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Other Topics => Polls => Topic started by: Jessica on October 01, 2007, 07:44:11 pm
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I'm getting a new car sometime soon being that a 90 year old man rear ended me going 35 miles per hour while i was completely stopped and totaled my Acura.
i've been wanting to learn to drive manual transmission but I can't decide if I want my new car to be stick or auto.
opinions?
the car i'm looking at that i want the most is a mini cooper... and I feel almost ridiculous buying that car in automatic, it was made to be driven properly! but..
cons- i live in LA- home of stop and go traffic, tail gating drivers and hills. i don't want to be stuck in traffic stopped on a hill and have my car roll backwards into another car.
-i wont be able to drive it home from the dealer without stalling every 5 minutes
pros- its more fun to drive and more control over the car
- I'll finally learn
- its $1300 cheaper than the auto trans.
what would you do??
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Are you a complete newbie to driving a stick shift?
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Are you a complete newbie to driving a stick shift?
i've driven my boyfriend's car a few times around my neighborhood but not enough to actually drive well. I still stall on reverse and first gear half the time.
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Are you a complete newbie to driving a stick shift?
i've driven my boyfriend's car a few times around my neighborhood but not enough to actually drive well. I still stall on reverse and first gear half the time.
You might want more practice. It isn't as bad as I thought it could be. Try a clean very large empty parking lot where you can practice on shifting exclusively.
I don't have a car right now, but I'm the kind of person who likes a stick shift and manual steering(as long as it is not insanely hard) just because I like to feel the road.
Except for where I live now.
But that is not for everyone...
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Jessica, I live in LA too and when looking for cars I also had the option of getting a Manual or Automatic and even the dealers recommended Automatic, sure you get more power out of your vehicle but in LA you either will get a ticket for going a few miles over the speed limit, as you said constant stop and go traffic, and its so much less of a hassle when driving up and down hills-or anywhere here in general. My dad drove a manual/stick shift for years and even though he was really good at it, he said when he bought a new car that he didn't like it.
Save yourself the trouble and go for the Automatic, in the long run its better and more pro's than con's. :wink:
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hm.. i just found out that for $500 I can add "dynamic stability control" with hill holder feature on a mini cooper. which means it wont roll back on a hill.. which was my main concern... ugh i still can't decide! :(
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hm.. i just found out that for $500 I can add "dynamic stability control" with hill holder feature on a mini cooper. which means it wont roll back on a hill.. which was my main concern... ugh i still can't decide! :(
I thought that's what second gear was for. :?
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That is what riding the clutch and using the break is for. ;) The only place I can see it being a royal pain is on the hills of SF (and only the really steep ones like russian hill.)
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driving up the hills in la are so scary! i hate it.. and my car is automatic.. haha.
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I prefer driving auto, but that's because i'm too unco.
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i can barely drive Automatic...so i think ill stick with Automatic!!!!hhahahaha
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driving up the hills in la are so scary! i hate it.. and my car is automatic.. haha.
Driving uphill is pie. Driving downhill takes patience and skill. 8)
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(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/6232/38337f56bfhe9.jpg)
The bicycle nazi exits the thread.
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Driving uphill is pie. Driving downhill takes patience and skill. 8)
driving uphill is fine unless you have to stop at a red light. it's that moment of taking your foot off the brake and trying to get your foot on the gas pedal asap before you hit the car behind you. it's just stressful for me haha.
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Automatic! I cant drive a stick shift.
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Driving uphill is pie. Driving downhill takes patience and skill. 8)
driving uphill is fine unless you have to stop at a red light. it's that moment of taking your foot off the brake and trying to get your foot on the gas pedal asap before you hit the car behind you. it's just stressful for me haha.
How many feet do you have?
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I have that same problem when driving uphill. I always feel like I'm going to roll back and hit the car behind me. It scares the hell out of me. One car almost did that to me. I was off school and there was this girl in her 20's who was driving this red nissan truck and she kept rolling back but braking very quickly, and she just pulled her emergency brake and told me if I could go around (luckily there was no one around to yell and honk at her) so I just did. I kept saying "oh no, please don't hit me!!" 8O
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(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/6232/38337f56bfhe9.jpg)
The bicycle nazi exits the thread.
yeah because i can actually get somewhere in LA riding a bike...
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How many feet do you have?
haha driving w/ 2 feet is awkward.
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How many feet do you have?
haha driving w/ 2 feet is awkward.
I have three words, then: Heel to Toe
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I have three words, then: Heel to Toe
i don't understand.
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I have three words, then: Heel to Toe
i don't understand.
I think he is talking about an automatic and you are talking about a stick shift. Could be wrong.
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I think he is talking about an automatic and you are talking about a stick shift. Could be wrong.
haha well i'm talking about an automatic... and how i just don't like driving uphill in la. that's all. hahaha.
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I think he is talking about an automatic and you are talking about a stick shift. Could be wrong.
haha well i'm talking about an automatic... and how i just don't like driving uphill in la. that's all. hahaha.
8O ok, well, dustin you can continue your ridicule now. :lol:
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I've driven both, and you can use heel-to-toe on either. It's where you use your left foot for a moment to control both the brake and the accelerator. I've had to use it a few times.
But if you're driving an automatic, it shouldn't be so much of an issue. Automatics have a torque converter that never completely disengages when you come to a stop (unless you shift it into neutral), so rolling back shouldn't be a problem. At least, it's never been for me, and I've driven in lots of hills.
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I've driven both, and you can use heel-to-toe on either. It's where you use your left foot for a moment to control both the brake and the accelerator. I've had to use it a few times.
But if you're driving an automatic, it shouldn't be so much of an issue. Automatics have a torque converter that never completely disengages when you come to a stop (unless you shift it into neutral), so rolling back shouldn't be a problem. At least, it's never been for me, and I've driven in lots of hills.
there's actually a specific hill that i'm talking about in la. it's on la cienega(?) and sunset blvd. there's a stop light at the top of the hill... and i HATE it. it's fine if it's a green light cuz you just drive right through. but if it's red, i get nervous if there's a car too close behind me because when i take my foot off the brake for .5 seconds the car rolls back. ya know? no? whatevs. hahaha.
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Won't you like get kicked in the face in LA for not switching to a Prius by now? Sheesh, come onnnn get with the trend =P
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Won't you like get kicked in the face in LA for not switching to a Prius by now? Sheesh, come onnnn get with the trend =P
lol well a mini cooper is as fuel efficient as you'll get in a gasoline only running car... 30 miles per gallon.. and as for the prius, everyone is still driving their gas guzzling SUVs around for no apparent reason other than "they're pretty" so yeah... theres tons of minis around my area
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I've driven both, and you can use heel-to-toe on either. It's where you use your left foot for a moment to control both the brake and the accelerator. I've had to use it a few times.
But if you're driving an automatic, it shouldn't be so much of an issue. Automatics have a torque converter that never completely disengages when you come to a stop (unless you shift it into neutral), so rolling back shouldn't be a problem. At least, it's never been for me, and I've driven in lots of hills.
there's actually a specific hill that i'm talking about in la. it's on la cienega(?) and sunset blvd. there's a stop light at the top of the hill... and i HATE it. it's fine if it's a green light cuz you just drive right through. but if it's red, i get nervous if there's a car too close behind me because when i take my foot off the brake for .5 seconds the car rolls back. ya know? no? whatevs. hahaha.
your automatic car rolls back?? what the hell do you drive, a tank?? automatics dont roll back unless its a really huge and heavy SUV or something
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I've driven both, and you can use heel-to-toe on either. It's where you use your left foot for a moment to control both the brake and the accelerator. I've had to use it a few times.
But if you're driving an automatic, it shouldn't be so much of an issue. Automatics have a torque converter that never completely disengages when you come to a stop (unless you shift it into neutral), so rolling back shouldn't be a problem. At least, it's never been for me, and I've driven in lots of hills.
there's actually a specific hill that i'm talking about in la. it's on la cienega(?) and sunset blvd. there's a stop light at the top of the hill... and i HATE it. it's fine if it's a green light cuz you just drive right through. but if it's red, i get nervous if there's a car too close behind me because when i take my foot off the brake for .5 seconds the car rolls back. ya know? no? whatevs. hahaha.
your automatic car rolls back?? what the hell do you drive, a tank?? automatics dont roll back unless its a really huge and heavy SUV or something
um i drive a focus. i'm not saying it rolls 20 feet... but it does roll... it's on wheels... it doesn't just stay in place if i don't press the gas.
haha geeeez WHATEVER... the point is that i hate driving on hills that's all.
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jess - you cant truly be an angeleno if you cant drive and talk on your cell phone at the same time - so i vote auto so you can do your duty of being a citizen of la
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there's actually a specific hill that i'm talking about in la. it's on la cienega(?) and sunset blvd. there's a stop light at the top of the hill... and i HATE it. it's fine if it's a green light cuz you just drive right through. but if it's red, i get nervous if there's a car too close behind me because when i take my foot off the brake for .5 seconds the car rolls back. ya know? no? whatevs. hahaha.
agreed - that hill sucks - i always turn down melrose or 3rd and come back up to sunset via another street because I HATE IT!!!!!!
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I can't believe all you environmentalists still drive cars. It's so twentieth century. :wink:
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jess - you cant truly be an angeleno if you cant drive and talk on your cell phone at the same time - so i vote auto so you can do your duty of being a citizen of la
haha, yeah that would take some getting used to...(and no more searching through my purse either).. but thats what blue tooth is for. i think the mini cooper comes with it if i get the premium package. and we cant drive with our cell phones as of july 2008 anyway..
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I miss my little Del Sol so much (stick) so much fun to drive a stick.
I find that even driving an automatic in SF you'll roll back on a hill. I'd go with a stick. You should have a Bluetooth or some other type of hands free device anyway. Steph! It will be the law soon.
Yeah, so I totally didn't read what Jess wrote, looks like we're on the same wavelength anyway. Sorry. :oops:
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I think in the end you should just test drive both cars and make your own pro's and con's list and see outweigh both the positives and negatives, and decide which one you want. No matter what you choose, its your decision and if you don't like it there will always be a new car somewhere down the line and you can go back to automatic, or get the stick you've always wanted. good luck Jessica!!!
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Just start pushing on the gas a little bit before you let off the brake. I've had to do it a few times in situations like that.
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I do prefer driving Manuals; three of my four cars including the current one
are such. Unfortunately, whilst a manual is in theory much easier to start in
the event of batery failure, it would be much nicer I my lil' bro hadn't left my
car where a push start wasn't a viable option. I'll have to try again tonight
or call RACQ again, and see if they can fix 'the problem' 2nd time around :roll:
Peace
Aaron
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I can't drive yet, but when I can, a manual has a lot more perks to me than an automatic does.
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My first car was automatic, and yea... it was nice. But my 2nd car was stick-shift... and DAMN. Way more fun.
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I do prefer driving Manuals; three of my four cars including the current one
are such. Unfortunately, whilst a manual is in theory much easier to start in
the event of batery failure, it would be much nicer I my lil' bro hadn't left my
car where a push start wasn't a viable option. I'll have to try again tonight
or call RACQ again, and see if they can fix 'the problem' 2nd time around :roll:
Peace
Aaron
Yes, I hate that you can't push-start an automatic. I think the electric starter is a wonderful invention, and I thank Cadillac for introducing it in 1912. But getting rid of a crank or push-start as a backup was a bad idea.
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I do prefer driving Manuals; three of my four cars including the current one
are such. Unfortunately, whilst a manual is in theory much easier to start in
the event of batery failure, it would be much nicer I my lil' bro hadn't left my
car where a push start wasn't a viable option. I'll have to try again tonight
or call RACQ again, and see if they can fix 'the problem' 2nd time around :roll:
Peace
Aaron
Yes, I hate that you can't push-start an automatic. I think the electric starter is a wonderful invention, and I thank Cadillac for introducing it in 1912. But getting rid of a crank or push-start as a backup was a bad idea.
ooo good trivia! :D
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You can push start an automatic....or at least you could with the transmissions I've known. The problem is you have to get the car over 20 or 30 miles an hour so the transmission fluid is spinning. If you are on top of a hill you can sometimes get the car to start. It's not good for the car as well. But neither is push starting a manual.
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You can push start an automatic....or at least you could with the transmissions I've known. The problem is you have to get the car over 20 or 30 miles an hour so the transmission fluid is spinning. If you are on top of a hill you can sometimes get the car to start. It's not good for the car as well. But neither is push starting a manual.
Well, yeah, I suppose that's possible. The whole reason you can't normally push-start an automatic is because once the engine is turned off, fluid pressure is lost. If you can get up enough speed to build up pressure in the torque converter, it could cause the flywheel to turn. I have had an automatic to restart rolling down the highway simply by turning on the key and shifting back into drive from neutral. What I was doing in neutral rolling down the highway with the key off is none of your business. 8)
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You can push start an automatic....or at least you could with the transmissions I've known. The problem is you have to get the car over 20 or 30 miles an hour so the transmission fluid is spinning. If you are on top of a hill you can sometimes get the car to start. It's not good for the car as well. But neither is push starting a manual.
Well, yeah, I suppose that's possible. The whole reason you can't normally push-start an automatic is because once the engine is turned off, fluid pressure is lost. If you can get up enough speed to build up pressure in the torque converter, it could cause the flywheel to turn. I have had an automatic to restart rolling down the highway simply by turning on the key and shifting back into drive from neutral. What I was doing in neutral rolling down the highway with the key off is none of your business. 8)
I think we have had this conversation before in the past...
I'm starting to remember...I had this Dogde Omni(small car) that I used to push start all the time. I forget why I had to push start it all the time, but I remember purposely parking it on the top of a slight downhill grade just so I could push it to 25 mph and jump start it. Only someone like me would find a way to push start an automatic. Or fix a car with rope. Duck tape is very useful. :razz:
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You can push start an automatic....or at least you could with the transmissions I've known. The problem is you have to get the car over 20 or 30 miles an hour so the transmission fluid is spinning. If you are on top of a hill you can sometimes get the car to start. It's not good for the car as well. But neither is push starting a manual.
Well, yeah, I suppose that's possible. The whole reason you can't normally push-start an automatic is because once the engine is turned off, fluid pressure is lost. If you can get up enough speed to build up pressure in the torque converter, it could cause the flywheel to turn. I have had an automatic to restart rolling down the highway simply by turning on the key and shifting back into drive from neutral. What I was doing in neutral rolling down the highway with the key off is none of your business. 8)
I think we have had this conversation before in the past...
I'm starting to remember...I had this Dogde Omni(small car) that I used to push start all the time. I forget why I had to push start it all the time, but I remember purposely parking it on the top of a slight downhill grade just so I could push it to 25 mph and jump start it. Only someone like me would find a way to push start an automatic. Or fix a car with rope. Duck tape is very useful. :razz:
I'm going to grab my Buick this week and see if I can do this.....
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You can push start an automatic....or at least you could with the transmissions I've known. The problem is you have to get the car over 20 or 30 miles an hour so the transmission fluid is spinning. If you are on top of a hill you can sometimes get the car to start. It's not good for the car as well. But neither is push starting a manual.
Well, yeah, I suppose that's possible. The whole reason you can't normally push-start an automatic is because once the engine is turned off, fluid pressure is lost. If you can get up enough speed to build up pressure in the torque converter, it could cause the flywheel to turn. I have had an automatic to restart rolling down the highway simply by turning on the key and shifting back into drive from neutral. What I was doing in neutral rolling down the highway with the key off is none of your business. 8)
I think we have had this conversation before in the past...
I'm starting to remember...I had this Dogde Omni(small car) that I used to push start all the time. I forget why I had to push start it all the time, but I remember purposely parking it on the top of a slight downhill grade just so I could push it to 25 mph and jump start it. Only someone like me would find a way to push start an automatic. Or fix a car with rope. Duck tape is very useful. :razz:
I'm going to grab my Buick this week and see if I can do this.....
As long as I'm not held responsible when it breaks. ;) I think pressure builds up more efficiently with the flywheel, but on some cars it will do so enough to crank the engine over with the shaft. You don't need much...you are just spinning the engine, not driving the wheels. The problem with automatics is they are more delicate and if you try this it could break a spring...but i did it many times with no problems. Good luck.
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You can push start an automatic....or at least you could with the transmissions I've known. The problem is you have to get the car over 20 or 30 miles an hour so the transmission fluid is spinning. If you are on top of a hill you can sometimes get the car to start. It's not good for the car as well. But neither is push starting a manual.
Well, yeah, I suppose that's possible. The whole reason you can't normally push-start an automatic is because once the engine is turned off, fluid pressure is lost. If you can get up enough speed to build up pressure in the torque converter, it could cause the flywheel to turn. I have had an automatic to restart rolling down the highway simply by turning on the key and shifting back into drive from neutral. What I was doing in neutral rolling down the highway with the key off is none of your business. 8)
I think we have had this conversation before in the past...
I'm starting to remember...I had this Dogde Omni(small car) that I used to push start all the time. I forget why I had to push start it all the time, but I remember purposely parking it on the top of a slight downhill grade just so I could push it to 25 mph and jump start it. Only someone like me would find a way to push start an automatic. Or fix a car with rope. Duck tape is very useful. :razz:
I'm going to grab my Buick this week and see if I can do this.....
As long as I'm not held responsible when it breaks. ;) I think pressure builds up more efficiently with the flywheel, but on some cars it will do so enough to crank the engine over with the shaft. You don't need much...you are just spinning the engine, not driving the wheels. The problem with automatics is they are more delicate and if you try this it could break a spring...but i did it many times with no problems. Good luck.
I'm about to get a new transmission anyway because the one that's in it is toast, so I may go ahead and try it before it goes under the wrench.
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Cool. Let us know how it goes. Hopefully it doesn't drop off because then you have to pick it up off the ground and push it aside or carry it back while you tow your car. :wink: If you don't hear from me it's because I'm going to go hide and not post on here.
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I was gonna get my Buick tonight and see if I could bring it home, but it's gonna have to be jump-started, so maybe I'll just wait till tomorrow to play with it.
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Since I'm posting on the board at the moment, how did your transmission take it?
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Never got the chance. Couldn't get the damned thing to start. But it doesn't matter one way or another because I just got word that they got the title to the parts car Oldsmobile today and they're going to start tearing it down and get my "new" transmission out of it.