Manual Or Automatic: Which Offers The True Pleasure Of Driving?
Driving automatic and manual cars produces contrasting experiences. The functions of all transmission types are similar. They send the engine power to the driveshaft and the wheels. The gears in the transmission alter the engine speed into torque and the speed of the drive wheel. Torque is the force that makes a vehicle move and run.
However, the driving experience that these transmissions produce is quite distinct. If you consider driving pleasure, manual or stick shift will be the winner by a huge margin.
Why? Let’s find out…
Why Does Driving A Manual Car Is More Fun?
Automatic cars are popular because anyone can drive them. You don’t have to do much as the car automatically changes gears depending on the speed a few other factors.
But, driving a stick shift car is a different story. The fun comes from having complete control over the functions of the car. Besides, there are many techniques to learn and master.
Learning to drive a manual car is not a cakewalk since you have to practice and become competent in kicking off the engine after a dead stop, applying the brake and then get going again, downshifting, going uphill, smooth shifting, and many more functions.
The huge advantage of learning to handle a manual car is that you can drive nearly anything having a stick shift and a clutch pedal. Be it a tractor, truck, or motorcycle, you can drive it with a little coaching.
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1. You Have More Control And Connection To Your Car
Driving manual cars gives the driver the full authority of what to do with the car. You will decide when to shift the gears or rev the engine into a higher RPM range. There is no need to wonder when the computer thinks it is time to upshift or downshift. Automatic transmission looks for the right moment to do such changes. For example, the computer in an auto car will decide these things based on whether you are driving on the highway, hilly roads, or back country roads. But, a manual transmission offers a completely different experience. Only you will decide what the perfect time is for making any change with the driving. It is up to you to control the amount of power transferring from the engine to the wheels. For this reason, it is easier to control these vehicles in a low-traction surface or bad weather.
Sports loving people like manual cars because these are suitable for performing some stunts like drifting. Drifting is a fun driving technique where you oversteer with losing traction in all tires or the rear wheels (in case of a rear-wheel-drive vehicle) but without losing control and trying to drive through the entirety of a corner. It is difficult to perform such stunts with an automatic car.
To sum up, driving a stick shift car is more about personal satisfaction. You have to make decisions at every stage to move and drive the car. To some people, this constant mental vigilance is tiresome while many others consider it a way to feel more connected to the vehicle.
