I also find it funny that you seem to think automatics offer no driving pleasure, and that I have no idea how to get pleasure from driving.
Don't take this wrong. It reads with a harsher tone than I'm actually trying to use, OK?
Please stop criticizing the manual drivers who prefer their manuals. They've driven both, and they understand the differences. As has been stated, it's not about speed and only speed, although it's only been recently that an auto could keep up with an otherwise identical and well-driven manual. I hope by speed you're not simply talking about shift speed. Yes, an auto changes ratios faster than any clutch-operated shift ever will (aside from the computer-controlled semi-auto manuals you get on Ferraris, Astons and the like), but that does NOT equate to performance. Torque converter slippage and shortage of ratios has always been the bane of an automatic transmission. A 5 or 6-speed Camaro would kill any similarly-powered auto Camaro, with its 3-speed, maybe 4-speed auto because the torque converter converts a significant amount of your torque to heat, rather than transmitting it through to the transmission. Fewer ratios in the auto meant that the engine had to run further outside its optimum power band for longer than with the manual, as well.
I'm not going to say that you take no pleasure in your driving, as that is obviously not the case. I AM going to say that what you don't understand is that operating the clutch and shifter is one of the greater pleasures of driving for those of us who do it well, and it's obvious that this IS the case. Especially if your understanding of the car is so incomplete as to believe that a shifter with P, R, and D on it was a manual. (If you were kidding, then I retract the remark with full apologies.)
Basically, all the guys here stating their preference for manual have driven both, and learned both well enough to make a choice. You have driven autos, and I've read nothing to say that you've even tried to learn a manual. That's like me criticizing my son's choice of surfboard: I've never surfed, I've never even paddled out on a board as a flotation device. What business do I have telling him his board sucks next to such-and-such other board? Similarly, if your skill level with a clutch is bang-bang-bang-stall, or smoke smoke smoke burn, then kindly stf up about it.
You're welcome to meet any of us at any autocross event anywhere and see how your "speed" stacks up against the rest of us.
One thing an automatic simply cannot do, is be ready for you. It won't downshift until you nail the gas out of the turn, which is a delay, and may kick the car out of sorts. (Also, I find in a manual I may want to give a good amount of throttle briefly, but I DON'T want a downshift. Can't be done in an auto unless you've got one of those gated selector thingies to control it, and SOME of those still downshift, even if it won't upshift out of the selected gear. Nothing says loss of performance like an auto
not making a decision.) If you selectively downshift, it cannot be done as smoothly as a heel-and-toe stick downshift, and downshifting an auto may upset the car if you're hard enough on the brakes to be near lockup already; the downshift will grab your wheels and throw the car out of whack. That lack of smoothness includes the "tip-tronic" selectable sequential automatics, unless they've got really expensive electronics synching everything up during the downshift. A manual in the proper hands is in the next gear during the turn, waiting for you to get on the gas.
So.
Obviously you prefer your auto. Tell us why, instead of calling us posers, claiming it's faster, whatever. We're telling you why we like the stick shift, you're calling us names.
Interesting counterpoint:
The General has been quite spectacular in offering manual transmissions in most of their new models as of late. Although not every model can be had with one, a growing number of them can, and for the most part have been welcome additions to the lineup... Although it may be questionable how many are there... But I think what is most important is that it is offered as a choice...
But even then, GM's automatics aren't that bad. For God's sake, BMW was still using them with the previous X5 for quite some time. The 4L80E is still probably one of the strongest automatics available on the market, probably one of the most reliable as well, and I'm certain that the well-regarded 6L80E successor will do just fine as well.
Agreed. Cadillac CTS, Pontiac G6, etc. And outside of GM, you could even get a manual in a Lincoln here of late! It's encouraging, or would be if I hadn't sworn never to buy another GM car in my life after my '87 Z24 Cavalier. (Great autocrosser, but a piece of poo-poo. Electronic gauges kept fritzing out, headliner falls out of the ceiling, sunvisor won't stay up, More rattles than the baby section of Toy-R-Us, yada yada yada.) Two Probes since then, both awesomely great cars. Good enough that they're the ONLY two cars I've had since 1990.
. I got quite lucky when I bought my car; I didn't have to travel across the state to find the one I wanted.
My local dealer had precisely two manual Mazda 3s in their lot (and its a fairly large Mazda-Mercury-Volvo dealer). I had to wait two weeks for a boat to come in with a car that had similar (though not exact) specs to what I wanted.
