In the jeep world I don't think it is that big of a deal either way. I love manuals and will always choose them, if I can. With jeeps we go slow and slowly roll over obstacles, in an auto or manual it is all about throttle modulation and knowing where your tires are. I do believe manuals give you a better connection to your vehicle; autos create a slight disconnection between vehicle and driver - that doesn't mean auto drivers aren't feeling their vehicle or bad drivers. It's just a raw connection you get.

In jeeps auto/manual is the same to me, but when I see a nicely modified Porsche, Audi, BMW, etc and then find out it is an auto, I do immediately loose some respect (not all) for that driver.

 

I don't join these debates to justify my own opinions to the world. I don't feel like more of a man for driving a stick. Just more connected to my vehicle. Even in traffic. I'm just sharing my interpretations of driving my Jeep and what it means to me. And I don't think it's a divisive conversation. Just people sharing their passion. It's the same as the, "what lift should I get? " threads you see pop up every HOUR. I don't think anybody is intentionally disrespecting the sticky that is the Bible on this forum or anyone else's opinions . Just people engaging about something that they care about or creating a conversation regarding a topic they want to learn more about. I think the guys that like to puff their chests or throw insults based on their superior level of knowledge just need not respond. Ripping on a noob doesn't make HIM look like a douche.

 

That's a good point. I wonder if the mods could put a stickyat the top of the modified section for each one that just say, What lift, 2dr or 4dr, soft or hard top, sport, sahara, or rubicon, manual or auto, etc. Then people could go in there and all the information would be in one place.

 

My preference is always a manual over a slush box and my wife feels the same way. I just feel like I have better control over the engine and drive train when I'm stirring the gearbox by hand. Having said that, I confess to having an auto in my JK. It's my DD and frankly, traffic sucks the life out of me day in and day out, so yeah, I took the easy way out. But I don't love my jeep any less for it.

 

I'm glad to hear that cause I was at first about to lose respect for you over losing respect for others for something that has no real importance. Lol. I can say yes I have a wife that can't drive a manual and she has no intention or care to learn. So that pretty much keeps me from getting a manual. FOR NOW. I miss stick shifts. It's all i would ever buy. I think next jeep I'm just going to say oh I forgot it had a manual when I picked it out or forgot you couldn't drive one, oh well its time to learn now I guess. Lol.

 

Well, having been around here since almost the beginning I understand exactly what you're saying. But, I thought I had a bit different take on this. Specifically, the business of self-driving cars and what that means for driving skills. I don't think that anyone would disagree that choosing a line and steering are a part of driving skill. Well, my argument is that so should shifting be. So, while I agree with what you write, I disagree that I'm guilty of it.

 

You make some really good points. But, as I wrote just a moment ago in another reply, I wasn't intent on rehashing the old stick versus auto discussion. Rather, I was more focused on the computerization of our vehicles to the point that we are no longer driving them. But, let me digress to your mention of autos being the wave of the future. Yes, in the U.S. market autos are certainly taking over. Not so overseas. Manuals sell way more than autos overseas. I'm not sure if it's because they enjoy driving more, or the cheaper price or what. Probably some combination of those things. And, back to my point, what actually prompted me to finally make this post was an article about Elon Musk's opinion of the future of driving. A point that your "autos are the way of the future" remark pretty much reinforces ...


Elon Musk: cars you can drive will eventually be outlawed | The Verge

 

Lol, when asked by a coworker why I prefer a manual, I simply stated that it is less apt to be stolen. It took him a minute, then he said, not going to steal what you can't drive.

 

Mark I'm English born and bred. In the UK when taking your driving exam you can be specific about the type of vehicle, auto or manual. However a person taking their exam on an auto can only drive an auto if they pass their exam. If a person takes the manual vehicle for the exam once you pass your allowed to drive both auto and manual. Driving a manual is deemed a different skill set, my uncle could not drive a manual, he failed his test many times. To this day he still is only allowed to drive an auto, he's in his sixties.

 

Maybe we'll have flying cars soon and we won't need manuals or autos lol.