I’ve been driving for over 20 years, still enjoy driving manual. But some people never enjoy driving and see it as a chore, I guess you must be one of them.

And “emergency” is just when you need acceleration now. Like for when you overtake someone or are merging on the highway.

Also I know America bashing is popular on this website but you just came across as prejudiced and ignorant. And FYI I’m not even American.

To be fair it is more complicated than that. You have to feel the car start to move, hear the revs react, adjust the rate at which you release the clutch and how much gas you give accordingly and for some vehicles/situations you even need to pause the release of the clutch for a moment to let the vehicle start to gain speed. It’s all something you eventually get used to and can do without thinking but there is a significant frustrating hump to get over in the learning curve.

I feel like those who say they don’t understand why people like driving manual are people who never got over that hump. Because once you get over it, it is a lot of fun. And even if you still prefer to drive automatic after that because of your personal preferences, you still get why some do like it.

Well then you are misunderstanding what I’m talking about because you’re trying to tell me that a behavior that I have noticed to be common on dozens of automatic vehicles that I have driven over two decades doesn’t exist.

There is a difference between engine noise and actual acceleration.

Manual: floor it, instant pull. If I want to downshift I will.

Automatic: floor it, hesitation, downshift, revs go higher but nothing happens because it isn’t sure if it wants to downshift again, hesitation, downshifts, revs go crazy and outside of power band or just at the top end of it, shitty pull, upshifts almost right after. Finally some pull after wasting three seconds.

I’ve driven countless various automatic vehicles. They all do that to varying degrees of disappointment.

• Manuals are more engaging. Getting a smooth shift or a perfect rev match on a downshift is very satisfying. Shifting gears when your have a car with a smooth, very mechanically connected shifter feels even more satisfying.
• If you ever have to gun it in an emergency with a manual the acceleration is instant. In an automatic you have to wait a few seconds for the transmission to figure out what gear it wants to be in before anything actually happens.
• Generally, in an automatic, the connection between the engine and the wheels doesn’t feel very mechanical. It feels like they are connected by a rubber band.
• In a manual you feel much more like the car is an extension of you.
• Going back to driving an automatic usually feels like you’re being handed a children’s toy. The whole experience feels hollow and neutered like it’s missing something substantial.

I guess there can be some elitist mindset to being able to do something that fewer and fewer people can do. But thinking that this is the main reason why people love driving stick is downright ignorant.

A government that cares for is people would ban this shit and procecute any company trying to find ways around it.