Pros/Cons of owning a stick

Arena Motor Dude · 02-11-2012, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s330i

IMO, everyone should learn to drive a stick. Never know when you could end up in a situation where a manual is your only option. I made my son learn to drive a manual, and will do the same in a few years with my younger son.

Anyways - there is nothing better than driving a 6 speed MT!!

My dad taught me how to drive stick when I was 8 and now my first BMW is a stick... hi everybody by the way, I am new to the BMW forums!

There isn't an introduction thread is there.

achien · 02-11-2012, 08:11 PM

+1, I would even go one step further, you don't really know how to drive until you know how to drive a stick.

unless you don't travel outside North America all your life, you will soon realize 90% of the outside world drive on a different transmission.

Quote:

Originally Posted by s330i

IMO, everyone should learn to drive a stick. Never know when you could end up in a situation where a manual is your only option. I made my son learn to drive a manual, and will do the same in a few years with my younger son.

Anyways - there is nothing better than driving a 6 speed MT!!

gunnerxq · 02-11-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arena Motor Dude

My dad taught me how to drive stick when I was 8 and now my first BMW is a stick... hi everybody by the way, I am new to the BMW forums!

There isn't an introduction thread is there.

you make your own thread with PICTURES and welcome.

John 070 · 02-11-2012, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arena Motor Dude

My dad taught me how to drive stick when I was 8 and now my first BMW is a stick... hi everybody by the way, I am new to the BMW forums!

There isn't an introduction thread is there.

I drove a stick on a Kubota 17 hp diesel when I was about 10. True story my dad told me you can't change gears while you're moving you have to choose one gear. I was driving to HS when I was 14.

Went to the website--even the Kubota has an automatic transmission today. It's like we're just one lazy society that has to have everything done for us. Very bizarre!

FAM3 · 02-11-2012, 10:02 PM

There are cons to driving stick?

ndog14 · 02-11-2012, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texxy

There are cons to driving stick?

1 leg?

brocklanders · 02-11-2012, 10:26 PM

there are no cons, end of thread.

Prince_of_Persia · 02-12-2012, 04:29 AM

Love my manual car. At the beginning when I was learning how to drive stick, I regretted not buying DCT but now I am in love with manual tranny my car has. It is way more fun!!!

John 070 · 02-12-2012, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derrick603

Really? You can't see the positives of an AT in a car that is used primary as a daily driver?

No. At our house we have two sticks and one auto. My commute to work is very predictable, 24 miles of bumper to bumper traffic daily. I prefer either of the sticks to the auto.

The people that love autos, putting something into D, and then P, and nothing else, you do win, because model by model, cars that once had a clutch do not anymore. But it doesn't mean that people who like cars with a clutch must like cars without better.

That's like telling a photographer to shoot on auto, it's better. Maybe so, but it has nothing to do with what that photographer prefers.

The lamest argument for the auto tranny in this massive thread: "I've been driving a clutch since before most of you were born."

derrick603 · 02-12-2012, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

No. At our house we have two sticks and one auto. My commute to work is very predictable, 24 miles of bumper to bumper traffic daily. I prefer either of the sticks to the auto.

That's great that you prefer the manual in your situation. My commute is similar, and I find no great joy in driving a manual in traffic, which is what my car spends 90% of its time doing. For a weekend car, manual all the way, but for mundane daily duties, I prefer the practicality of an automatic, especially in a car that must be driven occasionally by drivers who are unable to drive a manual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

The people that love autos, putting something into D, and then P, and nothing else, you do win, because model by model, cars that once had a clutch do not anymore. But it doesn't mean that people who like cars with a clutch must like cars without better.

I'm not sure that anyone truly "loves" an auto, it's a choice based on practicality rather than passion. Both have their place. I find that a good paddle-shifted AT, or even better a DSG, gives me enough control that I don't miss the manual much. Keep in mind that this is purely a street-driven car, so the limitations of the ZF's programming (automatic shift at redline, downshift at full throttle when in the wrong gear) is not a big deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

That's like telling a photographer to shoot on auto, it's better. Maybe so, but it has nothing to do with what that photographer prefers.

Coincidentally, I am an amateur photographer, and I normally shoot in aperture-priority mode rather than manual. Why? Because in 90% of the non-flash shooting that I do, there is little to no advantage in choosing a shutter speed other than the one camera would choose. Manually selected exposure compensation helps in tricky lighting conditions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

The lamest argument for the auto tranny in this massive thread: "I've been driving a clutch since before most of you were born."

This applies to me how? :-)

achien · 02-12-2012, 12:01 PM

People who really knows how to drive MT knows it is actually less tiring to drive MT than AT in stop-and-go traffic. The most tiring part of a commute is actually using the brake-pedal. If you know the specific gear to use at a certain speed, you will control your car through the use of throttle only.

This is especially true for 335i since the torque curve of the engine is so flat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by derrick603

That's great that you prefer the manual in your situation. My commute is similar, and I find no great joy in driving a manual in traffic, which is what my car spends 90% of its time doing. For a weekend car, manual all the way, but for mundane daily duties, I prefer the practicality of an automatic, especially in a car that must be driven occasionally by drivers who are unable to drive a manual.

...

ENINTY · 02-12-2012, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

I drove a stick on a Kubota 17 hp diesel when I was about 10. True story my dad told me you can't change gears while you're moving you have to choose one gear. I was driving to HS when I was 14.

Went to the website--even the Kubota has an automatic transmission today. It's like we're just one lazy society that has to have everything done for us. Very bizarre!

Well, I wouldn't call a Kubota a real tractor anyway....

and my Dad INVENTED the clutch!

derrick603 · 02-12-2012, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by achien

People who really knows how to drive MT knows it is actually less tiring to drive MT than AT in stop-and-go traffic. The most tiring part of a commute is actually using the brake-pedal. If you know the specific gear to use at a certain speed, you will control your car through the use of throttle only.

When I was driving an MT, I would've agreed, but now that I've become more accustomed to driving an AT, I've found that maintaining a slightly longer following distance pretty much does the same thing with an AT.

e90post_user · 02-13-2012, 05:25 AM

My E90 335 is a stick - my first stick shift car in 15 years of driving automatics. I never regretted driving into the city, even when the Rock tree arrived and filming of Rising of The Dark Knight closed off Queensborogh Bridge, and you find yourself on 47th street in Theater District going to Astoria, Queens - I still drove my car in that mayhem.
If I were reimbursed for parking I would drive to work every day.

328i M-Sport · 02-13-2012, 06:06 PM

E90 has such a light clutch that traffic is not that much of a problem even in NYC.

gunnerxq · 02-13-2012, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by achien

People who really knows how to drive MT knows it is actually less tiring to drive MT than AT in stop-and-go traffic. The most tiring part of a commute is actually using the brake-pedal. If you know the specific gear to use at a certain speed, you will control your car through the use of throttle only.

This is especially true for 335i since the torque curve of the engine is so flat.

+1

Quote:

E90 has such a light clutch that traffic is not that much of a problem even in NYC.

+2

accel · 02-13-2012, 06:26 PM

I absolutely love MT and have no problems driving it even in heavy stop-n-go traffic.

My only concern in this case is - premature clutch wear. This bugs me if I get into the traffic, not the fact that I need to do extra moves.

Otherwise - MT it is total enjoyment.

With AT I always feel like it's switching not like I would do, also, I hate when AT switches gears while cornering during "inspired" driving.

But as DCT transmissions get more production use, I wouldn't mind trying and buying the car with one.

I tried SMG in e60... and... didn't really get it...

02-11-2012, 10:02 PM	#137
FAM3 Major 177 Rep 1,015 Posts Drives: M5 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (5)	There are cons to driving stick?
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02-11-2012, 10:26 PM	#139
brocklanders Major 106 Rep 1,428 Posts Drives: the uno, mineral white Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: houston iTrader: (3) Garage List 06 325 [0.00]	there are no cons, end of thread.
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02-12-2012, 04:29 AM	#140
Prince_of_Persia Colonel 248 Rep 2,513 Posts Drives: 6MT E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC iTrader: (1)	Love my manual car. At the beginning when I was learning how to drive stick, I regretted not buying DCT but now I am in love with manual tranny my car has. It is way more fun!!! __________________ AW\|FR 6MT E92 ///M3
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02-13-2012, 05:25 AM	#146
e90post_user Lieutenant 175 Rep 427 Posts Drives: 2021 M2C Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NJ iTrader: (1)	My E90 335 is a stick - my first stick shift car in 15 years of driving automatics. I never regretted driving into the city, even when the Rock tree arrived and filming of Rising of The Dark Knight closed off Queensborogh Bridge, and you find yourself on 47th street in Theater District going to Astoria, Queens - I still drove my car in that mayhem. If I were reimbursed for parking I would drive to work every day. __________________ 2021 LBB 6MT Exec M2C BMWCCA 454031
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02-13-2012, 06:06 PM	#147
328i M-Sport Private First Class 1 Rep 176 Posts Drives: 2011 328i M-Sport Sedan Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: NYC iTrader: (0)	E90 has such a light clutch that traffic is not that much of a problem even in NYC.
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02-13-2012, 06:26 PM	#149
accel First Lieutenant 43 Rep 335 Posts Drives: e90 328i MT ZSP Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: SF Bay Area, CA iTrader: (0)	I absolutely love MT and have no problems driving it even in heavy stop-n-go traffic. My only concern in this case is - premature clutch wear. This bugs me if I get into the traffic, not the fact that I need to do extra moves. Otherwise - MT it is total enjoyment. With AT I always feel like it's switching not like I would do, also, I hate when AT switches gears while cornering during "inspired" driving. But as DCT transmissions get more production use, I wouldn't mind trying and buying the car with one. I tried SMG in e60... and... didn't really get it...
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