There are two types of cars in this world: manual and automatic. Some people would say they don’t really care which car they drive as long as it has wheels. However, others are specific with their preference.
It all depends on the effort, whether you prefer to use one foot or two. The true difference is a single pedal. In a manual car, the driver takes on the task of shifting the gears, based on the car’s RPMs, using the clutch and the gear shift. The clutch pedal separates the engine from the transmission, allowing the car a smooth transition. On the other hand, automatic cars take on this responsibility for you: making it a simple drive.
When asked about her experiences with the two, Faith O’Hara-Rosa, senior, said, “I’ve driven both. With manual, you have to be more focused and more observant of the ones around you; with an automatic it's pretty hard to mess up. Rolling stops are a challenge in manual cars because you have to change gears, especially if you’re on a hill or going down a hill, and you have to leave extra room around you. For right now, I prefer automatic.”
“I’ve driven both a manual and automatic and I prefer an automatic. In a manual you have to be more aware of your surroundings and stay focused,” replies senior Nick Richards.
On the other hand, senior Lane Dolvin states, “I started driving manual first, although I have driven both manual and automatic. I prefer manual - I just think it’s fun. Some key differences, well there’s a third pedal and you constantly have to be careful about your RPMs because if they get pretty high and you don't shift it can be bad. Another thing you have to be mindful of is if you take your clutch out while you're in gear: you’ll “dump” your clutch and have to restart the car. Traffic is definitely a challenge - traffic kind of sucks. Also you can’t eat and drive, which is really quite terrible, because you’re either shifting or driving so you don’t have a free hand to eat.”
In a survey in C lunch, 25 people were asked which type of car they would prefer. A total of 11 people said that they prefer manual transmission cars over automatic. On the latter, 12 people said they preferred automatic over manual. Only two students said that they really didn’t care either way - “Whatever gets me to where I want to go faster,” says sophomore Faith Sills.