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Comment by classichasclass | Hacker News Reader

I've never personally owned an automatic. Every single car I've ever bought has been a stick shift, 5- and 6-speed. I'm not sure it's made me any safer of a driver, to be honest, but damn, for a long haul driver like me it's a lot more fun.

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In Europe, almost everyone learns to drive manual. Manual is awesome. But, when driving long distances or in heavy traffic, nothing beats automatic. Especcially in stop&go traffic. Heavy stop&go can be really draining on your left leg. Nevertheless, manual is awesome, nothing gives so much fun and feeling of being in control as manual gearbox.

I get that for stop and go, though I'm pretty used to it. But for long distance, especially freeway miles, I don't see it being any more exhausting or difficult. The opposite, in fact, because the transmission isn't trying to second-guess you when you're passing and you don't have to drum your fingers while the overdrive dithers; just pick the gear you want to be in and go.

> nothing gives so much fun and feeling of being in control as manual gearbox

Except for an electric motor.

The "fun" aspect is one of the reasons I'm skeptical of arguments that driving stick is somehow safer. That is, I suspect that nowadays, in America anyway, car enthusiasts self-select for driving stick to the extent that we can't draw conclusions from their competence. (For what it's worth, I also drive stick.)

I drove stick shifts, by choice, for 30 years. in December, I traded one in for an electric car that can be set to have significant regenerative braking upon throttle lift. I don't miss a thing about the stick, and it's 100x better than the lack of throttle responsiveness that I experience whenever I rent a car with an automatic (in the US, it's nearly impossible to rent a car with a manual transmission at a "normal" rental place.)

I moved from a 2009 Chevy Aveo with 108hp to a 2003 Accord with a V6 and 240hp... Aveo had a manual transmission, and I miss having one so much.

Everything else about the Accord is significantly better, but man do I miss having a stick shift.

Same here. I've never owned an automatic and I don't think I ever will.

And when I do drive an automatic, I end up driving it like a manual anyway. I can't resist downshifting when slowing down.

I don't like automatics myself but wife says we get automatics only as she can't drive stick.

If you have two cars, she should really be more supportive of your interests and preferences.

Nobody is born knowing how, and Europeans aren’t genetically blessed with some stick gene. Anyone can learn.

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