It is a discussion not an argument. Move along nothing to see here.

 

I find this hilarious. You claim to be a “stick shift snob” (your words), you express a tremendous amount of angst over automatics and the people that drive them and yet you only drive a stick shift on weekends.

 

I am not going to defend myself to you. I stated what I dislike about the MINI automatic. Plain and simple. Angst really you got that from an internet post, must be some emapth or something.

Now moving along.

 

Right, got it! You can be quiet about it now, OK?

Or are you one of those "Last word" people?

Dave

 

Last word

 

I have one of each and live LA. The manual is a lot more fun then the auto, and even with stop/go traffic I wouldn't g back to an auto now... Evar!

 

It's OK, I'm not asking you to defend yourself.

The angst I got from most of your posts in this thread and others in reference to stick vs. auto; and it's still funny.

 

I don't think the point of this thread is to try and convince anyone they should stray from their chosen path, but I would like to see the prejudiced comments stop, that's all. What's right for one is not necessarily right for another, but that doesn't mean either choice is inherently wrong or somehow reflects negatively on the driver....

I think the fact that 80% of the cars are automatics reflects both the changing tastes of the car buyers and the improvements in technology, nothing more.

It's true that a lot of younger people don't know how to drive a stick shift car, so what? They probably also couldn't operate a 45 rpm record player either - but the world isn't stopping because of that is it?

A lot of technology has been replaced over the decades, mourning the loss of it seems counter productive to me, and giving someone grief because of their transmission choise seems equally stupid.

 

What I can't believe is that all you "drivers" allow your skills and attention to atrophy by letting a computer control your air/fuel mixture! Not to mention the spark advance.

Now that I've modified my MINI to allow me to control the mixture with a push-pull **** (just like on a Cessna 150!), and the spark advance with a dial, I'm in connected-to-the-car nirvanna!

Next up - getting rid of that lazy-man's ABS and installing four brake pedals to allow me to keep each wheel independently right at the threshold.



And the truth is that at some point the electric car is going to make this whole "transmission" thing seem as quaint as arguing about which type of horseshoe is best for your "commuter" horse.

 

God what did I start?!!!!!!!!!

 

If you live in crime ridden metro areas - which I don't - a manual will eliminate most Mini theft simply because the little twits can't drive a clutch.

 

or:
Mac vs. PC
or:
Canon vs. Nikon

Oh. my. I hear those debates every. single. day. LOL!

I vote for manual all the way, but I live in a small city. 10-15 minutes worth of street lights and then you're on fun, windy country roads.

That said, shoot me when I am stuck in Cape Cod traffic on a Saturday morning in a stick... absolute. worst.

 

Oh no Mac vs PC!! (I like and own both)
Canon vs. Nikon!! (Neither - I own a Sony) LOL

But I just don't like the auto box in the MINI. If they added rev matching downshifts then maybe we can talk.

 

Those little twits also probably can't start a car with an electronic key.

 

I wonder why since BMW has the SMG or dual clutch why they don't put one in the MINI. Seems like a perfect match since everybody likes revving these little engines to the redline.

 

Just FYI, 70% of all new Porsche 911's are also automatics, and they may not even offer a manual on the next GT3.

from Autoblog

If you were in the market for a Porsche 911 that could play dual roles as track toy and daily driver, the GT3 always fit the bill. And it was a given that you'd find a proper manual gearbox between the seats. According to the latest report, that might not be the case in due time.

InsideLine sat down with the 911's product chief, August Achleitner, who confirmed that the next GT3 is on the way and that Porsche's motorsports division is testing both a manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. However, only one gearbox will make it to production in 2013 and Achleitner believes the PDK will win out.

Whether that decision will be limited to Europe, while a manual option would still be offered in the States (similar to what BMW is doing with the M5) isn't clear, but Achleitner contends that putting the PDK in the GT3 is only logical, particularly given that less than one-third of 911s are fitted with a stick shift.

 

I grew up driving standards and have always loved them.
My last car was a 2011 Honda Civic SI with a 6 speed manual (the only way it comes).
That car was a lot of fun to drive and once you got it over 6,000 rpms the V-Tec would kick in and growl.
I saw my 2007 MCSa at the local Honda Dealer across from where I work and had to have it.
I was disappointed at first that it was an automatic and decided I only wanted a manual. But every day I drove by this car which called out to me. After owning the car for over a month I have to say that I am enjoying the car in spite of it being an automatic very much. If I had someone offer me a trade for the identical car with a manual shift would I take it? Probably!

But my wife who does not drive a shift got to drive one of my cars for the first time in a while and said, now I understand why you bought this car, she would not have had that experience if I had gotten a stick.

Is the automatic better then the stick? Is the stick better than the automatic? Yes and Yes

I am loving my car and I hope you all are enjoying yours however way you shift it!!!!

 

Amen!! It's great that you enjoy your MCSa. I wanted a third pedal, and I wanted a non-boosted motor. And I enjoy my car too.

 

+1

=Laserjock=

 

I do have to say that my Weekend/Spring/Summer/Fall vehicle is my Harley Davidson.
Which is a Standard

 

My daughter and I do autocross usually with our respective MCSs. Hers is Auto, mine is manual. Being an very rational type she saw no advantage to driving stick and thought my like for it was similar to liking steam locomotives.

Both are 6 speeds, she can eat ice cream while shifting. Push sport button and go. For me ice cream is a challenge.

But in autocross you usually only need to shift once and leave it in 2nd for the run. So we co-drove my car last weekend. Major fun, and she may become a believer. Steam engines can be fun.

So now in a pinch she can drive my car with reasonable assurance.

Is one better than the other. It depends. I like shifting because I am old and it reminds me of when I was young and automatics were only 3 speed. I am Steve Mcqueen in "Bullit" or James Garner in "Grand Pix". Minis are about fun. Fun is irrational. I like the sound the engine makes. I like the sensation of a clean upshift and the rare occasion when I get the heel and toe downshift right. One with the machine.

Ice cream is also good.

No point in fighting about it because no one is right. That's the beauty of the irrational.

Cheers!

 

That's a lot of chrome to clean!

 

Seeing how this thread has been brought back to life. Let's all be nice from here on out. Don't make me go around slapping faces...er I mean wrists.

 

Driving in to work today in my MCS my thoughts turned to the past.

Back in the 60s (yah I'm that old) there was a race car driver and designer named Jim Hall. I think he was from Texas like the late Mr Shelby.

Among the things he invented for race cars were automatic transmissions, wings, ground effects and many things usually quickly banned as it was unfair to his competitors.

He was really good and fast.

Currently in F1 automatics are banned. Presumably because it is unfair. The new dual clutch automatics are quite interesting and well thought of.

So if money is no object and shift speed is the goal then humans may have lost that fight.

But that is not what this is about. It is about emotion and fun, and what you like.

Oh in that AutoX my daughter had My MCS in a 4 wheel drift around this one curve. Only nicked one cone too. Not bad instincts for a kid trained on automatics. I cant do that.

 

It truly is now a matter of preference. Myself, I prefer a stick shift, but I got an automatic for my teen daughter. The auto isn't that bad especially if you put it in sport mode.

One clear disadvantage of a stick shift is that the demand and re-sale value of the vehicle is reduced at sell/trade-in time. Of course, this varies by make/model. However, as more and more people move toward an auto trans, this will undoubtedly become more and more an issue in the future.