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Manual vs Auto Preference...Related To Age?

40K views 183 replies 77 participants last post by  oneheadlite 
#1 ·
I've owned 3 Challengers, the 1st and 3rd with manual transmissions. Obviously the vast majority of Challengers are built with/sold with with automatics. Anyone know if there is a correlation with age and transmission choice? Betraying my age, I grew up with 4 speed transmissions and I just love shifting. I'd certainly like to know if M6 owners are significantly older than A8 owners.
 
#2 ·
I'm similar where I had a manual for my first and my current with a couple A8s sandwiched in the middle.

I was lured by the fast shifting of the A8 and they are fantastic transmissions.

However, it wasn't until I got my current car that I realized that I never fell in love with those auto cars because I missed rowing gears. I remember trying to convince myself that I loved the auto, but I simply didn't.

Don't get my wrong, I'm not saying anything negative about the auto, it's fantastic. It's just my preference to have a manual in this car. If I was a drag racer, no question I'd have the auto, but I'm a twisty roads guy and I love the manual for that.

I'm 44 and learned to drive on manual.


ETA I'm glad we have the choice, for now. I could see them killing the manual someday like others have. Sadly.
 
#4 ·
Yep, IMO it's more of a preference thing than age thing. I could very well be wrong.

My preference is the A8, and I'm 66. Nothing against manuals, I've had many over the decades.

I didn't want a Challenger that I had to always shift. Just how I've been the last 25 years or so.

The A8 gave me the extra push to really like an auto more than a manual. It delivered, and I fully enjoy everything about it.
 
#27 ·
i'm 73 & i agree with you 100%, also i think has to do with it in my case being a dd in a big city. i had the a5 in my '09 r/t, nice tranny but nothing like the a8 in my sp. it is just a great tranny especially when you put the sp in manual & sport mode, just like shifting & loads of fun especially in the first 2 gears. like having 4.11's in my old mopars..
 
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#5 ·
I do think that age factors into the decision on manual or auto. I'm fixing to be 58 in a couple days and the 1970 GTO 4 speed I bought in 1980 my dad had to test drive and drive home for me!:p Retired it as a daily driver in 1986 and drove manual shift Nissan trucks until 2005. Back in those early muscle car days the manual was considered the faster setup! With todays technology the automatic is the quicker setup, but shifting just makes the whole driving experience better in my opinion! Most of todays younger generation don't know how to drive a car that is not automatic. The younger 20 something salesman at the dealership where I bought my car stalled it out twice just getting from the front of the dealership to around back where their gas pump was!
Todd
 
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#6 ·
When I was first introduced to muscle/performance cars in the late 60's early 70's an automatic trans was frowned upon and the fastest cars were sticks. today that is not the case. when I ordered my Scat I specifically opted for the A8 because it was quicker than the M6. I don't think transmission choice is tied to the age of the owner but to the experience the owner is seeking.
 
#7 ·
My first was a ‘73 340 auto roadrunner, but I bought a new ‘89 5 speed s10 my senior year of hs. I drove it through college and then ordered a new ‘97 360 auto ram. It has more to do with convenience than age. In my town there are red lights and trains. I don’t want to keep changing gears. There isn’t the same mechanical connection to the manuals like there was back in the day.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Most of my cars (classics in the past) were manuals. Of the 14 Challengers that I have owned (yeah, I know, long story), most were autos but I really love the manual challengers these days. Currently I have both an auto and a manual Challenger, best of both worlds? Oh I am 43.
 
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#9 ·
I drive an automatic and since I spend a lot of time waving at all the rubberneckers who are constantly eyeballing me, I think it's for the best that I don't have to worry about shifting. I've seen around 8 Challengers here in Germany this year and that may have something to do with the insane curiosity. I'm 47 and consider shifting a car like Henry Ford did in 1919 to be pretty outdated.
 
#10 ·
When I was in highschool one of my girlfriend's was being taught to drive a manual by her mom. At the time I thought it was silly because manuals were going away and I had never even seen a car with one. So I told her it was useless and that I would probably never own one.

10 years later and I love my manual. Hated the first one I owned, cheap auction car with a stiffer clutch than an Irish man's whisky, but somehow still enjoyed it enough to fall in love with it.

4 cars later and only one of them has been automatic, but that was due to circumstances at the time. When I was looking at Challengers my only requirements were three things, 1. All black or all white 2. Had to at least have the 5.7 and of course number 3. Had to be a manual.


Sure the A8 is faster, but the feeling of banging gears with that third pedal just feels so much better than lightly pulling a plastic pedal on the steering wheel.

Oh, and it isn't an age thing in my opinion, definitely just preference. I'm 25 and most of the people I know in the car scene love their manuals.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
#11 ·
It could be an age related thing.

Manual used to be more popular before your time, and as boomers and gen-x started to come into the market, they started decreasing in popularity.

Really wish you guys hadn't killed the manual like that, or the economy.

Wish I could afford to change Challengers like you change underwear.
 
#19 ·
Wish I could afford to change Challengers as often as you get your panties in a twist, cupcake.

You think the economy is "killed" now? You want to see an economy killed vote in one of the socialist cave bat crazy candidates come 2020 and watch the economy tank. Instead of driving your Challenger you'll be living in it.

I'd like to continue but I have to leave for my high paying job. In the meantime enjoy your day in your mommy's basement.
 
#14 ·
I used to be a diehard manual guy. Not too many years ago I wouldn't even consider an auto sports car. That was because it used to be the manual cars always at least felt faster and felt like they like had more torque (i.e. put you back in the seat harder) than the autos. Well, when the new 8 and 10 speed autos came out, that all changed. When I was shopping for my first scat pack back in 2016, I test drove both the manual and the 8 auto and I was blown away by how much faster the auto felt and how much more it really put you back in the seat. I have test driven mustangs that have the 10 auto in them. It is the same story. The auto just blows the manual out of the water not only in 1/4 mile times but also in just feeling faster and pulling harder. Same with the Camaro. My last car was an auto Camaro SS. Before buying, I test drove both the manual and the 8 auto. The auto felt faster but on a side note, Chevy's auto is not reliable. They suffer from torque converter shudder problems. So, I go with autos now because when it comes to a performance car I want the car that not only is faster, but feels faster too. I am a torque junkie. I like to be slammed back in the seat and held there. In the Challenger, the 8A delivers far better than the manual. On the age question, I am 48 years old.
 
#15 ·
I love my A8. Only ever drove a manual a couple times so not proficient at it. Now at 50 (next month) and half of my meniscus gone from my left knee, I am NOT working a clutch.
I can up shift/down shift just fine with the shifter in the console when I am out in the country taking some curves or power sliding around some culdesac but, around the town I live in, it is just as easy to just mash the gas from a red light and let the 8 speed do it's thing.
 
#16 ·
I would say half of the cars I have owned that were "for me" not for the family, were manuals. And it would be higher IF they all had the option of a manual. My Crossfire was a manual, my SLK was an auto, I loved them both, and wouldn't want it the other way around. My El Camino was a 3 on the tree, now a 700R4 auto overdrive, I keep kicking around swapping back to a manual. I would buy a Charger in a manual in a heartbeat, but when I got this Challenger, I intentionally didn't search for either transmission, I had no preference. manuals in traffic suck, blow, whatever, period. I'v been there done that, got the t-shirt and burned it. manuals on the highway, eh who cares. Manuals on back roads, solo drives, hell yes, they are just plain fun. 1 of my children has had a couple manuals, the other 2 never will, ever.
basically, I will choose the highest gear count over clutch pedal. Crossfire had a 6M, SLK had a 7A, Challenger with 8A. El Camino went from 3M to 4A. My old Jeep, 5M instead of 3A. PT Cruiser 5m instead of 4A...
I want to test drive a 10sp Mustang someday.
 
#17 ·
Lot of cars -- not only Challengers -- are sold with automatics. Young, middle aged, and older car buyers prefer automatics.

For some an automatic is a necessity due to age related issues.

In my case fortunately I have no issues and can drive a manual. My 2nd car is a manual. My Hellcat is only my 2nd automatic equipped vehicle. The first was a used early 1970s D200 pickup that I owned back in the mid 1970s and drove for a few years.

In the case of my Hellcat I picked the automatic over the manual because the automatic is faster. I didn't see any point in buying a car with 707hp then handicapping it with a slow shifting manual transmission. Even though I don't have any plans to race the car just enjoying the car the automatic allows the car to accelerate like there is no tomorrow. There is no let up in the acceleration when the transmission up shifts. The car obtains scary speed in no time. Time after time.

With my previous rather high performance cars: A Porsche 996 Turbo and before that a 2006 GTO; both with 6-speed manuals, while they were fast under hard acceleration the big push back into the seat was interrupted by being felt like I was being thrown against the seat belt/shoulder belt whenever I had to up shift.

As for the "involvement" some claim that a manual brings the only real involvement is the decision when to shift. The working the clutch and coordinating this with selecting a gear is pretty much automatic, had better be. One doesn't really have to the time to sort this out if he hopes to complete a shift promptly.

The same involvement with the A8 in manual mode is in deciding when to shift. But unlike a car equipped with a manual transmission when I do the shift it happens like right now.
 
#30 · (Edited)
As a past 392 w/ A8 owner, I agree with most of your post. The A8 does provide seamless, uninterrupted acceleration. It also launches harder/ easier than the M6. It has lightning fast shifts. It is a great automatic transmission.

That said, I personally don't find your "involvement" statement to be accurate. Honestly, I feel the total opposite. I am actually a bit surprised that you would say that, coming from a manual transmission in your past Porsche and GTO.
I am sure you have driven your cars outside of traffic, and on other than just straight roads. Its on a twisty road that I find the manual cars allure to be its strongest. (althou, they are still quit fun ripping thru gears on the straights)

I have no experience with the Porsche, but I have driven the 6 spd GTO. It was a far better car than what most people think and the manual transmission gave it a "special" feel/involvement/connection/engagement. I wouldn't want that car any other way.

To claim the only "involvement" with a manual trans is deciding when to shift, is a huge understatement. It presumes, other than that decision, they are the same.
They are not the same. They offer totally different driving experiences. To say they are otherwise the same, is a discredit to them both.
Whether you prefer one experience over the other, is a personal choice. (There is no wrong choice.)

For myself, Its not ALL about the usual performance matrix/numbers.... 60 ft times, 0-60 mph, 1/4 mile ET, top speed... they are important to me, but they are not the be all/end all.

I can't find the words to describe (accurately) why a manual car drives differently from an automatic car, they just do.
Maybe its more about balance, control and yes, "involvement."
More about how a manual car makes you "feel" when you drive it.
Definitely more about smiles, than numbers.
Its also more than just the shift lever, the third pedal plays a huge part in the equation as well.

I'm glad that the Challenger, Mustang and Camaro's have a manual options. Disappointed to hear that the new C8 Corvette will be with out it. There are not many manual options left. They all will be gone soon.
There are less and less people that even know how to drive a manual. They too, will be gone soon. Sad on both counts.

To answer the question of the original thread, "age or preference?"... I think it is a combination of the two.

But hey, this is just one 52 year old "Gear Jammer's" perspective.
 
#21 ·
Got my first manual at age 29....I'm 34 now and on my second. I always thought they were cool when I was a kid. I learned how to drive on an 87 VW in high school and always wanted one. The 'practical' cars that I was attracted to in my younger days simply did not offer a manual in anything that I wanted( most importanty in anything I could afford). I was an old soul at 16 and the civic's and such of that time did nothing for me. I used to wonder about the A8 once in a while when I first got my R/T. I get better at driving the stick everyday and the enjoyment keeps going up. I really think that if more younger folks gave it a chance they would be converted. It's just another way to connect with your ride. Don't get me wrong I love driving either way but I'll be damned if I wasn't missing something special by not having 3 pedals.
 
#26 ·
I bought my 6spd SRT when I was 20 or 21. I had no idea how to drive manual, but I wanted to learn and loved the look of the Challenger. If I had the choice now for a daily driver I would choose an automatic, traffic and stop lights in South Florida are no joke. But with that being said, if I could only drive it on the weekend or at the track I would choose a 6spd as it sure it fun going through the gears.

- Alexis
 
#28 ·
Personally, depends on the mission. Owned many manuals previously, but bought my Challenger as a daily driver. Honestly, I had no desire to fight traffic and commute with a manual, so I bought the auto and just play with the paddles when im feeling frisky. Now that it's been retired to weekend play car, I wish it was a 6 speed ;-)
 
#29 ·
I’m 37 and I love manuals, learned how to drive on one and owned mostly manuals, however my challenger is an auto due the fact that I commute about an hour and 20 minutes in LA traffic every day (one way). As much as I love driving a stick, driving one on the 405 in rush hour will make you suck start your pistol. If I ever get away from my commute and want to get a new challenger, I’d probably go for the stick.
 
#32 ·
I’m 37 and I love manuals, learned how toAs much as I love driving a stick, driving one on the 405 in rush hour will make you suck start your pistol. If I ever get away from my commute and want to get a new challenger, I’d probably go for the stick.
As a past 392 w/ A8 owner, I agree with most of your post. The A8 does provide seamless, uninterrupted acceleration. It also launches harder/ easier than the M6. It has lightning fast shifts. It is a great automatic transmission.

That said, I personally don't find your "involvement" statement to be accurate. Honestly, I feel the total opposite. I am actually a bit surprised that you would say that, coming from a manual transmission in your past Porsche and GTO.
I am sure you have driven your cars outside of traffic, and on other than just straight roads. Its on a twisty road that I find the manual cars allure to be its strongest. (althou, they are still quit fun ripping thru gears on the straights)

I have no experience with the Porsche, but I have driven the 6 spd GTO. It was a far better car than what most people think and the manual transmission gave it "special" feel/involvement/connection. I wouldn't want that car any other way.

I can't find the words to describe (accurately) why a manual car drives differently from an automatic car, they just do.
They are different experiences.
Whether you prefer one experience over the other, is a personal choice. (There is no wrong choice.)
To call them "the same" does a discredit to them both. They are not the same.

For myself, Its not ALL about the usual performance matrix/numbers.... 60 ft times, 0-60 mph, 1/4 mile ET, top speed... they are important to me, but they are not the end all/be all.

Its more about balance, control and yes, "involvement."
Its all about how a manual car makes you "feel" when you drive it.
Definitely more about smiles, than numbers.
Its also more than just the shift lever, the third pedal plays a huge part in the equation as well.

I'm glad that the Challenger, Mustang and Camaro's have a manual options. There are not many manual options left. They all will be gone soon.
There are less and less people that even know how to drive one. They too, will be gone soon. Sad on both counts.

To answer the question of the original thread, "age or preference?"... I think it is a combination of the two.

But hey, this is just one 52 year old "Gear Jammer's" perspective.
i agree, there’s more involvement with a manual. To try and help you put the words to it, you’re talking a solid mechanical connection of engine to driveline with a manual versus a viscous connection via torque converter in an auto, they’re going to feel different, not just when shifting.

That being said, the a8 is a monster of an auto and it’s sure nice that we have the option of two great transmissions!
 
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#31 ·
My GT is my DD all year long in upstate NY. Driving a stick in winter conditions is no picnic, I did it on and off for years. However, my other cat is a 6sp slightly tricked Mazda MX-5 Club roadster. My Challenger sees a lot of down time when it's convertible season while I enjoy playing with one of the best transmissions ever put in a perfectly balanced car.

I'm 70 with a slight meniscus tear in my left knee. If I ever decide to get it scoped, believe me, it'll be in the dead of winter. I can't imagine not having at least one car with a clutch...................the Mailman
 
#33 ·
I've always owned manuals - so despite driving rental automatics in the USA, I bought a manual Challenger - the heavy shift compared to the lightweight cars I'd always owned took a bit of getting used to. Sometimes I think an auto might suit the car better here in the UK, as there simply isn't room to open it up too often, and in traffic it would make it easier.

Interestingly, here in the UK, if you pass your test in an automatic transmission car, your driving licence is endorsed with that fact, and you aren't allowed to drive a manual. Although I don't know if you have to resit the entire driving test in a manual car to get that removed.
 
#34 ·
IMO, a stick is a necessity to zip around on mountain roads with hairpin curves. FWIW, I learned to drive through the hairpin curves in an Austin Healey 3000 I once owned. That said, an automatic is a necessity for daily driving in rush hour traffic. I don't drive in rush hour traffic because I'm retired...
 
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#36 ·
My father in law had a 1953 100-4, cool car. Did your have the 3sp plus overdrive unit? THat was funky with the dash switch to enable it in 2nd or 3rd, so you have a sort of 5 speed. And it was actually a 4 speed with 1st gear removed since the car was so light.
 
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