Auto or Manual? What to get..
August-11th-2002 | 02:51 AM
#16
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 814
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I still have not figured out this sportshift auto crap. You might as well get a manual if you will be shifting with an auto. I know when I was driving friend's vehicles I used to shift down when going up hills and stuff like that but I know many people don't do that.
I still find it funny when I have to drive automatic vehicles I am always putting my foot on the invisible clutch when I get in, plus I am reaching for the stick when I reach an intersection. Gives me a chuckle
.
Manual all the way
I still find it funny when I have to drive automatic vehicles I am always putting my foot on the invisible clutch when I get in, plus I am reaching for the stick when I reach an intersection. Gives me a chuckle
.Manual all the way
August-11th-2002 | 04:05 AM
#18
a.k.a. spydermonkey
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,413
From: New Orleans
Originally posted by Fothermucker
Ha, easier said than done. If I had a manual car available for me to learn on, I would do it in a hearbeat.
Ha, easier said than done. If I had a manual car available for me to learn on, I would do it in a hearbeat.
August-11th-2002 | 04:07 AM
#19
a.k.a. spydermonkey
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,413
From: New Orleans
Originally posted by skyhawk174
I still find it funny when I have to drive automatic vehicles I am always putting my foot on the invisible clutch when I get in, plus I am reaching for the stick when I reach an intersection. Gives me a chuckle .
Manual all the way
I still find it funny when I have to drive automatic vehicles I am always putting my foot on the invisible clutch when I get in, plus I am reaching for the stick when I reach an intersection. Gives me a chuckle
.Manual all the way
Manual all the way
August-11th-2002 | 04:11 AM
#20
TEAM AUTO RND
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 191
From: Bay Area CA
go for the manual...i too test drove the 1.8t with the sport shift and i was impressed, but that drive only made me want to learn how to drive a stickshift...ive always had an auto since 96 and im so glad i learned how to drive a stick and ill never go back to auto...go for the manual...
ron
ron
August-11th-2002 | 10:24 AM
#21
Protege Newbie
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 32
From: Orlando, FL
definately manual.
About 4 years ago when I was a senior in highscool I had the opporunity to get a '94 honda delsol (which with the targa top and all was bad *** compared to my '90 accord) the only problem was that it was stick and I had never driven stick. I eneded fetting the car anyway and had to ride the bus to school for 2 days. Both days I came home after scool and practiced in my neighborhood for about 3 hours. After that I was dirving my "new" car everywhere with only the occasionall stall(maybe once every 3-4 days), but that faded away after about a month.
The Moral of The Story:
Buy the manual! I dont regret it one bit and will never buy an automatic again. Its way too much fun driving stick.
About 4 years ago when I was a senior in highscool I had the opporunity to get a '94 honda delsol (which with the targa top and all was bad *** compared to my '90 accord) the only problem was that it was stick and I had never driven stick. I eneded fetting the car anyway and had to ride the bus to school for 2 days. Both days I came home after scool and practiced in my neighborhood for about 3 hours. After that I was dirving my "new" car everywhere with only the occasionall stall(maybe once every 3-4 days), but that faded away after about a month.
The Moral of The Story:
Buy the manual! I dont regret it one bit and will never buy an automatic again. Its way too much fun driving stick.
August-11th-2002 | 01:16 PM
#22
Protege Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 90
From: Toronto. Canada
The people that frequent this board are for the most part car enthusiasts so will always heavily favour manual over auto.
Having said that , I used to drive 5 speed stick years ago (e.g. 84 Prelude), but partly for practical reasons our current P5 and other car are Auto. My wife is not inclined to learn to drive standard (not worth the trouble to push this). The P5 Auto tranny is a good match for the car, and I can get the revs up there to the red line (almost) when I want/need to. I honestly can say I don't miss the standard, especially with a lot of in-town driving. And I can drink my coffee or talk on the phone while driving !
Having said that , I used to drive 5 speed stick years ago (e.g. 84 Prelude), but partly for practical reasons our current P5 and other car are Auto. My wife is not inclined to learn to drive standard (not worth the trouble to push this). The P5 Auto tranny is a good match for the car, and I can get the revs up there to the red line (almost) when I want/need to. I honestly can say I don't miss the standard, especially with a lot of in-town driving. And I can drink my coffee or talk on the phone while driving !
August-11th-2002 | 03:14 PM
#23
a.k.a. spydermonkey
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,413
From: New Orleans
Originally posted by frankd
I don't miss the standard, especially with a lot of in-town driving. And I can drink my coffee or talk on the phone while driving !
I don't miss the standard, especially with a lot of in-town driving. And I can drink my coffee or talk on the phone while driving !
August-12th-2002 | 04:19 AM
#25
Protege Newbie
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 19
From: British Columbia
Just got a black P5 two days ago. Only drove manual once in my life and I thought it was so fun, so I bought a manual P5. I stalled numerous times, but now I'm getting the hang of it. I just love my new car. 
August-12th-2002 | 11:16 AM
#29
Protege Newbie
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 30
From: New Jersey, USA
Hi all,
This is my first post in the forum...just bought a silver 5-speed Protege5 on Saturday, and should have it from the dealer in a few days!
The P5 will be my first new car, after owning five used cars over the years. I like to think of myself as a "driver" and have always driven stick ever since I bought my first car in high school, a 1987 Ford Escort GT. And while I have said that I'd never buy an automatic, I test drove all three flavors of the Protege transmission, from the standard auto to the sport auto and finally the manual.
Since I have a second car that is more sporty than the P5, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try out the automatic for a more convenient daily driver. I have a 25-mile commute each way with very little traffic, but I'm in the city a lot and there are times when a late-night drive home would be a lot nicer without having to shift. Always driving a 5-speed has gotten me stuck a few times too, when I would have liked to have someone take the keys for me but they didn't know how to drive it.
The first Protege5 I drove was an atuo, and I'll have to say, even the pre-model-change auto trans was one of the nicest I have ever driven. The gear changes came at the right time and didn't seem to get confused on hills like a lot of automatics I'm used to. I definitely felt a little naked with my left foot just resting on the floor, but with such a comfortable ride I didn't really mind not having total control.
The 2002.5 with the sport automatic was the first tiptronic I ever tried, and man was that fun! I see where the automakers are going with that one, and getting a balance between controlling the gear changes and not having to deal with the clutch is nice. However, "dealing" with the clutch is half of what makes driving fun for me, so any automatic--even with the tip--loses a lot. A friend of mine has an Audi A4 with the tiptronic and said that he loved it at first too, but after a month the fun wore off and he now tends to stay in full-auto mode.
The last Protege5 I tested came with the 5-speed, which is really what I wanted in the first place. It was the third dealer I went to after the first told me manuals were "obsolete" and he tried to find one for two other guys and couldn't. Sure buddy, whatever. The second dealer only had automatics on the lot and wasn't interested in ordering a car configured the way I wanted. No thank you, good bye.
So finally I got to drive the P5 in a stick, and it's a good thing I did, because it made the decision an easy one. The throws weren't too long like a lot of other sticks in this price range. And the clutch...could it *be* any lighter?? My other car is an '83 Porsche 944, so I'm used to a heavy clutch, but man, I could barely tell I was pushing this thing to the floor! Not that I am complaining though, since this car is going to be a lot friendler those times when I'm stuck in traffic. The manual Protege5 didn't seem exceptionally zippier than the sport-auto, which is a testament to how good the automatic tranny really is. But at a premium of $900, why bother when the manual is so user-friendly? I'd much rather put that money toward other options I'd rather have.
The dealer was very helpful and pulled up a list of about fifteen 5-speed P5's in silver. The two he had in stock were differently equipped by about $2500, one being totally base and the other loaded with a moonroof, leather, ABS, and polished alloy wheels. I don't like the look of the polished rims (kinda cheesy, and for $500 extra? no thanks) and I could give or take the ABS. So we managed to find one in silver, manual trans, with a moonroof and leather interior. SWEET.
Anyway...hope my experiences are helpful, and if not, please excuse the long-winded post. But I am sure you can all relate to how totally stoked I am to get my new ride! Prepare to hear more from me here in the future...
Rock on!
Leigh
2002.5 silver Protege5 COMING THIS WEEK...5-speed/leather/moonroof
1983 guards red Porsche 944...5-speed STOCK
1991 Chevy Cavalier wagon...don't laugh!
This is my first post in the forum...just bought a silver 5-speed Protege5 on Saturday, and should have it from the dealer in a few days!
The P5 will be my first new car, after owning five used cars over the years. I like to think of myself as a "driver" and have always driven stick ever since I bought my first car in high school, a 1987 Ford Escort GT. And while I have said that I'd never buy an automatic, I test drove all three flavors of the Protege transmission, from the standard auto to the sport auto and finally the manual.
Since I have a second car that is more sporty than the P5, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try out the automatic for a more convenient daily driver. I have a 25-mile commute each way with very little traffic, but I'm in the city a lot and there are times when a late-night drive home would be a lot nicer without having to shift. Always driving a 5-speed has gotten me stuck a few times too, when I would have liked to have someone take the keys for me but they didn't know how to drive it.
The first Protege5 I drove was an atuo, and I'll have to say, even the pre-model-change auto trans was one of the nicest I have ever driven. The gear changes came at the right time and didn't seem to get confused on hills like a lot of automatics I'm used to. I definitely felt a little naked with my left foot just resting on the floor, but with such a comfortable ride I didn't really mind not having total control.
The 2002.5 with the sport automatic was the first tiptronic I ever tried, and man was that fun! I see where the automakers are going with that one, and getting a balance between controlling the gear changes and not having to deal with the clutch is nice. However, "dealing" with the clutch is half of what makes driving fun for me, so any automatic--even with the tip--loses a lot. A friend of mine has an Audi A4 with the tiptronic and said that he loved it at first too, but after a month the fun wore off and he now tends to stay in full-auto mode.
The last Protege5 I tested came with the 5-speed, which is really what I wanted in the first place. It was the third dealer I went to after the first told me manuals were "obsolete" and he tried to find one for two other guys and couldn't. Sure buddy, whatever. The second dealer only had automatics on the lot and wasn't interested in ordering a car configured the way I wanted. No thank you, good bye.
So finally I got to drive the P5 in a stick, and it's a good thing I did, because it made the decision an easy one. The throws weren't too long like a lot of other sticks in this price range. And the clutch...could it *be* any lighter?? My other car is an '83 Porsche 944, so I'm used to a heavy clutch, but man, I could barely tell I was pushing this thing to the floor! Not that I am complaining though, since this car is going to be a lot friendler those times when I'm stuck in traffic. The manual Protege5 didn't seem exceptionally zippier than the sport-auto, which is a testament to how good the automatic tranny really is. But at a premium of $900, why bother when the manual is so user-friendly? I'd much rather put that money toward other options I'd rather have.
The dealer was very helpful and pulled up a list of about fifteen 5-speed P5's in silver. The two he had in stock were differently equipped by about $2500, one being totally base and the other loaded with a moonroof, leather, ABS, and polished alloy wheels. I don't like the look of the polished rims (kinda cheesy, and for $500 extra? no thanks) and I could give or take the ABS. So we managed to find one in silver, manual trans, with a moonroof and leather interior. SWEET.
Anyway...hope my experiences are helpful, and if not, please excuse the long-winded post. But I am sure you can all relate to how totally stoked I am to get my new ride! Prepare to hear more from me here in the future...
Rock on!
Leigh
2002.5 silver Protege5 COMING THIS WEEK...5-speed/leather/moonroof
1983 guards red Porsche 944...5-speed STOCK
1991 Chevy Cavalier wagon...don't laugh!