[noopster]

GTO missed one reason: "Because I am stupid and can't see a good value proposition if it came and bit me in the hindquarters"

Naah, just kidding. To each his own. I am a happy Vento AT owner. Like Jesal I get 12 kmpl (recent figures after the engine has opened up, for most of the first 15,000 km I got around 10) on my regular run, which works for me cost-wise.

I love manual transmissions too, though not as "exclusively" as some of you guys. I still retain my Swift and my next car well may be an MT SUV. This is actually I didn't vote for the last option. I didn't vote at all actually!

I am an AT lover for most of the reasons people, notably anilkalvani and Jesal, have outlined above so won't repeat the same boring refrain. But I believe that anyone should first master a manual tranny vehicle and then graduate to an AT. That's how I went about it and what I advocate. Obviously driving an MT requires more skills and by extension that makes you a better driver. Like the great musician who has to learn everything before he can start unlearning and do his own thing, I believe every AT driver should at least KNOW how to drive an MT. In America, maybe not so much but in our country where 99% of vehicles are manual, you can't call yourself a good driver till you have mastered the ole standard H!

I sincerely think Indians hate ATs for all the wrong reasons. I know people who are AWFUL drivers who think they are better than me just because they drive a manual. Do I get all offended and try to prove 'em wrong? Hell no!

I just hand 'em the keys to my baby. In 10 minutes of peak suburban city traffic they're blubbering on about how much they love the fact they don't have to keep pressing the clutch all the time. Battle won!

[pgsagar]

Very well said, Noopster! Lot of people I know consider it a sissy thing to drive an MT. But I see lot of these guys scoot around on an Activa, which is (strangely) ok. Some of my friends comment without driving or having driven one ever and that pisses me off. They consider it a macho thing to do, to be "in charge" of the car, as though AT cars run away on their own. Some other fence-sitters who came close to buying an AT but passing it up for an MT are now regretting for not having done that, what with all this rush-hour chaos.

In any case, having two cars is not at all a big thing these days and the ideal situation in my opinion would be to buy a small AT hatch and a diesel MT rocket like Swift/Verna/Cruze depending on budget. You will have best of both worlds.

[Tommie]

Originally Posted by kadurRacer

I am actually in the market for an AT hatchback for my wife. What we are looking at is a Diesel AT hatchback but there is no option available. As a result tried out Petrol A-Star, wife was not impressed. i10 AT is a good option but low FE returned by my aunt's car, keeping me away. All other options are way too expensive for my Budget. So voted for "AT option is unavailable on my choice of car (including diesels)"

I have done an independent market research for the diesel AT version. If anyone from automobile manufacturer is interested, they may send me a personal message to get the information.

[samigo]

I have driven automatic while I was in US and for not a second I was thrilled or excited driving the AT cars. I think Manual transmission makes you feel more commanding on the car to fly the way you want it to. Specially, manual is full of thrills while driving in the ghats with wild turns and steep ups and downs

Regards,
Sameer.

[abhjain]

Originally Posted by samigo

I have driven automatic while I was in US and for not a second I was thrilled or excited driving the AT cars. I think Manual transmission makes you feel more commanding on the car to fly the way you want it to. Specially, manual is full of thrills while driving in the ghats with wild turns and steep ups and downs

Regards,
Sameer.

Agreed, however how often do we really take our cars on the highways? I am also a fan of manual transmission however bangalore traffic has made me think otherwise.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by samigo

I have driven automatic while I was in US and for not a second I was thrilled or excited driving the AT cars. I think Manual transmission makes you feel more commanding on the car to fly the way you want it to. Specially, manual is full of thrills while driving in the ghats with wild turns and steep ups and downs

Regards,
Sameer.

Agreed.

For me I like the way I want the car to behave not the way the car behaves by itself. Playing with the engine or squeezing out its max is a little difficult in AT's.

Engine Braking, better fuel economy are the positives to a manual transmission. But if Bumper - 2 - Bumper traffic is what the driving is done mostly then AT's are preferred since it'll decrease the burden of pressing the clutch often!

[nukeblitz]

I simply don't like automatics. I've driven a few and they simply make me feel disconnected from the car. I like shifting. Even in a city and with the clunky gearshift that my vista's got. And then there's the flexibility of having all of the engines power on tap when you need it.
Those dsg, powershift and other dual clutch gearboxes might promise sub 50ms shifts, similar fuel economy and manual shifts and might seem like a good compromise but, for me at least, the clutch is one the most important pedal in the car. It's part of the driving experience for me. I've made 700km in a day trips alone (mysore <> hyderabad) and enjoyed them. I look forward to my next trip. Just so you know, I don't have a music player. I don't think I'll be do those with an automatic, let alone enjoy it.

So, for me no clutch = no car. I'll take the bus. I get the same kind of involvement for less work and leads money...

PS. I've got nothing against automatic users nor do I think automatic cars are bad cars. I just don't like automatic cars personally.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

They do, at least here in Bombay so I can't imagine it's any different anywhere else in the country. A friend of mine gave his driving test on his personal car which was an AT. No problems on that front at all, it went off without a hitch.

Hmmm... I read online, think out was wikipedia, that according to indian law you must drive a manual to fast your drivers license...i dunno for sure though

Originally Posted by pgsagar

I see lot of people preferring MT over AT for driving fun. I would agree with them when the cars involved are diesel rockets like Swift, Verna and Cruze which definitely put a smile on your face every time you step on it. But petrol hatches? Seriously, are they really that fun to drive? I mean most petrol hatches are so plain jane in performance that you have to redline them to get anywhere. So, I personally feel you do not lose much, apart from higher price and a km or two less FE, in preferring an AT A-Star or i10 over MT versions. Ideally, nothing like owning two cars. One lowest end of petrol AT for in-town crawl. And a diesel rocket like Swift/Verna/Cruze MT for that ear to ear grin. If there is room for only car, then one has to go by what he does most-- in-town driving or highway runs.

You know, about naturally aspirated petrol engines and having to rev them hard to extract any real performance, isn't that exactly why you'd want manual? With a turbodiesel, an automatic shifting early would still perform quite well...

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by samigo

I have driven automatic while I was in US and for not a second I was thrilled or excited driving the AT cars. I think Manual transmission makes you feel more commanding on the car to fly the way you want it to. Specially, manual is full of thrills while driving in the ghats with wild turns and steep ups and downs

Regards,
Sameer.

US is not a driver's country at all. Whether AT or MT it is still very boring to drive in the US in any event. Straight roads and strict speed limits. Why do you think they invented AT and cruise control? It is just another mode of transport.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Agreed.

For me I like the way I want the car to behave not the way the car behaves by itself. Playing with the engine or squeezing out its max is a little difficult in AT's.

Engine Braking, better fuel economy are the positives to a manual transmission. But if Bumper - 2 - Bumper traffic is what the driving is done mostly then AT's are preferred since it'll decrease the burden of pressing the clutch often!

The modern ATs all have engine braking, revving till the redline and in some cases also better fuel economy, especially on highways.

[ganesc]

I Love Manual Transmission. If am driving a car, I should keep doing something and not just steering. Shifting the Shaft has that nice feel.

O.T: I am one among those who love 2 way lanes compared to 4 way partitioned highways just because its not that interesting. If its a drive, I must be engaged with the drive and the car, not just floating with none to my immediate right.

[DeKay]

Originally Posted by abhjain

Agreed, however how often do we really take our cars on the highways? I am also a fan of manual transmission however bangalore traffic has made me think otherwise.

Add Mumbai to the list buddy. With the current rate of increasing traffic, I'm sure that in the near future, an Automatic will become a necessity.

But for me, right now at least, Manuals are the way to go. You just don't get the driving feel in an automatic in which a computer decides when to shift and what not. Sure you don't get to take your respective cars on the highway often, but when you do, its all finally worth it.

[avishar]

I have never driven an Automatic before,and i am new to driving(have covered around 2,000kms in total in past few months),but even after a heavy dose of stop-go traffic,do not really feel tired,by repeated clutch use.But having never driven an Automatic,i wont comment on it,and i would love it if given the an opportunity to drive one.:

A question, dont understand a lot of things in automatics:

On those long up ramps from basement parking lots,sometime as we going up if the car in front of you stops,you have to hit the brakes,and usually i use to parking brake to get going again.So in automatic what happens,when suddenly on an incline the car in front of you suddenly stops?Just hit the brakes?

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by avishar

On those long up ramps from basement parking lots,sometime as we going up if the car in front of you stops,you have to hit the brakes,and usually i use to parking brake to get going again.So in automatic what happens,when suddenly on an incline the car in front of you suddenly stops?Just hit the brakes?

Pretty much; you just keep the brakes pressed and when you have to go again just let it go and dab the accelerator as needed to get going again.

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by avishar

.:
A question, dont understand a lot of things in automatics:

On those long up ramps from basement parking lots,sometime as we going up if the car in front of you stops,you have to hit the brakes,and usually i use to parking brake to get going again.So in automatic what happens,when suddenly on an incline the car in front of you suddenly stops?Just hit the brakes?

In Auto Tranny, Incline or no incline, you just hit the breaks if the car in front of you stops. Matter of fact, as long as you are in D mode and if you want to be standstill, you have to keep the break pressed all the time. Some high end cars have auto hold feature where upon activated, brake will be applied on its own and you just press accelerator once you want to move forward.

[dude131]

I selected AT option is unavailable on my choice of car (including diesels) & Not applicable. My next car WILL be an Automatic.

My first choice for a new car next year is a Honda Jazz but if they do not release an automatic version might be forced to buy either a Hyundai Verna or i20 automatic. The man reason for an automatic is due to an increase in traffic in Goa.

The Jazz would be a perfect automatic car as it is spacious inside, has great fuel economy at the moment so even with an automatic it should still give atleast 10kmpl and great safety package. I have written to the local Honda dealer & also post a Twitter comment to Honda India. Hoping for a reply soon.

[C300]

Originally Posted by nukeblitz

I simply don't like automatics. I've driven a few and they simply make me feel disconnected from the car.

+1. I agree and especially on the open roads it gets a bit boring. There is absolutely no connect. I am yet to drive an AT on our congested roads. That may possibly change my opinion of AT but for the time being its MT for me.

Just to feel that connect, I occassionally place my left hand on AT gear stick while driving .