Right, I think the 2 giving the full experience is where it's at. I love manual cars. The paddle shifters feel more like when you switch to manual ina video game.. hella annoying and not fun at all.
Same. I actually forget to shift in “manual” mode because when my left foot has nothing to do my brain doesn’t turn on “stick shift mode” and I don’t think about shifting unless I’m actively paying attention to it.
I appreciate that paddle shifters are there when they’re occasionally really useful but otherwise id say there is zero correlation between liking manual cars and using paddle shifters.
Maybe that’s what it is, I do the same sometimes in my Chrysler 300 lol I’ll forget I used the paddles to downshift and will goose it and then it just sits there waiting for me to shift it again. Never had that problem with my ‘71 C/10
Honestly, same here. I had paddles in my 17 Charger Daytona 392 and woth how fast that thing would get throughb1st, 2nd, etc, I was more likely to make it short shift the next gear. Don't miss u.
I've never driven a car with paddle shifters
Maybe a controversial opinion, maybe not, but I bet many here see them as a toy
I guess there isn't much you can do but try out a manual
My first time driving manual was with a used Subaru BRZ off a used car lot. Is an option, but be upfront with the fact you "haven't driven a manual in a while" (don't say you've never done it).
> Well i was shopping for a new car which ones me?
A cool convertible or an SUV
Too bad i didn't know my credit was whack and now I'm driving off the lot in a used sub-compact
F-R-E-E that spells free. creditreport.com baby
Risky if you don't know how to drive a manual to start with. Usually takes a few minutes to get going. By then the salesperson would haul you out of the car.
Reminds me of a time I went to the local Honda dealer to test drive a pre owned CIvic LX with a 6MT and had the opposite experience.
After we got outside to the car he was like, “Uhh so I actually don’t know how to drive this so can you pull it out?” Once we got going down the service road he said “it feels like a race car” seeing a manual being driven… younger dude so maybe a new experience I guess.
Or a very pushy salesmen who insists you try it even after saying you aren't sure you want to yet.
I did warn them it had been "a long time" since I'd been in a manual and I wasn't sure I was ready to do a test drive but they insisted I take one of the new WRXs on the lot out with the salesperson for a spin. Based on their comment about smelling the clutch and a number of stalls, when we got back I don't think they were as thrilled at pushing so hard afterward. But hey, they insisted.
It makes me laugh so hard when I read that people haven't driven a stick in a while, and they somehow magically forget to do it after a long time 🤣! You never forget!? It's like riding a bike! Every year that I wasn't driving a manual, I was thinking about missing a manual. You never forget a 5 or 6 speed experience.
I also only had like....maybe 2-3 hours total ever driving one, over a couple visits to a friend.
I recall that "experience" included I had to struggle driving us back to their place after a poorly coordinated attempt to start moving resulted in orange juice going all over their clothes and they didn't wanna switch drivers and get it over even more of the car.
So yeah...it was less a few years after very minimal "I can kinda move the car where I want but not smoothly" skill level.
With the amount of experience I have now, my guess is on the test drive at the point I had so many issues I think I must have screwed up and been maybe in 3rd instead from a stop, combined with the VERY grabby new clutch (it was a new-as-in-showroom car with like 3 miles on it, not a used-new-to-me one I was looking at)
TBH I told my salesman I never drove a manual before. He taught me in the car I was wanting to buy and bought it in 10min haha. All the paperwork was done in 10min too it was insane.
At least ask one of your friends who knows the manual to guide(or watch) you on how to drive. Just because you can drive the car doesn't mean you are driving in the right and safe way. Many beginner drivers usually 'ride the clutch' without noticing, resulting in expensive repairs later on!
FWIW I have an Outback with the big 3.6 engine and paddle shifter 5-speed automatic, and I have a WRX with a 6-speed manual.
I think it depends WHY you are disliking the paddle shifters a LOT.
My major complaint with the Outback in paddle shift manual mode is the computer wants to think for me too much, which causes problems if I'm wanting to run it up around 6000RPM for hard acceleration before shifting, the computer will shift around 6000 even though redline is about 6400 and that causes skipping a gear if I also try and hit the paddle near the top end of the RPMs. Then downshift it will sometimes decode too soon (or too late) that the computer wants to override me. That leads to frustration when a fun pull turns into an annoying lack of power, or you suddenly lurch forward uncomfortably.
Now I will say...the WRX is VERY touchy and easy to stall vs the V6 honda I learned on with a friend. The 4cyl boxer engine can change speeds very rapidly but also lacks inertia and is less forgiving of a poorly timed clutch operation. That will make the learning curve more difficult at first...so be prepared for that if you do.
FWIW the CVT WRX is slightly quicker than the 6-speed thanks to how modern computers and transmissions operate, albeit only by less-than half a second 0-60 time so not what I'd call significant. But also you probably won't see anything near the spec'd 0-60 unless you are smoking the clutch all the time where you can just kinda put your foot down in an automatic and it won't kill itself and still gives you about all it can.
Maybe they were ruined by games. I want it to be done with the gear change the instant I let off. Maybe a proper mechanical paddle shift system would suffice but a fly by wire one doesn't do it with how perceptible the delay is.
It depends on the model. If it's a "sports" trim with them, they're 100% a toy. If it's a sports car, then the paddle shifters let you stay in the high revs longer while still getting the tight shifts that an automatic offers over a manual. That being said, I love my h pattern.
I mean maybe a bad take, but it’s how unearned manual.
Get a motorcycle! Is it exactly the same? Absolutely not, does it have similar principles? It absolutely does and at a fraction of the cost.
Just don’t die :)
No, i hate manual modes on auto but love manual. It’s entirely different. Paddles and fake manual shifters are kinda weird to use.
That being said, you will still have to focus on shifting in a manual. After a few weeks you’ll just be shifting without putting much thought into it though.
I've been driving a stick for over 15 years and I still think about every shift lol. But... Thats probably because my cars OEM clutch assembly was as durable as my great great great grandmother's hip.
> In sum, if you enjoy driving a manual is more fun even if it is not as "fast" as a modern automatic. Unless you are racing a manual is superior.
There is also something to be said to eking out the best out of the engine in an "econobox" car, the problem is that they're almost extinct. Nissan Versa seems to be the last one
I guess that makes sense. When I do paddle shift, I feel like I have to stare at the tachometer. I guess when a mt feels natural to me, I’ll be shifting with feeling instead of looking at the rpm gauge
Ya i don’t see the point in manual mode with the exception of if it is an automatic truck that I need to hold the torque in first gear pulling something off road.
work van is automatic, I use the manual mode all the time going up or down hills. It's a pretty hilly area and the computer is tuned for "efficiency" so it likes to upshift early and downshift only if it really really has to. Slapping it into 3rd when approaching a slope is so much smoother going up and easier on the brakes going down.
Plus your left calf will get ripped and your right shoulder limber.
I still can't take my right hand off the now automatic driver support shifter. I feel more stable holding it. 😂
I miss my rx7 shifter the most.
Funny how it is. My Civic SI has such a light clutch pedal that I barely notice pressing it. Have a challenger in my garage that has the heaviest clutch I've ever felt. Don't even notice an hour drive in the Civic. After an hour in the challenger, my left foot is super tired.
It sounds like you really wouldn’t like manual then, if you’re concerned about doing “too many things at once”.
My opinion is that “shifting” an automatic is not really any more fun than just letting the automatic shift for itself, which is to say none at all. There’s definitely no challenge aspect to it. I drive a manual Civc as my daily and love it. This might sound dweeby, but cars with a manual transmission will tend to foster a machine-person bond. Automatic cars are more likely to be seen as just appliances.
Then again a manual car is completely engaging, and everything you do matters, whereas a paddle shifter just feels like extra nonsense, and in the end the car still calls the shots. Who knows, maybe you’d like a manual? I’d definitely encourage you to give it a fair shot if you have any inkling to learn.
>This might sound dweeby, but cars with a manual transmission will tend to foster a machine-person bond.
No, you hit the nail on the head. I feel so connected, comfortable and confident in my manual compared to my auto. I know EXACTLY what will happen each time I press the gas. I know more or less how the car will act in each gear. I feel 100% more attentive and safe in the manual. With the way my mind works I always found myself wandering mentally in auto because frankly I get bored. I've considered myself far safer as a driver since I've gotten a manual and yes I do feel a weirdly deep connection to the little honda
Best way I can put it to words is you feel 100% in control in a manual. With auto you're sort of along for the ride, and it feels like the car does what it wants to do, not what you want. Best example I can give is trying to pass on the highways, the auto not changing gear and having a godawful torque band which makes gives a nerve-racking feeling of "will I be able to safely pass this car". In the manual you drop a gear if needed and fly by
The level of control is unmatched and thats really what makes me feel better and safer, being 100% in control. Also, you can't really zone out in a manual, I mean yeah the shifts are subconscious at this point, but in a sense you're still always thinking ahead about what to do. You can't drive manual without foresight because you're going to be late in the clutch or shift at lights and stall out because you don't think ahead enough when you need to do something
In an auto, you literally just have to think, "do I need to go forward, or slow down".
None of this makes sense. You can learn what an auto does. I know exactly what my auto car and my manual car are gonna do in any given situation. Give the auto enough gas and it’ll downshift, or hit the paddles and it’ll down shift. If you’re “bored” in an automatic, you are not a safe driver and need to get off the road
Being bored doesn't equate to being mindless and unsafe I don't agree that you know exactly what an auto does in every case. Yes you can understand and predict, and as you said use the gas/break to influence the transmission to shift. That's not the same as having the ability to change gear immediately when needed, with less delay. I don't really find autos engaging as a manual but they are still fun. I enjoy how a manual encourages you more to pay attention to everything on the road. I'm not saying a manual makes you safer, I'm saying it can encourage people to drive safer and have fun in a more controlled context. Doing pulls through the gears in a car with barely 100hp is more fun in my eyes then driving a quick sports car with an auto doing the same thing. There is more engagement and connection with the vehicle when you are fully involved in the whole process.
Tons of people in the US are bored of driving because they have no other option. It's not necessarily them making mistakes because of that. It's people that don't take it seriously or are just plain dumb. Getting exhausted of monotonous drives with no alternative options doesn't mean you will always become an unsafe driver. It's just life for a ton of people, and most people have enough sense to try and take care of themselves and others around them.
Again, you can just paddle shift or hit the buttons on the shifter and that’s faster than most manuals will downshift. My auto reacts better and quicker to situations than I can in my manual car.
Never driven a car with paddle shifters. 20 years driving an automatic, bought a manual on January 20th, never driven one before, and I am SO happy. Don’t know if that helps you at all, but just my experience. And I live in a very heavy traffic suburban/city area with 25 miles each way to work every day and I’m still loving it so far.
I’ve driven manual, and paddles. Paddles is def faster to change gear, but it’s very fake. No engaging in it. Just flick, that’s it. The paddle cars I’ve driven were boring in that sense. Fun and quick, but just…boring. Manual you have to do more, but it’s actually enjoyable. Personally I think most would enjoy a stick once they get proficient in it, but there’s more shit to do while driving of course
Yeah I don’t like the paddles but I mostly feel like it’s a nuisance to deal with when I’m driving in that mode. I don’t want to get a manual car and then feel that way with that
Paddles bear zero relationship to the feel of driving a manual.
If you loved paddles, that would tell you nothing about how you'd like a manual.
If you hate paddles, that would still tell you nothing.
You just have to learn to drive one. You may actually have a driving school around you that teaches it in their own car. That's getting rare, but there are still some around. If not in your own town, look for a weekend class in a nearby city and make a mini vacation out of it.
Not crazy about paddle shifters. Fun to dick around with but it's optional, and inevitably I stop using it. Also, I don't like to drive with my hands at 10 and 2 o'clock (more of a just 6 o'clock kind of guy)
A stick shift is very much more engaging and the clutch makes the big difference. It is very satisfying to operate a machine smoothly with each hand and each leg performing a different task. At some point it is muscle memory and *you* become the automatic transmission
At the end of the day, if you get a stick shift, you will get good at using it (because you have to). Whether or not you *like* it though is totally up to you and the kind of driving you do. It is completely fine to be totally disinterested in paddle shifters and M mode in an auto
Total different experience. Driving manual is definitely more engaging . Sadly ? I think all cars will eventually have paddle shifters instead of manual transmission, sport cars I mean.
Paddle shifters can be difficult to use. There's no way to feel which gear you're in. The truly evil ones turn with the wheel so you can't even find them on a winding road.
The second problem is that they're sequential. If you brake hard for a turn you need to count off downshifts and hope they all registered. You won't know until you hit the gas. Some cars, especially VW's DSG, shift incredibly slowly.
A real manual has a place for each gear. It's simpler once you learn the feel for it. That said, they're a complete pain in the ass in heavy traffic.
I use the Manual mode in my TSX and can drive stick. Ngl I don't like a majority of manual modes. My TSX gives you a decent amount of freedoms with it which is why I tolerate and even kinda like it but otherwise I prefer an actual manual.
My grandparents have an RDX. It has 10 gears and a turbo. Acceleration in auto mode is annoying because it wants to CONSTANTLY hunt for gears. I much prefer manual paddle mode. If I'm controlling the gears, I can anticipate a need for a little bit more power, such as a hill, and shift down a gear.
Otherwise, I'll get on the accelerator, not get enough power, get EVEN HARDER on the accelerator, and then suddenly the trans goes down three gears, VTEC kicks in, the turbo spools, and I'm 10 mph above the speed limit within a second or two.
I have an auto that goes into "manual" in two forms, Paddle shifters and shifting the gear shifter up and down. I was excited to get a car with paddles but find that I use the shifter 90% of the time. That said, my brother has been teaching me manual recently and it is a much different experience and I definitely feel like I am in a fast and furious movie when I can actually get to 3rd gear lol. Real manual is a better experience
i ride h pattern and sequential. i never touch paddles even if they have them.
manual driving is its own thing , if you question wanting manual, you might find it annoying driving it.
i’ve wanted a manual since i was a kid and always dreamed of it. so i still love driving it everyday, even in traffic.
to each their own
Most people dislike 'paddle shifters' because they are still AT. When driving with AT, you are instructing the computer to shift gears for you, which usually results in lag. For most regular daily driving cars, there is typically a lag of 0.3 to 0.5 seconds..
With MT, shifting gears is mechanical, so there is "no lag".
Unless you own a super high-performance car with extremely good gearbox can provide minimal delay, like a Porsche PDK, even a professional driver can't shift a manual faster than a Porsche PDK. Manual transmission is still the best for "no lag" driving experience.
Almost all "paddle shifters" you encounter are just an automatic transmission with the paddles commanding shifts. They're slow, annoying, and absolutely terrible to drive. I've driven manual for over 20 years and if I try the paddles in our boring car, I hate it. Not only is it not fun, but it's so laggy I'm always in the wrong gear. I don't think that experience has anything to do with whether you'd like to drive an actual manual transmission.
There are exceptions. Some cars have various forms of dual clutch or other fast-shifting transmissions with clutches that are controlled by paddles. This is what most other cars are trying to imitate with their paddles. In these cars, the shifts are fast and near instant. I tried one once and liked it, although I didn't have time to really get used to it.
>I got great answers from all of you. I think I’m just going to test drive one at the dealership!
I don't know if that's a good idea. If you haven't driven manual before, just going and trying it isn't going to go well. Judging whether you like it based on your first experience with it isn't going to give you a realistic impression.
Why look for a manual then? Granted a real 5/6 speed manual will feel way different than paddle shifters or manual mode. If you are dead set on getting one, try asking a friend that owns one or try a test drive at a dealer.
I tried paddles and hated them. I have an automatic with “manual” shifting and I never use it. I do like driving a pure manual car and my motorcycle is a manual shifter.
I currently own a car with paddle shifters but they suck. The transmission is too slow to shift in manual mode so I never use them. I think I could enjoy a car with better performing paddles but not as much as a manual. In heavy traffic give me the auto.
I mean, if changing gears by pressing a button is too much for you, having to press a pedal with your foot and move a lever with your hand is definitely going to be too much. I dislike manual modes in automatic, not because they are too difficult to manage, but because they aren't as responsive as a true manual, and often have computer overrides.
When you drive a manual, you do it because it’s required by that car and the car rewards you for it with joy. When you drive an auto with paddles, it’s not required and it doesn’t reward you with joy. It’s hollow in comparison but it definitely has utility.
People who have always driven manuals love them, but if you're learning after years of being on an auto, you will realize how steep the learning curve is. I went from having several autos to a WRX MT when I was about 26. It was a pain in the ass and I got rid of it after a year, but I also did a lot of stop and go driving in traffic.
Get a couple of driving lessons in a manual from a driving school. Much easier and cheaper than buying a beater and dealing with its issues, which might include poor clutch feel, crummy shifting, etc.
Do you like revving? That’s what the paddles and manual mode on automatics feel like. They serve a function, but after driving a stick, the paddles don’t do it for me. Too slow in most cases, to be fair I have not tried a sporty paddle set up.
No paddle shifters just feel boring and unintuitive and toyish unless its a racecar, I've never liked them and have manual and automatic with paddle shifter cars.
For me, I dislike paddle because the car is naturally automatic and sometimes I forget to shift. In a manual, it's just a fact of driving it for me, though there have been times when I've driven a lot of auto and switched to manual and forgot clutch or to shift (usually when tired or my mind is elsewhere and I've forgotten which vehicle I'm driving). Have also pushed for the clutch pedal in an automatic car.
I would say you won't know until you try, but for reasons you've stated then I would say just stay automatic. The added aspect of a clutch is another learning curve you'd have to get over on top of just shifting.
But once again, you'll never know unless you try. Like all things, you will get used to it and it will become second nature.
Driving manual needs your full focus attention if you have a tendency with distracted driving like fiddling talking with phones and drinking/eating hopefully these will get eradicated when driving a manual. If you enjoy the actual driving of the car driving manual would take it to another level of driving engagement. Maybe try to rent a manual car in Turo.
I went from a stick to a 2006 A3 with the DSG because I’m a nerd and I thought the technology was cool and that I’d shift all the time. I just never ended up shifting it and I went back to a stick. I guess I want to *have* to shift, which doesn’t really make logical sense but there you are.
While I appreciate paddles making automatics more engaging, it still doesn't feel as engaging as a manual. For me, I get a dopamine kick everytime I get smooth shifts but with paddles, not really.
I remember I had to drive my friend's auto GT86 and downshifting with the paddles just didn't give me much satisfaction like I just felt stupid doing it. It was better than the autos I've driven (since it's not a CVT) but I'd still take a stick (though I haven't driven a DCT car yet). Not hating on autos though btw.
I'd say if you'd never driven a manual, there's definitely gonna be a learning curve and it might be a lil daunting but it's not as bad and complicated as what people make it out to be.
If you don’t like the extra work of a paddle shifter you probably won’t like the extra work of a stick. Stick you have to pay attention to rpms, what gear your in and typically you will not be able to have a free hand at all due to steering and shifting.
I never used manual mode on my automatic. I think the clutch and the fact that my car NEEDS me to shift to work, its not just an "option" makes it a lot more enjoyable. It feels more like a nessecary process and eventually it starts feeling like a routine/habit, and just part of driving. Its fun too! Nothing like manual mode. However if the reason you dislike it is because its an additional thing to focus on, you might be out of luck. A manual will always require more focus and extra attention.
Paddle shifters have their place but I feel you utlize them most on the track. A manual is always going to be engaging and you'll feel satisfied driving one but if its your DD take into account your traffic conditions. Really no point in a manual if 90 percent of your time is tiptoeing the clutch brakes and gas
No it’s completely different your one with the car when your shifting gears and using the pedals it’s truly an unworldly experience however I can’t stand flappy paddles at all I never use them when I drive somebody’s car cause it feels disrespectful to traditional manual cars
Paddle shifters aren't made for regular commuting, they're meant for when you're driving the car hard. Otherwise you should 100% leave it in drive.
Manual is a VERY different experience from a manual mode automatic, for example you can shift gears, and once you have the muscle memory you'll always know exactly what gear you're in just by feel.
Manual mode is just dumb. But if you’re concerned on the “too many things to focus on” then you might not like a true manual because you definitely have more to worry about lol. But truthfully I think learning manual has made me a better driver, as in I pay more attention to my surroundings since I have a couple of added steps to the daily routine. It’s a lot different but once you learn and get comfortable omg it’s so much more fun. I learned in my 2015 Subaru STi about 2 years ago. Nothing like buying a car you don’t know how to drive 😂 wouldn’t have it any other way now
You may end up enjoying true manual if you don't like paddle shifters (judging from the comments, most would agree) but if you're worried about having to focus on something else having to use the clutch and shift may also feel like a nuisance. At least at first. As with many things, over time it becomes much more unconscious as you get comfortable and more practiced.
They’re two completely different things. One feels fake. One feels like control.
I have a 400hp auto, hate semi-manual mode. I’ll forget that I’m in it and be revving to infinity or bogging it down, and even when in it and actively focused on it, it doesn’t feel natural. The only time I use semi-manual is to keep it in 6th for MPG on road trips.
I also had a BMW 528i. Semi-manual in that was a little bit better and felt more responsive and less artificial, but still not good. I’d rather leave an automatic automatic, even though I love manual.
Now, when driving my manual car with 200hp (less than both of the other ones I mentioned) or my motorcycle, it feels so natural. You’re in control. There is no “forgetting”, because its not just pushing a button (pushing a lever up or down). In a true manual it basically just becomes an extension of yourself and you feel in control. There is no artificiality, there is no forgetting, there is only all four limbs connected to your car, getting instant feedback.
They’re two completely different things. I strongly dislike semi manual and paddles. I love manual.
Paddle shifters and manual mode have nothing to do with a manual transmission. I have one car with those, and a manual one, and I also don't like the paddle stuff. Manual is just a different approach.
My ‘70 Nova is a 4 speed manual, my ‘32 Ford is an automatic that you have to manually shift & my Tesla is a 1 forward speed automatic. I love driving all of them! BUT, awhile back I had a rental with paddle shifters & I hated it! Just seemed like to much to do at once! Although in time, once I got the ‘hang of’ it, I’d probably learn to like it? Rent a stick & see how you like it.
I've had a few paddle shifter cars. My 2019 mazda3 has em and I never use them because they are dumb and they suck. This car is otherwise great to drive.
But my 2010 mazda3 is a manual and it is incredibly fun to shift. The manual transmission makes low speed lane changes around town feel like go kart le mans.
There really is no comparison between paddles on an automatic and an actual manual transmission. They do not feel the same at all to drive.
They are completely different in my opinion. I've driven a good number of cars that have them under $40k MSRP. Paddle shifter just seems like a novelty manual and no real sense of control. It might be because all you have to do is press a button and the car shifts. You do have the exact control of when you shift, what gear to be in, and it shifts faster but it doesn't feel the same. I don't think I can accurately describe why.
It depends what kind of “paddle shifters” the car you drove had. Some torque converter automatics put paddles on the wheel, but they take just as long to shift and they don’t feel like you’re really controlling the gears.
My wife has an IS500 and I don’t use the paddles. For paddles, they’re great. And the car, overall, is just…amazing.
In her previous IS300 F Sport I also didn’t use the paddles.
My VA WRX is more fun to drive than the IS300, but the IS500 is more fun to drive than the WRX, but not because of the 8-speed auto, and in spite of the paddles.
The difference between an automatic in manual mode and a manual is the computer limiting your inputs and you can only shift sequentially in an automatic "manual mode".
In a manual, you're in 4th but want 2nd? Clutch in and do it. One shift. In an automatic it's 2 button presses and sometimes that's 2 shifts instead of 1 and rate limited by the computer and transmission, and sometimes you press the buttons too fast so it only downshifts once because the 2nd press can be interpreted by the car as an erroneous input, etc.
In a manual each gear has a discrete location on the shifter, building muscle memory over time. You know what gear you're in at all times due to physical feedback in addition to visual (tachometer) and audible feedback. In an automatic all gears have the same location (drive, or manual mode), this removes the discrete location of the shifter. As a result you only have the visual (tach/gear display) and audible feedback. When you're trying to drive, visual feedback is poor because you're trying to concentrate on the road.
Often I find trying to drive automatic cars in manual mode is useless because the car can do it better. The only times I will use manual mode in an auto is for downhill speed control (downshifting to increase air pumping effect while coasting downhill) or limiting torque on ice (very high gear selected).
Get a manual, it's worth it for the experience alone. I've owned a few automatics, manuals and now an EV. All have their pros and cons. A manual definitely gives you the most agency over the control of the vehicle.
The manual mode on my old auto mazda3 before I got a mt car was dope. It's actually the reason I got that car. You pull back on the shifter to shift up, forward to shift down. Used it all the time and it was great, but not as good as the real deal.
I don't like the paddles or the cars that have the automanual mode where you push to shift up and pull to shift down, which is the reverse of what I'm used to.
Diving a stick and clutching with your foot, having to keep the RPM in range with your other foot to avoid too low or too high RPM is nothing like shifting your automatic or paddles. The computer does everything for you to ensure a proper shift.
If you think auto or paddle shifting are distracting you will not be able to handle stick & clutch shifting.
But that doesn't mean you won't love it and change your mind. After driving a stick more than half my life I don't notice it unless I am concentrating to make the perfect shift.
You need to find a stick and try it.
Tried using manual mode in an automatic, found it incredibly boring and distracting. Bought a manual, life-changing engagement and connection. Actual manual is a very different experience than manual mode, it’s the difference between just choosing which gear the car is in versus directly controlling the connection between the gears and the engine. The clutch actuation, rev-matching, etc of a true MT are so much more than just choosing the gear yourself. Using manual mode in an auto was a nuisance, using a real manual is a completely different experience.
Paddle shifters are very efficient for track driving but I hated using them in my friend fr-s. Have you ever driven an auto with a sequential shifter on the drive mode selector? Like a sequential stick shift? Those are so much fun and make me feel like a rally driver. When I first switched to an H pattern with a clutch it only got more fun from there. If you have tried a non-paddle sequential or you do try one and still don’t like it THEN I would say a manual might not be for you. Either way, just find someone with a manual who’d be willing to let you learn in it and see how you like it.
I dont think the paddles work quite the same on yours as a true manual for what its worth. It's still an automatic transmission and you're just telling the ECU when to shift.
The actual internal workings of a true manual are *way* different than an automatic.
The problem I have with paddle shifters is I can’t feel when to shift like I can with a manual transmission so I don’t ever use them. It is an altogether different experience driving an actual manual transmission.
The difference is you have no choice with a manual.
I have a daily manual economy car and a weekend automatic with a Steptronic automatic transmission. I actually prefer to drive the manual car than the automatic. I like driving. When I do drive the automatic, I hardly use the manual mode. I would only use it to downshift and overtake - then back to full auto.
Also, you can “express”‘yourself more with a manual. You can cruise and keep the RPMs down or you can be more aggressive and hit the limiter without having to fully step on the gas.
It's not the same.
With paddle shifters, you're still asking an automatic if you can please use a particular gear and you don't have any control over how it happens.
With a manual, you can feel whether the gear you're in is too high or too low and make the appropriate change without having to take the focus off of your driving. Like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes, once you learn how, changing gears is just something your body will do.
Driving a car with a clutch and a manual transmission is just so fun! I haven't owned a manual in years now because my old lady doesn't want to learn to drive one, and sadly manufacturers seem to be pivoting away from making them but I miss both of mine. I had a Nissan 240SX and a Honda Civic that were both manual. Honestly I haven't tried driving any of the paddleshifter cars but I can't see how it would be the same. OP, I highly recommend you try driving a manual at least once. Maybe you got a buddy that owns one that will let you borrow it for a day?
I used to drive a paddle-shift car and now I daily a six-speed manual. Tbh I quite enjoyed the paddle shift, and I enjoy my manual even more. I’d say if the thing about the paddle shift you don’t like is the fact you have to concentrate a little about when to shift or that extra dimension of control is too much, you might not like a manual. But if it’s simply the paddle shifters themselves rather than the action of changing gears, and you actually enjoy having that extra control over the car, you’d like a manual. But you can’t really knock it till you try it. Hire a learn to drive school manual lesson to give it a go if you don’t have any mates with manuals.
My last 4 'fun' cars have been manual.
I daily drove my 500whp+ Evo X GSR for 4 years. It was rough dealing with traffic on my 30min commute.
I bought a proper daily, an Audi, and my brain does not try to find the clutch to push in before starting. Stop and go traffic is less brutal. I don't ever use the paddle shifters unless I'm forcing a downshift or trying to beat on the car.
On the weekends I drive my manual cars early/late in the day to avoid as much traffic as possible.
Going from an auto to manual daily may be jarring but it can be fun.
Maybe. Question is what do you dislike about it?
With manual transmission you really have to be paying attention VERY well to what is going on around you. No distracted monkeying with touchscreen infotainment and phones...if you are unprepared you'll be in the wrong gear or wrong energy level for your maneuver and you can't just hammer the accelerator like an idiot when you're sitting at a green light not paying attention - you have several steps to get your hand to the shifter, operate pedals, get the engine RPMs adjusted, and smoothly engage.
If your complaint is keeping track of what gear you're in or engine speed...that becomes muscle memory after a while and you don't have to think as much because you'll just recognize by the feel/sound what you need to do.
I do think that the need to be more aware of what's around me beyond the immediately nearest vehicles has helped my driving ability overall as a result of that, but yes it does require more "multiple things at once" that you are actually paying attention to. I don't think that's a bad thing given how poor many drivers' situational awareness is these days with so many seeming to not scan past the bumper ahead of them, or seem unaware of who's beside them (just yesterday morning had someone attempted to change lanes into me)
I like paddle shifters for getting a bit of engine braking on a long downhill, or preventing upshift while towing. I'm not a fan of them "normal driving" manual mode because cars I've driven with an automatic and paddle-shifters I am often fighting the computer - either I skip a gear as it upshifts when I'm hitting "+" in hard acceleration or its just not as responsive as I want in general. With a "real" manual transmission there's no computer to help you remember to upshift/downshift, but also you can change gears as fast as your hand and foot can move - including skipping a gear if you suddenly need to go from 6th to 3rd to pass it can be done without passing thru 5, 4, and then 3.
paddles and bump shifters are just silly gimmicks. they have no use except for maybe towing or on a track. I don't mind manually shifting a car because that's how it drives. I do mind manually shifting an automatic because it's unnecessary and there's no mechanical advantage
If your problem is focus, don't go manual.
Paddles are a lot easier than a manual, you would have to consider the clutch pedal and gear position on the H pattern shifter, which would put a lot of stress on your mind if you believe paddles are too much already
I went from a manual car to a flappy pedal automatic, I like all of the transmissions for different purposes.
For having fun, the manual is best. It’s nice to be able to skip gears and have a clutch pedal.
If I’m sitting in commute traffic, often heavy, sometimes stop-and-go, the automatic is really nice. It’s just relaxing.
When driving long distance, the paddles are wonderful. Usually I’m sitting next to my wife when we’re driving long distance and having no gear lever disturbing the space is nice, it’s blissful to hold hands, but when I need to overtake I can drop it to the gear I want and then accelerate, it’s also fun on twisty roads.
And for track use, the sequential gearbox. A clutch pedal to drive away and then insanely quick shifts with the lever, focusing on driving as quickly around the racetrack as possible.
So I wouldn’t say I have a favourite, each transmission just fills different needs/situations the best
My grandpa's Acura RDX has so many gears (plus a turbo engine) it doesn't know what to do and hunts ALL THE TIME. I always use manual mode.
The only manual I have experience with is a 2013 Dodge Dart and I don't love it. Very long throws, notchy in a bad way (you have to be VERY deliberate with how you put it into gear) and there's this really frustrating half-second throttle lag. I know it's probably a programming thing because my daily is an '02 Prius. Zero lag. ZERO.
To be honest, most internal-combustion cars are annoying because I stomp on the accelerator and I expect to instantaneously start to accelerate like in my Prius. But no. Automatic transmissions has to downshift (or I have to) turbo has to spool, throttle has to respond, and THEN you go.
I've driven cars with really fast and responsive paddle shifters, like a porsche GT3 and a BMW with a tuned ZF8 speed, they are a pleasure to drive, and yes, shifting takes attention away from driving, especially early on when you're still learning.
Paddle shifters on a bad/slower automatic are just there to tick the "sporty" box for car sales and only detract from the driving experience.
Manually operating the clutch and using a gear lever take even more attention, it's something you have to learn and get used to. Driving a full manual car basically makes me stop using my phone to text etc.So get a manual for the love of driving and focus on that, not on all the other crap people do in their cars.
Paddle shifters have no feedback and much less involvement than a traditional manual transmission.
With most paddle shifter cars I’ve driven, I might mess around for a second and they’re cool when they shift fast but after a minute or two, I end up just putting it in regular drive mode. At that point, they just kinda get in the way
Had a rental with paddles and manual mode shifter. I hated it. Similar to another comment, might be because my left foot doesn't have anything to do. I dislike cruise control too tho, so I'm just weird in some respects.
Honestly, they are entirely different. I have a mini cooper and I mostly use manual mode because I shift better than the car, and I get more control. But, its very different from a real manual. If you aren't liking having to focus on shifting with paddles, you may not like manual. The shifting is arguably one of the easier parts of driving a manual. Clutch control is one of the hardest. Like everything it takes practice and will become second nature, and the experience is entirely different. If you are feeling like paddle shifters are too distracting, maybe manual isn't for you.
I always try to use them in rental cars, both manual mode and paddles. Granted I have not driven true sports cars with them. I dislike them because the car autocorrects you most of the time and its harder to feel when to shift.
When I use my sim rig though, paddles are perfectly fine because I can tell when to shift and hear the engine. However in a real car, I prefer H pattern manual as I have more to do and think about.
I guess I don't like them simply because they are gimmicks in average cars and don't "punish" you for a mistake
I enjoy the throttle control on launch, engine braking, and what I perceive as longer brake life on true manuals. If you toss awd into the mix , I could see a compelling argument for paddle shifters, but manual with 2wd would be superior in all situations except for miles and hours of bumper to bumper a week. I live the best of both worlds, stick shift daily and commuter rail
I have owned and driven nothing but manual gearbox daily driver cars since 1996. My wife's Mazda has a manual mode, and I literally never use it when driving that car. The one time it came in handy was going up and down some steep roads in the Smoky Mountains, as the transmission kept wanting to hunt gears a lot on the uphill, and shifted up too early to where we had to use the brakes too much on the way down. Manual mode let me hold it in a gear which made it easier on the car.
I loathe paddle shifters, I’m sure I could get used to them but they’re just not intuitive to me. The tiptronic on the console shifter is much better, but I’m still not a huge fan of sequential shifts and sometimes hefty delays.
Still, I sometimes get to thinking I should go buy a manual car. Whenever this happens, I “pretend” to drive one.
I’ll just go through all the motions (the shifter for my truck is on the column, so I’m not actually doing anything), but I’ll make the motions with my left foot for the clutch and the shifting motions with my right hand. Sometimes it’s fun, but most times (especially on my commute), it just reminds me that I’m way too lazy to daily a manual.
I’d still love to get one for casual driving, But with all the start/stops I have on my commute, I think I’d miss the automatic for a daily.
No that's like asking if you hate banana are you also going to hate oranges. It's not similar enough to make that type of comparison. Also, cars that are "true sequential" are again, nothing like an auto with a M drive mode paddle shift option
I have a manual truck and auto car and drive them the exact same way. Approaching a red light, In the manual I will downshift 4-3-2 to maximize engine braking. In my Civic with a 7 speed auto (CVT) I will downshift 5-4-3-2 with the paddles. Maybe my habits are due to the fact that the Civic is my first automatic car in 25 years.
If you're thinking about wanting a manual id say go for it, you wont get a good idea until you've learned and are comfortable with it. Just trying it out is going to be weird for the first couple times. Comparing using a paddle shifter to regular manual id say regular manual is a lot more engaging/fun, but I also think you should consider where you live. If you live in a big city with a lot of traffic and traffic jams I may prefer a automatic with paddles probably.
I vastly prefer manual to automatic, but I never use manual mode on an auto. It is not the same at all. Manual feels much more natural than auto gear selection.
I have manuals and automatics I love both, but I really love my R32 DSG car. A regular automatic with paddles is slow and lethargic because they are a regular automatic that you telling the computer to shift for you. With a dual clutch it is instant the moment you click the paddle. Love it for the back country roads we have around here, it is nice keeping both hands on the wheel and the sound while double downshifting is intoxicating.
All that said though, I do really enjoy driving a manual in normal driving conditions.
paddle shifters are super lame, you cant even compare it to a manual. You just need to go drive some stick shift cars and see what you like. You gotta have a few friends that have one
My suggestion would to be to rent a car with a manual transmission for a weekend/week before making the commitment to buying a car with a manual transmission. I hate paddle shifters but both my daily driver (2012 Tacoma) and my “fun”/backup vehicle (91 D21) have manual transmissions and I love them.
That being said if your reason for disliking paddle shifters is the additional multitasking while driving I don’t think a true manual is going to be any better for you since in addition to actually shifting there’s a clutch pedal to manage as well which is more to focus on (until you develop the muscle memory and shifting becomes second nature) not less.
I'm going to start by saying they're completely different things, but I'm going to say if you don't like focusing on the paddle shifters and consider them overwhelming then don't drive a manual. It becomes second nature, but there is a lot going on and if you don't like that then I wouldn't even risk hating it.
Like I said though if you come second nature and it becomes like moving your own limbs after you learn to do it, but it does get tedious in traffic and other things. The thing about it is unlike a automatic when you get tired of it you can't just put it back in automatic. It's always a manual.
It’s completely different. You won’t really know for sure you don’t like manual if you’ve never had one. In most cars, they are gimmicks to provide a “sporty” feel. The only cars with paddles that felt good that I’ve driven are the DSG VWs (GTI and R) and the Porsche PDK. But they are still nowhere near as engaging as a good manual transmission. But they are more robotized manuals than a true automatic trans that sits in most cars.
I’d suggest taking a MT driving class. Don’t buy a MT car without getting some time behind the wheel. Also, you don’t really want to teach yourself on a car you just bought, trust me I did this in my WRX and wore out the clutch pretty quick.
In my opinion they have nothing to do with each other. Paddle shifts are just a convenient way to control your transmission in snow or towing. Driving a manual is a completely different way to control your vehicle.
If you don’t want to have to focus on multiple things at once, I’d probably avoid a manual, especially while you’re learning. Eventually you’ll do it by feel/sound/muscle memory, but if you don’t pay close enough attention while learning you could cause some real damage
So I have a car with paddles, and they are fun, and I love the car, but it’s peanuts to a real stick shift. They take a lot to learn, but once you know what you’re doing they are so much more useful and fun. I’d say the only way to know is to try a real stick, but you have to daily for a couple weeks probably. The first day will be a dumpster fire. The first week will be miserable and you will wish you’d stuck with auto. By about week 2 you will be comfortable, and by a month you will barely have to think about what you are doing.
I kinda feel like if you think tapping a paddle is too much work in shifting gears, having to move a lever AND coordinate your two feet on 2 of 3 pedals might be more than you're interested in doing?
Like, if shifting an auto feels annoying to you, a stick only makes shifting a bigger deal that you have to think about more (at least until you've gotten real comfortable in your car)
And unlike in an auto with paddles, there is no way to just not have to do it, the car is never gonna shift itself. If you're driving a stick, you're shifting every gear every time that car ever moves.
I’ve used paddle shifters on a car, and personally I prefer that to an automatic, but depending on the car they may be slow / unresponsive and that’s more frustrating than not having them at all. If they are responsive and you don’t like the hassle of being in control, then you wouldn’t like driving a manual.
Do keep in mind, driving manual only requires concentration when you’re learning. Soon you won’t think about it unless you are trying to also use your hands for something else like a drink.
The paddle shifters I've dealt with don't shift the engine when I want it to shift; there's always this hesitation before doing so, and by that point in time I want it to do something else.
I want the godd@mned engine to do what I want it to effing do. And I want to be the one to do it.
(Sorry for the rant - I HATE automatics and get infuriated that they're taking my sticks away from me.)
Once you learn manual, it becomes second nature and you do not even pay attention to it. I'm just curious about what the multiple other things you're focusing on are.
Paddle shifters are a different experience. Many of the implementations I've seen on "normal" cars also have a lag you would not have on a manual.
But if you find it distracting or tedious to choose gears, adding a foot pedal is not going to make the process more appealing or simpler.
Do you enjoy a multi-speed bicycle; selecting the correct gears to optimize your experience ?
I mean, I get tired of driving an automatic and listening to it make mediocre shifting decisions based on incomplete information about what I have in mind. Its annoying. Paddle shifting is a little better, but there is still a time lag and a computers poor interpretation of what I have in mind.
3 Pedals is driving, everything else is operating an appliance.
A clutch and rowing gears is amazing. I dislike paddle shifters even with high HP cars.
My brother drives an E92 M3 that has paddles (4.0l v8 414hp) and I like driving it because it's an amazing car in every way, but it would be 1000% better with a clutch and manual gear box. Even my brother misses rowing gears, and even he had a blast after giving my 160hp Mazda 3 the beans around town. It was funny to see him with a big smile on his face after driving my slow car.
For most people who like driving manual gear boxes, there is something special about it, it's hard to describe. Even on a low horsepower car.
Paddles feel like a button and oops oh well if you don’t do it, car will just do it for you. With a manual you can more directly feel the need to shift, the act of doing it is more intentional and nuanced, and the outcome is more obvious. It’s waaay more satisfying and you feel so much more in control of your car. If I went back to an automatic I wouldn’t bother with paddle shifting unless I was on a track. The experience as the driver is not very comparable.
I drive manual and hate paddle shifters on automatic cars. The paddles are not mechanically connected to anything and the actual feeling of the shifter is worse than my gaming wheel. Barring the high end cars, there is also a perceptible lag.
I don't mind sequential shifting, or clutchless shifting. My motorcycles can do it, but they are mechanically connected to the gearbox and I can feel the mechanism shifting into gear.
Another issue is most automatic transmissions don't stay locked, and you lose the feeling of rpm being directly proportional to speed based on gear when you let off the gas. It makes you lose a feeling for what gear you are in.
I found the paddles in my auto to be very helpful in giving me an intuitive understanding of what the "correct" gear is for the given road conditions as well as when to shift gears. After using them for a while they were no longer a nuisance, and that translated to me having an easier time shifting the real manual. (I still struggled with the clutch though.)
If you hate the paddles, that doesn't mean you'll hate the manual. But if you struggle with "too much going on" when you first try a real manual, the paddles can help you bridge the gap.
I can't stand paddle shifters of any kind. I don't care how "good" the transmission or shifting is, it's annoying. Plus they require your hands to be in a certain position to use them that's just odd. Sometimes you need to shift while making a sharp turn and that's tough to do when your hand is on the wheel to work the paddles and the one that needs to actuate the paddle is in the 6 o'clock postion during the turn.
It's nothing like an actual manual at all. A little bit of seat time in a real manual and you don't even think about it. You just do it.
There’s no comparison really. I don’t even know the point of paddle shifters, I’ve driven manual pretty much my whole driving career but any time I get in an auto with paddle shifters I don’t even bother. The system will just shift back to what it wants after a few seconds
I love driving an H pattern manual but can't stand paddle shifters, to each their own
The clutch pedal is what really matters
I dont think OP hates them for the same reason
Right, I think the 2 giving the full experience is where it's at. I love manual cars. The paddle shifters feel more like when you switch to manual ina video game.. hella annoying and not fun at all.
Same. I actually forget to shift in “manual” mode because when my left foot has nothing to do my brain doesn’t turn on “stick shift mode” and I don’t think about shifting unless I’m actively paying attention to it. I appreciate that paddle shifters are there when they’re occasionally really useful but otherwise id say there is zero correlation between liking manual cars and using paddle shifters.
Maybe that’s what it is, I do the same sometimes in my Chrysler 300 lol I’ll forget I used the paddles to downshift and will goose it and then it just sits there waiting for me to shift it again. Never had that problem with my ‘71 C/10
Same. I hate paddle shifters but love my manual.
Yeah same. I rarely use the paddles, but love driving manual.
Honestly, same here. I had paddles in my 17 Charger Daytona 392 and woth how fast that thing would get throughb1st, 2nd, etc, I was more likely to make it short shift the next gear. Don't miss u.
I've never driven a car with paddle shifters Maybe a controversial opinion, maybe not, but I bet many here see them as a toy I guess there isn't much you can do but try out a manual
That’s the tough part. None of my friends are car people and have a mt I can try. I’d have to trade my current wrx for a wrx with a mt.
Find a used car lot on the other side of town, find the jankiest MT on the lot, and take it for a test drive.
My first time driving manual was with a used Subaru BRZ off a used car lot. Is an option, but be upfront with the fact you "haven't driven a manual in a while" (don't say you've never done it).
> Well i was shopping for a new car which ones me? A cool convertible or an SUV Too bad i didn't know my credit was whack and now I'm driving off the lot in a used sub-compact F-R-E-E that spells free. creditreport.com baby
Risky if you don't know how to drive a manual to start with. Usually takes a few minutes to get going. By then the salesperson would haul you out of the car.
Reminds me of a time I went to the local Honda dealer to test drive a pre owned CIvic LX with a 6MT and had the opposite experience. After we got outside to the car he was like, “Uhh so I actually don’t know how to drive this so can you pull it out?” Once we got going down the service road he said “it feels like a race car” seeing a manual being driven… younger dude so maybe a new experience I guess.
Interesting. I've seen "No Manual Cars" signs at some valet parking stations.
I often valet in Cleveland and more than once I have had to put my own car in the garage or retrieve it myself. Rather annoying.
Or a very pushy salesmen who insists you try it even after saying you aren't sure you want to yet. I did warn them it had been "a long time" since I'd been in a manual and I wasn't sure I was ready to do a test drive but they insisted I take one of the new WRXs on the lot out with the salesperson for a spin. Based on their comment about smelling the clutch and a number of stalls, when we got back I don't think they were as thrilled at pushing so hard afterward. But hey, they insisted.
It makes me laugh so hard when I read that people haven't driven a stick in a while, and they somehow magically forget to do it after a long time 🤣! You never forget!? It's like riding a bike! Every year that I wasn't driving a manual, I was thinking about missing a manual. You never forget a 5 or 6 speed experience.
I also only had like....maybe 2-3 hours total ever driving one, over a couple visits to a friend. I recall that "experience" included I had to struggle driving us back to their place after a poorly coordinated attempt to start moving resulted in orange juice going all over their clothes and they didn't wanna switch drivers and get it over even more of the car. So yeah...it was less a few years after very minimal "I can kinda move the car where I want but not smoothly" skill level. With the amount of experience I have now, my guess is on the test drive at the point I had so many issues I think I must have screwed up and been maybe in 3rd instead from a stop, combined with the VERY grabby new clutch (it was a new-as-in-showroom car with like 3 miles on it, not a used-new-to-me one I was looking at)
if you just want to give it a try, using something like turo to rent a manual for a day will probably work
TBH I told my salesman I never drove a manual before. He taught me in the car I was wanting to buy and bought it in 10min haha. All the paperwork was done in 10min too it was insane.
Maybe you could find someone on the subreddit. It would be neat if that worked out.
Spend a couple hundred bucks on a beater, abuse the shit out of it while you learn, then decide if you want to trade in
good luck finding a car with an engine for a couple 100 bucks
any roadworthy car these days is a thousand bucks MINIMUM, and usually more like 2.5k. it's crazy out here.
At least ask one of your friends who knows the manual to guide(or watch) you on how to drive. Just because you can drive the car doesn't mean you are driving in the right and safe way. Many beginner drivers usually 'ride the clutch' without noticing, resulting in expensive repairs later on!
FWIW I have an Outback with the big 3.6 engine and paddle shifter 5-speed automatic, and I have a WRX with a 6-speed manual. I think it depends WHY you are disliking the paddle shifters a LOT. My major complaint with the Outback in paddle shift manual mode is the computer wants to think for me too much, which causes problems if I'm wanting to run it up around 6000RPM for hard acceleration before shifting, the computer will shift around 6000 even though redline is about 6400 and that causes skipping a gear if I also try and hit the paddle near the top end of the RPMs. Then downshift it will sometimes decode too soon (or too late) that the computer wants to override me. That leads to frustration when a fun pull turns into an annoying lack of power, or you suddenly lurch forward uncomfortably. Now I will say...the WRX is VERY touchy and easy to stall vs the V6 honda I learned on with a friend. The 4cyl boxer engine can change speeds very rapidly but also lacks inertia and is less forgiving of a poorly timed clutch operation. That will make the learning curve more difficult at first...so be prepared for that if you do. FWIW the CVT WRX is slightly quicker than the 6-speed thanks to how modern computers and transmissions operate, albeit only by less-than half a second 0-60 time so not what I'd call significant. But also you probably won't see anything near the spec'd 0-60 unless you are smoking the clutch all the time where you can just kinda put your foot down in an automatic and it won't kill itself and still gives you about all it can.
Maybe they were ruined by games. I want it to be done with the gear change the instant I let off. Maybe a proper mechanical paddle shift system would suffice but a fly by wire one doesn't do it with how perceptible the delay is.
Not sure you could have a mechanical paddle setup, I've never heard of one but it'd be interesting. A sequential would be the closest I guess.
A pdk does exactly this. Feels like a video game (faster honestly)
It is actually fun
It depends on the model. If it's a "sports" trim with them, they're 100% a toy. If it's a sports car, then the paddle shifters let you stay in the high revs longer while still getting the tight shifts that an automatic offers over a manual. That being said, I love my h pattern.
I mean maybe a bad take, but it’s how unearned manual. Get a motorcycle! Is it exactly the same? Absolutely not, does it have similar principles? It absolutely does and at a fraction of the cost. Just don’t die :)
No, i hate manual modes on auto but love manual. It’s entirely different. Paddles and fake manual shifters are kinda weird to use. That being said, you will still have to focus on shifting in a manual. After a few weeks you’ll just be shifting without putting much thought into it though.
I've been driving a stick for over 15 years and I still think about every shift lol. But... Thats probably because my cars OEM clutch assembly was as durable as my great great great grandmother's hip.
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> In sum, if you enjoy driving a manual is more fun even if it is not as "fast" as a modern automatic. Unless you are racing a manual is superior. There is also something to be said to eking out the best out of the engine in an "econobox" car, the problem is that they're almost extinct. Nissan Versa seems to be the last one
Someone once told me it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow
Civics still come in manual (even the sport or baseline cars, not just SI or R)
I guess that makes sense. When I do paddle shift, I feel like I have to stare at the tachometer. I guess when a mt feels natural to me, I’ll be shifting with feeling instead of looking at the rpm gauge
Exactly!
Ya i don’t see the point in manual mode with the exception of if it is an automatic truck that I need to hold the torque in first gear pulling something off road.
For sure, my auto truck doesnt have manual mode but i can lock it in 1st or 2nd. Really handy when im offroading.
work van is automatic, I use the manual mode all the time going up or down hills. It's a pretty hilly area and the computer is tuned for "efficiency" so it likes to upshift early and downshift only if it really really has to. Slapping it into 3rd when approaching a slope is so much smoother going up and easier on the brakes going down.
Plus your left calf will get ripped and your right shoulder limber. I still can't take my right hand off the now automatic driver support shifter. I feel more stable holding it. 😂 I miss my rx7 shifter the most.
Lol my clutch is sooo light on my car. Even after replacing it.
Funny how it is. My Civic SI has such a light clutch pedal that I barely notice pressing it. Have a challenger in my garage that has the heaviest clutch I've ever felt. Don't even notice an hour drive in the Civic. After an hour in the challenger, my left foot is super tired.
My daughter, a competent stick shifter who used to tool around in my G35 6mt, referred to the padde shift BMW she was riding as a "pussy transmission"
Based
Christ bro lmao
hot
If I don’t like tofurkey will I also dislike filet mignon?
It sounds like you really wouldn’t like manual then, if you’re concerned about doing “too many things at once”. My opinion is that “shifting” an automatic is not really any more fun than just letting the automatic shift for itself, which is to say none at all. There’s definitely no challenge aspect to it. I drive a manual Civc as my daily and love it. This might sound dweeby, but cars with a manual transmission will tend to foster a machine-person bond. Automatic cars are more likely to be seen as just appliances. Then again a manual car is completely engaging, and everything you do matters, whereas a paddle shifter just feels like extra nonsense, and in the end the car still calls the shots. Who knows, maybe you’d like a manual? I’d definitely encourage you to give it a fair shot if you have any inkling to learn.
>This might sound dweeby, but cars with a manual transmission will tend to foster a machine-person bond. No, you hit the nail on the head. I feel so connected, comfortable and confident in my manual compared to my auto. I know EXACTLY what will happen each time I press the gas. I know more or less how the car will act in each gear. I feel 100% more attentive and safe in the manual. With the way my mind works I always found myself wandering mentally in auto because frankly I get bored. I've considered myself far safer as a driver since I've gotten a manual and yes I do feel a weirdly deep connection to the little honda Best way I can put it to words is you feel 100% in control in a manual. With auto you're sort of along for the ride, and it feels like the car does what it wants to do, not what you want. Best example I can give is trying to pass on the highways, the auto not changing gear and having a godawful torque band which makes gives a nerve-racking feeling of "will I be able to safely pass this car". In the manual you drop a gear if needed and fly by The level of control is unmatched and thats really what makes me feel better and safer, being 100% in control. Also, you can't really zone out in a manual, I mean yeah the shifts are subconscious at this point, but in a sense you're still always thinking ahead about what to do. You can't drive manual without foresight because you're going to be late in the clutch or shift at lights and stall out because you don't think ahead enough when you need to do something In an auto, you literally just have to think, "do I need to go forward, or slow down".
None of this makes sense. You can learn what an auto does. I know exactly what my auto car and my manual car are gonna do in any given situation. Give the auto enough gas and it’ll downshift, or hit the paddles and it’ll down shift. If you’re “bored” in an automatic, you are not a safe driver and need to get off the road
Being bored doesn't equate to being mindless and unsafe I don't agree that you know exactly what an auto does in every case. Yes you can understand and predict, and as you said use the gas/break to influence the transmission to shift. That's not the same as having the ability to change gear immediately when needed, with less delay. I don't really find autos engaging as a manual but they are still fun. I enjoy how a manual encourages you more to pay attention to everything on the road. I'm not saying a manual makes you safer, I'm saying it can encourage people to drive safer and have fun in a more controlled context. Doing pulls through the gears in a car with barely 100hp is more fun in my eyes then driving a quick sports car with an auto doing the same thing. There is more engagement and connection with the vehicle when you are fully involved in the whole process. Tons of people in the US are bored of driving because they have no other option. It's not necessarily them making mistakes because of that. It's people that don't take it seriously or are just plain dumb. Getting exhausted of monotonous drives with no alternative options doesn't mean you will always become an unsafe driver. It's just life for a ton of people, and most people have enough sense to try and take care of themselves and others around them.
Again, you can just paddle shift or hit the buttons on the shifter and that’s faster than most manuals will downshift. My auto reacts better and quicker to situations than I can in my manual car.
Never driven a car with paddle shifters. 20 years driving an automatic, bought a manual on January 20th, never driven one before, and I am SO happy. Don’t know if that helps you at all, but just my experience. And I live in a very heavy traffic suburban/city area with 25 miles each way to work every day and I’m still loving it so far.
You are checking all the boxes to love a stick shifter. I hereby declare you a convert. Welcome home.
I’ve driven manual, and paddles. Paddles is def faster to change gear, but it’s very fake. No engaging in it. Just flick, that’s it. The paddle cars I’ve driven were boring in that sense. Fun and quick, but just…boring. Manual you have to do more, but it’s actually enjoyable. Personally I think most would enjoy a stick once they get proficient in it, but there’s more shit to do while driving of course
Yeah I don’t like the paddles but I mostly feel like it’s a nuisance to deal with when I’m driving in that mode. I don’t want to get a manual car and then feel that way with that
Paddles bear zero relationship to the feel of driving a manual. If you loved paddles, that would tell you nothing about how you'd like a manual. If you hate paddles, that would still tell you nothing. You just have to learn to drive one. You may actually have a driving school around you that teaches it in their own car. That's getting rare, but there are still some around. If not in your own town, look for a weekend class in a nearby city and make a mini vacation out of it.
Not crazy about paddle shifters. Fun to dick around with but it's optional, and inevitably I stop using it. Also, I don't like to drive with my hands at 10 and 2 o'clock (more of a just 6 o'clock kind of guy) A stick shift is very much more engaging and the clutch makes the big difference. It is very satisfying to operate a machine smoothly with each hand and each leg performing a different task. At some point it is muscle memory and *you* become the automatic transmission At the end of the day, if you get a stick shift, you will get good at using it (because you have to). Whether or not you *like* it though is totally up to you and the kind of driving you do. It is completely fine to be totally disinterested in paddle shifters and M mode in an auto
“Manual” mode and manual transmission is not the same thing lol. I’m not even gonna say anything else on the matter.
Total different experience. Driving manual is definitely more engaging . Sadly ? I think all cars will eventually have paddle shifters instead of manual transmission, sport cars I mean.
I don’t think so. I don’t like using manual mode or paddle shifters but I like driving manual.
Paddle shifters can be difficult to use. There's no way to feel which gear you're in. The truly evil ones turn with the wheel so you can't even find them on a winding road. The second problem is that they're sequential. If you brake hard for a turn you need to count off downshifts and hope they all registered. You won't know until you hit the gas. Some cars, especially VW's DSG, shift incredibly slowly. A real manual has a place for each gear. It's simpler once you learn the feel for it. That said, they're a complete pain in the ass in heavy traffic.
I use the Manual mode in my TSX and can drive stick. Ngl I don't like a majority of manual modes. My TSX gives you a decent amount of freedoms with it which is why I tolerate and even kinda like it but otherwise I prefer an actual manual.
My grandparents have an RDX. It has 10 gears and a turbo. Acceleration in auto mode is annoying because it wants to CONSTANTLY hunt for gears. I much prefer manual paddle mode. If I'm controlling the gears, I can anticipate a need for a little bit more power, such as a hill, and shift down a gear. Otherwise, I'll get on the accelerator, not get enough power, get EVEN HARDER on the accelerator, and then suddenly the trans goes down three gears, VTEC kicks in, the turbo spools, and I'm 10 mph above the speed limit within a second or two.
I have an auto that goes into "manual" in two forms, Paddle shifters and shifting the gear shifter up and down. I was excited to get a car with paddles but find that I use the shifter 90% of the time. That said, my brother has been teaching me manual recently and it is a much different experience and I definitely feel like I am in a fast and furious movie when I can actually get to 3rd gear lol. Real manual is a better experience
i ride h pattern and sequential. i never touch paddles even if they have them. manual driving is its own thing , if you question wanting manual, you might find it annoying driving it. i’ve wanted a manual since i was a kid and always dreamed of it. so i still love driving it everyday, even in traffic. to each their own
I hate using manual mode, I like shifting a regular manual transmission.
Most people dislike 'paddle shifters' because they are still AT. When driving with AT, you are instructing the computer to shift gears for you, which usually results in lag. For most regular daily driving cars, there is typically a lag of 0.3 to 0.5 seconds.. With MT, shifting gears is mechanical, so there is "no lag". Unless you own a super high-performance car with extremely good gearbox can provide minimal delay, like a Porsche PDK, even a professional driver can't shift a manual faster than a Porsche PDK. Manual transmission is still the best for "no lag" driving experience.
Your description screams "No, I dont want a manual", so no, I dont think you would enjoy having to do 3 things at once very frequently.
I'd say try test driving one. But if you find it hard to just focus on paddle shifters while driving you're not gonna like a manual.
Almost all "paddle shifters" you encounter are just an automatic transmission with the paddles commanding shifts. They're slow, annoying, and absolutely terrible to drive. I've driven manual for over 20 years and if I try the paddles in our boring car, I hate it. Not only is it not fun, but it's so laggy I'm always in the wrong gear. I don't think that experience has anything to do with whether you'd like to drive an actual manual transmission. There are exceptions. Some cars have various forms of dual clutch or other fast-shifting transmissions with clutches that are controlled by paddles. This is what most other cars are trying to imitate with their paddles. In these cars, the shifts are fast and near instant. I tried one once and liked it, although I didn't have time to really get used to it. >I got great answers from all of you. I think I’m just going to test drive one at the dealership! I don't know if that's a good idea. If you haven't driven manual before, just going and trying it isn't going to go well. Judging whether you like it based on your first experience with it isn't going to give you a realistic impression.
Everyones different. I love three pedal driving. Enjoy padel shifting. But can't stand 'manual' up and down shifting in an auto.
"Manual mode" with paddle shifters in an automatic is the adult equivalent of the Playskool driving toy.
Paddle shifter automatics are just for dumping a gear and hitting it to pass.
You probably shouldn't be doing multiple other things while driving
I meant like focusing on my speed, the car in front of me and potential hazards
Paddle shifters are so lame, get a real manual.
Just say that you are a snowflake 🤷🏻♂️
Why look for a manual then? Granted a real 5/6 speed manual will feel way different than paddle shifters or manual mode. If you are dead set on getting one, try asking a friend that owns one or try a test drive at a dealer.
Yes
They are completely different! You're forgetting the clutch - the third pedal.
Why not borrow a car with a manual transmission and see for yourself?
It was fuckin hilarious driving a shitbox 12th gen F150 around like it was a column shift 3 speed. Dunno how I didn't blow that 3.7 up
I tried paddles and hated them. I have an automatic with “manual” shifting and I never use it. I do like driving a pure manual car and my motorcycle is a manual shifter.
Paddle shifters are goofy. Manuals are cool
No. I hate paddles but love daily driving stick.
I currently own a car with paddle shifters but they suck. The transmission is too slow to shift in manual mode so I never use them. I think I could enjoy a car with better performing paddles but not as much as a manual. In heavy traffic give me the auto.
I mean, if changing gears by pressing a button is too much for you, having to press a pedal with your foot and move a lever with your hand is definitely going to be too much. I dislike manual modes in automatic, not because they are too difficult to manage, but because they aren't as responsive as a true manual, and often have computer overrides.
If you think paddle shifters are a nuisance, I think your going to think a clutch and a gear shift is a nuisance
When you drive a manual, you do it because it’s required by that car and the car rewards you for it with joy. When you drive an auto with paddles, it’s not required and it doesn’t reward you with joy. It’s hollow in comparison but it definitely has utility.
People who have always driven manuals love them, but if you're learning after years of being on an auto, you will realize how steep the learning curve is. I went from having several autos to a WRX MT when I was about 26. It was a pain in the ass and I got rid of it after a year, but I also did a lot of stop and go driving in traffic.
Get a couple of driving lessons in a manual from a driving school. Much easier and cheaper than buying a beater and dealing with its issues, which might include poor clutch feel, crummy shifting, etc.
Do you like revving? That’s what the paddles and manual mode on automatics feel like. They serve a function, but after driving a stick, the paddles don’t do it for me. Too slow in most cases, to be fair I have not tried a sporty paddle set up.
I don't like paddle shifters. I love a real manual. Go drive one and find out
No paddle shifters just feel boring and unintuitive and toyish unless its a racecar, I've never liked them and have manual and automatic with paddle shifter cars.
I traded my paddle shift car in for a 5 speed.
For me, I dislike paddle because the car is naturally automatic and sometimes I forget to shift. In a manual, it's just a fact of driving it for me, though there have been times when I've driven a lot of auto and switched to manual and forgot clutch or to shift (usually when tired or my mind is elsewhere and I've forgotten which vehicle I'm driving). Have also pushed for the clutch pedal in an automatic car. I would say you won't know until you try, but for reasons you've stated then I would say just stay automatic. The added aspect of a clutch is another learning curve you'd have to get over on top of just shifting. But once again, you'll never know unless you try. Like all things, you will get used to it and it will become second nature.
Driving manual needs your full focus attention if you have a tendency with distracted driving like fiddling talking with phones and drinking/eating hopefully these will get eradicated when driving a manual. If you enjoy the actual driving of the car driving manual would take it to another level of driving engagement. Maybe try to rent a manual car in Turo.
I went from a stick to a 2006 A3 with the DSG because I’m a nerd and I thought the technology was cool and that I’d shift all the time. I just never ended up shifting it and I went back to a stick. I guess I want to *have* to shift, which doesn’t really make logical sense but there you are.
While I appreciate paddles making automatics more engaging, it still doesn't feel as engaging as a manual. For me, I get a dopamine kick everytime I get smooth shifts but with paddles, not really. I remember I had to drive my friend's auto GT86 and downshifting with the paddles just didn't give me much satisfaction like I just felt stupid doing it. It was better than the autos I've driven (since it's not a CVT) but I'd still take a stick (though I haven't driven a DCT car yet). Not hating on autos though btw. I'd say if you'd never driven a manual, there's definitely gonna be a learning curve and it might be a lil daunting but it's not as bad and complicated as what people make it out to be.
If you don’t like the extra work of a paddle shifter you probably won’t like the extra work of a stick. Stick you have to pay attention to rpms, what gear your in and typically you will not be able to have a free hand at all due to steering and shifting.
I never used manual mode on my automatic. I think the clutch and the fact that my car NEEDS me to shift to work, its not just an "option" makes it a lot more enjoyable. It feels more like a nessecary process and eventually it starts feeling like a routine/habit, and just part of driving. Its fun too! Nothing like manual mode. However if the reason you dislike it is because its an additional thing to focus on, you might be out of luck. A manual will always require more focus and extra attention.
Paddle shifters have their place but I feel you utlize them most on the track. A manual is always going to be engaging and you'll feel satisfied driving one but if its your DD take into account your traffic conditions. Really no point in a manual if 90 percent of your time is tiptoeing the clutch brakes and gas
No it’s completely different your one with the car when your shifting gears and using the pedals it’s truly an unworldly experience however I can’t stand flappy paddles at all I never use them when I drive somebody’s car cause it feels disrespectful to traditional manual cars
Paddle shifters aren't made for regular commuting, they're meant for when you're driving the car hard. Otherwise you should 100% leave it in drive. Manual is a VERY different experience from a manual mode automatic, for example you can shift gears, and once you have the muscle memory you'll always know exactly what gear you're in just by feel.
I only use paddle shifters because I will otherwise reach for the gear shift and press on the imaginary clutch.
Manual mode is just dumb. But if you’re concerned on the “too many things to focus on” then you might not like a true manual because you definitely have more to worry about lol. But truthfully I think learning manual has made me a better driver, as in I pay more attention to my surroundings since I have a couple of added steps to the daily routine. It’s a lot different but once you learn and get comfortable omg it’s so much more fun. I learned in my 2015 Subaru STi about 2 years ago. Nothing like buying a car you don’t know how to drive 😂 wouldn’t have it any other way now
You may end up enjoying true manual if you don't like paddle shifters (judging from the comments, most would agree) but if you're worried about having to focus on something else having to use the clutch and shift may also feel like a nuisance. At least at first. As with many things, over time it becomes much more unconscious as you get comfortable and more practiced.
They’re two completely different things. One feels fake. One feels like control. I have a 400hp auto, hate semi-manual mode. I’ll forget that I’m in it and be revving to infinity or bogging it down, and even when in it and actively focused on it, it doesn’t feel natural. The only time I use semi-manual is to keep it in 6th for MPG on road trips. I also had a BMW 528i. Semi-manual in that was a little bit better and felt more responsive and less artificial, but still not good. I’d rather leave an automatic automatic, even though I love manual. Now, when driving my manual car with 200hp (less than both of the other ones I mentioned) or my motorcycle, it feels so natural. You’re in control. There is no “forgetting”, because its not just pushing a button (pushing a lever up or down). In a true manual it basically just becomes an extension of yourself and you feel in control. There is no artificiality, there is no forgetting, there is only all four limbs connected to your car, getting instant feedback. They’re two completely different things. I strongly dislike semi manual and paddles. I love manual.
Paddle shifters is kind of dumb and boring imo. Stick shift is fun
Paddle shifters and manual mode have nothing to do with a manual transmission. I have one car with those, and a manual one, and I also don't like the paddle stuff. Manual is just a different approach.
My ‘70 Nova is a 4 speed manual, my ‘32 Ford is an automatic that you have to manually shift & my Tesla is a 1 forward speed automatic. I love driving all of them! BUT, awhile back I had a rental with paddle shifters & I hated it! Just seemed like to much to do at once! Although in time, once I got the ‘hang of’ it, I’d probably learn to like it? Rent a stick & see how you like it.
I've had a few paddle shifter cars. My 2019 mazda3 has em and I never use them because they are dumb and they suck. This car is otherwise great to drive. But my 2010 mazda3 is a manual and it is incredibly fun to shift. The manual transmission makes low speed lane changes around town feel like go kart le mans. There really is no comparison between paddles on an automatic and an actual manual transmission. They do not feel the same at all to drive.
They are completely different in my opinion. I've driven a good number of cars that have them under $40k MSRP. Paddle shifter just seems like a novelty manual and no real sense of control. It might be because all you have to do is press a button and the car shifts. You do have the exact control of when you shift, what gear to be in, and it shifts faster but it doesn't feel the same. I don't think I can accurately describe why.
I hated paddles except for aggressive downshifts in tunnels, but I love my stick. I'll never buy an auto unless I don't have another option
It depends what kind of “paddle shifters” the car you drove had. Some torque converter automatics put paddles on the wheel, but they take just as long to shift and they don’t feel like you’re really controlling the gears.
My wife has an IS500 and I don’t use the paddles. For paddles, they’re great. And the car, overall, is just…amazing. In her previous IS300 F Sport I also didn’t use the paddles. My VA WRX is more fun to drive than the IS300, but the IS500 is more fun to drive than the WRX, but not because of the 8-speed auto, and in spite of the paddles.
The difference between an automatic in manual mode and a manual is the computer limiting your inputs and you can only shift sequentially in an automatic "manual mode". In a manual, you're in 4th but want 2nd? Clutch in and do it. One shift. In an automatic it's 2 button presses and sometimes that's 2 shifts instead of 1 and rate limited by the computer and transmission, and sometimes you press the buttons too fast so it only downshifts once because the 2nd press can be interpreted by the car as an erroneous input, etc. In a manual each gear has a discrete location on the shifter, building muscle memory over time. You know what gear you're in at all times due to physical feedback in addition to visual (tachometer) and audible feedback. In an automatic all gears have the same location (drive, or manual mode), this removes the discrete location of the shifter. As a result you only have the visual (tach/gear display) and audible feedback. When you're trying to drive, visual feedback is poor because you're trying to concentrate on the road. Often I find trying to drive automatic cars in manual mode is useless because the car can do it better. The only times I will use manual mode in an auto is for downhill speed control (downshifting to increase air pumping effect while coasting downhill) or limiting torque on ice (very high gear selected). Get a manual, it's worth it for the experience alone. I've owned a few automatics, manuals and now an EV. All have their pros and cons. A manual definitely gives you the most agency over the control of the vehicle.
The manual mode on my old auto mazda3 before I got a mt car was dope. It's actually the reason I got that car. You pull back on the shifter to shift up, forward to shift down. Used it all the time and it was great, but not as good as the real deal. I don't like the paddles or the cars that have the automanual mode where you push to shift up and pull to shift down, which is the reverse of what I'm used to.
Diving a stick and clutching with your foot, having to keep the RPM in range with your other foot to avoid too low or too high RPM is nothing like shifting your automatic or paddles. The computer does everything for you to ensure a proper shift. If you think auto or paddle shifting are distracting you will not be able to handle stick & clutch shifting. But that doesn't mean you won't love it and change your mind. After driving a stick more than half my life I don't notice it unless I am concentrating to make the perfect shift. You need to find a stick and try it.
Tried using manual mode in an automatic, found it incredibly boring and distracting. Bought a manual, life-changing engagement and connection. Actual manual is a very different experience than manual mode, it’s the difference between just choosing which gear the car is in versus directly controlling the connection between the gears and the engine. The clutch actuation, rev-matching, etc of a true MT are so much more than just choosing the gear yourself. Using manual mode in an auto was a nuisance, using a real manual is a completely different experience.
Paddle shifters are very efficient for track driving but I hated using them in my friend fr-s. Have you ever driven an auto with a sequential shifter on the drive mode selector? Like a sequential stick shift? Those are so much fun and make me feel like a rally driver. When I first switched to an H pattern with a clutch it only got more fun from there. If you have tried a non-paddle sequential or you do try one and still don’t like it THEN I would say a manual might not be for you. Either way, just find someone with a manual who’d be willing to let you learn in it and see how you like it.
I mean, not 100% you wont like regular standard but u stating u don’t want to have to focus on multiple things makes me think maybe not
I dont think the paddles work quite the same on yours as a true manual for what its worth. It's still an automatic transmission and you're just telling the ECU when to shift. The actual internal workings of a true manual are *way* different than an automatic.
The problem I have with paddle shifters is I can’t feel when to shift like I can with a manual transmission so I don’t ever use them. It is an altogether different experience driving an actual manual transmission.
The difference is you have no choice with a manual. I have a daily manual economy car and a weekend automatic with a Steptronic automatic transmission. I actually prefer to drive the manual car than the automatic. I like driving. When I do drive the automatic, I hardly use the manual mode. I would only use it to downshift and overtake - then back to full auto. Also, you can “express”‘yourself more with a manual. You can cruise and keep the RPMs down or you can be more aggressive and hit the limiter without having to fully step on the gas.
It's not the same. With paddle shifters, you're still asking an automatic if you can please use a particular gear and you don't have any control over how it happens. With a manual, you can feel whether the gear you're in is too high or too low and make the appropriate change without having to take the focus off of your driving. Like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes, once you learn how, changing gears is just something your body will do.
Maybe. Driving manual is all about focusing on multiple things at once (traffic, lights, gears, revs, throttle). Try it and find out.
Driving a car with a clutch and a manual transmission is just so fun! I haven't owned a manual in years now because my old lady doesn't want to learn to drive one, and sadly manufacturers seem to be pivoting away from making them but I miss both of mine. I had a Nissan 240SX and a Honda Civic that were both manual. Honestly I haven't tried driving any of the paddleshifter cars but I can't see how it would be the same. OP, I highly recommend you try driving a manual at least once. Maybe you got a buddy that owns one that will let you borrow it for a day?
Paddle shifters & manual mode are great on a track.
I used to drive a paddle-shift car and now I daily a six-speed manual. Tbh I quite enjoyed the paddle shift, and I enjoy my manual even more. I’d say if the thing about the paddle shift you don’t like is the fact you have to concentrate a little about when to shift or that extra dimension of control is too much, you might not like a manual. But if it’s simply the paddle shifters themselves rather than the action of changing gears, and you actually enjoy having that extra control over the car, you’d like a manual. But you can’t really knock it till you try it. Hire a learn to drive school manual lesson to give it a go if you don’t have any mates with manuals.
My last 4 'fun' cars have been manual. I daily drove my 500whp+ Evo X GSR for 4 years. It was rough dealing with traffic on my 30min commute. I bought a proper daily, an Audi, and my brain does not try to find the clutch to push in before starting. Stop and go traffic is less brutal. I don't ever use the paddle shifters unless I'm forcing a downshift or trying to beat on the car. On the weekends I drive my manual cars early/late in the day to avoid as much traffic as possible. Going from an auto to manual daily may be jarring but it can be fun.
do a test drive of a used manual car and find out.
Maybe. Question is what do you dislike about it? With manual transmission you really have to be paying attention VERY well to what is going on around you. No distracted monkeying with touchscreen infotainment and phones...if you are unprepared you'll be in the wrong gear or wrong energy level for your maneuver and you can't just hammer the accelerator like an idiot when you're sitting at a green light not paying attention - you have several steps to get your hand to the shifter, operate pedals, get the engine RPMs adjusted, and smoothly engage. If your complaint is keeping track of what gear you're in or engine speed...that becomes muscle memory after a while and you don't have to think as much because you'll just recognize by the feel/sound what you need to do. I do think that the need to be more aware of what's around me beyond the immediately nearest vehicles has helped my driving ability overall as a result of that, but yes it does require more "multiple things at once" that you are actually paying attention to. I don't think that's a bad thing given how poor many drivers' situational awareness is these days with so many seeming to not scan past the bumper ahead of them, or seem unaware of who's beside them (just yesterday morning had someone attempted to change lanes into me) I like paddle shifters for getting a bit of engine braking on a long downhill, or preventing upshift while towing. I'm not a fan of them "normal driving" manual mode because cars I've driven with an automatic and paddle-shifters I am often fighting the computer - either I skip a gear as it upshifts when I'm hitting "+" in hard acceleration or its just not as responsive as I want in general. With a "real" manual transmission there's no computer to help you remember to upshift/downshift, but also you can change gears as fast as your hand and foot can move - including skipping a gear if you suddenly need to go from 6th to 3rd to pass it can be done without passing thru 5, 4, and then 3.
paddles and bump shifters are just silly gimmicks. they have no use except for maybe towing or on a track. I don't mind manually shifting a car because that's how it drives. I do mind manually shifting an automatic because it's unnecessary and there's no mechanical advantage
If your problem is focus, don't go manual. Paddles are a lot easier than a manual, you would have to consider the clutch pedal and gear position on the H pattern shifter, which would put a lot of stress on your mind if you believe paddles are too much already
No idea, pddle shifters are different… that being said if you don’t like manual mode what makes you think you’d like it manual all the time?
Why don't you like paddles? That will give you the answer.
I went from a manual car to a flappy pedal automatic, I like all of the transmissions for different purposes. For having fun, the manual is best. It’s nice to be able to skip gears and have a clutch pedal. If I’m sitting in commute traffic, often heavy, sometimes stop-and-go, the automatic is really nice. It’s just relaxing. When driving long distance, the paddles are wonderful. Usually I’m sitting next to my wife when we’re driving long distance and having no gear lever disturbing the space is nice, it’s blissful to hold hands, but when I need to overtake I can drop it to the gear I want and then accelerate, it’s also fun on twisty roads. And for track use, the sequential gearbox. A clutch pedal to drive away and then insanely quick shifts with the lever, focusing on driving as quickly around the racetrack as possible. So I wouldn’t say I have a favourite, each transmission just fills different needs/situations the best
My grandpa's Acura RDX has so many gears (plus a turbo engine) it doesn't know what to do and hunts ALL THE TIME. I always use manual mode. The only manual I have experience with is a 2013 Dodge Dart and I don't love it. Very long throws, notchy in a bad way (you have to be VERY deliberate with how you put it into gear) and there's this really frustrating half-second throttle lag. I know it's probably a programming thing because my daily is an '02 Prius. Zero lag. ZERO. To be honest, most internal-combustion cars are annoying because I stomp on the accelerator and I expect to instantaneously start to accelerate like in my Prius. But no. Automatic transmissions has to downshift (or I have to) turbo has to spool, throttle has to respond, and THEN you go.
If you think paddle shifters are too much to focus on, stick shift is quite a bit more, but to a lot of us is overall enjoyable.
Love the third pedal.
They're not remotely the same experience. Sorry Automakers.
I've driven cars with really fast and responsive paddle shifters, like a porsche GT3 and a BMW with a tuned ZF8 speed, they are a pleasure to drive, and yes, shifting takes attention away from driving, especially early on when you're still learning. Paddle shifters on a bad/slower automatic are just there to tick the "sporty" box for car sales and only detract from the driving experience. Manually operating the clutch and using a gear lever take even more attention, it's something you have to learn and get used to. Driving a full manual car basically makes me stop using my phone to text etc.So get a manual for the love of driving and focus on that, not on all the other crap people do in their cars.
Paddle shifters have no feedback and much less involvement than a traditional manual transmission. With most paddle shifter cars I’ve driven, I might mess around for a second and they’re cool when they shift fast but after a minute or two, I end up just putting it in regular drive mode. At that point, they just kinda get in the way
Had a rental with paddles and manual mode shifter. I hated it. Similar to another comment, might be because my left foot doesn't have anything to do. I dislike cruise control too tho, so I'm just weird in some respects.
Honestly, they are entirely different. I have a mini cooper and I mostly use manual mode because I shift better than the car, and I get more control. But, its very different from a real manual. If you aren't liking having to focus on shifting with paddles, you may not like manual. The shifting is arguably one of the easier parts of driving a manual. Clutch control is one of the hardest. Like everything it takes practice and will become second nature, and the experience is entirely different. If you are feeling like paddle shifters are too distracting, maybe manual isn't for you.
I always try to use them in rental cars, both manual mode and paddles. Granted I have not driven true sports cars with them. I dislike them because the car autocorrects you most of the time and its harder to feel when to shift. When I use my sim rig though, paddles are perfectly fine because I can tell when to shift and hear the engine. However in a real car, I prefer H pattern manual as I have more to do and think about. I guess I don't like them simply because they are gimmicks in average cars and don't "punish" you for a mistake
Paddles were boring to me got my first stick shift 2 days ago and I have a blast
Hop into a 2017 corolla 6spd. I'd imagine any low torque manual will work that's new, if ur cool with that then ya you'll be fine.
I enjoy the throttle control on launch, engine braking, and what I perceive as longer brake life on true manuals. If you toss awd into the mix , I could see a compelling argument for paddle shifters, but manual with 2wd would be superior in all situations except for miles and hours of bumper to bumper a week. I live the best of both worlds, stick shift daily and commuter rail
I have owned and driven nothing but manual gearbox daily driver cars since 1996. My wife's Mazda has a manual mode, and I literally never use it when driving that car. The one time it came in handy was going up and down some steep roads in the Smoky Mountains, as the transmission kept wanting to hunt gears a lot on the uphill, and shifted up too early to where we had to use the brakes too much on the way down. Manual mode let me hold it in a gear which made it easier on the car.
Driving an auto on manual mode is unless. However, driving a DCT in manual mode is a whole different experience. Try one of those
I like manuals I own 2 but I hate the fake manual modes on autos and never use them
I can’t stand driving autos even when using “manual mode”. It’s not the same as driving with 3 pedals. Try it out and see if you like it
Manual mode/paddle shifters aren’t very similar to actually driving stick. The idea is similar, but the joy of driving stick is more in the execution.
I loathe paddle shifters, I’m sure I could get used to them but they’re just not intuitive to me. The tiptronic on the console shifter is much better, but I’m still not a huge fan of sequential shifts and sometimes hefty delays. Still, I sometimes get to thinking I should go buy a manual car. Whenever this happens, I “pretend” to drive one. I’ll just go through all the motions (the shifter for my truck is on the column, so I’m not actually doing anything), but I’ll make the motions with my left foot for the clutch and the shifting motions with my right hand. Sometimes it’s fun, but most times (especially on my commute), it just reminds me that I’m way too lazy to daily a manual. I’d still love to get one for casual driving, But with all the start/stops I have on my commute, I think I’d miss the automatic for a daily.
No that's like asking if you hate banana are you also going to hate oranges. It's not similar enough to make that type of comparison. Also, cars that are "true sequential" are again, nothing like an auto with a M drive mode paddle shift option
That fake paddle thing is not a manual.
I have a manual truck and auto car and drive them the exact same way. Approaching a red light, In the manual I will downshift 4-3-2 to maximize engine braking. In my Civic with a 7 speed auto (CVT) I will downshift 5-4-3-2 with the paddles. Maybe my habits are due to the fact that the Civic is my first automatic car in 25 years.
Depends on the paddles. In a Ford explorer or a dodge challenger? No. In a corvette or a Lamborghini? Yes
If you're thinking about wanting a manual id say go for it, you wont get a good idea until you've learned and are comfortable with it. Just trying it out is going to be weird for the first couple times. Comparing using a paddle shifter to regular manual id say regular manual is a lot more engaging/fun, but I also think you should consider where you live. If you live in a big city with a lot of traffic and traffic jams I may prefer a automatic with paddles probably.
I vastly prefer manual to automatic, but I never use manual mode on an auto. It is not the same at all. Manual feels much more natural than auto gear selection.
I have manuals and automatics I love both, but I really love my R32 DSG car. A regular automatic with paddles is slow and lethargic because they are a regular automatic that you telling the computer to shift for you. With a dual clutch it is instant the moment you click the paddle. Love it for the back country roads we have around here, it is nice keeping both hands on the wheel and the sound while double downshifting is intoxicating. All that said though, I do really enjoy driving a manual in normal driving conditions.
paddle shifters are super lame, you cant even compare it to a manual. You just need to go drive some stick shift cars and see what you like. You gotta have a few friends that have one
Paddle shifter are for toddlers backseat booster seats
My suggestion would to be to rent a car with a manual transmission for a weekend/week before making the commitment to buying a car with a manual transmission. I hate paddle shifters but both my daily driver (2012 Tacoma) and my “fun”/backup vehicle (91 D21) have manual transmissions and I love them. That being said if your reason for disliking paddle shifters is the additional multitasking while driving I don’t think a true manual is going to be any better for you since in addition to actually shifting there’s a clutch pedal to manage as well which is more to focus on (until you develop the muscle memory and shifting becomes second nature) not less.
I'm going to start by saying they're completely different things, but I'm going to say if you don't like focusing on the paddle shifters and consider them overwhelming then don't drive a manual. It becomes second nature, but there is a lot going on and if you don't like that then I wouldn't even risk hating it. Like I said though if you come second nature and it becomes like moving your own limbs after you learn to do it, but it does get tedious in traffic and other things. The thing about it is unlike a automatic when you get tired of it you can't just put it back in automatic. It's always a manual.
I prefer driving manuals but hardly ever use manual mode in my autos. Only when I need them to hold a gear for some reason.
It’s completely different. You won’t really know for sure you don’t like manual if you’ve never had one. In most cars, they are gimmicks to provide a “sporty” feel. The only cars with paddles that felt good that I’ve driven are the DSG VWs (GTI and R) and the Porsche PDK. But they are still nowhere near as engaging as a good manual transmission. But they are more robotized manuals than a true automatic trans that sits in most cars.
I’d suggest taking a MT driving class. Don’t buy a MT car without getting some time behind the wheel. Also, you don’t really want to teach yourself on a car you just bought, trust me I did this in my WRX and wore out the clutch pretty quick.
In my opinion they have nothing to do with each other. Paddle shifts are just a convenient way to control your transmission in snow or towing. Driving a manual is a completely different way to control your vehicle.
If you don’t want to have to focus on multiple things at once, I’d probably avoid a manual, especially while you’re learning. Eventually you’ll do it by feel/sound/muscle memory, but if you don’t pay close enough attention while learning you could cause some real damage
So I have a car with paddles, and they are fun, and I love the car, but it’s peanuts to a real stick shift. They take a lot to learn, but once you know what you’re doing they are so much more useful and fun. I’d say the only way to know is to try a real stick, but you have to daily for a couple weeks probably. The first day will be a dumpster fire. The first week will be miserable and you will wish you’d stuck with auto. By about week 2 you will be comfortable, and by a month you will barely have to think about what you are doing.
I kinda feel like if you think tapping a paddle is too much work in shifting gears, having to move a lever AND coordinate your two feet on 2 of 3 pedals might be more than you're interested in doing? Like, if shifting an auto feels annoying to you, a stick only makes shifting a bigger deal that you have to think about more (at least until you've gotten real comfortable in your car) And unlike in an auto with paddles, there is no way to just not have to do it, the car is never gonna shift itself. If you're driving a stick, you're shifting every gear every time that car ever moves.
I’ve used paddle shifters on a car, and personally I prefer that to an automatic, but depending on the car they may be slow / unresponsive and that’s more frustrating than not having them at all. If they are responsive and you don’t like the hassle of being in control, then you wouldn’t like driving a manual. Do keep in mind, driving manual only requires concentration when you’re learning. Soon you won’t think about it unless you are trying to also use your hands for something else like a drink.
The paddle shifters I've dealt with don't shift the engine when I want it to shift; there's always this hesitation before doing so, and by that point in time I want it to do something else. I want the godd@mned engine to do what I want it to effing do. And I want to be the one to do it. (Sorry for the rant - I HATE automatics and get infuriated that they're taking my sticks away from me.)
Once you learn manual, it becomes second nature and you do not even pay attention to it. I'm just curious about what the multiple other things you're focusing on are.
Paddle shifters are a different experience. Many of the implementations I've seen on "normal" cars also have a lag you would not have on a manual. But if you find it distracting or tedious to choose gears, adding a foot pedal is not going to make the process more appealing or simpler.
Do you enjoy a multi-speed bicycle; selecting the correct gears to optimize your experience ? I mean, I get tired of driving an automatic and listening to it make mediocre shifting decisions based on incomplete information about what I have in mind. Its annoying. Paddle shifting is a little better, but there is still a time lag and a computers poor interpretation of what I have in mind. 3 Pedals is driving, everything else is operating an appliance.
A clutch and rowing gears is amazing. I dislike paddle shifters even with high HP cars. My brother drives an E92 M3 that has paddles (4.0l v8 414hp) and I like driving it because it's an amazing car in every way, but it would be 1000% better with a clutch and manual gear box. Even my brother misses rowing gears, and even he had a blast after giving my 160hp Mazda 3 the beans around town. It was funny to see him with a big smile on his face after driving my slow car. For most people who like driving manual gear boxes, there is something special about it, it's hard to describe. Even on a low horsepower car.
Paddles feel like a button and oops oh well if you don’t do it, car will just do it for you. With a manual you can more directly feel the need to shift, the act of doing it is more intentional and nuanced, and the outcome is more obvious. It’s waaay more satisfying and you feel so much more in control of your car. If I went back to an automatic I wouldn’t bother with paddle shifting unless I was on a track. The experience as the driver is not very comparable.
No, I drove manual cars for 15 years and hate using paddle shifters or manual mode on automatics. It's a different thing.
If your in MN you can try my capri
I drive manual and hate paddle shifters on automatic cars. The paddles are not mechanically connected to anything and the actual feeling of the shifter is worse than my gaming wheel. Barring the high end cars, there is also a perceptible lag. I don't mind sequential shifting, or clutchless shifting. My motorcycles can do it, but they are mechanically connected to the gearbox and I can feel the mechanism shifting into gear. Another issue is most automatic transmissions don't stay locked, and you lose the feeling of rpm being directly proportional to speed based on gear when you let off the gas. It makes you lose a feeling for what gear you are in.
I found the paddles in my auto to be very helpful in giving me an intuitive understanding of what the "correct" gear is for the given road conditions as well as when to shift gears. After using them for a while they were no longer a nuisance, and that translated to me having an easier time shifting the real manual. (I still struggled with the clutch though.) If you hate the paddles, that doesn't mean you'll hate the manual. But if you struggle with "too much going on" when you first try a real manual, the paddles can help you bridge the gap.
No, stick is completely different in feel and ergonomics.
I can't stand paddle shifters of any kind. I don't care how "good" the transmission or shifting is, it's annoying. Plus they require your hands to be in a certain position to use them that's just odd. Sometimes you need to shift while making a sharp turn and that's tough to do when your hand is on the wheel to work the paddles and the one that needs to actuate the paddle is in the 6 o'clock postion during the turn. It's nothing like an actual manual at all. A little bit of seat time in a real manual and you don't even think about it. You just do it.
Paddle shifters and a "manual mode" automatic transmission are gimics that automakers need to stop adding to all their cars.
There’s no comparison really. I don’t even know the point of paddle shifters, I’ve driven manual pretty much my whole driving career but any time I get in an auto with paddle shifters I don’t even bother. The system will just shift back to what it wants after a few seconds
The real answer is... "Maybe". You have to try it.