manual or automatic?

plan to own a impreza 2.5rs wagon, never drove a manual before, but 'd like to.

Friends who owned a manual car warned me that in daily commutes, your leg will be extremely painful if got jammed in traffic... that hesitated me to buy a manual car, is that true???

also, is pre-owned WRX a good option? the price is only around $21,000(CDN) where new WRX is about 35000.

Reply to
grape
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Hi,

All I can say about that is I drive a manual in SoCal traffic every day, and never notice it, but after nearly 40 years, I'm sure I've learned to ignore a lot. Since different cars have different clutches, and each person's got a different tolerance level for comfort/pain, only you can tell for sure. Personally, I find an auto's got more drawbacks than drawing cards overall, but you'll find opinions cross the entire spectrum there. I'll stick with my manuals as long as possible...

As for a used WRX, if it IS a manual, I'd expect the clutch (and possibly the gearbox) to have some wear. It's not the kind of car most people are likely to drive sedately. I'd suggest you have it checked carefully before buying if that's your choice.

Good luck,

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

In article , grape wrote: (snip)

No, it isn't. I've driven various manual cars in traffic jams, stuck in stop-and-go traffic up and down hills, and it's not been a problem once you're used to it. My first manual was back in 1991 and, still, both of our present cars are manual - my wife and I both prefer them.

If you're new to manual, I would recommend just a couple of lessons, at least so you can confidently pull away up a hill without stalling or rolling back or revving way too loudly or whatever. A lot of people /think/ they can drive stick-shift but make it pretty obvious that they can't.

I would guess so, if that's not many years old.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Carroll

In my younger years you couldn't get me away from a manual. They're fun, tend to be a little peppier off the line nad all that.

Then I moved to Chicago.

As Click and Clack say, "Never by a used car from a male under the age of 30."

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Chicago, Illinois USA
Reply to
Todd H.

I've driven manual cars for almost thirty years. I would certainly prefer an automatic in stop-and-go traffic. I can't imagine anyone preferring otherwise. "Clutch in - shift into first - clutch out - creep a bit - clutch in - shift to neutral - clutch out" gets old real quick. Someone with weak legs would find it positively painful.

For every other situation, though, I prefer a manual. In the case of many models from Subaru, the question is more serious since only the manual transmissions are true all-wheel-drive. If you can afford a WRX, STi, Legacy GT or high-end Outback then you can get true AWD with an automatic transmission, otherwise it's only part-time, being FWD most of the time. This is the case for regular Legacys and Imprezas as well as all Foresters.

If you can't get hold of a manual car to practice on enough to get used to driving it then I think you should stick with an automatic.

If you'll be driving in snow (why else would you want a Subaru :-) it would be useful to try both the automatic and manual RS's in snow to see the difference between the two forms of four wheel drive. Either version of the WRX should be great, but as Rick Courtright wrote I'd also be wary of buying a used WRX.

Used Subarus are also a bit risky due to the problems they had with clutches, head gaskets and piston slap. New models are supposted to be better (I'm counting on it).

A used Legacy GT automatic in great shape might be a nice choice.

Reply to
Paul

Actually, most people drive manual transmission cars incompetently, so you should assume that the clutch in this one, especially since it's a sporty car, won't last a lot longer. Save the $700 for a new clutch, starting now. My other half had to replace her clutch at 79k miles because the previous owner didn't treat it well, and neither did she, but she's doing much better with the new clutch after that expensive lesson. The clutch in my 98 Audi is still going perfectly at 89k miles, and I expect never to replace it for as long as I own the car, which will be probably another 10 years. :)

Reply to
KLS

Hi,

There IS a huge difference between treating a clutch properly and not, isn't there?

I got my Subie used w/ 209k miles. I can't say the prior owner had been especially good to the car, but the clutch felt "acceptable" so I figured out of curiosity, I'd just drive it until it gave up. Throwout bearing was what gave up... frozen. That was at 310k miles. When I removed the old one and took the parts to the dealer to match and replace, my parts guy looked at everything and pronounced it "the original" clutch! So... treat yours right and who knows how far it can go?

Rick

Reply to
Rick Courtright

err.... so it's risky to own a Sub in general? I've heard a blowing headgasket is expensive.

Reply to
grape

I am driving a Camry right now, and treated it as a manual one. put in Neutral, then rev in certain RPM, gear in D, you can actually *feel* the wet-clutch in auto gearbox ingaging and slipping (not good to an auto,though), and my front tyres smoking a bit,So.... does that count ? :P

Just can't help myself without shifting anything, hehe, every auto-trannyI've droven will be shifted hell a lot, despite the fact auto shifting has a noticeable delay.

Reply to
grape

one of my friends got jerk during a jam... or maybe he got wimpy legs?

Reply to
grape

FYI, you're ruining your automatic transmission. That's NOT how you launch an automatic. The proper way is to left foot brake, gas it up to you rev launch point, then lift off the brake and punch the gas.

Reply to
JaySee

Yeah, he is. But I can't see any point in your procedure, at least on my 2.5l Legacy. I've tried it. The torque converter stall speed is only a tad over 2000 rpm so the engine isn't *really* into the power yet. Just hit the gas from idle and it's there in an instant -- and I think with more *punch*.

I can see how it might be useful to do that to spool up a turbo though, if anyone buys turbo automatics.

Reply to
Bruce Hoult

I drove a manual for many years, but an auto for the last 18 yrs. An auto well maintained, which is only a proper oil change for modern autos which auto adjust, will last for many miles. I assume Subrau has a modern auto. With a manual the clutch and sync rings will wear. In city driving this wear is very significant.

My oldie '95 Chrysler has 7 shift points. It has 4 gears with lockup on the top 3 gears. I downshift on hills. In cruise control it downshifts itself. I'm sure I couldn't get more mileage with a manual although I could probably get a few split seconds more acceleration, which isn't required. As for driving in snow I prefer the auto on startup, as I can control wheel spin better. In snow I downshift at times to avoid it running away at too high a speed on down slopes.

So my suggestion is an auto unless you drive only on the highway.

Reply to
Someone HateSpam

No. Anyone who gets leg pain from using a clutch is desperately unfit. Anybody with normal levels of fitness, ie capable of walking a few miles, will have no problems.

Yes, as long as it has been properly looked after a used car is always a better option than a new car. Any delivery/initial manufacture faults have been dealt with under warranty and the initial depreciation has taken place.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

Reply to
David Betts

The difference on a Rex is between 25.000 and 65,000 miles. Don't know anybody who has got much more than 65 out of a clutch. The point is - and I've made this before - that a powerful awd car can't dissipate excess power at launch as wheelspin, therefore it has to slip the clutch. Also, powerful awd drive cars put a trememdous load on their transmission and there has to be a weak link somewhere. Much cheaper and simpler to change a clutch than to change a gearbox . Simply regard it as a consumable - like tyres and brakes.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

Reply to
David Betts

Ignore the trolls. Subarus are amongst the best built, best engineered most reliable cars in the world. Plenty of evidence in the customer satisfaction surveys.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

Reply to
David Betts

I've never bothered. With a tiptronic auto b4, the first turbo seems to cut in about 2300/2500 rpm, though I don't tend to launch from a set of lights. I'm not in that much of a hurry around town :) It's the 80 to something over 100km that's more useful, especially around articulated stock trucks.

Reply to
cobs

Reply to
grape

Proper way to launch an automatic WRX.....shift car to neutral and press brake pedal hard, rev motor to about 4,500 RPM (you'll feel the brake pedal go down another 1/2 inch or so) return gas pedal to idle position but do not let off brake, shift car into "3", press gas pedal to floor, leave on last yellow light (when racing at track), cut .500 light...be happy.

At least this is the method I use...oh and for those that have an auto wrx, a highstall Torque Converter from protorque is bar none the best investment you can make if you want to be fast in the 1/4 mile.

Reply to
iksalama

In a WRX, yes. The stock 5 speed is shitty, the auto is much more rugged and handles WAY more power.

Reply to
iksalama

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