American Learns Why Europeans Drive MANUAL Cars

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[@karl7383]

In the UK, we drive manuals & take a driving test in manuals, which means we can use both manual & and automatic, but if you take a test in an automatic, you can only drive automatic.

[@tomassenfeldr4259]

hi in czech republic we have the same

[@simmoladdo]

Germany now has a new combined driving license. You learn to drive a manual car, 10 driving lessons, then you switch to automatic and the test takes place in an automatic car. So the test is easier and you can drive both afterwards.

[@fransmith3255]

Yep. Australia is exactly the same. I'd say that we are roughly half manual, half automatic, but most people get their licences in manuals so that they can drive either. Licences are expensive and time consuming to get. Nobody wants to get a licence to only be able to drive half the cars. I'd also say that manuals are more popular in the country (more power and more control on more varied roads) and automatics are more popular in the cities (less gear changing for all the lights). And manuals are cheaper to buy in Australia also for similar reasons to the UK. In the end, people choose which type they want, but most people learn to drive both.

[@AgraraMats]

Sweden have the same rule.

[@shegocrazy]

@@fransmith3255 In Tasmania the "automatic only" condition can be removed after 3 years. If less than 3 years then you have to do a manual driving assessment. Maybe that's the same in other states?

[@brenstratters2026]

Having always driven a manual it comes automatically to me! 😀.

[@eattherich9215]

😂😂😂

[@WaechterDerNacht]

Badum-Tss

[@eucitizen78]

This is true but when i was in this traffic jam yesterday it was just more comfortable with my automatic

[@miks564]

@@eucitizen78 And if you want the best performance out of your car, the automatic is faster too.

[@maximemax6840]

@@miks564 You're kidding?

[@stevensleightholm5648]

In the uk if you pass your test in a auto you can only drive an auto but if you pass your test in a manual you can drive both

[@toomasargel8503]

I past exam manual gearbox car but I do not know how drive automatic gearbox car.

[@kingpin1982]

Same here is Australia

[@kingpin1982]

@@toomasargel8503 If you don't know how to drive an auto please turn in your license.

[@DeepThought9999]

@@toomasargel8503Yes you do. Sit in the driver’s seat. Seatbelt on. Ignition on. Check that the vehicle transmission is in P for Park. Foot on the footbrake. turn the ignition key or press the start button. Select D for Drive on the transmission. Check mirrors and if safe, parking brake off, indicate, right foot on the accelerator and drive away, remembering that you don’t need to change gears as you accelerate or decelerate so keep your left foot idle. Easy. Also remember that unless you choose to use the sporting functions of the (modern) automatic transmission, you need to take into account that the car will not slow as much as a manual vehicle when lifting off the accelerator. Many modern automatic transmissions have a “Tiptronic”-type function allowing you to manually instruct the transmission to shift into a lower (or higher) gear (and in some circumstances with the better transmissions to hold that selected gear just like a manual car) for greater control and precision particularly on windy and/or steep roads, giving you the same benefits as using a manual transmission but without the need to use a clutch. Most of my driving these days is in heavy, city traffic where the use of an automatic transmission is a superior experience. Out in the country, driving a manual transmission definitely is a superior experience but having the “Tiptronic”-type automatic transmission is nearly as good.

[@toomasargel8503]

@@DeepThought9999 How to change gear at P to D ? no clutch. !!

[@johns7734]

I'm from the US and I prefer driving a manual because I enjoy DRIVING. I don't just operate a motor vehicle, I like to drive. In my car, I'm an integral part of the car. It does nothing without me and I make the decisions, not the car or the car designers.

[@cccmmm1234]

Manual = driving, automatic = riding.

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

I hate autos, they are so boring to drive, they never change gears at the right time going up hills either. They are getting harder to get in Australia now and my model Subaru no longer comes in a manual (mine was the last year)

[@marekolejniczak9905]

Automatic transmissions are for grandparents, although I am a grandfather and I use a manual transmission

[@jameslovell8682]

Nonsense. Do you still watch black and white television too?

[@cccmmm1234]

@@jameslovell8682 Who watches television? Granny watches television, granny drives an automatic.

[@riananolte25]

Es macht deutlich mehr Spaß manuell zu fahren ✌🏻😎

[@silvialittlewolf]

Yes! I was going to say the same thing. I've driven manual cars for over 25 years and then switched to automatic. Automatic is sensible and surprisingly, also more fuel efficient (at least if you have a modern car with loads of software onboard). But manual is so much more fun!

[@argusauge4812]

Nicht die Bohne.

[@dustyfun5944]

Freude am Fahren!

[@DanSlotea]

There is no fun pumping the clutch in the classic European traffic jam!

[@brainfreezone]

When I went for my license, my parents advised me to go manual so I could drive or quickly learn to drive any vehicle in the future. Since then I’ve found it true and now I just really like the feel of driving a manual.

[@mariam.3224]

Wise parents.

[@Mav_F]

Depends on your age. In the old days Autos were very hard to find. Manual is better for everything including controlling the car better. Autos are good in the city limits. I grew up on a farm and everything was manual back then. I think everyone should learn to drive in a manual and everyone should drive a bus or truck to get the right feel of the road and how to handle their cars better.

[@miks564]

@@Mav_F I agree with some of what you've said. But I have to say manuals are not better for everything. It's kind of the opposite. And this is from someone that has driven more manuals then automatic transmissions. For more than 20 years that automatic transmissions have become faster than any manual driven by any pro. ...And that's for those who like fast acceleration or spirit driving with faster gear changes up or down. They're more comfortable to drive as the left leg is not needed, and you don't need to lift your hand from the steering wheel or from your love on the other seat just to switch gears unless you prefer to still use the center stick. Automatics are best for fast driving even for those of us preferring to manually control gear shifting. And we can still do it without the need to use the left leg. I can only agree Automatics are no fun to use if we're talking about CVTs or old torque converters. The modern sequential gearboxes with single, double clutch or torque converters are a blast! ...and for heavy traffic or casual driving we can just leave it in Auto and don't care about it. Also on long trips, we can use cruise control and whenever we break out of it, we can just resume and the car gears up again. Cruise with manual transmission is a bitter sweet option.

[@Mav_F]

@miks564 Automatics are great. Especially for various reasons. As you get older, automatics are better. I guess I am old-fashioned. I'm getting a new car in November, and it's going to be auto because I plan to drive a lot more in the city and country, and I don't have to worry about gear changing etc and all the electronics, wow. When I get in an auto, I still put my foot where the clutch pedal is sometimes. I wonder if I will still wind up the windows, lol. In a manual, I have learnt to miss gears even when I raced, lol. I like leaving my hand on the stick shift, and I don't have a love one to hold their hand, but I would find that hard to do, though. I have driven stick shift, column shift (even on an auto), etc. Yeah, double clutch sux. Going down a very steep hill autos sux and sometimes going up, lol. Oh, I miss the high beam on the floor. There are a lot of advantages to auto today. Eventually, I believe there won't be many vehicles that will be manuals. I'm not sure if I am right, as some Sheila (me) doesn't know much about these things today. Thanks for your input. It got me thinking.

[@mariahoulihan9483]

My Father advised me the same as well.. decades ago ago. stood me in very good stead.

[@dleifragfrus1]

Nice video, European driver here ^_^ and eletric cars can´t be manual, because electric cars don't have gears

[@esaedvik]

Some do (Taycan has 2) and they COULD be manual, there's just no point really, more efficient if they're not.

[@carly200]

yeah, some have gears to get top speeds, but shifting two gears really does not make any sense

[@toomasargel8503]

Then I DO NOT buy electrical car . period.

[@toomasargel8503]

They even removed ordonary cars CD players. I own ca 200 original CD music = no ca n not put these songs on files and memory box or smartphone memory= copyright protection is on these original CD-s = I must again spend ca 2000 euros to get these songs on memory -usb box. "great" discrimnation of older music fans .

[@ruthgiles8926]

I get the impression that there is a lot of resistance in the US against EVs. Probably directly due to the petrochemical industry being powerful there.

[@countmorbid3187]

The "pedal error" accidents, where ppl keep on flooring the accelerator thinking they are braking, baffled me. Still does a bit.

[@Keepler22b]

I live in Norway, and I almost got run over by seniors twice. hitting the th e accelerator instead of break. Damn

[@countmorbid3187]

@@Keepler22b The vids are hilarious though. They keep flooring it for some reason ... 😂

[@alexandra-zaza-burns]

It’s an old person issue as they haven’t moved their foot over enough, go to brake hard and slam their foot on the accelerator. If you see a car that’s been in an accident for no apparent reason that’s usually what’s happened.

[@jimdeadlock]

I drove an automatic once and had a "pedal error" but it was the other way round - I instinctively hit the "clutch" with my left foot to change gear, but it was the brake so I did an emergency stop 🤣

[@danw82uk]

When I was a child my dad and I were parked outside a shop when a young lad, recently passed his test came around a corner, lost control, hit the car parked in front of us, bounced off it then hit the car behind us. I remember my dad saying he was going too fast to start with then pressed the wrong pedal.

[@FredericiasChannel]

As a person who likes to take a daily walk, here in Denmark where the roads are narrow, I am often surprised by an electric car sneaking up behind me and then I have to jump off the road onto the wet grass. This alone is a good reason to make them a bit more noisy.

[@martindunstan8043]

Yes,they are dangerously quiet imo

[@stephenminchin4870]

Sounds like yet another good reason not have them at all.

[@perandersson5888]

Then walk on the correct side of the road.

[@stephenminchin4870]

@@perandersson5888 Sounds like you own one of these useless creations.

[@insomniCat16]

It's also good for blind people if they're noisy. And anything else that can use their sense of hearing to detect the approach of a vehicle and/or to avoid danger. You don't want a car like a ninja sneaking up on you anywhere. Kidnappers would have a field day, I'm sure.

[@rgfrank1668]

The biggest problem is this, if u learned to drive on a manual u can drive automatic while the other way around doesn't work. In this sense only learning automatic is a disservice to the student.

[@patrickporter1864]

People make more mistakes with manual cars because they can.

[@lynnw7155]

I'm in the US. I learned on an automatic, then had several manual cars (my husband taught me to drive a manual). I like manual cars, but automatics are easier. There isn't that much difference in driving them (except the momentary panic when you can't find the clutch in an automatic 🙄)

[@brin57]

@@patrickporter1864 People don't actually make more mistakes with manual. People who drive manual have much better co-ordination and in fact have better instinctive reactions in an emergency situation due to being more engaged in the driving process.

[@hansgruber8957]

He drew a map of "Europe" and left the UK out. He clearly drew Ireland but neglected to include the UK. The UK left the EU not the continent. 😅

[@cyflym11]

Well spotted. Great drawings though weren't they! Wish I could draw like that.

[@hansgruber8957]

@@cyflym11 Absolutely amazing drawings. No disrespect to the artist at all. I did notice he included UK in second map so maybe he ran out of ink. 😃

[@musicreader4291]

It's not a map of EU because Iceland and Norway are drew. I think he drew UK ( very small ) and not Ireland :)

[@antonycharnock2993]

Then he drew it on the final map of Europe!?😂

[@alfredbatchelor1954]

I noticed the U.K. was missing.

[@Forestfalcon1]

When you have narrow roads which twist and turn up and down hills you get the best performance using manual gears.. Although automatic vehicles are much better today than years past people still prefer to be hands on using their manual gear shift.. You feel you have more control of your vehicle..

[@miks564]

People still prefer to be hands on because they don't know better. We can still use an automatic in manual. It is really that simple. We can have it both ways with modern automatic gearboxes. Only old torque converters (or CVTs of course) prevent a manual control of the gears.

[@StrangeTapes]

@@miks564 I find my automatic virtually impossible to use in manual on twisty roads because the paddles move with the steering wheel, so if you move your hands at all during a tight bend (to avoid crossing arms) you can't find them again.

[@miks564]

@@StrangeTapes On my current vehicle, mine are fixed to the steering column, but the previous one were on the steering as well and I do enjoy both options. I prefer this one better, but I’m not a strong advocate for any of the options. With them mounted in the steering, only on very tight turns it gets harder to find the shifting if we lift the hand from it, but then again, we could eventually use the center stick or avoid changing the gears on such tight part of the corner which isn’t usually a good practice anyway. 😊

[@StrangeTapes]

@@miks564 Even on a tight bend I would definitely want to know where the paddle is for when I'm coming out of the bend. I also wish they'd have a larger display for which gear I'm in. This is my first automatic so I guess I just need to use manual mode more until it becomes second nature. It's too easy to just give up on it and let the car do the shifting. These things seemed intuitive when I had manual cars. I do enjoy having the automatic though. It's way less work to get somewhere!

[@miks564]

@@StrangeTapes Can’t you change them on the center stick? That one is always in the same place (if you have it). 😊 Sometimes I use the stick to change gears as well.

[@ruthdorward6105]

I learned to drive a manual MANY years ago and choose to still drive a manual. It's a skill I don't want to lose, and, yes, changing gears does become a muscle memory. In effect, it's automatic! I live in Australia 🇦🇺 and I believe very few drive manuals here anymore.

[@si_vis_amari_ama]

Ditto.

[@JJfromPhilly67]

You are quite right.

[@paulkent2840]

Hi good vid, i was 62 before i bought my 1st Automatic car, a bmw 7 series, it was wonderful, but always had that fear & worry that one day the transmission would fail, i sold it 178k miles on the clock without any faults with the transmission ! But now at 70yrs old ive gone back to a manual 6 speed vw passat, which is a joy to drive now i am in control of the gears, i feel like a teenager again up & down the gears regulating the fuel consumption, speed & acceleration at will, love it.

[@miks564]

Why didn't you drove the BMW the same way? Automatic transmissions have a 'manual' option. We still control the gears, we just skip the left leg work with the clutch. ....and shifting times are faster!

[@LogitechXibanga]

@@miks564 you clearly never drove a manual, and thats not manual that still automatic and it will shift not when you press the paddle but when the computer thinks its the best time try to go over 25mph and then shift it into reverse and see if the car allows it... Thats your manual

[@TTMHEST]

Habe meinen Scirocco 2 mit 270000km aus vierter Hand (also ich)verkauft und alles war original und mit Schaltung. Ich habe ihn geliebt. Leider war er nicht Familientauglich und musste weichen. Die manuelle Schaltung hat es mir oft ermöglicht die relative geringe Motorleistung zu kompensieren.

[@TTMHEST]

​@@miks564wenn sie "kick down" meinen ! Das hat nichts mit manueller Schaltung zu tun. Nichts desto trotz ist in jedem Handbuch für Fahrzeuge zu lesen besonders bei den älteren Modellen, dass die Beschleunigungswerte, Verbrauchswerte und Höchstgeschwindigkeit bei Fahrzeugen gleicher Motorisierung besser sind. Dennoch muss das jeder für sich entscheiden ob Automatik oder nicht. Ich persönlich bin für nicht.

[@TTMHEST]

Auto fahren heißt für mich aktiv zu sein und bewusst am Geschehen beteiligt zu sein. Es ist eine Maschine die bewegt wird und deren Eigenheiten gekannt werden wollen. Sonst hat man keinen Spaß daran. Auto fahren kann nämlich auch ganz viel Spaß machen zum Selbstzweck.

[@jasonboyd5867]

My Grandpa apparently referred to automatics as "lazy man's cars". He always drove a manual, despite his left leg being prosthetic from the knee down. In the UK, a manal license allows you to drive both, whilst an automatic licenses allows only that. When i was looking to buy a Lancer Evo X, i went out of my way to find a manual rather than one of the majority tiptronic ones. Clutch is a bit heavy, but still own it after 9 years 😎

[@TraceUK]

He sounds a bit dumb to be honest. I’m disabled, I have no choice but to drive an automatic.

[@CrazyInWeston]

​@@TraceUKdude has 1 leg and still prefers manual, thats his opinion. Maybe youre the dumb one here.

[@CrazyInWeston]

​@@TraceUKhe has 1 leg and still preferrs to drive manual. That is his opinion. Ever considered that maybe yore the one who is dumb?

[@eattherich9215]

@@TraceUK: dumb because he can make it work? You are coming over as bitter and twisted.

[@CrazyInWeston]

@@TraceUK Why is he dumb if he prefers manual despite his shortcomings? ( im trying to word differently YT keeps deleting every reply I make)

[@user-tx9uq5kv8x]

In NSW in Australia if you pass your driving test in an automatic you cannot drive a manual with your P1 licence unless accompanied by an unrestricted driver. This is the first year of the Provisional licence after passing the test. If you want to drive a manual with a P2 licence (the second year after passing the test) you can take a test on a manual which allows you to drive one. Once you have an unrestricted licence, after your provisional period is over, you can drive both automatic and manual transmission cars. Australians are like Americans with less than 5% of new cars being sold with manual transmission. Most vehicles with manual transmissions are commercial or utility vehicles.

[@jublywubly]

I always encourage people to get their manual license, for that reason, and because there one day be an emergency and the only car available is a manual.

[@666soulreaperuk666]

Similar in the UK. You need to pass another test to drive manual.

[@Zvona555]

Driving manual is all about experience. When you master it, the feeling is more like dancing with all that fine control you get over the machine. But, don't get discouraged on the first steps. I've taught many drivers to drive manual and it's always a clumsy experience at the beginning.

[@DeepThought9999]

unless they have been practicing manual gear changes (including imaginary clutch co-ordination and rev-matching) since they were knee high to a grasshopper. Like I did. Eventually I reached driving (learning) age and I learnt to drive on a manual. The instructor said “you’re a natural”. Ha ha. My years of imaginary practice had worked well.

[@Foxhunter49]

There are two types of driving licenses for cars in the UK, manual and automatic. Manual transmission license allows you to drive an automatic, but not the other way.

[@randyscott1496]

When the Corolla 1st came to North America they were all manual. So you just bought yours too late. I learned how to drive through a driving school and I choose to learn on a manual because I thought it would be good to know. The best decision I ever made.

[@23GreyFox]

I heard of stories of car thieves who didn't made it far because of manual transmissions. I found it funny to watch.

[@anorthosite]

I bought a used (35 K miles) 2019 6-speed manual Corolla Hatch from a big, local North Carolina dealer, a few years ago (first buy in 15 years). Then, a year later, some dingbat ran a red light, and took the front end off my car. Their insurance "totaled" it, but valued it at $6000. MORE than I'd paid (COVID supply shortages ?!). Then a friend quickly found me Another 6-speed manual Corolla Hatch, on line, about an hour drive away. A 2021, only 9 K miles, and I actually like the color pattern better. 7th car I've owned (all manual) in my 45 years of driving. So there IS Hope, even here in the US :)

[@keithcornick8668]

When driving with a manual gearbox you are the conductor of the music. Something I particularly enjoy whilst driving my early MX5 on a twisty road. The ever present mental challenge of achieving perfect eye / hand co-ordination into, through and out of a bend. With the roof down one gets to experience that music you directed with the engine responding. Manual driving is mentally stimulating, whilst automatic driving predominantly lacks soul, being just the audience. I can only imagine driving electric is mind numbingly soulless. Excellent topic and video.

[@matthiaslinger6023]

I have my licence for 35 years now and my own cars all were manual, though I drove a lot of automatic cars. Shifting gears manually becomes second nature after all this time and as you say, you have much more control... Here in Germany electric cars are strogly supported now and they all are automatic. I sure will miss something in the future....

[@colinbirks5403]

Drove a BMW auto for awhile, and it drove me nuts, to have to reach a certain speed for top gear. Manual, if I'm cruising, I put a manual in top gear at whatever speed, and drop a gear for acceleration. Saves a lot of petrol.

[@Phiyedough]

I've been driving for 42 years and the first few cars were quite noisy and only had 4 gears. My current car is a lot quieter and has 5 gears. I sometimes forget to change upto 5th as I can't hear the engine revs.

[@zcustard]

I always loved driving a manual and refused to even consider a clunky slow automatic. I bought an EV a few months ago and love it. I don't miss gears (mostly).

[@colinbirks5403]

Worked on an electrical vehicle project, and drove one for 12 months non stop, and regularly at other times. I know how many problems they can have, because, I also ran a team of field service engineers too, out there fixing them. No electric for me thanks.@@zcustard

[@miks564]

@@zcustard Every automatic gearbox from the past 20 years is faster than any manual. Find me a car that it's faster with it's manual gearbox than with it's automatic variant.

[@darkknight8139]

Here in The Netherlands, everyone learns to drive a manual transmission car. If you choose to learn only automatic, you will get a note in your license that you are only allowed to drive an automatic! There are some good reasons to do so, for example if you have some health issues. If you learn to drive a manual car from the beginning, you will never forget how it works. I learned driving a manual, but have been driving an automatic transmission car for 10 years now. If I ever step into a manual car (I do sometimes), it takes a few times to get the clutch right, and that's it.

[@dariasente7713]

Jes, it's like a bicycle , ones you learn never forget

[@richardarcher3435]

I'm in the UK and I've driven manual cars for about 40 years now. I got an automatic Datsun 120Y about 20 years ago and I thought it was great, you felt like a king driving it, a very elegant drive. I went back to a manual car not particularly because I preferred it, it just happened that way, but last year I went back to an automatic, a Honda Insight, it's a hybrid with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and it's really the best car I've ever had. I absolutely love driving it. Automatic transmissions are great, it has paddles on the steering wheel that can change gear somehow but I haven't tried that yet. My main concern is going down a steep hill, I usually like to be in a lower gear but I guess when I try out the paddles I might be able to do that then. Manual transmissions I think are best if you like to go fast. I'm a cruiser so I'm quite happy with my auto, heck, if I go fast it means I get to my destination quicker, which means less time in the car, and I don't want any of that 😀 Another thing, in Wales here we have recently had our built up area speed limits reduced from 30 to 20mph. In my manual car I think that would have meant driving around in 2nd gear mostly, which of course would mean more fuel consumption (and more pollution). Not sure how it works with autos, especially with a hybrid. In theory I would have thought 20mph still consumes more fuel per mile in an auto than 30mph but I'm not sure.

[@kenwebster5053]

Well, I learned to drive in Australia in the 70s. Learned on a manual and as I was into outdoor activities in more remote places, a manual gave the option of hill starting the car if there was a problem such as low battery. However, as I grew older & did some long family holiday trips, particularly with a certain manual car that had a clutch problem. It took 3 clutch plate replacements before I got one that actually worked correctly. Well, the heavy clutch operation of some of those bad clutches over long distances really killed my leg with all the extra work, especially in traffic. After that I was pleasantly relieved with some automatic purchases. It just makes for a much more relaxed drive, but hilly topography sees you selecting gears on the auto shift, though the absence of a clutch is still a bonus. Then I have had paddle shifting automatic & that is certainly great with early cruise control. You know the early cruise controls would drop 10kph when you came to a hill & then the auto would kick down & rocket accelerate up the hill & over the crest so that now you would crest 10 kph over the speed limit & into a radar trap...... Well, the answer to this was simply to paddle down shift just before the incline, so the engine was primed to pour on the power for the anticipated incline. That way you kept your speed without over powering up the hill. Then you paddle down shift just before cresting or turn the cruise off & coast over the crest. Then cruise on again now that the engine and transmission are no longer in acceleration mode. Lastly a drawback to auto shifting is that the power surges are a problem for sufferers of motion sickness. This is one of the reasons I often use the selector on winding hill climbs & just leave it in the same gear all the way up. That way I don’t have to stop for my passenger to be sick or for their stomach to settle, which can take an hour or more. Now though I have a CVT transmission which is completely seamless & smooth & the cruise control on that car only varies the speed by 1 or 2 kmph whatever the terrain. It just does it all for you greatly reducing the risk of a speeding ticket. CVT is like a magic carpet ride, it really, really is. There are no gear changing surges, the car sickness prone no longer get car sick. It’s just smooth as silk & better fuel economy too as CVT has lower drivetrain drag than traditional automatics.

[@DeepThought9999]

“Curse control”? Hahaha. Love it!

[@kenwebster5053]

@@DeepThought9999 curses!

[@johnfisher9816]

Hi Joel, I learned to drive in the army on both manual and automatics. Then for years, I drove small sports cars with manual transmissions. In America and Canada, cars and personal trucks have traditionally been larger with bigger engines than those in Europe. The bigger the engine, the heavier the clutch with a manual shift. One of the vehicles that I learned to drive was a Dodge 4x4 PowerWagon with a 318 cubic inch (5.2 litre) V8 two-barrel gasoline engine. It had a 4-speed manual transmission; however, 1st gear was bull-low, so it was really a three-speed with a heavy clutch. Last year, I had a rental/hire GMC 4x4 Sierra with a 5.3 litre gasoline engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. No comparison between these two vehicles in terms of fuel consumption and driver comfort. The old 318 (5.2L) drank gasoline, while the new 5.3L was surprisingly efficient. The 10-speed automatic transmission meant that the engine ran below 2,000 rpm, even at highway speeds. Climbing up through the gears was very smooth, which manual shifts are not - and double-clutching is a whole other matter. Driving in heavy urban traffic with a clutch is tiring and wears out the clutch plates. Manual clutch shifting a 10 or 12-speed transmission would be a nightmare. So for me, manual shifts are for small, sporty vehicles and even some SUVs. Europe has plenty of them with excellent 6-speed manual transmissions. For larger V-6 and V-8 engines, automatic is far superior in my experience. Cheers, John in Canada

[@schaerfentiefe1967]

Manual transmissions for newer cars are becoming more and more rare with most German manufacturers. Plugin-Hybrids and fully electric vehicles don't have a manual transmission. And even for normal combustion engines newer models are only offered with automatic transmissions, often automatic dual-clutch transmissions for front wheel drive based cars. Let's take BMW for example: Only the 1 series, the 2 series Gran Coupe and some versions of M cars are available with manual transmissions. The vast majority is offered with automatic transmissions only, like the Active Tourer, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, 3 series, 4 series, 5 series, 7 series and 8 series. Also newer VW cars like the new Tiguan or the new Passat station wagon are only available with automatic dual clutch transmissions. Only the smaller cars like the VW Polo and VW Golf are offered with a manual transmission, but even there automatic dual clutch transmissions are offered as an option for some enignes.

[@aphextwin5712]

Dual clutch automatics basically removed the main disadvantages of automatics (higher fuel consumption, lower performance, higher weight) which mattered in particular with cost conscious buyers of small cars.

[@miks564]

@@aphextwin5712 Single clutch do the same as well as modern torque converters. This is true for the past 20 years at least. ...people just don't know about it for lack of experience.

[@barrydraper]

I've owned 5 or 6 manuals so far. Loved them all. So engaging. My favorite was a 2006 Pontiac GTO with the LS2 (400 hp) engine & a 6 speed Tremec transmission that I purchased brand new. Absolutely loved that car. I've also owned a 3.0L BMW Z4 convertible manual and a few 4 cylinder manuals. You seriously need to learn to drive one.

[@almitov]

When I see reactions to this video I always recommend people to check out Conquer Driving's vid named "Why are manual cars popular in the UK and Europe". It provides a lot better and detailed explanation on why manuals are so popular in Europe along with some details on the types of automatic transmissions in use (and why only now autos are becoming the norm in European countries). Overall the majority of people are not car guys/girls. They need a car to get somewhere and would prefer an automatic for the ease of use. If that however means higher expenses, then it would not do and they would pick a manual. Lately there are many options for economy cars with automated manuals and DCTs. Those have similar or better efficiency to a manual while not rising ownership costs by much, so people buy them. Hardcore car guys/girls (in both Europe and the US) will still go for a manual though. It gives more control and makes you feel one with the machine. Personally, I see the appeal for an auto in everyday traffic but driving a manual on long twisty mountain roads is just something else. With a manual you can have fun at very reasonable speeds - looking for the perfect shift, going up and down the gears anticipating turns and elevation changes etc. In an auto the only way to get your blood pumping is to drive fast - it's made for comfort, not fun.

[@lolfraggles]

Manual transmissions are fully synchronized, cars have ABS and power steering, etc... Wanna be "one with the machine" go drive a model T.

[@almitov]

@@lolfraggles Well, being born in an Eastern bloc shithole ensured the first cars I drove had neither of these things. Those were my grandpa's Moskvich 408 and my dad's Lada 2107. They weren't exactly a Model T, but were the next worst thing. For modern cars I much prefer a manual for some weekend fun in the mountain roads and a good old torque converter automatic for city traffic and highways.

[@Deus_Ubique]

i drive manually for 20 years, but also drove a lot of automatic cars (usually company owned vehicles or lend-cars). to the muscle-memory: absolutely. after a while, you don't even think about the clutch and shifting. this gets normal and just happens. when i drove an automatic the first time it happens to be a mercedes amg, so i went to the autobahn with it.. and when it was about time to accelerate, i just wanted to shift down, for the high torque. since it was a pretty sporty car, i wanted to do the shift fast to instantly accelerate. boy that didn't went well. instead of the clutch, i hammered my feet into the brake on the accel-line of the autobahn. after that, i learnt to just get used to rest one feet and don't do anything with it. at this point muscle-memory was a burden ;) i like manual, i also like automatic. especially for long distances. it's just comfy. IF i buy another car, it's gonna be automatic. but i have to say, for fun purpose, driving through the steep roads and narrow curves, manual all the way. an automatic will never be able to give you this feeling a manual can do in this environment. for daily use or long distances: automatic. i can see and value both transmissions for what they are.

[@francb1276]

Living in the UK, I grew up driving manual and always thought it gave better control - but that was with old-fashioned soggy three-speed autos. Having become interested in driving unsurfaced roads in 4x4s I realised how much of an advantage it was having a torque converter (which is the device used instead of a clutch in autos). Crawling over rocks in a manual would involve lots of clutch slipping and resultant hot smells and expensive clutch replacement, whereas the torque converter just took it all in its stride. It's perfectly possible to manually select gears in a modern auto, which nowadays can have anything from six to nine gears as I found out when later in life working for Jaguar Land Rover developing powertrains. Also, all modern torque converters have a lock which means they don't slip when not needed, so behave just like a clutch. Most modern autos have 'Sport mode' where gears can be selected manually, and all of them are electronically controlled and carefully calibrated for best performance and economy. The difference in weight is around 20kg I think [Edit:I can lift either a manual or an auto box alone, so I suspect it's even less difference!], so nothing to worry about, and just using auto mode and cruise control improves fuel consumption markedly. My son and I have near-identical Land Rover Freelander 2s (LR2 in the US, I believe), except his is manual and mine auto. I get better performance and economy. In my view modern autos give the best option for any driving style, and I am now totally converted to auto. I do however have friends who strongly disagree!

[@francb1276]

@@rulleh Sport mode in a modern auto is like driving a racing-style sequential-shift box, only maybe not quite so precise or positive feeling. There's still some 'computer-knows-best' in that it won't let you select a gear if it thinks you'll overspeed or overload the engine, but I can live with that! I used to own and drive a 4-speed auto in which I had designed and programmed an aftermarket controller, which was very insightful into what works and what's best left to the electronics!

[@chinwart]

47 year old male in the UK and recently bought my first automatic car. 320d bmw and I love it. Especially in traffic. The shift changes are instant and the thing is fast! Great video.

[@PriestmanCub]

I was taught to Drive while in the Fire and Rescue Service. The vehicles they for Training, Both Light and Heavy, were fitted with what was known as "Crash Gearboxes". You had to Double De Clutch up and down the gears to engage them. If you miss timed it you would get some very angry grinding noises from the Box. But it did teach you how to drive the vehicle properly.

[@TraceUK]

No, ALL electric cars are automatic. All of them.

[@albrechtkusei5085]

actually, I had the opportunity to see the first ever electrical VW Golf which was an experimental car in the early 1980s. They left the manual gearbox in there. So that one was actually a manual electric car. It never made it into the market though.

[@calibrax]

Actually, most don't have a transmission at all - the wheels are directly connected to the electric motors.

[@spacepowerofficial1187]

The Porsche Taycan has 2 gears

[@NLRevZ]

Do hybrids count? If so, Honda CR-Z was sold as a manual!

[@janolaful]

​@@spacepowerofficial1187 and cost £40.000 to replace the batteries. Expensive 😮

[@Houtsnijden-met-Peter]

Hello jps, I live in Holland, and switched cars in January. I had a Dacia duster and chance it for a Renault Twingo EZ. Glad I did. For instance, the fuel. With the Duster when the gas was low I had to put in for €120, now when the battery runs low, I charge it at home with mine solar panels and that costs me €8. And the car is altogether different, because of the motor. It's clear that's an electric motor, And at the V.S. it's a fuel engine with auto transmition. Mine car is also an automatic transmission, but electronic. And they're for much lighter. Although the battery weights something too. I am now 66 years old, and my driving skills went worse with the Duster. Too much to do, while keeping my eyes on the road. Now with mine Twingo, I'm driving much relaxer and sure. If you want to know more. Please contact me.

[@russbetts1467]

Hi. I live in the UK and drive an Automatic, but not through choice, as I have a Hip and Knee problem with my Left Leg, which makes driving a Manual Box around town very painful. As much as I like my Auto - a Hyundai Getz 1.4 Litre - the thing I hate about it, is the fact that it only has a Three Speed gearbox, which doesn't go into Top gear until it's doing 42 MPH, so is very wasteful of Petrol around town, where most Speed Limits are 30 mph. One of the advantages of a Manual box, is that you can usually drive at about 28 mph in Top gear, so improving your fuel consumption. The other good thing about Manual boxes, is that you can do what are commonly referred to as 'Racing Changes' whilst driving. This is a performance boost that you can't get with an Automatic, even if you have one correctly tuned, which 'Kicks Down' immediately, when you floor the Accelerator. I learned to drive on a Manual and it's only in recent years I've been obliged to resort to an Automatic, because of my injury. When/If I buy another car, I shall get one with F1 style Gear-change paddles on the steering wheel, as that would enable me to return to a Manual gearbox, without the problems I currently suffer, because of my injury. That was the first thing I discovered when I bought my Automatic... They don't accelerate as rapidly as a Manual box. In addition to that, driving down steep hills in an Automatic requires constant use of the brakes, even if locked in Low Ratio. No such problem with a Manual box. The one thing to remember with a Manual box, is that whenever you come to a stop - such as Traffic Lights, or a Railroad Crossing - you need to remember to put it into Neutral, or you quickly shorten the life of the Clutch. I've known people who had to replace the clutch on a new car after less than 20,000 miles, whereas, I would regularly get 45,000 miles from my clutch, by driving sensibly and not 'Riding' the clutch when driving. i.e. Foot completely off the clutch pedal and not 'holding' the car on the clutch and brakes, when stationary. Great video and very informative. Russ. Portsmouth, UK.

[@eisikater1584]

Your face when he talks about fuel prices, hilarious! I'm German, and all my friends drive manuals. One reason certainly is that they're cheaper, and a second one that you learn it. You could make your license on automatic but then would not be allowed to drive a manual. Never, and nowhere in the EU because we have unified licenses. If you learn on a manual, however, it's perfectly fine to drive an automatic. So you just have more options.

[@MrOpacor]

I am also German and I currently drive an automatic car. I would rather have bought a manual, but the Mercedes GLC with four wheel drive only was available in automatic. I bought that almost four years ago. And if things get tight on the road I still reach for the gear lever and try to press the clutch pedal. Luckily, both are not there ;-). The nine speed automatic transmission from Mercedes is OK, but i'd still rather use the six speed manual.

[@eisikater1584]

@@MrOpacorI must admit that I have no experience with a 4WD, never drove one. Maybe automatic makes some sense there, especially with the cars you're talking about. My favorite car was a vintage VW T2 (yes, the Hippie van) from 1976 with a rear drive, and the engine also in the rear. In my opinion, rear drive has some advantages, especially in difficult terrain or in winter, as the car is being pushed instead of pulled and the main weight is on the rear axle which makes the car more stable under any conditions. Don't know why VW (and BMW who also had some cars with a rear drive) gave up on that concept. And I don't think, like some people said, that rear drive is hard to steer. I still find it very intuitive and not hard at all.

[@79BlackRose]

01:04 - 01:22 sums up my reason for choosing to drive a manual car (although I have driven both) here in the UK.

[@eattherich9215]

Driving a manual requires active participation rather than cruising along with your foot on the accelerator pedal.

[@miks564]

Automatic transmissions are faster and can be more fun to drive while being used manually while using paddle shifters. Yes, automatic transmissions can be used manually. Only CVTs and old torque converters are no fun. The others let you choose to be faster, have fun, or just cruise around without care of what the car is doing. This is specially true in traffic.

[@miks564]

@@eattherich9215 Automatic gives you the option to have active participation. We still don't need to use the left leg. The car operates the clutch for us.

[@user-td9hp6li5h]

I'm in the UK and like the vast majority of Brits, I drive a manual car. A manual car is more fun, and particularly if you have a car with a very nice gearbox/gearstick like I do. Once you're used to it, you really don't think of it as "work" and you do on the whole have more control on the roads which are very different to the majority of US roads... ...that being said, many car companies are now phasing out manual gearboxes and are moving towards automatic cars, especially high end/luxury/SUVs are mostly going auto these days, even the internal combustion engine cars. The other thing is that it's not just a hard manual vs automatic situation now: you do get quasi-manual situations like auto with DSG, which allows you do for example manually downshift when going into corners using paddles near the wheel (with an autoclutch rather than a clutch pedal) rather than a gearstick, in an otherwise automatic car. Therefore, I think what will happen is whilst internal combusion engine or hybrid cars are still around, things will move to auto overall, but the higher-end cars will probably have DSG options for the driving experience side of things.

[@penelopejane8120]

Hello from the UK 🇬🇧...I have always driven an automatic car. I passed in a manual car, but I absolutely hated it when driving a manual car 🚗. I know most of my friends, both male and female, prefer driving manuals because they say that 'proper driving'! To this I could concur, except for the fact I really don't care what they think! I love the ease of an automatic car, and have just recently bought a little Suzuki jeep, lovely little runner. Finally, basically when one is on the road, in traffic, busy roads etc. people don't really give a crap what type of engine everyone else's car has, they just dont want you crashing into theirs 😅!!

[@omaha2pt]

My 2 cents. And for context, I am an European citizen, currently working as a mechanic. I got my initial training in the US in the early 90's. I find that automatics are better, easier and more efficient in urban areas, where traffic is more intense and challenging: slow moving traffic, intersections, etc. It gives you a quicker reaction and keeps you from stalling the engine because you juggled the clutch and throttle pedals wrong. I also find that manuals are better for open road, where traffic is easy (er) and the clutch eliminates the slippage from the torque converter, thus giving you far better fuel mileage. However, manuals give you better control when slowing down the car, by enabling you to use the engine as a brake (of sorts). Think hills and mountains. Clutches tend to last between 40.000 to 80.000 miles, and (I think) automatics tend to last North of 100.000 miles (of course there are exceptions and nuances). None is better than the other, it all depends on your individual circumstances and personal preferences. I am under the impression that Henry Ford was one of the initial proponents of ATs, he used to call manuals "crunch gears" (with good reason, clutches haven't always been around). Also, it is easier to sell a product that makes the buyers life easier.

[@francb1276]

A fair response! I could perhaps add as I said in another comment that modern torque converters have a lockup function so don't have that slip disadvantage any more, and the manual override in 'sport' mode lets you use engine braking if your auto box is working properly. Even in full auto mode, with a closed throttle the box will shift down earlier for deceleration.

[@veedubbya]

A manual is not a lot of fun when you're queueing for the Dartford tunnel

[@edwinbartels9360]

I would say a traffic jam isn't a lot of fun no matter what you drive.

[@spamhead]

All heavy traffic is a pain with a manual. If I lived in London I would not even consider a manual. Having said that, my everyday car is a manual, and I do a lot of mileage outside of towns. I also have a heavy 64 year old automatic car, with no power steering. Not having to think about changing gear when going into slow bends is a bonus! With electric or hybrid cars being foisted on us, manual cars will become a thing of the past.

[@martingerlitz1162]

And if you drive in San Francisco... Impossible to get this done manual

[@jacobwilliams1298]

Last year I bought a new Volkswagen Jetta. It is a manual transmission. It is my first manual transmission car. I had no choice but to learn how to drive it properly, which I did. I live in the Colorado Rockies and will say it is a blast to drive and handles really well with the substantial curves in the mountains. I drove it to San Diego for Christmas and it did really well in the crazy city traffic as well.

[@roberta9833]

😃👏👏👍Great! 👋from Italy 🇮🇹

[@kimnach]

I've been driving my 5spd manual IROC for 36years now, and love it. Manuals make me more aware and part of the driving experience.

[@YT-Observer]

some of the Electric cars are required by law to make a sound for safety ... the noise alerts ppl vehicles are comming

[@user-uz6cn9dv3o]

As a person of reduced hearing I was almost knocked down by an electric car that came up behind me on a road with no footpaths.

[@pietergreveling]

When my mother lived in Portugal, she ended up buying a car with an automatic because she lived in a mountainous area and if she had to stop and start driving uphill, it was much easier for her with an automatic, rather than a manual! By the way, we are from the Netherlands and not really known for our mountains! 🤪😁✌🏼

[@RushfanUK]

Could have bought a car will hill assist, I have a 10 year old Ford Fiesta and that has hill assist, it will hold without any braking input from the driver.

[@pietergreveling]

@@RushfanUK That's great, i didn't know that existed in such small cars! 👌🏼 But my mother was already 70, so it was much easier for her to drive in the end, but she still gets speeding tickets, including last year and she is already 82! 🤪✌🏼

[@papalaz4444244]

all you do is use the handbrake

[@johnrhodez6829]

Of course I use the hand break, however it is good to practice doing it without....you never know when the handbrake may fail, performing a hill start is not the time to find out how!

[@andystone6777]

well, I (native and still resident German) got 2 cars. A 72 Chevy Nova 350 with a TH 400 (automatic) and about 381 bhp tested and a BMW 325 ti compact / 192 bhp with manual. The Chevy runs really hot and tire burning so I'm happy somebody else cares for shifting gears. But the BMW is the more sporty one / daily driver and I LOVE it's manual cause I can control what the car does and WHEN it does it. 🙂 and I hope you, Mr. MoreJps, enjoy your choise Baron, PEP cars V8 U.S. car club, Frankfurt Germany

[@Stu040874]

I am guessing that's quite an old video? At least for the UK, the proportion of cars sold with an auto box is MUCH higher than the numbers in that video. Many manufacturers offer almost no manual cars at all now.

[@ffotograffydd]

It’s the same across Europe, electric cars and hybrids are automatic. They make up a significant percentage of new sales in most countries.

[@andreasfischer9158]

I used to drive manual. Switched to automatic 10 years ago. Much better.

[@iainhughes8110]

Anyone who buys an automatic car purely because a manual car is "more work" really needs to visit their Doctor for a Health Check! If changing gears manually is so tiring, I would suggest that it would be potentially dangerous for that person to be in charge of such heavy machinery!! People with handicaps/ disabilities should, of course, be given the option to drive a vehicle adapted to their specific needs.

[@miks564]

Everybody that writes what you've just wrote denotes lack of experience with automatic gearboxes. Because a manual gearbox is indeed more unnecessary work from any driver ...with with worse dynamic performance. We can still drive an automatic, manually, doing it faster than any pro driver with any manual gearbox and without the need to use the left leg. You will struggle mightily to find any car that's actually faster with a manual than with the automatic transmission variant.

[@BadBoyV1]

@@miks564 You have just exposed yourself terribly

[@miks564]

@@BadBoyV1 How so?

[@MissSekhmet666]

i drive two cars, one is auto, one is manual. my disability doesn't prevent me from driving manual, but it does affect energy/pain levels. I love my manual, its my car, the driving experience is much more intuitive, but it *is* more physically draining. I tire much quicker, my body suffers more having to shift between pedals during city/town driving when shifting gears constantly with stopping/starting. I drive the auto as a chauffeur for my mother who cant drive any more due to age, but maintains owning her own car. the journeys in that are less physically taxing, i can drive longer distances, have less pain when town/city driving, but its deathly boring to drive imho. I know you said people with disabilities should be given the choice, but i did want to share my experience on that fact manuals ARE more physically tiring to drive. (but they will prise my manual out of my cold dead disabled fingers if i have a choice lol, i'll take tired over bored any day)

[@miks564]

@@MissSekhmet666 All my automatic transmission cars had sequential transmissions that could be used in manual mode, manually shifting on the center stick or using paddle shifters. All of them have been fun and efficient to use. A poor experience with Automatic transmissions usually means the driver doesn't know how to override / use it in 'manual' or the experience hasn't been done with a modern automatic transmission with selectable gears on the center stick or paddle shifters. CVTs and old torque converters are boring, I agree. Both single clutch, dual clutch or modern torque converters are great to use in manual mode. ...and of course, they shift faster than any manual.

[@burtleboeuf1429]

its swings and roundabouts. You get better control from a manual, hands down for hills, quick get aways from a roundabout or junction. With the automatic, it's less tiring on long journeys and less irksome on short, stop n start routes in town. I have a semiauto with auto and sequential options.

[@maggiematthews3517]

I learned to drive on a manual and they remain my favourite although my current car is automatic transmission. The very best car I ever had was a manual sports car which was an absolute delight to drive especially on those twisty, winding, hilly, country roads in Europe.

[@ianyoung9539]

In Australia the same reason given for expenses for automatic cars apply, but most go for manual as with our casual & relaxed lifestyle, many people tow boats, trailers, caravans etc. & with manual you have more control by going going down a gear to climb hills and also using engine as an engine brake rather than overheat cars brakes and when off road there is more control in gravel, sand & mud.

[@mariahoulihan9483]

I was a police driver.. very true about the flexibility of a manual gearbox for all those reasons.

[@I_hate_Vegemite]

BS …. New light vehicles sales in Australia are now over 97% automatics. The only manuals you can buy are expensive sports-oriented cars and base model tradie vehicles sold on lowest price. Anyone doing serious towing or 4WD off-road work is looking for a big torque engine, high towing weight capacity and a torque converter auto with 6+ gears.

[@user-nm2op3ez5s]

I have driven for over 40 years. Mostly a manual. I changed to automatic 10 years ago...and i love them. Driving is a far more relaxed, enjoyable experience. To me, its the difference between hand washing and an automatic washing machine. Why all that work, when its not necessary. Especially in heavy traffic. All that changing gear, with all the heavy clutch work. I will never go back to manual.

[@miks564]

I say exactly the same. I've moved to sequential gearboxes 20 years ago, went back to manual reluctantly and again to sequential 7 years ago. And despite the age (I'm a youngster from the last century like you), I still enjoy sporty driving and I frequently use manual shifting using the paddle shifters. They're a lot more fun and faster to use than the conventional manual shifting option. And for casual driving or heavy traffic, is just like you've said. Why even bother?

[@papalaz4444244]

Hello fake name troll gaslighting everyone @user-nm2op3ez5s Joined Mar 1, 2024

[@hosware]

As a native from the UK 🇬🇧 i learnt to drive in a manual back in 93 but have only ever brought automatics since. My parents and brother also drive autos. Manuals are very old fashioned and more found in commercial vans. About 60% of cars in the UK though are automatic and that is increasing year on year. Manuals are still widely used in smaller cars but more out of habit rather than a sensible choice.

[@jorgealmeida5313]

Driving my manual 1995 jaguar xjr is speciall. I agree 😊

[@timokloy]

It changed a lot over the last 20 years. Today Just over 50% of the cars in, for example Germany, have automatic transmission

[@Akabei01]

and it will change even more with the eletrification of cars.

[@Rafaela_S.]

Would say the real number is way less, the 50% is new registrations therefore new cars. And the biggest amount of new cars, is purchased by businesses, like rental services. Privat most private car owner still buy used cars with manuell transmission. I personally would go with automatic, since I can't feel the clutch, which means I accelerate first and then release the clutch, which is not good for the car. And you can pay more attention to what's happening around you. But yes slowly the trend goes to automatic and the amount of manuell transmission cars, is decreasing on the used market too.

[@mogwai76]

And it still depends on the vehicle class. So BMW 5 already sells more automatic for a longer time. BMW 3 also more than 50% for years now. While buyers of cheaper cars still struggle a bit to pay 3000€ extra for an automatic. But the more driver assistance systems are in your vehicle the less sense makes an manual shift, because the vehicle's automated actions are then limited by the manual shift: e. g., automated parking, ACC in a wide speed range,...

[@Gr8Buccaneer]

the automatic has become so popular,because you have a hand free for the smartphone then....

[@CirTap]

that's BS. There are 49 million cars in Germany and 12 million are automatic, how does that make 50%?

[@rossprentice4975]

It might seem strange but driving a manual car becomes automatic after a while and its more fun

[@charlieyerrell9146]

Manual gearboxes are cheaper to repair than automatic .some automatic transmissions are very expensive to repair or replace.

[@terrencesala5255]

When I was in the Air Force and stationed in England, all the vehicles were manuals. Even a fork-lift over there was manual, talk about alot of knobs and levers to play with. Whew!

[@mydetlef]

There are also two differences in urban planning. In Europe, shopping, living and working in a city are often directly next to each other. The large shopping park or the office landscape with many parking spaces is rare. A small car is easier to park and the routes between the apartment and office or the shop are smaller. A small car can have an automatic, but this technology has only been available for small vehicles for a few decades. In the years before 1990 there were practically only a few small cars to buy with automatic.

[@JeremyParker072]

In heavy traffic automatics are so much better. I drive both manuals and automatics but with electric vehicles dominating sales I think manuals will be obsolete in a couple of decades if not sooner.

[@asmodeusbaal5530]

EV's are not dominating sells and never will.

[@buddyhek]

Not sure what makes you think EVs dominate sales, certainly not here in the UK.

[@Goldenhawk583]

EVs popularity is dropping fast now that people are discovering the cost of replacement batteries and the resale value.

[@pietg.6249]

I recently switched to an automatic transmission... not a bad thing in itself. In combination with the automatic distance control, cruise control and active lane keeping, the car practically does it all by itself. The advantage is obviously in traffic jams. And since I also go on holiday, driving has become much more pleasant in the long term. But if you prefer a sporty driver, then the manual transmission is the only option. Also, by the way: in Europe not all cars have a manual transmission, almost the majority have automatics..

[@user-mj5bl5dy1b]

No they dont

[@pietg.6249]

@@user-mj5bl5dy1b yes, they have..

[@JJfromPhilly67]

Great artwork in the video.

[@contessa.adella]

In UK and the EU, automatics are mostly high end cars like Audi, BMW, Mercedes etc and where it is an option, you pay a lot extra for that auto box. Manuals give you much more precise control of power to the wheels which is useful when stuck in snow or mud, plus alternating fwd and rev can be used in a manual to rock the car out of a snow rut…Autos take too long to kick in for this technique to work. Mostly though manuals are just more fun to use and knowing it requires at least some skill is gratifying.

[@DeepThought9999]

All true.

[@Furniture121]

Not so much... We have snow and mud in Canada as well, and I have never had issues regulating the power to the wheels, or rocking a car out of a rut in an automatic. Not getting your car stuck in ruts also requires skill, and not getting stuck is quite gratifying as well.

[@paulmcwilliams8641]

My wife decided after her first lesson from me that she wanted to go automatic. Whilst we had two cars I stuck to manual, just for the fuel economy really, but once we only needed one, well it had to be an auto. However she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and as her condition worsened over the years, she finally had to give up driving. On the next car change I was straight back to a manual. It's like riding a bike, eventually you don't even think about your gears, the noise of the engine revs promotes an automatic gear shift, so in a way it is exactly the same really. Now I have an EV, for economic and planet hugging reasons and ergo est, I am back in an automatic. At one point I was working as a truck driver and sometimes had to drive and old Merc with 18 speeds and no synchromesh. Synchromesh is like an extra sub gear that guides the gear into place. Before sychro gearshift you had to match the engine revs to the speed the machine was travelling as you changed gear and if you got it wrong there was a graunching noise akin to how you might imagine Iron Man trying to shag Hulk. Going up the gears was not too bad, just press the clutch and shift, going down the gears meant slowing the vehicle to a speed right for the lower gear, pressing the clutch, going into neutral, revving the engine a bit and as it reached the right revolutions pressing the clutch again and wanging it into gear. Hoping and wincing all the time you had got it right. That truck would not even change into second until the gearbox oil had warmed up a bit. You had to drive at the crazy speed of two miles an hour for 3 or 4 minutes until it wanted to co-operate. A passer by once cheerfully asked, if I wanted him to walk in front brandishing a red flag. Luckily I had learned to drive an old tractor with no synchro and had owned two old 60's sports cars with the same prehistoric setup, so I got by without too much embarrassment, but my anal sphincter muscles ached from the tension of it all, by the end of a working day

[@papalaz4444244]

a long story all about you

[@miks564]

You can drive most automatic gearboxes manually. You know that, right? ...and if you leave an automatic in Auto, it's potentially more fuel saving because it never gets lazy and you can still override any shift change anticipating any need that the gearbox doesn't know about.

[@larissahorne9991]

Meanwhile, in Australia, everyone has to learn to drive manual cars to get their licence. After that, it's their choice, whether they want a manual or automatic car. One of my sisters didn't get an automatic until she was around 40.

[@alans9806]

My older daughter passed in an auto and has never driven a manual. I agree that learning to change gears should be compulsory

[@maggiewidows2218]

I don’t believe that is the case - certainly not in Victoria, Tasmania or NSW. Don’t know about the other states.

[@jasper46985]

Aah, overhere in the Netherlands you can get 2 kinds of licenses: an automatic car and a manual car license. If you have one for automatic, one is not allowed to drive manual.

[@stebbastud]

It was that way in Iceland when I got my license but not sure now

[@Flirkann]

Well, no - you can absolutely test in an Automatic Transmission Vehicle, but you'll be restricted to Automatics until such a time that you resit your practical driving test with a Manual Transmission Vehicle

[@2DogsVlogs]

In the UK insurance was a lot more expensive for an Auto. They were mostly in luxury brands, Merc S Class, BMW 7 series and a lot of 5 series, RangeRover\LandRover, Rover & Jaguar. The more common Vauxhall, Ford, Citroen, Renault all came in manual. In Australia manuals were used in smaller 4cl engine cars, but the trend changed in the mid 80's and most of these were now auto. The cost of an auto was about $2k more. Even now an auto costs about $4k more than a manual but very few people get a manual. Some makes now only come in auto, such as Kia & Honda. Most commercial utes\trucks & vans still come as a manual though auto's are getting a hold in the market.

[@runningriot7963]

Yeah man I was in the same boat as you, grew up only driving automatic, never even saw a manual car until I was 22, one fo my car guy freinds had one. He showed me a little bit about it and taught me the basics, thought it was something cool and new to do. Fast foreward a few years and my Carollas transmission went out and that's when I deccided to buy my first manual car. Funny thing is I had to have my friend drive the car off the lot becuase I havn't had much practice and he taught me for an hour or so in an open parking lot. Ever since then I've loved every minute of my manual. I feel so much more connected to the car, it's actually kinda fun to drive again. and know I have a new skill that cane come in really clutch at some point, pun intended. Anyways I only wish I started sooner. However some places like san francisco with a lot of traffic and steep hills it gets really tiring to everyday drive. I heard someone say once that, "You ride an automatic car, but you drive a manual." I feel like it's the difference between ordering takeout and homecooking your meals. Yeah there's more skill and work involved but it's just that much more satisfying when you get a perfect rev match... etc. and driving around back roads through the mountains is a blast. Anyways nice video and I hope you learn to drive one some day as well, it's really not that hard to do, just takes some practice and the reward is great.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Manual cars used to be more efficient than automatics. However, with modern computer controlled automatic transmissions, this is no longer the case. Automatics are safer as well, particularly for novice drivers as there's no longer a need to think about the gears, and it is less fatiguing. With the increased use of electric cars and hybrids, the argument becomes moot anyway.

[@davidjames4915]

Automatics will drive off on their own if you lift your foot off the brake pedal. There's no way one can consider a vehicle that does that safer than one that would stall under the same conditions.

[@robertgriffith8857]

@@davidjames4915 : Yes but not if you keep your foot OFF the accelerator pedal. The worst they do is to very slowly creep forward! Stalling is something of the past!!

[@miks564]

@@davidjames4915 You're seeing it upside down. What danger is that if you accidentally lift the foot out of the brake? Consider that in a manual car same thing happens if there's an incline on the road while with an automatic, it will probably hold and wait for the gas pedal to be pressed.

[@ffotograffydd]

@@davidjames4915Only if you forget to set auto hold… the tech has moved on mate.

[@davidjames4915]

@@ffotograffydd Uh, great? So there's a feature that stops automatics from driving off on their own, but you have to remember to set it. Not exactly... failsafe.

[@thorstenkettler-thiel1198]

The sound on the electric cars is due to security reasons so the car will be recognised by pedestrians and others.

[@TraceUK]

You mean safety.

[@thorstenkettler-thiel1198]

@@TraceUKdefinitely In German both security and Safety mean Sicherheit

[@rcav8r2]

Good luck finding one in the states. I always had manuals, but my last was a 1997 Maxima SE. Bought a 2004 4Runner, which was only offered as an automatic in the states. At that time there were very few manuals available. Bought a 2014 CRV and at that time the last manual available was in a 2014 Forester, and the last on in the tri-state area near me was just sold so I missed out on that one by a few hours. I am car shopping again, and I can't find a single manual. Even the current pocket rocket Imprezas are autos.

[@Pietervdv]

I learned to drive manual at age 9. My dad used to take my brother and me to a deserted parking lot on early Sunday mornings to get a feel for it. Ten years later he let us compete in club sports events like slaloms and ghymkanas, learning a lot about car control. It's very satisfying to be able to drift, double clutch, heel and toe and manage weight transfer.

[@YesiPleb]

What you grow up with will depend on where you are. Here in the UK there are way more MT cars than AT and they can be pretty cheap. My wife tried to learn how to drive and struggled until I suggested she try AT at which point she could handle it fine. I've had an AT car and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't get my fuel consumption down very far because I can't choose when it changes gear. I like to keep the revs low, accelerate slowly and brake gently (if at all) and the best MPG I've had so far was in an old M-reg Vauxhall Astra diesel of 72mpg, drove from Devon to Scunthorpe and back on one tank. I now drive a large 2 litre VW Passat estate and can get about 66mpg around country (B) roads. I have a friend who's American, she moved over here a few decades ago and she's in awe at my driving, no idea why. I've therefore come to the conclusion automatics are used more over there because you don't have to think (handy for the less intelligent among us) and your fuel price is so cheap. We're taxed to the eyeballs on fuel. I like to have control over the car I'm driving although an automatic can be more relaxing to drive. EDIT: My wife's AT car (small Kia) cost £3,500 and it's a tiny 2007 car where as my VW Passat is 2011/2012 and cost about £2,500 - bearing in mind the age difference between the two cars is not a great gauge on price.

[@caroline4323]

Never driven an automatic, not many around. Yes, you have much more control... and it´s fun!

[@strenter]

German here. I drove manual all my life until I got my trusty Toyota Auris (renamed to Corolla again) Hybrid. I just love the way you can handle this car smartly and consume less fuel. I remember one time I was first on a red traffic light. There was a Smart pulling on the lane on my right. Like two hundred meters further my lane went left and their lane was leading straight. Now the lights turned green, and I did my usual, just push the accelerator pedal to the ground. The Smart driver seemed to think alike, and they even went a tiny bit ahead of me - until they had to switch gears, which I don't have to because of that very cool hybrid design. Long story short, they tried to get ahead of me onto the Autobahn and failed miserably. I don't know whether they had a manual or automatic transmission, I just know Toyota's solution of hybrid transmission design was just better. 😂

[@rosemarykoval8202]

I'm on my 4th mini cooper in the States. I love motoring along being part of the car. It makes me feel strong. It only sucks when stuck in traffic and have to constantly shift between lower gears.

[@TD-er]

First time I ever heard about an automatic transmission car was when my grandfather had his hip replaced and thus couldn't operate the kludge pedal anymore. So my association with automatic transmission is that it is something for old people. I have driven automatic transmission a few times (in cars of my grandparents) and it always made me feel nervous as you hardly can easily drive away. It always "jumps" forward from a standstil. Especially when on tight parking lots, even though their cars are quite small and you should have lots of space around you when parking, it feels more tight as you don't have control over moving the car just a few cm. It really feels unnatural and way less control. It just feels like you're releasing an elastic rubber band from your hand and need to try to catch it before it leaves your thumb.

[@alansmithee8831]

Hello Joel. I drive both in UK. I had an issue with an automatic VW Lupo and the mechanic showed me to drive that two footed. So much for German reliability, I had the same issue with two of them.

[@scottbarrett4746]

Pretty good video. I think another reason may be historical. The first mass market car in the US was the Ford Model T which had a transmission more akin to an automatic. It was sort of semi-automatic. Here in the UK, the first mass market car was the Austin 7. Its transmission was manual. A couple of decades ago I saw figures of 10% automatic in the UK and 10% manual in the US. I'm sure the percentage automatic in the UK has gone up a lot in recent years. Some luxury cars are no longer available with manual and most small cars have automatic as an option. Expensive though. Many driving schools now offer automatic tuition even though passing your driving test in an automatic here doesn't allow you to drive manual.

[@JamesLMason]

We now need a series of videos watching you get to grips with a manual transmission car, if you haven't already driven one.

[@trevorfarrell5720]

Manual gears give you so much more control, and here in Australia, they are the norm, although autos are now far more common than they used to be. If you do your driving test in an auto you are not allowed to drive a manual without redoing the test. I now drive an auto as I injured my left knee, and using clutch became painful.

[@Lily-Bravo]

I learned to drive a manual when 17, a long long time ago. After I passed my test, I was occasionally allowed to drive my mother's car, which was an automatic. It was OK. but I felt disconnected from the thing and almost didn't believe I was driving at all. I went to live in London and didn't need a car, so driving continued to be just when at home, in the same automatic car. Then I was given a 1939 Austin 8 and my then husband and I rebuilt it and I was back to the gear shift easily. Gosh you really felt you were driving that car! it wasn't double de-clutch but sometimes you had to do that. Over the following years we had a mix of old classics, Morris Minor, Morris traveller, VW Beetle, then Jaguars of various sorts. The Jaguars were automatic, but when overtaking you could use the shift through the gears to give enough oomph. Back now to a Skoda Manual Turbo diesel and it is really responsive. I had a courtesy car a few weeks ago and it was a marshmallow with only Drive Neutral and Reverse, no gear options. not only that but the headlights and wipers kept turning on an doff without any input from me. I felt like a blob. Taking it back and getting my car back was great. We live up a hill, and I came up that like a hill climb. In charge again!

[@sigge67]

i live in sweden and i use to drive imported 69 firebird, i loved it. left fot on the brakes and right fot on the gaspedal. just loved it.

[@delfine7163]

Simply a question of being in control. I love driving and using gear changes to get the best out of my car!

[@annaolsson5441]

We use manuals as we have a lot of snow and bad weather in Scandinavia and we park outside so we really don't want to have things freeze and not be able to push it to start.

[@veaton77]

46 yr old Australian here. In the 90s when we were getting our licences it was for a manual licence. No one went for an automatic. It was almost like a sin or lazy or something to make fun of a person for. Spoke to a friend recently and her teenage kids say its still the same. I'm glad :)

[@davidmc1489]

First drive was a 3 on the tree chevy pick up......got a 93 ford ranger with a 2.3 and 5speed manual.

[@chrissmith8773]

The opposite is true in the European heavy truck market. Almost all new trucks are automatic and since 2017 in the UK, if you take your Heavy truck licence test in an automatic and have a manual car licence, you are allowed to drive manual trucks as well

[@joriegler66]

I have had an automatic one, but in the meantime I changed to gear-shift again - I love it... 😊

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

In the U.S., the first car I bought, on purpose, was a manual. I did my driver's license course on a manual (in Europe) and when I came to the States, I didn't want an automatic. Then for a while, I was, due to circumstances, forced to drive only automatics: I hated it, hated, hated, absolutely hated it, and that's bearing in mind how smooth American automatic transmissions shift and ride. The first chance I got, I went back to the manual, and since then, I refuse to buy an automatic transmission car. Now I'm back in Europe, and even my American V8 is a manual, all my cars are. Ironically, the American manual transmission is by far the best manual transmission I have ever had the pleasure of driving, and I've driven a lot of cars from all over the world. If I can no longer drive a manual transmission car, I will not drive. They can pry the manual shifter at my funeral from my cold, dead hands. I hate the lack of dry clutch, I hate the lack of clutch pedal and I hate the way automatic transmissions shift (no matter how fast!) so much! I want to drive, not be driven by firmware in the ECU!

[@karenmcneill2602]

I grew up in NZ and Australia and manuals were everywhere (admittedly I am in my 50s). I learnt to drive a manual and am happy I did. However, the last car we bought I chose auto because I cannot be bothered with the clutch anymore LOL. Being able to drive a manual is very helpful even now as I can drive all cars and can help friends out.

[@Roddy1965]

It's getting a lot harder to buy manual transmissions in N America, now. Used to be pretty common.

[@Psalm1267]

@Roddy1965 Even at VW and Toyota dealers?

[@surfpsych]

Agree. Vehicle choices limited.

[@macflod]

Europe is moving fast to automatics too! Definitely feel there more control to be had with manual! Also wish we could go back to manual handbrake s too

[@daseteam]

There is also the fact automatics are power-sapping.

[@DeepThought9999]

Not any more. They usually have automatic clutch lockup after each gear change, so no more power-sapping transmission slip or that horrible rubber band effect. Automatics are now usually better than a manual for performance (acceleration and economy) and comfort.

[@TmHudsonArt]

Manual driver in the UK.....my stepdad drives and prefers automatic but it is partly due to his physical issues. I tend to use gears a lot for braking I have to admit. Much better than just relying on the brakes themselves...great for the windy country roads we tend to have. If you learn and take your test in a manual vehicle in the UK, you can drive manual or auto legally but you can also learn and take your test in an automatic but then you are only allowed to drive automatic vehicles.

[@andrusch2]

The exhaust imitation is introduced due to security reasons, since there were many accidents with pedestrians, that didn’t hear a silent electric car approaching.

[@Drinckx2]

As a Brit, I have driven manual transmissions all my driving life. Recently, I bought an automatic (or rather a Duel Clutch Transmission - essentially the same). Had enough of driving in heavy traffic, constantly changing gears. As we move increasingly toward electric cars, manual transmission will disappear, except as a legacy to a bygone age of the internal combustion engine. I enjoy driving manual cars on an open road, especially satisfying in a performance car. But my current car is no heavier (the Direct Shift Gearbox is light), the engine not overly large (2.0 litre), the car is as economical, if not more so, as the manual equivalent. Service costs may be a little higher as the DSG requires more regular servicing than a manual gearbox would. Some of the arguments made in the video you reacted to are no longer the case and many cars for sale in Europe, even small ones, have an auto and manual transmission option.

[@ferencfarkas9003]

Had 3 automatic cars, 5 manual, tried many new manual but the way to go for me is always new, torque converter automatic. Brings me far more comfort and enjoyment.

[@jameshepburn4631]

In the U.S., manual transmissions were uncommon in new cars by the mid 1970’s but there were a lot of used manual cars around into the 80’s. I’m glad I learned to drive with a clutch and the first three cars I owned were all manuals, two ‘three on the tree’ and one ‘four on the floor’. Lucky I did because when traveling overseas it’s very likely if you want to drive you’ll have to know manual. Moreover, you’ll not only have to use the clutch and shift lever, in a lot of places you’ll have to shift with your left hand while driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and sitting on the ‘wrong’ side of the car. Good luck in Japan when they make turns three cars side by side. Also, have got going with a dead battery or bad starter a couple times with a push or roll and a pop up of the clutch. With an automatic you’re dead waiting for a jump, or a tow if the starter is the problem. Thanks for the post.

[@tutnichtnotig1297]

I germany you have to vote driving licence for automatic or manuall car. It is an info on the licence, so you only allowed drive this type of cars that is compatible with your licence. I mean manuall licence allowed you to drive both.