Manual vs Automatic

The 2019 auto trans is driving me more than I drive it...
Thinking bout trading for manual.
Anybody out there shifted that way?

 

Welcome to TW!!

 

Welcome aboard

 

Hey! Welcome

 

Bunch of people I 4 wheel with swear by the manual. If you drive a lot in traffic; automatic all the way.

 

"Anybody out there shifted that way?"
Haha I see what you did there. Welcome!

 

Welcome

 

Welcome the The Forum!

 

Welcome to TW! Could you do that without getting upside down on the payments?

 

I drive 100 km's per day with 50% in city traffic and 50% highway. I drive in all conditions including very icy roads where I find the manual shines in winter conditions. Yes the manual is a lot more work in stop & go city traffic, but the other benefits far outweigh that issue in my opinion. I firmly believe you are more in tune with driving when you drive a manual. You feel the engine, how hard it's working, if it's lugging or if the rev's are too high. You anticipate well ahead. Your engine is your brake. You decide when you shift 100% of the time. If it's windy and 6th just isn't cutting it on the highway hill, you pop it down into 5th and pass that struggling F-150.

My current truck is my 9th Toyota truck since 1983. Each and everyone of them was a manual. So I am a hardcore manual guy. I don't rock climb, nor do I do any formal off-roading however my rural home has very challenging drifting roads in the winter and the farm property has muddy trails and forested area's. My driveway is a 1/4 mile very steep hill that is not passible in non AWD or 4WD vehicles in the winter and early spring. The trees lining the road prevent most melting until very late spring. When the driveway is icy I put my truck into first gear and keep my foot off the brakes and I have no problems going down. In deep snow it's not an issue, but on ice a very different story. About twice a year someone looses it on my driveway and through the fence to the side, always in an automatic. The last one was a neighbour in his Tacoma with auto trans. Gravity took over at the top of the hill like it does, he put on his brakes and all traction was lost and gravity did it's thing. I drove him home down the hill past his now stuck and damaged truck in my manual in complete control and hardly touched the brakes until near the bottom.

I tow a trailer and when it's loaded I can anticipate well in advance where the truck might start to bog down and down shift early to avoid any loss of energy. The manual shines when towing in my opinion.

I realize this is a polarizing issue on this forum, but my vote is obviously for a manual. So I ask, would you ever buy a Ferrari with an automatic transmission?

 

thanks folks...I've had automatic trans last 2 trucks, just can't get used to the war between computer, trans and engine...loved the manuals I've had, definitely a more engaging drive experience, live in rural area, so not concerned about challenges in traffic,
luckily, I'm paid off on the '19...
just don't know what I wanna be when I grow up...still maneuvering thru a mid-life adaptation.
thanks for input.