Manual Transmission Disadvantage

I really like my manualtransmission, where I have control with the transmission. But I honestly would prefer an automatic when off roading. Once I was stuck in a severely incline uphill climb. I had to apply the hand brake, then cluth and gas until I feel the nudge forward, then release the handbraking to climb forward. It would have been more convenient with a manual transmission.

 

An auto gets better mileage?

 

You can absolutely drive a stick without a clutch. Not gonna be the most fun you ever had, nor is it the best thing you can do to prolong tranny life. But with practice, it's very doable. My dad made me learn before I could get my license (first car I drove was an 88 Ranger with a stick shift).

This from Car & Driver website...

THREE WAYS TO START
1. On older cars, you can usually start without touching the clutch pedal and with the vehicle in gear. Turn the key. The starter motor spins the engine; if the car is stuck in gear, the car will lurch forward. Give it some gas, and you’re gone [fig. 1].
2. Newer cars have a clutch-pedal switch that has to be pressed to allow the car to start. Even if the clutch won’t disengage, push the pedal to activate the switch, which lets the starter crank the engine when you turn the key. Hang on, and you’re off.
3. Let’s say your car won’t go into gear. First start the engine and then “bump” the car up to speed by pushing the shifter toward first gear. The gearbox will resist, but pressure on the shift lever creates friction between the synchro and the rotating gearset, which causes the car to creep forward. Once the road speed is sufficient to align with that required of first gear at the engine’s idle speed, the shifter will slide into place, and you’re on your way. This technique wears out the synchros rapidly, but if you’re stuck on a railroad crossing, you should definitely use it.
UPSHIFTING: Now that we’re rolling in first gear, things get a bit easier. Gently blip the throttle pedal and then release it. At this point, the shifter should slip easily out of gear and into neutral. Push the lever toward the second-gear position but don’t force it. When the engine slows enough that its speed matches that required by the second-gear ratio and the vehicle speed, the shift lever will drop into the second-gear position. If the engine speed drops too far, adjust it with the throttle as necessary [fig. 2]. Repeat to move up gears.
DOWNSHIFTING: Moving down through the gears works in the opposite way: Cruise at a steady speed, pull the shift lever out of gear, and slowly raise the revs while keeping some hand pressure on the lever in the direction of the lower gear position. When the engine speed matches the speed required for that gear, the lever will pop into position [fig. 3].
STOPPING: Note from the legal team: Stopping or slowing a car that’s stuck in gear with a clutch that won’t disengage is tricky and terrifying. If your car is that screwed up, you probably shouldn’t be driving it. If you can pull the shifter into neutral, the easiest way to come to a stop is to pull the lever out of whatever gear it’s in and apply the brakes [fig. 4]. If you’re going downhill, you can get started again by simply letting the car roll forward until it’s going fast enough that you can select first gear. Otherwise, you have to use the other methods of starting listed here.
PRACTICE: Try these techniques in a safe place where you can’t hit anything—we’re not responsible for any damage to yourself or anyone else. Come to think of it, maybe you should just call a tow truck.

 

Many auto's have better EPA ratings because the part throttle shift points are electronically controlled to be very low. Combine this with the ridiculous number of gears the newest auto's have and in routine driving the engine rarely sees the upside of 2K RPM. The mileage advantage manuals used to have went away in the late '70's when lockup torque converters appeared. In my case, I don't drive a manual "economically", choosing to spin the engine a bit while accelerating. Fun and easy, but not economical.

 

You're not doing it right !!