What Do You Drive?

[Rattuskid 0]

Don't all Americans drive automatic?

 

You can pass your driver's test here without ever knowing how to drive a manual. As long as you don't take one to the test... So unless people have to learn it, they usually don't. Sticks exist here, and mostly on the sports cars or older trucks if they're American made. We get a lot of stick imports, especially Japanese though.

 

I learned to drive a stick on an old Nissan. To be far, some of the newer ones with hift indicator lights (purely for gas mileage reasons) are nice, but it gets to be a real pain in the ass when you are in stuff like stop-and-go traffic, hilly areas or anything where your right hand could be more use on the steering wheel instead of the shifter.

Edited September 6, 2007 by Rattuskid

[BlckWyerve 0]

Your right hand is always elsewhere anyway.

[Leonardofury 0]

I'm driving a Nissan Almera 1.5 E at the moment. Personally I've never found a manual to much of a pain. In stop start traffic you're mostly creeping the clutch in first and generally don't need to change gear much. I feel that's a trade I'm willing to make to compensate for the gear chance lag when you really need to shift the car. Beside's my right hand's always on the wheel.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admittedly because we drive on the left here :P

[Rattuskid 0]

To be far, the clutch on my car was also a piece of shit, and probably the reason I didn't much enjoy it. Well, that's not true, I got it up to 90 once in the dead of night on a back road, and that was fun as shit, like shifting in a video game... but I don't know how well I could go back to a manual*.

 

*Which in and of itself is ironic because the first automatic I drove after the stickshift Nissan died I just couldn't get used to, because my left foot kept wandering onto the brake pedal.

[Godwin 0]

since here we all drive manual.

 

Seriously? Why would anyone want to drive manual unless he's racing?

[killakanz 0]

killa's kar :)

 

I've covered a fair few miles in it already. Should be passing the practical test shortly then... ROAD TRIP!! :D

[Count von Phoib 0]

since here we all drive manual.

 

Seriously? Why would anyone want to drive manual unless he's racing?

So we can control our engine performance better. Seriously, why drive automatic?

[DrShrinker 0]

since here we all drive manual.

 

Seriously? Why would anyone want to drive manual unless he's racing?

Generally, you get better gas mileage. (granted its very small)

Most car thieve wont steal a stick.

They are way more fun to drive.

 

Best part is, if your battery dies, you can push the car and pop the clutch to start it.

Seriously.

Edited September 7, 2007 by DrShrinker

[Rattuskid 0]

Generally, you get better gas mileage. (granted its very small)

 

That's only if you shift at the optimum point, which modern ones indicate with a light. Without that, just gloing off the tacometer or worse still, off just sound alone, you'll likely miss it. Especially since shifting timing for fuel economy doesn't overlap with shifting timing for 'fun'.

 

Also, Phoib, the reason to drive automatic is because we can change CDs while we're moving, we don't go through clutches like nobody's business, and if we do something dumb (like locking the wheels or not going down hard enough on the clutch, generally it won't result in as bad of stuff (like stalling out or over-revving).

 

There are good reasons to drive stick, but there are good reasons to drive automatics too.

[Logan Hartke 0]

There are good reasons to drive stick, but there are good reasons to drive automatics too.

Especially in Jacksonville traffic. The empty country cop-less farm roads in Illinois are one thing, but rush hour traffic in a city in Florida is another beast altogether.

 

Logan Hartke

[Neo 0]

I remember when Dr Shrinker, Abba and me were Blitz addict and play almost everyday....our lifes were so link to ww2 reality that Doc compare our vehicles to ww2 vehicles....at this time he told us his car was (almost) a tank, my Jeep was compare to a....Jeep...and Abba vehicles to a troop transport (Abba takes the bus) :P

Edited September 8, 2007 by Neo

[Monkey 0]

the reason to drive automatic is because we can change CDs while we're moving

 

oh no, it can be done with a stick, it just takes either a lot longer or a buddy riding shotgun to do it.:P

[weston 0]

the reason to drive automatic is because we can change CDs while we're moving

 

oh no, it can be done with a stick, it just takes either a lot longer or a buddy riding shotgun to do it.:P

 

 

This true :P

[Leonardofury 0]

Or you have a multichanger (yeah, I got lucky when I bought my car). Personally the thing I like most about manuals is the cause you to think more when you're driving. You have to look at the road, listen to the engine and think about the gear you're going to need to tackle a particular incline or bend. I've found this cause you to think more about the road in other terms such as "This is a blind bend and a narrow road, I need to slow down a bit more, drop into 3rd and hug the apex to avoid hitting stuff coming the other way" or "There's a school on this bend, I need to watch for children". Personally I think anything that makes people actually think about driving, rather than just treating the car as a tool to get from A to B is good. To many people seem to fail to realise that they are piloting a large hunk of metal travelling at a high speed and they are the are only thing that's stopping it killing someone. While you get a lot of anti-speeding campaigns I personally think a pro-attentiveness campaign would do more to reduce road deaths.

[Mehman 0]

 

/thread

[Rattuskid 0]

Speaking as an experienced cocksucker... god that looks gay.

[Mehman 0]

Less gay than the new Fiat 500.

 

But it was free and it's not as gay as you think.

 

Maybe looks less gay?

 

Dunno, it's a pretty common car, for cheapskates like me. It's pretty speedy and accelerates pretty good, considering it's a 12 year old car with one cylinder out of action(soon to be in action). First time I hear that it looks gay, I do know it's rather ugly, but not gay.

Edited May 7, 2008 by MehMan

[Korona 0]

That car and ones like it are ubiquitous across Europe. It looks French or Italian, but not guay.

 

http://www.zimmer.ws/Pride/NYC%202002/God&...ver%20Float.JPG

 

THIS is a gay car

[Sasquatch 0]

It seems to be a miniaturized mini-van. I kind of like it though. :lol:

I'm getting my second-tier Motorbike license this month. One step closer to transport.

 

[Rattuskid 0]

It does look a little better from the front, but I hope it doesn't come in pink.

[Mehman 0]

I saw a red one with zebra pattern interior and eye lashes on the front lights, custom license plate. Now that was gay.

[Goose 0]

[Goose 0]

Well I officially have my first car. Just need to get my license now! Theory test is on wednesday, then after that I'll book my practical test asap.

 

 

:wub:

[Mehman 0]

sweet, love the licence plate.

[weston 0]

.