[POLL] Manual or Automatic?

[Kitdy]

Gimme a ride when you are in TO RM!

[Ferrer]

Just for the record, I don't recall any low speed jerkyness in the S-Tronic equiped Audi I drove some months ago. Altough to be fair I did very little town driving (or driving at all for that matter...)

[RacingManiac]

Gimme a ride when you are in TO RM!

Done, I'll PM you next time I am going back...

[Fleet 500]

On a regular occasion, a good sequential stick because I can relax in "D", and if I want I can +/- every now and then. Mind you the performance is lacking in comparison to a standard Manual, but I'd rather have the option of either. As for paddle, only on certain cars they are worth it, not all. A straight auto is fine, but no good when it rains and you have to slip it into "N" to slow down quicker which in turn ruins the torque converter. Wouldn't mind a DSG, but I'll stick to what I know works for me.

All my cars are straight automatics and I don't put it into "N" to slow down quicker... I manually shift into a lower gear. I do that or just use the brakes!

[oodis]

^^^^ Not the 458 Italia Have to say I was fully expectign it to be a PIA when I got stuck in traffic but it wasn't. REAL smooth in coming to stop and starting in slow moving traffic. Didn't expect it to be so smooth in those conditions as I'm used to fast cars being a real pain

How did it feel like with those turn signal indicators on the steering wheel? Always wanted to ask someone who drove a 458 about that. Ferraris are great with the F1 gearbox and once those valves open up, it's a different story. A lambo gallardo is similar. If you are ever stuck in traffic in one, you will quickly switch to auto as it gets a bit jerky on first gear.

My choice, and looks like I am the only one who voted, is sequential paddle shifter w/full auto. I had it on my previous car and loved it and currently have it in my car and never get bored of it.

[csl177]

On a regular occasion, a good sequential stick because I can relax in "D", and if I want I can +/- every now and then. Mind you the performance is lacking in comparison to a standard Manual, but I'd rather have the option of either. As for paddle, only on certain cars they are worth it, not all. A straight auto is fine, but no good when it rains and you have to slip it into "N" to slow down quicker which in turn ruins the torque converter. Wouldn't mind a DSG, but I'll stick to what I know works for me.

Seriously? "Ruins the torque converter"... how did you come up with this? Putting an autobox in neutral CAN'T slow a car quicker, it DISENGAGES the torque converter so the driveline freewheels, there's NO effective engine braking. It's no different than doing the same with a manual transmission. Fleet is correct, if you wanna slow an automatic, shift to a lower gear just like with a manual.

And sequential gearboxes are something altogether different from DSG type transmissions.

EDIT: Forgot... for modern track cars, manual sequential (love me a 6-speed Hewland) or electronically controlled clutch and paddles, please. For vintage, whatever was standard to the make and model at the time of their pathetic state-of-the-art. For luxury cars and cruisers, gimme an old-fashioned slushbox everytime. These polls really need to be more specific.

[SonyAD]

Manual. Because it's simpler, cheaper, more reliable, more robust and requires less and cheaper maintenance.

It also has no slippage so gets better fuel economy and performance than a torque converter automatic.

Seeing as I drive a standard transmission I see no problem continuing to do so.

What I would never buy, though, are friction based CVTs.