American Reacts to Why do Europeans Drive MANUAL Cars?
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Fun Fact: A manual transmission is the best anti-theft device in the USA. 😁
😂😂😂😂😂
Here it a defect petrol indicater - nobody steals a car with an empty tank 😆
Consider most younger Americans never learned to drive manuals, then yes, manual transmission is the best anti-theft device in the USA.
Hilarious! : )
@@ane-louisestampe7939 Russia? 😀
fun fact, if you take your car driving license exam here in the Netherlands with an automatic, you are not allowed to drive a manual car here! but if you take your car exam with a manual, you are allowed to drive an automatic!
Same here in Australia 👍
Same in Finland.
Same in Belgium
Same thing in Germany.
Same as UK
In the UK there are differing driving licenses. If you passed your test in an Auto you cannot legally drive a Manual, but if you pass the Manual test you can drive both. Almost everyone does the Manual.
Yes because brits may be stupid and have ugly teeth, but their brains are still intact and know that manuals are just safer and better option I personally would only buy automatic in extremely hilly area or a supercar.
same in France
Automatics are useful for people who cannot drive manuals due to disabilities
yeah but surely the auto license is on a rise in sweden i think most have started to get auto licenses.
Here in Germany since 2021 you are allowed to learn on automatic and drive manual afterwards. A big mess, if you have never learned to properly operate a clutch
"look at that, we got 3 pedals"
Me, as a frenchman: "well yeah, it's a normal car."
Me, as a long term Mercedes driver: Well, that is one less than I had for many years (the "handbrake" was a pedal a well, with a lever release).
@@MrOpacor I was going to comment the same....My first time experiencing 4 pedals,loooong time ago,was on a Vito,it took me a moment to realise how to release the,,hand brake,wich was on foot,haha
Me, as a bulgarian knowing what the slang for 'gay man' is in my language: "well yeah, it checks out that a frenchman would have three of them in his car."
Joking aside, it's kind of sad how electric cars are kinda doing away with the experience of manual transmission little by little.
The Mercedes Vito we have at our company does as well.@@MrOpacor
🤣🤣
When I worked at Honda in America 10 years ago, a woman came from Europe to service her car. We gave her an automatic loaner. After seeing the loaner, she came back in and asked why we gave her the handy-capped accessible car. We had to tell her that almost all cars are like that in America.
Oh, yes, you're right, as some cheap cars like Trabant and whatever each country had, were modified for handicap persons with acceleration/clutch/brake on/around the steering wheel for the manual transmissions. But the more special conversions were automated manuals or just used straight original automatic cars.
Good point for the lady 😂😂 , I bet you all had some laughs 😂
😂😂😂😂
In my early trips to the USA from the UK, when I first drove someone's manual car, I was surprised to see the pedal arrangement is the same; Left ft clutch, Right ft Gas & Brake. I expected it to be reversed. That made it simple to drive. I think every rental car I've had there over the years has been automatic, though I have vague recall of a Gremlin or a Pacer being manual (mid 70's)
😂😂😂
LOL no, she got it right!
I served in the British Army, and when serving with a NATO unit in Portugal, I taught dozens of Americans and Canadians how to drive 'properly'. Taking a buddy of mine for a ride in my old Mk2 Golf GTi was a particular highlight.
Mk2 Golf GTI. 😍
I'm european and I haven't got the licence yet. I also associated the automatic transmission with very new cars and luxury cars, so this just blew my mind
My son got his license a year ago. Automatic cars only, he is not allowed to drive a manual
viva España
Factories would build just one type of gear. Most countries use Automatic, so factories would also europeans use it. It will be hard to realize😂
Ironically, every American movie chase scene shows the driver cranking up and down the gears. There must be a lot of confused movie goers in America😂😂
I notice that too. To Americans, it makes the driver look super skilled that they are driving a "stick".
It's just fiction after all 😏
And in the wrong way most of the time. Like when you see 'm shifting up when they suddenly have to go faster, sorry bro, you have to shift down a gear irl.
@@Jayskiallthewayskihahaha… that’s not correct on a regular manual transmission. You go up, then down, then up… etc. The same backwards. Down, then up, them down… etc. ( in some cars first is up, on others down)
@@juanmartinreborati7928 it is correct, if you want to accelerate fast you go down. If you are speeding along, you are already up.
Same if you hire a car. You always drive in a gear lower than you normally would. Thrash the ass off of it 🤣🤣🤣
A manual gearbox can predict the future, because it has an advanced system that scans the road ahead, and can see things like changes in gradient and surface. That system is referred to colloquially as "The driver". On tricky roads and surfaces, automatics are often caught out in the wrong gear at the wrong time.
well you look ahead and accelerate or decelerate early in an Auto. But then again we are talking about the land of MAGA.
Exactly. On mountain roads, automatic is always on the wrong gears. Even on flat surface, I test-drived both a Volkswagen Jetta manual vs automatic cars. Manual drives super smooth without ever requiring to push the engine. On automatic, if I want to pass someone, it starts too slow on the wrong gears, wakes up in shock, and then races to try to recover the lost time. Sorry I can't drive automatic.
Does this matter in practice? Yes, the driver can see the upcoming hill, but the automatic can react instantly to an increase in grade.
@@joso7228What has MAGA got to do with it? One could as easily say that liberals like automatics because there’s no government department to send an official to change their gears in a manual. Or because manuals are racist. Or sexist. Or both. Maybe MAGA people tend to be more middle and working class and prefer manuals because they don’t mind a bit of extra work for a little extra reward? Or maybe politics has nothing to do with it. Jesus. Give it a rest.
my dsg has never been caught out and is never in the wrong gear
As a UK driver the only time driving a manual can be awkward is if you hire a manual car in Europe where you will have to sit in the other seat and change gear with the "wrong" hand. Several times in the old days of car interiors I would hire a car in France and for the first few miles try to change gear with the window winding lever till I remembered that the gearstick was on my right.......
Same with me...takes me about three days until I'm trained to fully use the other hand. Now, only driving relatively short distances (like Brentwood to Dunton and back) every day is not much of training.
Back in Germany, it would again take me three days I'm trained to fully use the right hand again (driving similarly short distances).
One week in UK, the other week in Germany, repeat. Oh well.
Also: onramps and motorways in the UK. I remember my first onramp during driving scholl in Germany - and how the driving instructor yelled: *"FLOOR IT!*
One just doesn't go full throttle on a Motorway like it's an Autobahn.
I live half time between Spain and the UK and have manual cars in both places. I used to have to adjust to the change each time I travelled but after 8 years it’s now become completely natural.
It’s like my brain just flips a switch. It’s the weirdest thing.
I know the pain! I'm an Aussie, and of course, we also drive on the left. I have no problems driving on the right, and definitely no issues driving a manual car, but on my trips to Europe, I have found gear changing with my right hand very challenging! More than once I've downshifted from 5th to 2nd! Luckily, I knew exactly what I did as soon as I started to release the clutch and quickly intervened in those instances 😂
I love that in the last part of the video when you´re driving your car, I can know you're about to shift gears by the sound of the engine, I love manual transmission!
Drinking coffee and eating with “manual transmission” is a skill in itself.
From the Philippines here, ive done that in addition to texting sms.
Nah, quite easy actually...
very easy. try driving with your knees while roiling a joint on the motorway.
Drive your manual, when right leg is broken (bone x multiple pieces)
1. Took some 400mg OxyContin
2. Search stick's
3.Drive to hospital and doctor tells "It cannot be broken because you could manage to here"
4. Go home and next day with ambulance different hospital and they instal long pipe, screw's inside femur and everything is good.
5. Go back to drive
@@weirdlotofrepairsralph2055 Yes, when you add smoking and talking on the phone to that, you start to get into on point. The best still put on makeup at the same time.
When I first drove an automatic my first thought was “This is too easy, it feels wrong.” And that feeling has persisted every time I drive an Automatic, so I’ll always go for the Manual, it feels super good.
Lol my first time driving automatic was so stressful and funny at the same time. I kept reaching for the gear lever and whenever I approached a stop my brain would selfdestruct. It was telling me step on the clutch but there was none, leg started twitching coz its used to working all the time. I had to reverse and put it into first gear to pull away but I stepped so hard on the brake pedal for overcompensating for my left leg that my head snapped back😂😂
My last car simply had to be an automatic car. The car had to be changed, that the gas-pedal would be put on the left side. With there being another pedal, it would be impossible.
my first thought was: it's stupid
Yeah I always get the feeling that I'm not actually paying attention to how I'm driving when I drive an automatic. Manual just keeps me more at ease and in control.
My first thought: My new car will be automatic. Why do something extra when it can be automated.
In Germany it's often said that automatic is for elderly.
Ha, same in the uk.
@@r0guepix3l50 Not really? 80% of new cars sold in UK for last 5 years have been auto
@@rjj00, the car companies don’t want to give us the choice, I admit that automatics have got much better, but automatic cars with small engines are still quite terrible to drive. This changes when the car has some power.
Same in latam. :V
@@rjj00 yea and 80% of people don't buy new cars.
I was a staunch manual owner, looking down on automatics as a car but fascinated by them from an engineering and ergonomic perspective, such as column changes. However, I borrowed my Brother's 4-spped original Mini auto - not the BMW type - and it was an absolute BLAST. You could control the gears manually if you wished, but was superb for city driving. I used to have a manual Mini in the countryside and that was excellent for the country lanes. I am not sure how the gearbox would last with all the shifting there, but in cities, it was eye-opening. When my Saab caught fire due to a fuel leak, I bought an automatic VW Sirocco Mk1B. It only had the lazy Borg Warner 35 3-spped slush pump, but if you know how to pre-tension the drivetrail at the lights, it had a very fast getaway, and the 2nd gear was generally very good for holding in the twisty sections. That, with a general stress free city driving, I very happy.
Modern automatics can shift better than all buit the most expert drivers.
The exception being snowy/icy roads in hills or mountains. Not being able to control the clutch is dangerous. Most modern cars have traction control that "handles" the issue of tires breaking loose, but you're trusting more technology. I'll still drive a manual as long as I live in mountains.
plus very old manual cars sometimes need a new clutch and when you replace it, you are so used to that old and heavy clutch that it feels like having a new car
American (30) here. I wasn't allowed to get my license until my dad watched me be able to take off uphill on gravel in a 5 speed Ford Ranger without rolling downhill, OR spinning the tires on takeoff. I'm a firm believer that learning to drive in a manual will make you a better driver in the long run, even if you end up with an automatic. It forces you to pay attention while driving.
My dad had the same rule, except it was a Chevy S-10, and it was a mountain instead of a hill (West Virginia). I’m 32.
in Europe when I was getting my drives licene we cant get it unless we show that start under handbreak and ofc hold off on clutch on smaller inclines. But now people get drivers licence on Automatic. Some countries give options Automatic or manual but if u go Automatic u cant drive manual by the law but if u take manual u can drive anything so well
You had a good father. Like I did. I learned to drive a three on the tree and steer a 65 Chevy stepside pickup when I was 4 years old. I sat on my dads lap and drove it 25 miles first try. My dad operated the clutch, cause I was 4.
When I could reach the pedals, I was driving manual, ever since.
I can't stand crapamatics. Flappy paddles too. They all suck. Don't care if they shift quicker now.
Those tenths of seconds mean nothing on public roads.
I am bored out of my mind in one after I sit down in it.
@@rtwiceorb770 Yes, if you get the driver license on automatic gear you can't drive manual because on licence is a code UE 78 in my country.
Taking off an incline without letting the car slide down is actually part of the license exam here. We take our exams with cops and if they feel unsafe and apply the brakes, that's it. You failed.
As a UK driving instructor for 30 years I have had several clients from the USA wanting to gain a UK licence - They all tended to think it was going to be a couple of hours to be shown the ropes then take a test. Unfortunately they soon realised that the standard required to pass a UK (or most of Europe) driving test was far higher than they expected,
Yes, in the US or Canada you pass as long as you're not involved in an accident, exceed the speed limit or don't do anything stupid.
@@cehaem2entirely false for Canada, requires a lot more than that.
True in my country you must drive at least 20 class but have option if you never drive first time sit in car you can drive 40 class one class is like in school 45min
And after that you have two test one is in classroom with police and you have answers A,B,C,D all about sings first help everything about traffic have 20 page for 45min and after that go again with your instructor and policeman drive test in city parallel parking parking in rear and only can use mirrors if you turn head you fail immediately then drive in city where is most heavy traffic and that's all! I wasn't know to drive car at all bcs we never have a car I was drive 40 and after that I was know to drive car but I was drive my 40 classes all year remember drive in snow and at heat in summer all 4 season's me and my friend 😂
US aren't use to roundabouts as well. They find it scary Lol.
55 years driving in Europe. I have an 2003 V70, manual of course. Volvo V70 was basically a compact for the US market and the torque converter gbox was from GM. Those old American style auto Gboxes were fragile and complicated, plus gas guzzling, which in Europe is a huge drawback. Todays double clutch are OK, no slipping from the torque converter, 6 or 7 speeds and pleasant to drive. They do not take too much power/efficiency unlike old converters. So we have more automatic than before, but I love my old V70, maybe I'm too old but all these SUV are looking alike and like kitchen furniture with wheels... I first drove at 13 years old, having learnt by watching my mom driving. For Europeans, manuals are just normal life on wheels. It may change and we become as bad drivers as the average American...😇🥰
Keeping my 94 Integra alive! Had to do a bit of work and there's still more to do but it's worth it for that feeling! Sometimes when I'm behind the wheel I just smile and absorb the moment
As an old man and a professional driver, I have had so many situations in my life where I would have absolutely lost with an automatic transmission. Whether I have to drive on black ice in Germany in winter or drive on the beach in Miami. The clutch and gearbox always give me the opportunity to precisely regulate the torque and speed. Whether on ice or stuck in sand, a clutch and gearbox will always get you further.
With manual transition its easy to drive out from mud ditch
Oh, now I finally understand the amount of accidents whenever it freezes in the US
I currently live in a remote rural village in Bulgaria, where my road turns to muddy slime in spring time. My car is automatic, because my American wife doesn't know how to drive manual. It's extremely difficult trying to mimic behavior of manual transmission by using both gas and brake pedal simultaneously in automatic car in order to get out of the mud. Yes automatic is wonderful in paved cities, where one needs to stop at traffic lights continuously but manual gives much better control of the behavior of the car.
100% this. A manual transmission isn’t just about shifting gears. It’s a whole other method and level of control. I’ve driven an automatic car once and I absolutely hated it. It felt unreal and fake, like a toy car, or like a dodgem car at a fairground.
@Merrsharr that's actually because of tires and lack of training.. many states never freeze so they all use summer tires and have no idea how to drive in bad weather so when those states do freeze its bad 😂
In the UK manual drivers look down on automatic drivers, like surgeons looking down on dentists.
I don't look down on them I feel sorry for them they're missing the true driving experience. However in slow city traffic I sometimes wish I had an auto but then I also have a motorbike so city traffic is something I simply pass by.
And they are right: Automatic is for women and sissies.
Been there, done that, now I've had fun Audis with DSGs
It's a ball ache to have a manual for a daily.
Not true.
Yes, yes we do
The 3 cylinder -V4 refers to the 3 Cylynder, 4 Valves per cylinder 1.0 engine that VAG use in a multitude of cars wearing the VW, Scoda and Audi badge, most notably the A1, Polo, Fabia etc. It can be naturaly aspirated MPI meaning Multi Point Injection, or TSI Turbo Saturated injection.
The guy in the video was a bit confused writing 3 cylinder V4 I think. V has never stood for valves in that way, he should have written 12v to denote them.
V doesn't stand for cylinders either, it just denotes the shape of the engine when the cylinders are configured opposite each other in pairs rather than in one line.
A six cylinder in line engine is therefore not a V6.
When I purchased a new pickup twenty years ago, I had to custom order a manual transmission. Two years ago, I checked with every single manufacturer dealership and that was no longer an option.
Toyota
back in the 80's I was car jacked, the guy jumped in to find my car was a manual trans. he didn't know how to drive it!
the look on his face was priceless!
Did he bail out or did you lose the car?
I think the clutch pedal is your answer 😂
"Americans don't have a clue on how to drive a manual."
I would correct to:
"Americans don't have a CLUTCH on how to drive a manual."
Yep. That's funny, but scary. I've had road trips with drivers who can't drive manuals. It's not worth the kangaroo hops, crunched gears, and stalling. They're baggage. 🙃🇦🇺
@@Renee_R343he was automatically sent to jail, and manual labour.😅😅🇦🇺
Many years ago I spotted a ram 1500 sitting on the back of a dealers lot, half off the sticker. Odometer had 75 miles on it at 7 months old. Salesman didn't want to show me the truck. Explained, several people ask every day but it's a manual 5 speed. Now at 230K, runs great.
That was their upsell truck. 😂
I was chatting with a young work colleague recently who had begun driving lessons in an automatic car.
I've implored her to learn with a manual and gave some scenarios where that skill would be beneficial.
I'm honestly curious, what are some scenarios where that would be beneficial?
@@tomstone123
1) you go on holiday somewhere. Rent a car. The company f***d up instead of an automatic they have a manual and it's the last one available.
2) a friend is willing to lend you their car so you can do an activity. It's a manual.
Etc.
I like what you say about being engaged with your car. I’m from Norway and it’s quite hilly n mountainous in most regions so I use my automatic but in hills to slow I use the transmission to slow down the car rather than sitting on the brake or pumping it as needed which I’ve noticed most ppl don’t do, they just go for the “easy/lazy” brake option
fun fact: in the UK if you pass your driving test in an automatic car you are not permitted to drive a manual car but you can drive either if you pass in a manual car.
Same in the Netherlands, we see it as a dummy car and dummy licence. driving lessons start in a manual car, if you can't manage those you get transferred to a automatic car and you get a licence with a code on it that only permits you to drive automatic cars.
Given the choice my manual license offers, given that choice I would always pick manual
It used to be the same in Germany. Until now, drivers who passed their driving test on an automatic car were not allowed to drive a car with a manual gearbox - the so-called automatic driving license contains the key number 78. With the abolition of this regulation as of April 1, 2021, learner drivers can take the category B test on a vehicle with an automatic transmission and, under certain conditions, obtain permission to drive a car with a manual transmission. Motorized two-wheelers are not covered by the new regulation.
@@muppeteer You would rather pick manuals, but you're still allowed to drive an automatic.
Manuals are fun and you're in control of your vehicles, but manuals do have some disadvantage in traffic jams.
Even funner fact.
If you pass your car driving test in a automatic. If you then get a buss or truck license you are only alowed to drive automatic buss or trucks regardless of If the truck or buss you do the test in have manual gear box.
Because its the car license that dictate what gearbox you use.
How do I know that. Well my wife have a handicap so she can't drive manual. But she also have a truck license. Lucilly. Basically all trucks are automatic.
There is an car cleaning and detailing service at the local mall. I decided to get my truck deep cleaned so I took it to them and parked it out front in their parking area, paid the cost and went off to the mall with the wife. They told me it would take 4 hours to deep clean the interior and to wash and wax the exterior.
We did shopping, ate lunch and caught a couple of movies.
About 6 hours later I returned to the parking area and found my truck in the same spot just as dirty as it was when I left it. At first I was like crap, I must not have left the key. But a quick check of my pockest revealed that yes I did hand them the keys to the truck.
As I pushed the door to their office, the cleark handed me my keys and an envolope with the money I had paid telling me they were unable to clean my truck.
When I asked why, she told me that no one in the company could drive manual and could not move it to the wash bay.
We exchanged an awakard laugh and I left.
1991 Mitsubishi L200 'Double cab' (Still driving it today)
I would have just pushed the car in and out and not tell the customer that our staff is too dull minded to even google how to put a car on gear and release the clutch in order to creep it inside.. Or simply go out and wash there by hand.
But it seems that being dumb is more accepted in the usa then here in Europe where all you're friends would remind you about you're stupidity every chance they have.
@@vihreelinja4743 How the F* would they know how to put it on neutral?
@@hanuman9 a quick google search will tell them all they need to know. And assuming it was parked in neutral it would only mean dropping the handbrake.
L200 is a SOLID car, I had one for a month, it rattled my kidneys, but I liked it.
DO NOT SELL IT im a Mitsubishi mechanic and those old l200s where amazing 100 times better than the newer ones if you want a new truck take the money you want to spend and use it to restore your old one trust me mate
Manual driving - you in full control of a car, you driving it. Automatic driving - well, car is driving you 😂
100% agree on the 'its more engaging' statement. It simply is. Its a far more involving and, fun, experience that auto-piloting around in an auto.
Sometimes, in stupid busy stop/start traffic an auto is bliss - but for any kind of enjoyment of the drive - its manual or nothing!
diving manual is like meditation to me. becoming one with the machine is pure freedom. for the love of the ride. greetings from germany.
I drive unsynchronized manual, even more of meditation, no handholding, just raw straight gears....
Last car I had before switching up was a Hyundai Accent manual...loved the everliving heck outta that one...fast, agile and an easy 3 week pr tank going to and from work every day...now I get 1 week at most pr tank...and yeah...not the same joy at all. 😊
Dafür das du deutsch bist hat sich das ganz schön amerikanisch angehört 😂
Great explanation
The clutch is the joy pedal. It's also the pedal that allows you to express your driving style. It lets you be relaxed and butter smooth, and at a flick of the wrist and a quick left foot tap, become a Sweedish rally lunatic.
Well said Sir
Yup yup yup 👍
automatic gearbox is more fuel consuming and is much more expensive to repair.
@@arisplugis5197Okay.. just say you don't know how to drive manual.
you've never driven in a large congested traffic light happy city have you
My past 5 cheap cars have all been manual. Did my first engine pull to replace my throw-out bearing. (subaru). I love manuals in the snow. So much control.
We drive manuals mainly in uk and Europe for fuel efficiency. I drove them for 25 years, now I drive an automatic. Iv had some manuals I hated driving because of a high or heavy clutches. But the automatics are so nice to drive. In UK, you need to pass your driving test in a manual, to be able to drive one.
At driving school (1979 🙈) I practiced on manual and automatic cars.
All those years later, I never wanted to drive an automatic.
I simply have more control over the engine in a manual car. For example, I can use the engine to brake and drive with more control in the snow.
Greetings from Germany
ha ha ha, more controll with a manual, I cant imagine, so mister ,i got my drivinglicense in 87, learnd on a manual, drove maual cars to around 2000 ,and been driving auto since, and there have been zero problems with using the gearbox to gear down on an dowhill ,or in the snow for thath matter. I live in norway so ,snow and ice is normal in the winter......and i have no problem using a manua even tho i've been driving a auto for dayli the last 25 years .
You can engine brake with an auto, that's what those 3-2-1 shifter positions are for. However if you have a lead foot and a road to suit, a manual is significantly better. I've been to situations where i had to choose between overheating my tranny (because it was feeling unhappy when it got hot, refusing to shift into 4th, i think by design) or my brakes (because of the lack of engine braking), so i would alternate, and it was about +30 outside. If you're in a really hilly terrain, your trans temp rises on uphill sections, and it also rises while engine braking, and stock brakes do not cope either. With a manual you just don't have this issue.
@@superskrobb That's a rather obnoxious and pretentious way to respond.
@@zloychechen5150 Here in Europe not many cars have the 3-2-1 shifter stuff, it's usually D-N-R-P and some let you use the semi-automatic shift ( + / - ) , although for those options you have to use them from the start of the trip as you can only switch modes when fully stopped :(. Also, I didn0t know the 3-2-1 shifter positions worked for that type of stuff, first time I get the explanation!
That‘s exactly right….I probably would have died if I had driven an automatic one day on snow…pretty close deal with my Golf II
Totally agree! I picked up my son from a Scout hall once after a camp. Someone had driven the gear trailer back and then had to go. But is wasn't parked in the Scout hall's garage. A woman yells to all the parents milling around... "Can anyone reverse a trailer?" I say "Sure!" She says "Thank God." She gives me the keys, I go to get in the Landcruiser they used and she screams "Wait!" I look back thinking 'Oh sh!t, what could it be?' She says, "It's a manual, can you drive it?", she's almost beside herself with panic. "Yeah, I got you. No worries." And I'm thinking 'what is this world coming to? 13 parents and no one can reverse a trailer in a manual car. We're doomed' Nice content, mate.
With the electic cars coming in to replace the combustion engine one the issue becomes redundant.
XD at my work there's an 85 dodge 100, we do uhaul so I have to back trailers all the time, that old truck handles em no problem, it's also a stick shift, 4 speed. My car is also a manual. a friend who had come over asked if he could use my car to go to the gas station to get a fountain drink, I tossed him my keys without thinking about it. A minute later he comes back in with a look of confusion on his face and said it wouldn't start. Thought oh crap, then realized, the clutch has to be in all the way for it to start. Asked him if he had the clutch all the way in and he asked, what's a clutch. Wound up driving him to the gas station.
Getting the image of Peter Griffin trying to reverse his speedboat down that ramp😂
Why oh why don't rally and formula1 drivers use automatic and just concentrate on the steering? Because manual is SUPERIOR. You are in control and know the engine and know what revs at what gear is best at each moment in different terrain. Automatic can't handle complicated calculations on what's best in each moment.
Most people don't need a trailer, so never learned to back one up. You aren't better than them buddy.
Two fun facts (and maybe stuff for future videos, because quirky): the only V4 engine I'd be able to name from the top of my head was made by Ford Europe. They used it in different road cars in the 60s and 70s but also in the Transit MK1 van. A good engine, basically. Saab also had the engine in their 96 and 95 and also used them in their rally cars. They were able to compete against very powerful cars like the Ford Escort MK1, which had about 3x the HP. Second thing is the DAF Variomatic - a crazy invention that made it possible to not shift at all. They also raced and rallyed their cars - the London - Sydney marathon and the marathon de la route are two of the most impressive events they mastered. Specially the marathon de la route (like a 96h race on the Nordschleife) someone calculated how many times a regular race car had to shift and how much wear this was on the gearboxes - while the DAFs didn't shift a single time. The DAF 555 is also a car worth reading about.
My mazda 2 has a great feeling gearbox, it's difficult to explain but it feels so good when switching gears. It's more precise than most gearboxes i've tried, I love it :)
I learned to drive on a manual when I was 16. Drove manual to about 20. I am 52 now, and could get into a manual and still drive it and pass the hill test. It's like riding a bike or swimming, you never forget.
It's like bike - the actual part of mindlessly shifting gears with basically just muscle memory doesn't seem to go away.
Thought there are those moments like forgetting to press the clutch to either turn on the car (wife realized after 2nd car with manual mysteriously wasn't starting 🤣), or like me start and drive a manual just fine (hills, traffic lights and all) - and then forget the clutch when you finally park the car at the end of trip (yeah it stalled/choke).
The more dangerous switch is when you're initially getting used to automatic after driving a manual your whole life. That first few harder breaks where your left feet tries to hit the nonexistent clutch pedal - resulting in both feet slamming on the bigger/wider break pedal.
Destin from Smarter Every Day: riding a bike *can* be forgotten. He even talked about it in his talk at NASA 😂.
not true but ok. every cluch is diffrent. some let go in the begining and some in the end. it takes some driving to learn that cars cluch. i have Audi a3. when i sit in other people car. their cluch is totaly different
New Zealand, 61 years here. I got my license in a manual car at 15. I'd been driving manual tractors and trucks -- with no synchro -- on the farm for years. Motorcycle license a few months later, and truck at 18. At first I always had manual cars. But since the mid 90s well over half the "new" cars sold in NZ were used imports from Japan, and almost all of those are automatic. A lot of cars sold new in NZ are still manual, but I'm guessing it's only 5% to 10% of used cars now. My current car is a 2008 Subaru Outback with 2.5 256 HP turbo engine and 5 speed auto. It has paddle shifters, lock-up in every gear at higher RPMs, and pretty nice rev-matching on the shifts. When you're driving sportily it's very much like an easier manual. Re fuel consumption: it's basically identical to the 1997 2.5 Outback I had with 5-sp manual plus hi/lo range, at around 9.1 l/100km. The auto actually uses less fuel on a trip -- best of 7.9 vs 8.6 -- as it is significantly higher geared doing 2300 RPM (peak torque, incidentally) at 110 km/h indicated vs 3000 RPM in the manual.
@@77leny That also depends on how worn the clutch is. Sometimes a worn clutch lets go earlier compared to a new one.
I was unable to get a manual in my latest car. I had a string of BMWs and man, did they have silky smooth transmissions. Even the driving behavior was outstanding. Very precise.
Hi Ian,
nice to hear, you try to keep MT Cars alive. I like them quite a lot too!
But even here in Europe they are on a decline, since AT have up to 8 (or more?) speeds nowadays. They are more fuel efficient than MT nowadays.
As i've told you in the past, i've been a international truck driver here. And when i got my drivers licence here in Austria, the driving instruction and the test have MANDATED a truck with MT + it had to be Half-sync at best, preferably unsynchronised!
When i started over in international transport, my truck was of the half sync breed sporting 12 speed forward and 4 gears backwards. This was a hell of an scary experience, driving a Semi in this configuration on the narrow roads of southern Italy for example, at 19 years old! You get used to it, faster than you think. And we were talking to our dispatchers, preparing food, opening bottles to get a drink, or handle paperwork or roadmaps while driveing. An indespicable experience to say the least!
BUT beeing suited with this skill, i once managed to bring a Special Transport with almost 80 metric tons grossweight from the Netherlands back to the HQ of my employer in Italy, after some hydrailic hose snapped, leaving me completely without any control of my clutch whatsoever.
This has been a trip spanning mor than 1000 Km! And after getting used to it, i even started to enjoy it. After i have reached the Yard in Italy, i unloaded the excavator (CAT 330b) from my trailer and then i was pretty much amused by watching the mechanic, who was trying to maneuver the now empty truck, from outside the workshop 25 metres inside the shop!
Which he wasn't able to pull off since he tried to get the truck moving with a the engine running. So obviously he wasn't able to insert any gear!
This was quite amusing for me and my other colleagues too! One of the best days of my trucking journey.
So keep it up dear Ian!
Thanks for your content, and sincere greets to you and your loved ones from Innsbruck Austria.
P.S.: Your wife is really missing out on some serious fun! (my personal opinion!) 😉😊🍀
In my home country, which is Romania, there's a common saying among experienced drivers: You don't buy yourself an automatic right away, because a manual will teach you how to control a car and you will be able to really appreciate an automatic once you have it. Plus, it is much harder for someone who's inexperienced to drive into someone else by fault. We've had some really bad accidents with people mistaking the throttle with the break...
Suntem saraci, asta e adevarul
In Poland we have a saying: "Your instructor will teach you how to pass the exam. Your first winter will teach you how to drive."
...
We don't have any real sayings about automatic cars. Though if you pass your exam in an automatic car, you're only allowed to drive automatic cars. It is a bummer, coz most of the cars here are manual.
Thats so true, im from Romania and when i was learning for the drivers exam, the instructor told me that he was teaching me how to take the exam, not how to drive xD@@McSenkel
the first time i drove an automatic i mistook the brake for the clutch and slammed on for no reason lol
@@McSenkel We have a simmilar thinking in norway. Wich is also why it is mandatory to also have ice driving experiance before you get your licence.
They are frankly quite fun lessons to take if you want to, you get to drive on a track with ice and snow, and it is quite fun both to drive and spectate :D
I'm in the UK and have only ever driven manual transmission, as have most drivers here. Changing gears gives more control and is just sheer fun!
The only time I have driven an automatic was when I drove a Nissan GTR around a track... which was great, and it was nice a clean drive, but you engage more with a car that requires more than just... stop and go.
I was lucky enough to have a REALLY old truck (stick) growing up on the farm. Learned from there. Never bought an automatic. I owned an 08 WRX and now an 18 STI. Soooo much fun to be had. It's just more of a driving experience in my opinion. That being said, with the newer paddle shifters on cars make the shifting times soooo fast it's not even fair.
When in a traffic jam i put my bus in manual mode so i can better control the speed, i just let it roll in that gear without applying gas and dont have to brake as often giving me ( and i like to think the people behind me) a smoother ride.
It took a lot of effort to find my 2015 Honda Fit in a manual 6 speed. I had to go to a dealership an hour away to find one. The salesman could not drive it! My dad would not let me buy a car until I could drive a stick shift. He never wanted me to be stranded because I could not drive something. Once you learn you will always have the skill. I have taught both of my children. Neither of them knows anyone their own age who can do it. My 16 year old son has just started driving that Fit as his daily driver and is doing great. I did my part for the next generation. :)
Thanks for keeping the legacy. 😊
I watch quite a few American reacts channels but it's really refreshing to watch a guy whos a proper enthusiastic and knows what theyre talking about, a graat job!
So wholesome too, with a genuine reverence for all kinds of motoring.
*In Australia if you do a manual license you can drive both, if you do an auto you can only drive auto, however most people buy autos, nobody actually wants to spend all the drive time going up and down gears if you can let a car do it, and soon your car will drive you, TESLA already can.*
Funfact: In Germany you drive, you don't do much else. In the past a radio would disturb hearing when to shift gears. And I loved playing driving and shifting the gears with a brrr on my lips (no keys ;)
Cup holder - what for? In my parents car it was forbidden to eat or drink - you do that during a break. I still have no love drive-through.
But nowadays there are reasonably more automatics, drive through and speed-limits. Today I drive an automatic Renault Clio - and its nice especially in crowed city traffic.
The best part "bro can I borrow your car?" Me: "it's a stick shift" Oh ok, I'll ask somebody else..." 🤣
Until you get someone that makes an attempt, and they grind your gears. 😅
I salute to all other manual drivers out there!
Greetz from the Netherlands.
I’m in Nederlands, and manual was cheaper 😂
UK driver here. Learned in a manual and drove manuals for years and while I do enjoy them, especially the girlfriend's BMW 3 series which is a fantastic drivers car, these days I prefer DSG semi-auto gearboxes from VAG. Last and current car (Leon Fr and now Audi S3) are both DSG and I feel they're best of both worlds. I drive in a mix of modes, sometimes full manual with the padles on the wheel or with drive select fwd/backwards, sometimes in full auto Drive especially in traffic or motorway crusising, drop it into Sport when overtaking, sometimes just padle shift up or down cos I fancy it. VAGs DSG dual clutch systems are an engineering masterpiece and if you've never driven one, try one.
I'd never get a traditional torque converter auto as you don't get any control at all. Ideally I'd run several cars and have a nice manual sports car for the weekend and a DSG for daily use, but if I have to pick one it'd be a DSG.
A bit of history: the Simca 1100 manual used 1 liter of petrol for 14 km. The same car in automatic used 1 liter for only 10 km. Petrol was always very cheap in the States but not in Europe. Perhaps automatic transmissions are improved meanwhile, I just don't know because I only drive manual. Gives me a direct and clear feeling and it lasts for ever.
For me driving manual is about getting to know your engine and then feeling control about how you want to drive, using the clutch pretty fast becomes second nature and playing with gears can be verry fun. Biggest disadvantage of manul in my opinion is when you are in long traffic jam, having to constantly use the clutch becomes pretty exhausting with the stop and move few metters cycle after some time, automatic is way more chill in this situation. Still the pleasure of manual is something i don't want to give up. But with EV, manual are becoming rarer in europe.
You know when you stand still you can just put the gear in neutral and you will be able to let go of the clutch
EV is artificial trying to make money on you as well as poor. The sanctions are working after all.
On manual. Double declutch is good to learn. Probably most would say it’s not necessary but it definitely has fun.
driving a manual is like becoming one with your car... you can actually feel it in your bones in your muscle, and the sound of the engine when you drive ..... you know your car. YOU KNOW! the car becomes a part of you... and that is the best feeling ever.
I just drive for 2 Years now and yeah i can hear it if the Motor does not sound right or the vibrations are unusual
I have my driving license for barely 2 years now and I can't drive automatic trasmission car because I dont feel the car especialy when it has that electric power steering so it is to easy to turn the steering wheel in such a car I feel like Im HUMAN IN A CAR and i cant feel that car so it is dificult to drive for me
You know how much your ankle hurts after 4 hours in M25 traffic 🤣
😂😂You feel the car cos of the pointless extra effort 😂😂
You sound like the crazy guy from the “Christine “film……or was he.?????
We had a vw beetle in the 70s, manual, cute and nothing fancy - what people called "a biscuit tin with an engine in" but we really loved it. It was sturdy and it could really shift and it taught me thst manual cars are much more fun, that you're actually operating a machine and feel completely in control.
That beetle, having a rear engine, could really fly up Hardknott Pass in Cumbria, actually overtaking other cars occasionally. Very nimble. 😁
i learned to drive with a manual and kept to manual for several years. Then iswitched to automatic because i drove a friends car that had automatic and it kinda blew my mind how easy and comfortable it is to drive. So my last 3 cars were automatics and i never thought about going back to manual.
I am a woman 🙋♀, I live in Lithuania and I have been driving 🚗for 20 years. I have had cars with both manual and automatic transmissions. But only the manual gives me so much driving pleasure and joy 🥰 Although I don't race myself, I am a big fan of motor sports and worked in the organization of rally competitions for about 10 years 😎
As we say in Europe, the driver controls the car, not vice-versa.
When you can control the car speed at a pace of a walk in the park, using the three pedals, that's when you can master driving a manual transmission car.
I’m American very first car I learned to drive for the stick shift.. And I agree with you..
Since I started driving at age 16 nearly 50 years ago (in the USA) all the cars I have owned have been stick shift but even I think that what they supposedly say in Europe is kind of silly. For one thing 95% of the drivers on the road in both Europe and North American are barely competent enough to keep the car between the lines. In other words, they are far from in complete control of their cars. For example, if I were to hide in front of a big truck parked at the side of a road with a 50mph speed limit and then I were to quickly push a shopping cart out into the path of cars just a half second before they would cross its path, virtually all of the drivers (both American and European) would crash into it. Heck even if I gave them a full second to react - which is an eternity - most drivers would still hit it. Furthermore, the ones who did manage to react would just hit the brakes even though at that speed and that short distance the brakes would be pretty useless and so swerving would be the only way to avoid impact altogether. And let's face it, very few drivers indeed are competent enough to bring the car under control in an oversteer situation. And I could go on and on. The point is that a truly skilled driver is in control of his car in the same way that a professional gymnast is in control or his or her body. The average driver on the other hand is only in control of his car the way a child is in control of his body just a few months after first learning to walk.
As for using the clutch I would tend to agree with you, although you would only be using two pedals (clutch and accelerator) to keep pace with a person walking. That being said, holding a car stationary on a steep incline using only the clutch and gas pedal is much more difficult than simply driving very slowly on level ground. And holding a car stationary on an incline without using the brakes is something I naturally mastered before I was even 17 years old. This is why I can stop on a steep incline and start moving again without rolling backwards even an inch just by using the clutch, gas, and hand brake. But since many manual cars these days come with electronic parking brakes that do this for you automatically I’m afraid that this will soon become a lost skill. Another lost skill is shifting without using the clutch at all should the need arise - such as when your clutch cable or clutch hydraulics go out. Many times in my life I had to drive a friend or coworkers car to their home or to the shop to save them the cost of a tow after the clutch cable broke because they did not know how to drive it and make smooth upshifts and downshifts without using the clutch.
@@SLOBeachboy riding the clutch on an incline like that will roast your clutch. Sure, it's a skill, but a skill with absolutely no mechanical sympathy. Don't do it, use the handbrake, or more likely just the foot brake and master the skill of quickly catching the engagement point of the clutch as you move your right foot across to the accelerator pedal.
@@clintonlangerak7972 - LOL! It seems that you somehow managed to misinterpreted what I was saying. I did not say that you should just sit there holding your car in place without using the brakes every time you stop in a hill (not sure what even gave you that idea). I simply said that this is more difficult to do than just going very slow on level ground. I was simply making a point. However, since you brought it up - and now that I think about it - this actually IS something one should practice a bit, particularly if you live in a very hilly city like San Francisco. The thing is that when you start from a stop on a hill you are basically holding the car in place with the clutch for a split second anyway as you release the hand brake (if you are doing it correctly). And if you cannot do this well then you will always end up rolling back a bit and will then either lug the car or get the rpm too high when taking off and possibly getting some clutch burn in the process. So basically, spending some time practicing holding the car in one place on a hill with only the clutch and accelerator until you get the hang of it will actually cause less extra clutch wear in the long run compared to consistently not having smooth transitions from hill stops. And because the rpm's will be under 2000 on a moderate hill if you are doing it correctly you will not get any burn. Naturally of course the more time your clutch spends being half engaged the faster it wears but the short time you would spend practicing this would at most take maybe a week off the life span of your clutch disc. And as I said before if you live in a place when you have to make a lot of hill stops your clutch may actually last longer since you now have the skills to make smoother hill startups.
Just to clarify again - since in my first post you did not seem understand what I was talking about - I was always talking about the starting from a stop on a hill using the hand brake. If you are doing it correctly however you are neither rolling back nor jumping forward but rather you are holding the car in place with clutch for a split second as you fully release the hand brake and then you transition smoothly into forward motion. If this is not the case then you are doing it wrong and you are putting more stress and more wear on your clutch.
@@SLOBeachboy To shift without clutch you have to bring the engine to exacly RPM in neutral before attempting a shift,i learn on old european trucks and i do this with higher gears.
I had the Saturn SL1 in 91, stick shift but without AC, that was a mistake. Driving it in normal traffic was so much fun, all the Saturn drivers would wave at each other around New England.
The first time my dad and sister drove an automatic rental car when their car broke down when they went to pick my mom and me up at the airport.
They had a bit of difficulty driving the automatic, but my sister got the hang of it and drove us back home.
I've always driven manual trans here in Canada. My wife too so when my daughters had to learn to drive, they had no choice. Today, now that they each have their own cars, they stuck with manual transmissions and LOVE it. My wife's car is a Subaru Outback which isn't small but still has a manual trans on it.
Funny thing is my daughters had to teach their boyfriends how to drive manual for them to be able to drive their cars when need be.
Thats awesome. I bought a vw diesel, bc I had an internship at a biodiesel plant, and it is a manual. My dad knew from driving old muscle cars, a bit different, but tuaght me how to drive it. Now its all I can drive, love it.
I know women who prefer manuals. They can't find guys to control, so they had to find something else with a stick.
If a bloke had an automatic car in Scotland he would be laughed at lol It's like driving a dodgem car.
There a thousands of autos in scotland ,some models only come with the auto..They are mainly dual clutch and you have the paddles on the steering ,but most just leave them to change themselves ,,The majority of trucks nowdays are Autos
Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Porsche, McLaren, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini + many others & almost every single Hypercar?
Seriously ?😄 They are not getting laughed at due to their gearbox !
Italian here, once I asked my uncle who experienced it why he didn't like to drive automatic, he said: 'cause auto it's like a videogame, when I drive I want to DRIVE
@@norb0254 I seriously doubt most automatics in Scotland are dual clutch models considering how uncommon those are compared to torque converter ones...
So Scotland doesn't have a single hybrid? Because all those are automatic, unfortunately.
The reason is the emission limits, which lead to more and more gears in order to keep the smaller turbo engines with low fuel consumption within their working range. I counted 125 gear changes in my 5-speed Ford Focus daily driver. The route was 9 kilometers of rush hour traffic. That was 10 years ago. Today there are 6-7-8-9 gears in the transmission.
So automatic.
3 Cyl/V4 is 4 valves per cylinder.
I drove a Toyota with a 3 cylinder engine under 1 litre.
The little monster was capable of reaching 80 km in second gear.
Finnish driver here. I've driven both Manuals and Automatics, and from my experience I prefer Manuals in Winter and automatics in summer. You have so much more control of your vehicle when you can 100% release torque from driven wheels by depressing the clutch, when your tires are losing/have lost their grip on slippery surfaces, especially in the winter. You can also free your stuck car way easier when you can sway back and forth by engaging and disengaging the clutch.
And a plus side in small manual cars, is that they're a lot of fun to drive on roads with a lot of curves. And at any day of the year, I prefer my -03 Almera Hatch with it's mighty 1.5L 67kw engine than a larger sedan/family/sports car with way more power. You just can't beat 5.0-5.5L/100km (39-42mpg) on Roads, and 8.0-10.0L/100km (23-29mpg) in cities. With careful driving, I've been able to get as low as 3.9L/100km (60mpg) of fuel consumption. Try that with your 3.0 V6 ;)
Oh, and a fun fact; At least in Finland, when you're getting your driver's license, you drive it using a manual. IF you want to drive your license with only an automatic, you can do it, but you will get a marking in your license which only allows you to drive automatics. If you're then driving a manual car, and police stops you, they can fine you for driving a vehicle you're not allowed to.
On our Volvo we now today have automatic and i must say, regarding safety, it is safer than a manual. If you slip, in a manual you have to register that and press clutch down. It can take a while even for an experienced driver (human reaction time have a limit...). Here, on this automatic - if you slip, the car will handle it. Using engine brake and it slips? Then it disconnects the gear box, instantly. If you slip going on speed, then the car will adjust (gearbox, engine, brakes and everything). I have tried pushing it on safe places and for real, as soon as you feel like "Oh, now, here she goes!" the computer kicks in and... back on track. Ridiculous actually. No way i could have done that on my manual cars i have had. The computer tech, gyros, accelerometers and all are way to smart and quick.
Speaking of fuel conomy:
Volvo V90 D4 AWD. Automatic, eight speed transmission. Fully packed (above 2.000 kg - tested it on a road scale) with stuff and people, 470 km road trip, outside temperature around 0, studded tires:
0,50 l/10 km.
The same trip during summer: 0,49-0,50.
Shorter trips, 37 km with some smaller roads and 20-25 km motorway (110 km/h), to work during summer: Around 0,55-0,57.
All year around, all trips, since new (closing in on 100.000 km), including parking heater, measured at the fuel pump (i have full statistic of all fueling for my four cars i have had):
0,67 l/10 km.
My Mazda 6 i had before, manual, petrol, i could never go that low. Despite lighter car, and manual, and i know how to eco drive.
Same in the Netherlands: if you do your exam in an automatic, you will get a mark in your licence that you can only drive automatics.
Most cars here are manuals. However, the number of automatics is increasing fast due to the hybrids.
@@Xanthopteryx That's true that modern cars with computers have much better response times than humans, and are often safer in different driving conditions. But it all still depends on the driver. A computer can only do so much preventing accidents if the driver was driving too fast for the conditions. And from what I've noticed, is that people trust the computers in their cars way too much. One glitching sensor can make the car do funky things before the computer notices the problem.
Everyone should every once in a while disable all of the Electronic Stability Control, traction control and other such systems of their cars and get a feeling on how the car handles without them. Most people would most likely lose control quite fast.
My 2 current cars only have ABS in them, and have found no need for any other systems/assists.
@@Stenkish Completely agree. A friend of mine has a Tesla, when he has the autopilot on, on a motorway, the sensors seem to think overhead bridges are hazards and will break in the middle of the motorway. Scary to imagine! He has to keep his foot on the accelerator at all time, just in case it happens!
Same in the UK with your licence,
'small manual cars, is that they're a lot of fun to drive on roads with a lot of curves'
UK country roads in the summer are what the old MG's, Austins, Morgans etc were built for. Drivers of all these little sports cars pretend to be flying a Spitfire at least once during a journey!
Manual is great for sporty drivers, for mountain roads with lots of hairpin turns, and to get the best out of the engine in not straight roads.
Its a rewarding skill in itself.
Dude, is walking or breathing a skill? You need to be a skilled driver to drive fast, or faster than anyone else, not to use a manual car. When you know manual, it's as simple as walking. Sure, some people won't be able to, just as some can't walk.
@@globalist1990 nice to see someone miss a point by a country mile!
@@CerdicTheGreat by making a different point? Ok, dude.
exactly! I received once an automatic (rental) car for a trip in the Alps, it was terrible, a struggle to drive swiftly and safely and not getting the car overheated. On German autobahn automatic is okay, but when getting around quickly in city traffic, when having to passing on narrow country roads, in mountains, on snow-covered roads I surely prefer manual transmission....
Amen! I love the additional control you have with manual..
I live in Belgium. I've had my driver's license for about twenty years now and just drove an automatic for the first time a few weeks ago. But for the record, automatics are gradually becoming more and more popular here as well.
I've never tried the automatic gear but driving manual is actually so satisfying!
And the thing said in the video about the roads being narrow or having difficult terrains might be true to some extent, in UK there are some very narrow roads, all over Europe we have mountains and you want to control the speed very precisely, especially with cold weather, sometimes you have many u turns... in Italy we have a lot of the above plus many roads which aren't even paved.
Here we definitely need to be quick with decision making and doing what we have, but we enjoy it so much. 😂
As a European living in Quebec, I've seen people claiming they knew how to drive manual. Actually, they know how to change gears upward to gain speed. But they don't know it downward to use engine compression. On my car, I was able to keep my brake pads and discs for a much longer period than automatic cars by using compression.
True. You can also do this with Toyota automatic models with lock up torque converters.
Idem pour moi Pascal. Mes disques et plaquettes tiennent 100.000km sans problème. Le fameux frein moteur est comme le nom l indique aussi un frein. Je trouve aussi le dosage de l embrayage en manuelle beaucoup plus facile. Si je veux je peux avancer à 1cm par seconde en dosant l'embrayage. Alors qu'en automatique j ai toujours peur de sauter de 30 cm d un coup. Question d habitude peut-être.
@@mriverbach6276 il y a un truc que je deteste avec les conducteurs d'automatiques, ils sont toujours sur les freins... d'ou les 'accordions' sur les routes, plus personne sait ralentir en descendre une vitesse.
@@user-dl2md2kv4x tant que je le pourrai je roule en boite manuelle. Mais en Europe, cela devient aussi compliqué. De plus en plus de voitures sont uniquement disponibles en automatique. Hormis le petites citadines et certaines entrée de gamme. De toute façon si on passe à l électrique faudra si habituer à ne plus passer les vitesses.
One problem I found with slowing down, just normally or using the gearbox here in Oz, is that the idiots behind can't comprehend that if the brake lights don't come on, you must not be slowing and they almost drive into the back of your car.
I grew up loving cars and always wanted to drive a manual. Everyone kept telling me “you’re was going to hate traffic” and “you’ll get tire of it eventually”. I managed to get a manual as my first car and loved it. It’s been 11 years since I got my license and I’ve only owned manual cars. Granted I’ve only owned 2 cars but still, I have no regrets.
The only thing that might throw someone off that does drive a manual is if it's old enough to have a 3 speed column shift instead of a stick 😄
I learned on "3 on the tree"
I love driving manual, but getting stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for hours is way less fun in a manual.
@Dizzykitty817 I'm well out in the country here, so I don't have that issue
Nearest city is Knoxville,Tn with a population of only about 60k
With today's craziness, you couldn't get me in a city over 100k at gunpoint 😁
Traffic jams isn't that exhausting, really. Just put it in neutral whenever you are standing still, and suddenly it's a piece of cake.
Once you get a feel for the clutch and know the best gear for the speed you're doing, manual isn't hard.
6:38 Fun fact, the Lancia Fulvia was an italian sports car with a V4 engine.
In Latam, manual transmissions are predominantly used. In poorer countries, manual transmission serves as the primary option, while automatic models typically represent the top tier of each model (too expensive for most people).
My first car was a 1971 Datsun pickup. We got it second hand at a dealership. Dad drove me there to get the truck. He pointed at the shift knob and said there’s first, second, third, fourth and reverse. See you at the house. :-)
Those were the good old days! You learnt as you went. These days parents want to hold their teenage kids hands when they go to the toilet.
Same for me! 😂
Except that I had a very good job when I bought my first car and since I wanted a new one and didn’t wanna spend 2000$ on an automatic transmission, I ordered a manual one 😅
I am sure that mechanics who seen me trying to leave the garage still remember me to this day! 😂😂😂…
It was the first time I drove a manual car and I had to leave the garage with it….
I felt so embarrassed after the 6th time trying 😅
Memories… 😊
@@rayray-xs6xu You're not over exaggerating. I knew a woman who insisted on brushing her son's teeth for him. He was 11-years-old. Yes, there was an obvious joke that came up every time she would tell everyone that she brushes her son's teeth for him. What? No! They weren't dentures FFS. They were his teeth in his mouth. Fun fact. She was the singer in our band and we'd practice in her basement. She was a nutcase. If she disagreed with you, she would pick up her microphone and shout at us through her 1,500 watt PA system. Funner fact? We were an acoustic band.
@@rayray-xs6xu True! And when you try to tell them, they usually think you are the one bad parenting 🙄
Just do your thing, and let these parents have problems with their kids when they are adults 😉 People used to tell me that I am too « permissive », too this, too that… I did my thing.
Now that my kids are beautiful happy adults I can see that I did well after all. Some of them can’t say the same thing. The future will tell if a person was right or wrong 🙂
@@KukumEesinekapo 6th try? That's nothing compared to Al Cowlings. Running from the police for more than hours, making only 50 miles (80 km) in that time because he didn't know to shift into 2nd gear. Yes, the infamous O. J. Simpson car chase.
As a european who drove/drives both, manual and automatic i've to say:
Automatic is nice and cozy for long trips and/or especially stop-and-go-traffic inside a (badly designed) city or in a traffic-jam.
But Manual is just more fun to actually drive a vehicle, especially if you just drive because of the joy of driving. Doesn't matter what crappy thing you drive, in manual you always feel a little bit like a race-driver. I would even argue, in normal traffic, a "crappy" little manual car can be way more fun than a high-H.P.-Monster, because you basically drive it nonstop "at the limit" a.k.a. in "race-mode" because that's all you're going the get out of this "heap of crap" anyway.
Yeah, what's the fun in having a car that can't put it's power down the road off the drag strip. Ontop of that you need to drive it with kid gloves in everyday traffic situation.
Nothing beats going full throttle and then shifting gears
Remember there are a number of key differences in the US (Canada and the rest of North America) vs. Europe.
1. North Americans do drive much longer distances.
2. North Americans have much larger families.
3. North Americans have larger vehicles -- including trucks, SUVs, vans, mini-vans, etc.
4. North Americans are far more rural than Europeans. Far more live on farms, the country, suburban areas, etc.
5. North Americans are far more into outdoor activities. Summer cabins, beach houses, hiking, fishing, hunting, etc. again more trucks, need to carry more stuff, etc.
6. North American is not well suited to passenger train travel.
7. Costs are far less in North America -- including the vehicle, gas, parking, larger roads for bigger vehicles, etc.
Don't be a stereotypical American. Only the first point is true, the rest is BS and your limited point of view.
The Ford Essex engine was a V4 and SAAB and Lancia used V4s. The Porsche 919 Hybrid was a V4.
Same in Australia 🇦🇺. My son got tired of feeding his 4WD and bought a little Toyota harchback for work and shopping. He got it very cheaply because it was a manual and nobody wants manuals. I drove it recently and after decades driving automatics I was a little clumsy. The first car I owned in 1966 was a tiny 2-cylinder mini sized car. The only way to keep up with the traffic was to stir up its very good 4-speed manual gearshift. With a lot of gear changing I could keep up with them.
one big advantage of manual trans that i don't see often mentioned, is that it greatly reduces the risk of some bad driver accidentally ramming the gas pedal when stressed or leaving parking, and ramming into other vehicles or storefronts, sometimes in reverse.
I see that happen in usa but I never understood how that happens. And it's usually so incredibly fast, I guess they were trying to hit the brakes and instead hit the gas? Can you have the car in gear and standing still without pressing anything?
@@sandracardoso2602No. If you don't press clutch down when you turn the engine on and you have for example the first gear selected, then the car will stall or lurch first a little and then stall.
I've read that in some older cars it was possible to move very short distances before the engine stalled but I can't verify that.
@@ezioauditoredafirenze5453 I have used the starter to limp a car with an exploded slave cylinder home without a tow, and that was a little baby i4. So yeah, if you start in gear (or in gear with the clutch in and the slave not doing squat, so still 100% in gear bypassing the safety interlock) with the gas pedal down, it will start and take off all the same as an automatic car...
@ezioauditoredafirenze5453 depends on the car ..
It is one of the major disadvantages of automatics ... only two pedals ... easy to pick the wrong one under stress ... hence cars going through storefronts or over cliffs because the automatic driver picked the wrong pedal and panicked. Almost impossible to do with the 3 pedals in a manual.
Another couple of advantages are that you can bump start a manual (ie push it or roll it down hill and then let the clutch in. This will start the engine if the starter motor is not working or the battery is low). Also, if it breaks down on a level (grade) crossing or other highly dangerous place, you can put it in low gear (1 or reverse) and simply hold the key round and use the starter motor to drive it out of danger. Wrecks the starter but could save your life!
This doesn't work with modern manuals anymore sadly
@@pudermcgavin4462depends on the country, what your talking about is the clutch switch , they are mandatory here in Canada but they aren't in the US, and some manufacturers sold cars there without the clutch switch. There's some funny/terrifying clips out there of people using remote start on manuals when they've been left in gear
a bump start works, but you should not use it, because it wrecks the catalyst
@@teezettsb if bump starting your car wrecks your catalytic converter then it's had problems for a while but if your battery is just low from leaving lights on or use at a drive in or something then a bump start won't hurt a thing
@@pudermcgavin4462 Took a minute or so to figure it out, but it still does work with many modern cars. Maybe not as easy as turning the ignition key, but with a bit of timing, you can get the car confused enough to start.
German guy here. My first BMW had manual transmission. This was great. My second one had automatic. Very comfortable, but you obviously had a slip and lag, not from the turbo. My current BMW have a 6 speed manual transmission again. Feels better. Faster response better motor control.
The feeling you get driving around the south eastern Europe coast with a decent car and manual drive is something you don't get with comfort focused automatics.
Unfortunately you can't buy a new manual BMW anymore in Germany unless it's the lowest class or an M2, M3, M4. Same with Audi and Mercedes.
Going into a turn and being able to upshift before you enter to cut torque is a useful thing on occasion. So is being a gear high in snowy conditions.
I love this
@bbb462cid upshift into a corner??
@@PixelTrooper No, not upshift into a corner. I didn;t say that. I said before. The gears are torque multipliers. Reducing torque is a way to prevent oversteer. Not all cars have traction control. Tires lose grip when torque overcomes traction.
In Latvia we now have manual and automatic driver licences. If you do the manual, you can drive both, If you do the automatic, you are allowed to drive ONLY automatic.
I‘m 47, I bought my first automatic last year. In City Traffic I find the Automatic more comfortable.
I live in Switzerland and we have very narrow and curvy Roads in the Mountains and those are just so much more fun to drive with a Manual. 🥳🎉🎊
German guy here. My first car was a Seat with manual transmission. I switched to an electric wich is obviously automatic, but ever since I really miss the feeling of manually downshifting two gears at once and going full throttle.... being able to control the engine in this way is just so unbelievably enjoyable I can't really understand how people can be affright of that! I bet non of them have ever tried it.
They dont like driving...they only wnat to go from point A to B and in america is all designed to do it by car.
Fellow German here. I drive an old, little Honda, not a big car...but the manual transmission actually is the only one thing that is actually enjoyable to me when driving. All the other aspects of having to drive in cities just suck.
The last automatic I drove (a hire car years ago, I have only owned manuals) had that built in: when you put your foot fast and full to the floor, it dropped two gears and off you went. It was quite cool actually. I'd be surprised if they didn't all do that now.
My first driver's license was issued by the US Navy. I learned how to drive in a truck with a four-speed stick in 1973. All of my vehicles have been manual up until 2008. I hate automatics.
@@HrochnickYeah, pretty much all automatic transmissions in existence do that. If they didn't, it would be very slow to pass anyone or accelerate while driving an automatic. It's still more fun with a manual though!
Driving an automatic is like driving a go-kart to me. Takes the pleasure out of driving, you have less control and it cost more 😖
Go karts feel fast, automatic feels like you're driving a boat
@@georgehelyardoesn't matter when best selling car is body-on-frame. Leaf springs and/or front solid axle
You illustrate the reasons well. Europeans are full of myths and prejudices on that matter. And the worst part is that many people who claim these things are unable to drive a manual properly. How many times have I heard the engine scream for no reason
That’s undoubtedly true but how much “control” do you need if you’re driving safely and respectfully on public roads? I’m long past track days but sure, manual for the track. 6 cylinder petrol engine in a 5 series is what floats my boat as a daily driver
idk about "more control" considering pretty much all new automatics will let you select gears if you feel the need to. But they are more fun, and last longer than autos.
I remember when manuals were called standard because that was the standard transmission and automatic was an option. My kids learned to drive manual in a 1.1 litre 1966 MG midget. That was around 2014 or so after I rebuilt the car. They loved it.
Australia new car market was similar to Europe, with automatic cars were 1000-3000$ more. This shifted to both option being the same price about 10yrs ago and now only sporty car are offered in manuals.
US dad here… I’ve always driven a manual. My son just got his license and went the same route. Save the manuals!
My father "forced" me to drive a manual transmission for the first few years, although I wanted an automatic transmission from the beginning. His reasoning: you only learn to drive properly with a manual transmission, you understand things better and know what to look out for. In hindsight, I'm grateful to him, he was absolutely right. Fun fact at the end: on my very first car, which I thankfully only drove for 3 months, second gear didn't work. So I had to accelerate so much in first that I could jump straight into third 😂
My old car had got problems with the third gear when it was cold, so 1-2 and jump to 4, i still do that with my new car in the city to have less changing gear
Here we have two types of lice one for ato and one for manul
I have found that younger people perfer ato
Being of the older gen i love manul also iuse to drive a lorry
It is pretty common to skip gears. If I drive in traffic i'll go from 1 to 3 and then to 5
My Mr2 Turbo will pull off in 3rd with ease :)
@@marco_grt4460what?!😂
"V4" means: 4 valves per cylinder.
I own an Audi A2 3cyl 1.4ltr Diesel with 90HP. The A2 is a really interesting car, built from 1996-2005 with an Aluminium chassis ... you should check it out. Mine is now 20 years, has almost 400,000 km, and is still in fully working order ...
I also have car without power steering. That is some good experience. To feel the car how it behaves, how it loses grip in tight turns.
Manual gives so much more control! When the road is slipery you can brake with the engine so that you don't have to hit the brakes hard; when you want to take a slower car in front of you can reduce a shift and have more horsepower and accelaration; when you are driving in steep road you can control the strenght you need when going up and down.
Another great thing about using the engine to break - saving fuel
I usually engine break, instead of using mechanical brakes - and my Diesel 2L hatchback (factory says runs around 19 km/l on avg) can be extended to 22-25 km/l (going at the speed limit, nice acceleration then maintaining same speed, but reading the traffic and adjusting speed/distance with clutch)
High engine rev = free acceleration power, if the engine was used to break from 5'th gear and now is in 2'nd or 3'rd.
Couldn't agree more.
From a driver's perspective manual is all about control. Automatic and cruise control goes hand in hand, you better use one with the other.
When driving automatic I find it difficult to keep a constant speed, but it's nice when driving in urban areas where you frequently have to stop and go.
@@ollep9142 Maybe it got better, but it annoyed the hell out of me when I driving on the country side at 80 km/h and automatic would constantly change from 4th to 5th.
@@luis_sa78 Can't have been half as annoying as when I drove a Chevrolet van with manual gearbox at a similar speed and had to do all that shifting manually...
The gearing steps were totally off for that car/motor combo.
@@ollep9142 bad gear ratio, perhaps? But you can always choose an high rpm (if there's traffic or bad weather) or low rpm (if you're just cruising). It's your choice and you're in control.
I'm french, I had to choose between manual and auto, manuals are so fun to drive compared to automatics, especially on cars that have less power, and you have a lot more control on how much power and torque you want because the car won't choose for you, you want more torque, you go one gear down you want more fuel economy, you go one gear up, you can have more braking force with gears too as the engine will slow the car down if you go one gear down and don't accelerate
Driving a manual is much more fun, it gives you more control. In snow ❄️ and ice, slippery conditions, drop down the gears to utilise engine breaking and avoid a skid.
They’ve long straight roads in Australia that go on for thousands of miles, it’d be interesting to know their preference.
I removed the CVT from my Audi and did a manual 6 speed swap. A manual shift is an intrical part of the driving experience.
And how much did that set you back?
what a waste of money on a shit box ..
Audi is odd way to spell Volkswagen
If there's one thing I learned about CVTs is that they don't belong in an automobile. You did a good thing here.
No one like them. That's why Audi discontinued them rather quickly, despite sinking a lot of money into advertisements.
The sound of engine revving up is part of the experience. And even the jerk when shifting gears. Some dual-clutch gear boxes are actually programmed to have a longer shift time during which the engine can rev up, making a shitty car feel like a sports car.
As an Irish person who did some driving in the US found that the street grid system and 4-way stop signs were a prime reason to use an automatic.
I drove both a manual and automatic while there and the manual was very busy in suburbs.
I think that might have something to do with it as well.
Yeah, 4 way stops are the reet-harded ginger stepchildren of the driving world.
I am an American who has driven mostly manuals for the past 20 years. Just this past year I got my first automatic car, mainly because manuals aren't sold anymore in the type of car I wanted. But also, my wife barely could drive our old manual. I kind of miss it.
More than 30 years ago, I heard about an American study on German radio with the headline:
*Automatic drivers have a shorter right leg!*
I am sure it was General Motors who commissioned an institute to optimize the passenger compartment of cars. Everything was examined and measured. The legs of drivers were also measured for the optimization. It was found that automatic drivers who drove a lot per week over many years (sales representatives, etc.) had a shorter right leg.
General Motors forbade the institute to make this particular finding public! GM feared that automatic drivers could sue GM and they would have to pay for orthopaedic shoes to compensate for the difference in leg length for the drivers for the rest of their lives!
Whenever the subject of automatic/manual transmission comes up, I always remember the study! The sentence "Automatic drivers have a shorter right leg!" is etched in my memory!
Over the years, I have tried several times to find something on the Internet about this study or possibly other studies on the same subject - nichts, nothing, nada, niente!
I wonder why ...
I am a retired truck driver. I started in 1978. With a double clutch system. And with 16 gears. Later it was in any case with an air-assisted clutch. You understand that I now drive an automatic. In the past, automatic transmissions weren't really good. But nowadays with the two clutches it's a smooth affair. If I received 1 Euro for every time I pressed a gear or clutch in my life... I would be very, very rich.
And there was the "floating gears" i guess, and also those that you had to press down on the stick.
I heard about them, holy hell they must've been fun.
@@nickmerrylees8478 Oh yes, the times before synchronization was a thing. Now THAT is some shifting. Experienced drivers could "crash" gears without pressing the clutch pedal at all. And without any RPM dial either, just by sound and feel. If done properly, it was smooth.
@@erikziak1249 with the engine brake
yeah, think of a dual clutch transmission as 2 manual gearboxes being switched between by the computer :D this is much lighter, smaller and more efficient than old torque converter based automatic transmissions and is just about on par with manual transmssions. One can also add flappy paddles manual shifting or other shift by wire techniques as it is actually a computer controlled manual transmission.
@@erikziak1249 Yesterday, I injured my left left. Drove to the hospital myself, in a car I wasn't used to. First shit without the clutch wasn't very smooth; while the turbo reacts pretty fast, there was still noticeable turbo lag which I didn't anticipate (I had the pleasure of having a B52N25 for years; it emulates the throttle via variable valve lift, very responsive and smooth). Second clutch-less shift was smooth already.
The gearbox had synchromesh, of course. Wouldn't want to drive a Unimog 406 (big gearbox option, of course) with an injured leg. No synchromesh, so right foot would adjust the RPM, left leg for steering, both hands to throw two gear sticks simultaneously...no wait, I'd turn off intermediate gears with the fifth stick, so I can shift with one hand while the other hand operates the throttle ("Handgas", there's a lever for that), right foot (and leg) for the clutch (and steering). Seems the Unimog designers thought of everything!
No, it doesn't have five gear sticks. It has six. If you find a seventh one...that's just another brake, so you can brake the trailer independently.