Question for Manual Drivers.

[CC Performance]

I own both... I love to drive the stick.... just the most fun you can ever have in a car ( provided you have enough power)...
When I don't feel like driving but have to, or are just plain feeling lazy I drive the automatic..... So I never wish I had one over the other but if you've driven a stick long enough it is second nature and you don't even notice yourself shifting.. no different than walking down the street

[Kurushio]

@ jmaryt, Sometimes your going to roll back no matter what depending on the hill and if it is on a 3 lane highways that is bumper to bumper people do not give the slack they should. Once i had to constantly ride back and forth because the hill was so steep and the person behind was so close i would probably have rolled back into them.

Yes i know i could have used the ebrake but that is also not the point. You'd think when people see a car roll back a little they would understand to give it a little space. I just hope they crowd a semi when it rolls back a couple of inches.

[Lightrider]

If you're wondering now, I say get the manual b/c if you go auto you may be wondering later and don't want buyers remorse.

I personally enjoy shifting. That's why I got the manual, nothing more, nothing less.

Traffic (and I get some real stop and go on I78 in NJ) just isn't that big of a deal.

[cab2g]

If you've never driven a manual and you're going to get the Camaro as your first sports car. Just get it! You'll feel more connected to the car. You will love the feeling of quickly down shifting with your hands into another gear. And not a single one of your friends will say, "dude you should've gotten the automatic"

Stop and go traffic isn't the worst thing in the world. If it is moving under 8 mph you don't even need to hit the gas at all with the SS. You can just feather the clutch. Not any more difficult than an automatic where you feather the break to roll slowly. If you have to come to a stop, just shift to neutral immediately and don't ride the clutch. You will save your foot a lot work that way in stop and go traffic. But I don't think you'd use the clutch much more than you'd use the brake in an automatic. So really I guess you'll technically have to use 2 feet more, but it's not like you don't have to switch between the brake and gas all the time in an automatic anyway!

[10forty2]

Traffic or no traffic, hills or no hills, young or old..... stick shift is by far the most fun any driver can have!! Nothing like having control of the beast under your foot!! If you love the thrill of driving as much as I do, there is no substitute. I've owned 3 sticks in my lifetime and when I finally get my Camaro it will be stick-shift as well!! Now, if you simply drive to get from point A to point B, then by all means, get an automatic.

[fastball]

When you become proficient at driving stick it's even possible to be in traffic and not shift. Gauge the rate of the traffic, select the gear that gives your the best range for that rate, and then ease on and off the gas pedal gently to accelerate or decelerate. You'll be surprised at how much engine braking there is in 1st-3rd gears. And if you leave enough space between you and the guy in front of you, you can go the whole span of the traffic jam in one gear without touching the brake or clutch. Trust me, I've done it. It works if you know just how to use the gearing and gas pedal.

And it won't hurt the engine if you go up 4500 RPM, just don't bog it down or "diesel" it. Put the clutch in or downshift before you hit 1000 RPM when you're slowing down.

[BackinBlackSS/RS]

Originally Posted by SuperCarEnthusiast

You are young; so it a 50-50. But if you plan on trading it in - the dealership does not like manuals. If you do not believe me; go talk with the use car sales manager. They usually take a manual and run it through the auction because it takes a while for it to sell and they want only cars that sell quickly.

No offense, but who cares. I sure am not going to worry about whether my car is easier for someone to sell. I'm gonna get what I want.

[Hemlawk]

I'm 4000 miles in on owning my first manual (I learned manual about 15 years ago, but never owned one).

Shifting has almost become 2nd nature. Its funny how sometimes you dont even think about it, your muscle memory takes over and you just go.

So far my favorite thing about the stick is dropping down into 2nd while cruising at about 50-55mph. WHAT A ROCKET!!!!

[blufin]

Love mine. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[StangKiller-SS]

If you're used to driving an auto and you've never driven a manual before in your life then it does take a little adjusting to get used to it and get everything down. It also may depend on the car as well, I don't know.

[dcarlos55]

I got my first car at 15. A '61 vw bug with a whopping 38 hp and a manual transmission. Between then and 24 I had numerous cars, most of them manuals. In '79 I had a 67 SS Camaro with a transplanted L88 427 and a manual. I sold it just before my daughter was born and I've had nothing but autos since.

When I finally decided to get another Camaro, I bought the manual. Didn't even consider an auto. It took me about a day to get used to having a clutch again. I've had the car for 3 months now and I'm loving the manual trans. Don't even think about shifting , just do it.

The only issues I had with the manual trans were the skip shift and the sloppy stock shifter. A skip shift eliminator and a Hurst short throw, took care of those issues within the first week I had the car. Get the manual, you won't be sorry.

[sykb47l]

Originally Posted by dcarlos55

I got my first car at 15. A '61 vw bug with a whopping 38 hp and a manual transmission. Between then and 24 I had numerous cars, most of them manuals. In '79 I had a 67 SS Camaro with a transplanted L88 427 and a manual. I sold it just before my daughter was born and I've had nothing but autos since.

When I finally decided to get another Camaro, I bought the manual. Didn't even consider an auto. It took me about a day to get used to having a clutch again. I've had the car for 3 months now and I'm loving the manual trans. Don't even think about shifting , just do it.

The only issues I had with the manual trans were the skip shift and the sloppy stock shifter. A skip shift eliminator and a Hurst short throw, took care of those issues within the first week I had the car. Get the manual, you won't be sorry.

Wow my first car was a manual 73 bug.

Seriously like everyone has said you get so use to it you dont even realize your shifting. In fact I feel weird driving an automatic....so much that I sometimes reach for the clutch pedal. I constantly take off too fast in auto and have problems with the downstifting/throttle position. Its completely an uncomfortable experience for me.

Cant stand rental cars for this reason.

[midlife]

I am 60 plus my Camaro SS2 is a Hurst 6 speed. Stick makes the car. However it is not my everyday driver, which is a CTS Automatic.

The hydraulic clutch & Hurst shifter make the it a pleasure to drive and control. Age 20… shifting gears is the real deal. Even at my vintage…..

[LoneCynic]

OP, it really comes down to personal preference. You'll hear all sorts of responses from manual drivers, everything from logical performance control reasons all the way down to macho excuses why it is better. Automatic drivers will give you their own range of answers too, from the laziness excuse up to logical ease of use, freedom of hands, or best of both worlds with tap shift option.

I would highly recommend before deciding that you find a friend who has a manual car (Trucks with manual feel a little different and often have a slightly different clutch/throttle balance) and see if they will take you to an open parking lot at night to practice and see what you think.

Personally I am biased and I admit it, I've never owned an automatic transmission vehicle. The car my father had to loan me at 16 was a manual, so that's what I learned to drive. When it came time to get my own vehicles, I wanted manual simply because it is what I knew. It may sound somewhat silly, but I can't drive an automatic very well. Like another poster mentioned happening to him, I throttle too much, or too little, and the car never seems to be in the gear I need it or want it to be in.

Manual has a learning curve to it, and one time out won't be enough to know for sure what you like best. Try to get some practice in where you are comfortable driving one, and then make your decision. With a car like the Camaro, you are in a unique position, because it is highly desirable in both transmission options. This would make potential resell down the road good no matter which you choose.

Manuals are unfortunately a dying breed in this country however, as fewer and fewer vehicles are being offered with the option. Even fewer still are dealers that will even have manuals on their lots for sale. (This makes it very difficult for me when I go car shopping)

People often say manuals suck in slow traffic. I'd like to tell you this isn't true, but it partially is. However, it isn't as bad as people inflate it to be. Going through normal traffic lights and around town is not a problem, yet some people would lead you to believe it is. That part is a myth or just a complaint from very lazy people. The only time you'll likely be frustrated is when you're on the freeway and there is a traffic jam or an accident and you get in that situation where everyone inches forward, then stops, then inches forward, then stops. I've been driving manual for close to 16 years, and that's the ONLY time it becomes a bother for me.

The issue that crops up there is putting the car in gear, moving forward, stopping and taking the car out of gear, and repeating over and over. I try to sit and let traffic move up a little before I do that each time, but if you wait too long, some johnny speed racer tries to rush up the lane next to you and slide over like you're leaving an opening.

I'm trying to be as honest with you as possible here, although I realize my response is becoming long winded, please hear me out though. There are some serious upsides to driving manual where you wouldn't want to be in an automatic. When you get on a side route in the country and it is a winding road with lots of curves and straight ways. A manual thrives on roads like these because you have optimum control. You can accelerate on the straight lengths, then when you come to the turns, you can let off the throttle, and as the revs go down, shift to the proper gear and maintain momentum in turns without having to brake and slow down so much.

That is an experience that just makes you thrilled to be alive and have a car like the Camaro. When I get on roads like those, I often am glad I don't have an automatic getting confused which gear to be in, and having to brake a lot and then accelerate again to get the revs back up to the right place.

In the end, it is a tradeoff. I spend more time driving around town than I do on the country roads, but I sure am glad to have the manual when the times come where it really shines. I put up with the occasional stop and go traffic because most of the time I don't deal with it. I wouldn't have an automatic just to make those few situations easier to sit through.

Transmission choice is a preference choice, get good at both, then decide which you enjoy driving better. Automatic makes the mundane more bearable, but it gets boring when the driving gets fun. Manual is a small headache with the mundane, but the fun factor when you get out there is much more enjoyable. My opinion is slanted towards manual, but I've tried to at least be as honest about the pros and cons as I can.

Whatever you decide, good luck to you, and I hope to see pictures when you get your new car!