Manual or Automatic?

[SupremeVT98]

I first learned to drive a manual and I've been driving an automatic for a couple of years now.

I prefer manual because it's not boring to drive, apart from that, what are the pros and cons of driving a manual or automatic car if the vehicle in question is a V8.

Thanks.

[macca33]

I prefer a manual because when you are putting the car through its paces on twisty roads (or any roads for that matter) YOU are in control of gear slection.

Autos often behave as they see fit, even when manual shifting through the gate, unless you put a manual shift kit in.

Others will swear by the auto though.

At the end of the day the choice is personal, good luck with it.

Cheers,

Macca

[SupremeVT98]

When I used to do long driving overseas (Country to City driving), I use a lot of engine braking in a manual because it's 100 km or so downhill, although you can also do this in an automatic, I'm not sure if anyone else does this when they're driving an auto.

Also, from a starting position, would a V8 manual would be a bit more responsive compared to an automatic?

[vt350phantom]

I have a manual with about 230rwkw and 3.9s in a VT exec. It is carrying minimum weight (no spare etc..) and its difficult to launch fast without making some serious smoke, however on the rare occasion when I get it right the response is really good!

:bounce:

[Invasionss]

You'll get alot of different opinions here, so i'll throw mine in pretty quickly.

Auto's to Manual's fuel consumption is the same now. Holden have done a great job to bring the auto's fuel consumption down. But also it will depend on how people drive with a auto & manual, if they have lead foots.
I've always been a auto man myself as i love to sit back & drive concentrating on the road & use cruise control, really cause i honestly cannot be bothered changing gears!
The auto's do have a faster take off at the lights, but the manual's can get higher revs in the gears. The guys with manual's can control their cars more i suppose & the auto does the job for you.
In the end, macca33, has hit it on the head.

Justin

[VZGEN4]

I've had 2 auto cars which were both V6. 1 manual V6 and my thunder is the second manual V8.

I've gotta say that the auto's are great for cruisin but for anything other than that they're pretty boring and fairly unresponsive as far as what you want them to do.

As for the manual... A must in a V8, there's nothing better than throwing it back a few cogs and letting it rip especially when touring some twisty roads.

I dunno whether it's just me but I love the sound of a manual V8 with a great note changing gears... Does that sound weird? hehe

[VE Turbo]

For some reason, all the cars I have had ended up being autos.
But, i have driven XT Forrie , Liberty, XR6 with the five speed , XR6T with the ZF six speed, and last but not least, an SV6 with the five speed.
All of the above had the trippy autos.
You just drive them like a manual, change up and change down.
They hold the gear that you are in.
They were all great fun, but I must admit the paddles on the SV6 were the best fun of all.
As for launch, autos the way to go for that.
Just put your left foot on the brake, get some revs up and hold, then plant it!
Mate, the amount of dudes I have blown off in my auto VT is too funny.
And it's only a V6!

[VU_SS_UTE]

Go the MANual, auto's sound terrible!

[pteropid]

Having used both for many years, I have to say manual. I prefer to be more engaged in what the car is doing, I find compression braking the most useful thing.

I've also found having taught many people to drive in my manual, that they are more attentive of what is happening around them when driving manual as opposed to auto. My fiance in particular, I dread getting into an auto car with her, she just doesn't pay as much attention to the road.

Just my observations of course, although VZGEN4 has hit the nail on the head...

"As for the manual... A must in a V8, there's nothing better than throwing it back a few cogs and letting it rip especially when touring some twisty roads."

...That's what driving a V8 is all about for me. ;)

[Aus8]

If it is a Commodore Auto Id go with the manual! The Auto is a outdated dog to put it simply. Rough and clunky and cant decide on gear changes properly (even when shift points adjusted). If its a Ford and your looking at the new ZF imported A6 is the way to go even over the M6. A suprisingly awesome box to drive.

At the end of the day though driving is about enjoyment and for me to enjoy my driving I would rather drive the car as opposed to the car (Auto) driving me. I feel safer and more in control with the manual box.

Aus8

[MICK_EZEKIEL]

My current car is an Auto and im basically about to sell it for that reason... it's an Auto... and im over owning Auto cars...

I dont drive much during the week as I work and catch the train so i mainly do weekend driving for fun to get out of the house... I dont have fun driving an auto and find it really boreing... I find I use the Auto like a manual for somthing to do...

If your going to do alot of stop start driving in the city and drive it all the time in heavy traffic then get an Auto... but if you want a fun car to drive and somthing you can play with... get the manual...

[RED R8]

You can't beat a loud ls1 going up or down through the gears in a manual .I would not own a V8 auto unless I was seriously chasing quater mile time's or maybe a F6 Auto 6 speed or when I am cruising on the weekend with the family in my wifes auto jeep but day to day for me the manual LS1 is unbeatable the novilty has only got stronger .

[vt748]

Seems like everyone here likes manuals, can't say I blame you. I specifically bought an auto because it makes towing my boat a breeze. Thats one advantage that an auto has over a manual.

[Haze]

I understand why people buy auto's. I love manuals but sometimes when I am sitting in peak hour stop start traffic I really wish I was in an auto. When I get out of Sydney on the weekend for some spirited driving I love my manual :dance:

I guess it depends on a lot of factors. My dads always had auto V8s because he just loves to cruise..... each to thier own... :yup:

[tuff304]

I first learned to drive a manual and I've been driving an automatic for a couple of years now.

I prefer manual because it's not boring to drive, apart from that, what are the pros and cons of driving a manual or automatic car if the vehicle in question is a V8.

Thanks.

I have had both and if i'm doing alot of peak hour driving i would prefer the auto. If thats not an issue then go manual they are much more fun to drive especially in twisties or around a track.

Really comes down to personal preference and how fast you want your car to be.

[miss_cv8]

I learned on an auto and my first few cars where auto but I must say that I much prefer owning and driving a manual car. Yes they can be annoying when stuck in traffic but overall they are more fun to drive and you have so much more control over the car.

When my car was in getting some work done I was given a V6 auto loan car to drive.
I drive through the Burnley tunnel to work everyday, I put the Munro in 4th switch on cruise control and have no issues. Whilst driving the auto, I put cruise control on and found that on the down hill it just kept speeding up. I also found that the V6 auto actually drank more petrol than my V8 manual and my speed was a lot harder to control in the auto.

All in all autos are great for cruising but if you love driving and love being in control then manuals are definitely the way to go.

[Dane VN V8]

I love auto's simple because I can't drive a manual, I learnt to drive in a manual and just jumped into a auto because of being lazy and only owning a shitty EA Ford that had hail damaged :doh: . I can admit auto is boring at times but since I have got my exhaust and mail order tune it's not boring to drive, when it snaps into second my ass will slide out under WOT exactly what I asked for and let me tell you it's not boring to drive. But yeah a Manual V8 sounds so much better then a V8 Auto, but me I prefer a auto and just build it stronger.

Cheers,
Dane.

[double k]

if the auto does not have a tiptonic feature as in the fords i would never buy one. you are always in 4th and there is never any direct acceleration. you have to wait till it drops back 30 gears and then you acelerate. i hate that.


the ford auto is very good because you can drive it like a manual and when you are in 2nd and want to accelerate it immediately accelerates. the normal auto is good for city traffic driving but when you want to have fun it sucks.

so if no tiptonic manual, if tiptonic auto.

[Dane VN V8]

if the auto does not have a tiptonic feature as in the fords i would never buy one. you are always in 4th and there is never any direct acceleration. you have to wait till it drops back 30 gears and then you acelerate. i hate that.


the ford auto is very good because you can drive it like a manual and when you are in 2nd and want to accelerate it immediately accelerates. the normal auto is good for city traffic driving but when you want to have fun it sucks.

so if no tiptonic manual, if tiptonic auto.

Could you get the tiptonic auto thats in a ford put in a Holden LS1? If you could that would be great and I would really think about doing that as I am a Auto Man :cool: .

Cheers,
Dane.

[double k]

no idea champ. i am sure others would have a better idea

[Drewie]

Does anyone know if the internals of a Tiptronic type auto are vastly different to a conventional auto, with a normal auto most people would tell you that too much manual changing especially hard downshifts for braking etc are a good way to kill an auto, yet with these Tiptronic versions it seems to be encouraged and deemed ok, apart from the selection mechanism I would assume the boxes would be much the same internally, ie similiar clutch packs etc. Any one know if they are a stronger beefed up auto? Or could you still kill a Tiptronic type box with too much manual use?

[Jargle]

I still prefer my auto around the city and sometimes I think I would like a manual but the changes on mine are set really well and that allows for very spirited overtaking on the highway.

[Pickles]

Obviously there are situations such as motorsport etc where a manual is preferable. Also, some people just prefer a manual, & that's fair enough.
However, many so-called "experts", including some of the motoring press, continally "bag" the four speed 4L60/65E fitted to Commodores/ Monaros etc.
We had the 4L60E in our Series 111 Monaro, & have the upgraded 4L65E in our GTO. We don't have a problem with it, particularly with the 4L65E fitted to the GTO. It's quiet, smooth, & kicks down when we want it to. It's relaxing around the city, magic on the open road, & seems very well suited to the LS2.
Obviously the rumoured 6 speed 6L80E should be an improvement, but that's just progress I suppose- & I reckon these same so called "experts" will be saying the same thing about the 6 speed auto, in a few years. Already, I've heard a few of them saying that the 6 speed auto in the Falcon can't work out which gear it wants to be in on occasions!
Cheers, Pickles.

[SupremeVT98]

How about servicing of the vehicles? For example a V8 which is around 5 years old, in terms of parts like gearbox etc...which one would be more expensive to replace? The manuak or the matic?

Also, you can push start a manual...

[Muzzak]

I personally do engine breaking in the Naro with an auto box all the time. It is not an issue in that regard, and actually is a lot more efficient than clutching down a stick ! In my oppinion of course!

Muz

[HSV249]

Obviously there are situations such as motorsport etc where a manual is preferable. Also, some people just prefer a manual, & that's fair enough.
However, many so-called "experts", including some of the motoring press, continally "bag" the four speed 4L60/65E fitted to Commodores/ Monaros etc.
We had the 4L60E in our Series 111 Monaro, & have the upgraded 4L65E in our GTO. We don't have a problem with it, particularly with the 4L65E fitted to the GTO. It's quiet, smooth, & kicks down when we want it to. It's relaxing around the city, magic on the open road, & seems very well suited to the LS2.
Obviously the rumoured 6 speed 6L80E should be an improvement, but that's just progress I suppose- & I reckon these same so called "experts" will be saying the same thing about the 6 speed auto, in a few years. Already, I've heard a few of them saying that the 6 speed auto in the Falcon can't work out which gear it wants to be in on occasions!
Cheers, Pickles.

Agree.
My 4L60E's shift points were adjusted along with a mafless edit.
Shifts are now faster and cleaner.
I would even say that it drives like a manual without a clutch.
A-n-d it's still great on the track.

[gaz vyss]

Seeing as everyone is throwing their opinons in, here comes mine.
I've always been a manual man as this gives you 'peace of mind' when it comes to a flat battery. you can push start a manual car. Mind you, I wouldn't want to push start my car! Also, the brakes on a manual last longer as they don't get hammered as much (apples for apples). But then again, Auto's these days give you the option to select gears manually... and they do stay in the gear selected. Which brings me to the point of my auto... i treat it like a manual and an auto (best of both worlds). But my auto can be flicked from 4 to 3 to 2 without going thru gates. If there is a smart arse besides me I can flick to 2nd and plant it. I doubt a manual would be as quick.

The other big bonus going for auto's in today's world is that you would be hard picked to spot the difference in economy (apples for apples chaps).
If you like reving the engine then I would say the manual wins, but you can get the shift points moved on the auto also ! if you want that extra bit.
So at the end of the day, it really does come down to your preference, not someone else's. If you like keeping both hands on the wheel, then you really don't have a choice. If you like playing with the stereo, airconditioning, (girlfriend), or whatever, then you might as well get a manual as that's where your left hand will be most of the time.

Just my 2c worth, as I've been driving both modes for 30 years.:cool:

[BlAcKbEtTy]

SupremeVT98. Good point!! I think I'm about due to change the clutch on my M6 and have heard that the parts alone are around $1500. Holy crap!! plus fitting $$. Will start saving..

Personally on the driveability - My ss was the first manual that I have owned since getting my 'auto' license on my p's. Took a long time to get my head around it and I'm still learning, and think in hindsight that I would've got the auto. But saying that a lot of members swear by the 'ripshift' and believe that it makes things a lot easier!!

my 2 cents..............

[BlAcKbEtTy]

Another thing I forgot to mention was the annoying rattle that the M6 has!! particulry in neutral and through early gears!! do a search and I'm sure you'll find more info.. something do do with the thrust bearing??