[fhdowntheline]

Its not such a binary thing as Yes or No. Sometimes should also be an option. Since I got my new Creta AT, I have been occasionally toying with the Manual gearshift just for the feel of changing gears minus the clutch. There is a perceptible similarity to MT, given that mine is a diesel and most of the torque is in the low-end of the Rev-range. I had paddle shifters on the City, but somehow didn't get the same feel. They were still good for engine braking during downhill descents on occasion. With the Polo TSI, somehow I didn't mess around with the DSG box too much because of that lingering you-know-what.

[adrena]

I switched. Sold off a Linea TJet+ to buy an EV. Difference is amazing.

For a long time wife and I were wondering which AT to get. Both of us loved our manuals and didn't trust any ATs. I had the Linea and she had the Baleno RS. It was undoubtedly fun. She had a much longer daily commute and needed an AT. After looking at all sorts of options from 10L to 30L range, we decided to dump the whole gearbox altogether and get an MG ZS ev.

Faster 0-100 than the Linea. Some additional goodies. Most important of them all is moving away from the gearbox once and for all. Doubt I'll ever get an AT now. it's going to be manual or electric from here on.

[tirumalavoleti]

Voted NO, as there are manual mode and paddles available

And come iMT, no clutch pain and awesome gear changing satisfaction. But I am not sure on the reliability or long term use of this technology

[RoadMonkey]

I have voted Yes on this thread previously because I missed the feel of an MT despite having the manual mode on my Polo. Now, however, I don't even care much about the manual mode and just keep in D and love it to bits. We also have another MT car and every time I'm driving that, I wish I was in the AT.

So my answer has changed from a Yes to a No. I'd primarily buy automatics from now on, unless I can afford a separate highway car - that will always be a manual. But driving in city conditions? Automatic all the way. It's not just about convenience, but you also get far less stressed or irritated by others' behaviour on the road.

[agbenny]

I have been driving Manual for 16 years and particularly moved to AT for 10 years and completely moved out for the last years.

To be honest, never thought of going back to a manual, nor felt missing it. Hence sold an AT and bought another AT.

I think we will continue to stick to AT always.

[ynike99]

Voted No, as the automatic I have is used only for city drives and its a big boon for me. For very rare highway trips, there is manual mode.

[chittybang]

I do miss it especially when I am on the highway and need to overtake. I feel like I am less in control as compared to my old stick shift. There are time I don't agree with what the auto assumes to be ideal gear. To be honest though, it has its advantages too especially in stop and go traffic.

[QuadraticAmoeba]

Voted No. We used to have an MT car and we now have an AT car. My wife is thrilled that she is free from the terror of the clutch (particularly half-clutch). My left ankle is happy to be free from a painful workout in bumper-to-bumper traffic. On the highway, I never felt ATs to be a problem, even in a Jazz with CVT - you just have to plan ahead. Even if my car supported a super-fast overtake (which it actually does now), my heart will not take it.

[AJ56]

Automatic shifting is just superior technology, the speed and smoothness is physically impossible to match manually. Also, it’s not even a question beyond a certain price point, try finding premium/sports car that even offers a manual to begin with, Porsche Cayman and Spyder being exceptions. BMW used to offer certain M cars with a manual option but those had to be specially ordered and I’m not sure it was even made available in India.

[Evyas]

Cannot really vote in the poll since I've been driving MT for the past 12 years, and only done AT on a rental a couple of times - but I do have a question.

Isn't driving AT's a bit..and my apologies for the word..boring?

In the market for a new car and while I completely get the absolutely sensational convenience of an AT (and I just experienced the Auto-Hold function which was almost science fiction next level for me!) the cars always seemed pretty 'disconnected' to me.

I don't know, maybe it is a mental block, but of all the scores of AT cars I drove, from AMT to TC to CVT, it seemed like I wasn't doing anything other than steering. The gear shifts etc were all being controlled by the car and I felt kind of left out.

Anyone else ever feel the convenience is also connected to a feeling of being almost driven - rather than driving - the car?

Need to think hard before I pull the trigger on my next purchase, and I have no idea why I just can't seem to warm up to the AT. And this is after being a Mumbai traffic survivor, with slight back and knee issues!

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by Evyas

Isn't driving AT's a bit..and my apologies for the word.
I don't know, maybe it is a mental block, but of all the scores of AT cars I drove, from AMT to TC to CVT, it seemed like I wasn't doing anything other than steering. The gear shifts etc were all being controlled by the car and I felt kind of left out.

Anyone else ever feel the convenience is also connected to a feeling of being almost driven - rather than driving - the car?

Need to think hard before I pull the trigger on my next purchase, and I have no idea why I just can't seem to warm up to the AT. And this is after being a Mumbai traffic survivor, with slight back and knee issues!

Just got an AT 4 months ago! My first AT after using MTs for more than 15 years, and I actually don’t miss the gearshifts so much! Maybe it helps that the car i got ( Jeep Compass Diesel AT ) is very engaging to drive irrespective of it being an AT. The Torque Converter box here is a bit lazy and a bit confused at times, but the car overall makes up for everything with fantastic steering feedback. I did go for a highway drive and with the Compass demanding that i keep both hands on the steering wheel, I didn’t actually miss the shifts. Maybe the occasional downshifting for quick overtakes is what i miss, but the convenience more than makes up for it.

[jasjotbains]

Originally Posted by Evyas

Isn't driving AT's a bit..and my apologies for the word..boring?

I don't know, maybe it is a mental block, but of all the scores of AT cars I drove, from AMT to TC to CVT, it seemed like I wasn't doing anything other than steering. The gear shifts etc were all being controlled by the car and I felt kind of left out.

Anyone else ever feel the convenience is also connected to a feeling of being almost driven - rather than driving - the car?

Hi! I had an apples to apples comparison, having an i10 AT and Manual at home. I always preferred the AT over the manual due to the response levels offered by the AT while driving.

The comfort in driving, I believe, comes from being able to command and control the car at your whims and fancies. I've found manuals to be a bit slow in this regard due to the physical gear engagement process. I shifted to a Sonet GTX Diesel AT last year and I've not missed my i10 despite it giving me 8 years of maintenance free drives! The TC box in the Sonet is more refined and responsive than the manual in the i10, and a brute of an engine ensures that I am always able to command the car as per my wishes.

The fact that I can control the car via the normal drive mode, manual override or paddle shifters means I can have the best of all worlds

[drsnt]

I have an MT Honda City and AT/CVT Yaris. Yaris wins hands down as the car for most occasions. Never will go back to MT for longer drives at least. Honda City hence remains a city car.

[TorqueKnight]

I was a MT fan boy for over a decade. Always thought MT as more engaging and fun until I drove the Volkswagen’s DSG Gearbox (Their TC also good). It’s stress free while driving, you feel relaxed always (except reliability). After experiencing the world of AT, I am in no mood to prefer a MT gearbox. Nowadays I started to believe that a car with a good AT can help reduce our BP levels

[ellip5i5]

If you value convenience, AT wins hands down. If you are a bit of an enthusiast and are not bogged down by painful urban commutes, you might want to look at an MT.

But a Torque Convertor AT can give you the best of both worlds.