddit

I like manual personally, because it feels like a more engaging driving experience. Then again, I don't commute by car and I think if I did, I'd want an automatic.

That being said, I think every new driver should learn on a manual and have to drive one for their first year. You have to pay more attention to your driving and you don't always have a free hand to fuck around with your phone (tho, these people will find a way anyway).

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Agree to your second line. Would be a good idea

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the_real_vladdd@reddit

For some people, driving a manual is a weirdly large part of their personality and identity. You can easily see this on the SupraMKV forum.

It's just a car; it doesn't make you who you are. Having driven a manual for my entire driving life and only recently having purchased my first auto car (still also have a manual car as well), I don't get the whole "putting the manual tranny on a pedestal" thing.

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Ikr! I'm not saying one is better than the other or whatever. But people are so circlejerking online about manuals that it just seems sad

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IJHjelle@reddit

Full disagree to some extent. I wish my daily had a manual because I hate when my car is trying to “guess” what I want to do. It’s never in the right gear at just the right time. A lot of modern autos you can “shift yourself” but the time to shift is far slower than in a modern manual for 80% of cars.

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the_real_vladdd@reddit

Try a newer car with a ZF8 auto. No chance you'll be able to shift a manual tranny faster than that.

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IJHjelle@reddit

see how I said 80%? I’m talking about dailies. If you daily a zf8 good job you’re in the 20% of less but I was careful with my words and yall still found a way to misunderstand.

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

The whole idea of people saying they shift manuals faster than automatics died like 20 years or so ago when the dual clutch started to become mainstream

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Just out of curiosity, what car is your daily? I had a golf 7.5 and never had a problem you described

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lost_tacos@reddit

People driving their kids to soccer and school don't want the hassle of a manual. People commuting to work in traffic don't want a manual. It's those people who don't do the above or that can afford a second car are the ones asking for manuals.

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Similar_Task_2132@reddit

Who cares? It’s not like car companies in the US are making Manuals often and you can’t get the car you want in automatic. Just drive an automatic and carry on. And this is coming from someone who has never driven a manual before. Ngl I do want one eventually

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fireandlifeincarnate@reddit

USA's obsession? Isn't the US, like, the one country with an overwhelming percentage of automatics?

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hi_im_bored13@reddit

Manual take rates in the USA are often significantly higher for enthusiast cars than elsewhere. E.g 70% for the GT3 vs. 30% globally

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Sinaistired99@reddit

I guess because manual transmissions will make slow cars feel more fun.

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p_rex@reddit

Yeah, but enthusiasts won’t STFU about wanting manuals. I think it’s a flex because regular Americans can’t even drive manual. Speaking as an American who insists on a manual gearbox in a sports car.

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teggyteggy@reddit

American enthusiasts are insufferable. Every comment section is about how the only way to be a man is to own a manual. If you have a Tesla, you're gay and if you have an automatic, then you need your man card revoked.

I'd call them children, but there are genuinely grown ass adults saying this, but at least they're all online

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Finally someone understands my point

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ArcticBP@reddit

Seriously. In what world is the US obsessed with manuals? No remotely popular vehicle even has an option for it, driving schools often wont teach it, and there are countless videos of dealerships training their staff on customers manual cars…

OP got triggered by a handful of people online (who may or may not be from the US…) and assumed that everyone is like that.

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FartZuggerberg@reddit

I think you’re just reading too much Reddit. Overwhelming majority of people in the US don’t care at all/only drive auto.

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

I definitely spend too much time on this site

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p11b@reddit

I think they're overrated for sure, but I completely understand the sentiment on a sports car. The elitism and extreme praise is stupid. I learned how to drive on a manual Veloster, took about 5 years till I sold the car for an electric car and an automatic ICE. Not a fast car in modern standards, but it was indeed more fun than driving my now faster cars.

Manual does give more control and better connects the driver to the vehicle. And they are more efficient than a standard automatic (not sure about CVTs).

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SodomyManifesto@reddit

Dude this place circle jerks the ZF8 and DCT’s every week. This honestly sounds like big victim energy.

People like what they like whether it be luxury vehicles, trucks, sport compacts etc.

If we all bought only what we need, most of the US would be driving something like a hybrid Honda Fit but here we are.

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sprottythotty@reddit

If you are young or have space for multiple cars and a dedicated daily I really fail to see any reason you wouldn’t want a manual other than just not feeling comfortable rowing your own gears.

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SodomyManifesto@reddit

I mean cost is kinda of a big deal. Same reason I don’t have a second car.

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mpgomatic@reddit

It’s always been about the rhythm and flow. It’s a Jedi thing.

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Anustart2023-01@reddit

You know the rest of the world uses manuals as default right? Like being able to drive one isn't a flex, every teenager here learns to drive a manual except if for some reason they choose to learn on an automatic.

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Not so sure what your point is. I'm from Europe and I have driven many manuals over the years. I'm saying that most people I talk to in Europe don't circlejerk over manuals like Americans do. For us it is the standard

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HeavyDutyForks@reddit

98% of new cars here are automatic. What do you mean obsession??

I prefer manual, but I'm not annoying about it and I do also own an automatic car as well

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

I know most "Normal people" drive automatics. I'm talking about enthusiasts.

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What_the_8@reddit

You’re pissed that enthusiasts prefer manuals? Who gives a fuck and why would that be surprising anyway?

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gimp2x@reddit

I have a gated 6 speed and also a car with PDK (and also a EV!) , I enjoy them for different reasons, it’s the part of car culture where people feel obligated to advocate for only what they can afford or what they currently have and then dismiss everything else and unfortunately that will never change, you know what I hate? Zip up windows on jeeps

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

I do love special cars as manuals like the gated 6 speed. Must be something nice! But I get your point. It is just a topic for discussion :)

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m00ndr0pp3d@reddit

The US isn't obsessed with manuals. You've also never driven one so go away. Also, automatics suck. My friend doesn't even know how to change oil but got a Mazda 3 manual handed down to him. He said why TF do people drive automatics this is so much more fun. He dilevers pizza in the big city in a 5 speed and doesn't know anything about cars.

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PeregrinsFolly@reddit

It’s not the USA, it’s just loud people online. There’s a reason there are so few manual cars sold in the US anymore, they don’t sell. They really only sell on a few cars, Miata, GR86, GTI.

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Instinct043@reddit (OP)

Good point. It might just be the people I see online. But this comment section pretty much proves my point, otherwise r/manualtransmission does lol

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thisisjustascreename@reddit

People in other countries (used to) buy manuals because it was more efficient. These days automatics are more efficient so they buy autos.

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jse000@reddit

In a dedicated sports car:

Good auto > bad manual

Good manual > good auto

In a mixed duty car:

Good auto > good manual

This is objectively correct just FYI

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M3Core@reddit

... You're a towel!

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max1mx@reddit

I would prefer to drive almost anything with a manual than an automatic sports car. There’s something intangible about rowing through the gears that scratches an itch. It’s satisfying in a way other than performance.

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NFPAExaminer@reddit

Loud people online.

50% of my fleet is manual. I wish it were 100%. Fuck your “driving engagement” I’ll just shove a dildo up my ass if I want to feel something down there.

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OldKentRoad29@reddit

Shut your butch ass up.

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lynch1986@reddit

I really struggled to find a manual to drive here in Europeland, It must be even worse in the states, you slags love a slushbox.

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Stolen_Recaros@reddit

There's also a disconnect you're missing. In America, 99% of vehicles, even enthusiast vehicles, don't even have the option for a manual. We're forced to take automatics. When there's that kind of scarcity in the market, yea, of course enthusiasts are going to be loud about it. Yea, Europe has mostly automatics in newer cars too, but y'all at least have the option of a manual. We don't even have an option.

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mgnovak98@reddit

I had a 2012 Jetta base model manual as my daily driver when i was commuting to work and college. I loved it!

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What_the_8@reddit

Automatic cars produce automatic drivers. For better and/or worse automatic gearboxes opened up driving to all levels of abilities. Less engagement with the car leaves more time and hands to engage with other devices like phones.

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AmericanExcellence@reddit

this post is just low-effort rage bait and i'm sure will get removed, but hey, just for fun,

feel and control the car just as well as a manual

is just absurd

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