[Numark318i]

have not read all of the posts...but think about whats going to happen when you Auto Tranny craps out when you are out of warranty.

4k down the tube.
Clutch replacement (every 100-150k i would think) is going to run you around 1k-1.5k in repairs

Plus you will be more engaged with your driving if its a manual, and you can basically drive any car anytime if you have learned to drive a manual.

[DaveL]

Originally Posted by The Stig's U.S. Cousin

I'm planning on getting a 2007 BMW 328i coupe. I have heard that if i don't get it in manual i will be losing a lot of power and that's not what i want. I would love to get the manual, but my parents don't agree. My parents have only come up with three reasons
1.) The insurance is more expensive.
2.) It's a distraction.
3.) There is a smaller market for them therefore its harder to sell.
If you have any thoughts i would love to hear them, so i can hopefully put together a decent argument, and get my manual. Also if you are a parent yourself, would you rather have your kid driving a manual or auto?

Driven both stick and auto and positives about both. Paddles are good and if you slam the auto to the left you can go up and down decently...No stick but still fun,Get the auto and make your parents happy.Good Luck

[phistyle]

having to drive through stop and go traffic going to work and back is a pain...can't even imagine how much more of a pain it would be to have a manual transmission driving through that...automatic FTW!

[Bunkei]

I had to deal with stop-n-go traffic in my 335i 6MT that I got a few weeks ago, and it's not that bad. Honestly, you get used to it.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by phistyle

having to drive through stop and go traffic going to work and back is a pain...can't even imagine how much more of a pain it would be to have a manual transmission driving through that...automatic FTW!

if you are in traffic every day all day..... then manual can sure be a bit painful, in which case I would try to get sequential manual, in fact I loved my SMG.

edit: being in Boston, I used to be in minor traffic maybe 1 hour at the most one way.... manual never bothered me. If I was in traffic 2 hours or more, then I don't know. my brother is in Moscow and traffic there is brutal.... can be up to 3-4 hours just one way to work, he drives manual and its fine

[Mark_K]

About that MT ... remember : options are GOOD. For example, if you can, marry a girl with EU passport and get second citizenship and learn that language - that will give you very important OPTIONS. The more options you have, the better. Always.

So, learning how to drive MT properly will open important options for you even if there might be no manual transmissions to buy when you reach 40. I do know, for example (because my coworker went, not myself), that Skip Barber driving school uses open-wheel cars with STRAIGHT CUT gears. You will never be able to go there and enjoy that unless you at least learn how to drive normal MT with synchros. And rev-match BEFORE you pull shifter in a gear.

After you learn, you might as well prefer cars without third pedal, but important thing is that will be your CHOICE, not mandated by the fact that you don't know how to drive MT.

Good luck with everything.

[achien]

if you know how to drive a MT, stop and go is actually better than AT.

no brakes, you use the throttle and gears to control your vehicle's speed.

Originally Posted by phistyle

having to drive through stop and go traffic going to work and back is a pain...can't even imagine how much more of a pain it would be to have a manual transmission driving through that...automatic FTW!

[Bimmer100_]

Originally Posted by phistyle

having to drive through stop and go traffic going to work and back is a pain...can't even imagine how much more of a pain it would be to have a manual transmission driving through that...automatic FTW!

People who dont know how to properly operate a MT equipped vehicle need to stop using traffic as an excuse. Its simple, if you prefer an auto so be it...

[phistyle]

Originally Posted by bwsteg

People who dont know how to properly operate a MT equipped vehicle need to stop using traffic as an excuse. Its simple, if you prefer an auto so be it...

just because you drive a manual and think it's better don't mean its better and convenient for everyone else

[gunnerxq]

Originally Posted by phistyle

just because you drive a manual and think it's better don't mean its better and convenient for everyone else

traffic is a poor excuse I'm in Albany now but I live in NYC most of the time and the traffic doesn't bother me one bit. I actually like how I can drive in stop and go traffic without using the brake.