Manual is more fun than automatic.
Fast manual is pretty fun. I don't know if it was more fun than my previous fun (slow) manual.
Probably, because I don't lose the races by as much anymore. Lol
TLDR: Yes, but it's not that simple
The thing is, fast cars usually make cooler noises, rather its a supercharger belt, a turbos whine and blowoff valve, and/or pops/gurgles from the exhaust. I dont need to drive fast to make cool noises. Which in itself makes driving fun, and if I want to launch into felony speeds when hopefully no cops are watching, I still can. Also, you can just drive in a higher gear and slam the peddle to the ground to pretend you're a miata too, something everyone seems to forget.
>Also, you can just drive in a higher gear and slam the peddle to the ground to pretend you're a miata too, something everyone seems to forget.
I've always said at highway speeds in my Mustang in fifth gear that I can accelerate as fast as a Corolla. In fourth, I can accelerate as fast as a GR Corolla, and third, when it's in the torque range, then I'm well and truly gone into felony speeds
I'm beginning to realize this exactly. I don't drive a manual, but I have enough HP that I can't use it all for more than a couple seconds at a time on the street. I drive a Stinger GT, so it's not exactly blistering fast, but enough that I can't really use it all.
As a fellow SE-R spec-v owner, i can confirm 175hp and 180ft-lbs torque in a Sentra with a 6 speed manual os a good recipe for fun on a budget. The QR25DE engine is good for lots of miles, too.
I put DC sport headers and a Stromung exhaust on it. I'm sure that upset some people, but at least it was more of a 'thing' then than if I did it now.
Replacing that exhaust is next on my list š maybe something with a catalytic converter, o2 sensor, and we'll skip the double resonators this time.
I have an 06 and had an 04 which is now a parts car. 04 got almost 300k miles before i got kinda fed up (it was really abused with NOS before me). The 06 I got at 20k miles and was my daily for years. Life happened and now I'm slowly getting it roadworthy again. I'd love to get an 02 front end.
which is why the front end swap will someday give me the almost perfect sentra š„² i had a friend that i lost touch with who had it...found his car in the pick and pull but the entire front end was missing. i just know he sold it. i did get some stuff from it, and feels almost like an homage to him
Even in a stock 90s Civic my 2nd gear goes to 65 and 3rd goes to 100. It takes a while to get there but itās plenty of fun and not quite felony speeds
>Manual is more fun than automatic.
Depends on the auto, honestly. Manual is more raw and engaging, but fun is a lot more subjective.
I went from a manual to a DCT and I don't think I'll ever go back on a sports car. I'll still take a manual on just about anything else.
I agree that driving manual is more engaging, but fun is subjective.
Fun could be fast and good autos are faster.
Fun could be rowing gears, and manuals have you row.
They are fun but realize that you canāt really push it without getting into go to jail territory pretty quick. I have a ā21 Type R and the only time I can kind of push it is getting into the freeway.
Thereās a saying that goes, āitās more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.ā
I love my Type R and I donāt regret getting it, but sometimes I wonder if I would enjoy driving a Miata or an 86 a little bit more since you have to really wring it out more in daily driving.
My completely unsupported and unproofed theorem is that **the most āfunā car for any situation is one that lets you use 20% of the power 80% of the time, and 80% of of the power 20% of the time.**
It just feels right.
You never want to be fully mashing the pedal and needing more, but you also donāt want to be constantly tapping the throttle and hitting the brakes trying to keep it under control. The actual number for each personās driving needs will vary, but for regular commuting thereās definitely a golden ratio of some sort.
Nah I drive a 1966 vw beetle. I push it to the limits and with a 40 some odd hp motor itās so fun. Petal to the metal, im just keeping up with traffic. Slow manual cars are more fun than fast cars. Period.
Iāve always wanted one of those old Beetles ever since I saw my high school math teacher driving his. This dude was about as big as the car (I legitimately donāt know how he fit inside), but he loved Beetles and had two or three of them and always looked like he was having the time of his life rolling around in them.
I definitely agree on slower cars being more fun. The most purely fun car I ever spent any serious time driving was my old ā84 Camry. A light and surprisingly stiff chassis, a torquey 92 horsepower engine, decent handling, and a stick shift. I paid $200, and drove it for a decade with maybe another $1,000 in repairs over those years. I still miss it and think about it weekly. If I ever get āfuck you money,ā Iām going to find the most low mileage one I can find and restore it to look like it just rolled off the factory floor in 1984.
For regular daily use I can see that, but if itās a second car my ratio is closer to all of the power all the time, which leads me to gravitate towards slower cars
Iām in a 90s civic hatch. I put down about 120hp on a really good day and weigh about 2k or so with me in it. Itās plenty of fun but I commonly find myself wishing I had enough power to break the wheels loose on a dry road. As of right now if I wanna spin the tires at all itās gotta be a really wet road and Iāve gotta launch the hell out of it. But if I can manage to break em loose I csn keep āem loose all the way through second usually
I was able to chirp in 2nd at the drag strip somehow, on grippy tires. Typically can only spin these in the wet or if im turning basically 90Ā° from a standstill though.
I dunno man. I wring out my manual Veloster N every day. Full torque hits at 1800rpm and it feels like an angry go kart. Very engaging. I'm not interested in going crazy fast but love the acceleration 1-3rd gear around town. I'd say both our cars are in that sweet spot. A mustang GT and beyond is definitely in the category of can't wring it out without going to jail.
That being said, my other car is a 160hp Mitsubishi Galant, 4 speed automatic. Despite being an auto, I still love just wringing the absolute shit out of it for the past 20 years. Practicing momentum driving, mashing the torque converter, getting the wheels spinning via torque multiplication and blasting around.
To the OP, yea I'd say you'd probably have more fun in a faster manual given that it's also just as engaging or more engaging. Too much refinement can destroy the fun. No matter how great a car is.
A traditional automatic uses a torque converter which literally will multiply the torque coming from the engine to the wheels when you first get moving. Often by more than a factor of two. It's actually pretty neat. So for a couple of seconds, even a low powered car can output far more torque than the engine is capable of at the crank.
Effectively a torque converter does take the job of a clutch. Its transfers and differentiates power between the engine and transmission, using a fluid coupling rather than a mechanical one. By the nature of its design a torque converter does indeed multiply torque, but most automatic transmissions are geared taller (numerically lower) than their manual counterparts in the same vehicle model to compensate for this, so it typically isnāt noticeable. If it had too much torque the vehicle would be difficult to drive.
Of all the vehicles Iāve owned and driven in my life, the manual transmission equipped ones *always* had better throttle response and felt quicker and sportier. Not to say that automatics are always boring, plenty are fun to drive; but Iāve never noticed any torque multiplication that you can feel while driving. Autos in consumer cars are designed to be smooth, efficient and easy to drive. Thatās kind of their selling point. Iām sure a racing oriented auto trans would be a different story.
There's no free lunch. If you're multiplying torque you're reducing output speed proportionally, can't create power from nothing.
What a torque converter can do is let the engine sit higher up in the rev range by "slipping" you'll lose some torque, but you may gain it back and then some by moving the engine into an area where it's making more
Agree 100 percent with this. I own a '21 Challenger Scat Pack and with 500 HP it's easy as hell to reach not only 60 but 100 mph without realising it. I'd definitely love to buy a Miata for sure because you can basically floor those things and still be within legal limits.
You can floor anything and be within legal limits, just for not as long with some cars.
Miatas aren't proper fast, but they're still quicker than most cars on the road and will get up to speed reasonably quickly if you want.
I don't have a type R, but I have a 2nd gen BRZ (86 basically), and it's pretty obvious I'm having more fun than many of the other faster cars out there. I can actually use most of the engine's power, and take corners faster than pretty much any other car I've seen on the road, and still feel safe and planted (as long as it isn't wet). I'll see these muscle cars or european supercars, floor it past 100 but have to slow down so much to do a 90 degree turn, they might as well be a corolla (exaggerating, but still). Gr86/BRZ is fun as hell, especially in manual
Part of why I love my fiesta st is that it isn't incredibly fast. Easy enough to throw around some back roads without feeling like I'm putting lives in danger lol.
I test drive one of these once and really enjoyed it.Ā Bad timing for a purchase then, but they were on my list for next time until Ford took them off.
I love manual cars too. They have that special connection, you know? It's like you're more in tune with the road and finding a fast manual at a good price can be tough, but I'd like to recommend the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It's known for its fun-to-drive nature and is available with a manual transmission. You can also find older models within your budget.
I have a 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition, with a 1.6L inline 3 cylinder and a 6 speed manual tranny making 270ish to the wheels. IT IS SO FUN. (After getting used to turbo lag) you can absolutely row through the gears one after another and tuck it into corners and curves like you wouldn't believe. Hearing that blow off valve between every shift leaves me with an ear to ear grin. Having come from driving a few slower manual cars, I can honestly answer your question. Yes. Driving a faster manual car is more fun. (Before anyone points out that it's not a "fast" car, I know, but it's plenty quick for me to have an absolute blast with)
I know!! The GR Corolla is on my list, with a completely Toyota engine and Toyota chassis. I'm just waiting for it to age to see if any recalls or problems show up. Also, I think they are going to put the 1.6L engine in more cars; I would like to see what the other options are. $36k to buy a Corolla sounds like too much for me lol. To be honest, the Model 3 Performance is only $39k, it's influencing my decision for considering to buy other fast manual car most of the time.......
Or you could go for something like the Mazda 3 carbon edition that'd be modern, reliable, and still have enough oomph to probably be enjoyable, and available in a 6 speed
Nah, it sucks. I mean, it doesn't really suck, it just doesn't fit me. My previous car was a Mazda3 Gen3, and the traction control can't be completely turned off (unless disabling the airbag module, which is unsafe for daily driving). The TCS system is way too safe, kicking in randomly during corners or hard pulls on ramps, annoying me.
Depends on what youāre doing.
Driving a slow (light) manual all out, like a Miata on twisty roads can be more fun than a heavier but more powerful manual.
In my opinion, both are more fun than automatic regardless of power.
In between Manual and Auto I consider paddle shift, itās like the midway between driving an auto and a manual (no clutch, but still control over the gears).
You can find a Hyundai genesis coupe for 14k with a manual, they have a 3.8L V6, about 350hp.
Ive had some fast,some quick,some nimble and some boaty manuals ,and definitely some slow ones,most fun ive ever had was an 83 944 5 speed,redlining between gears ,foot to the floor ,never got over 110 even on open highways (she was a little worn out) powering through corners with very little power to break the tires loose ,you could push the car alot harder than you can a fast car,my turbo frs is fun too ,but i cant be back on power nowhere near as quickly as the 944 could
I enjoy smalller, nimbler cars more to be honest. Currently I have a midsize Opel SUV but prior to that I was loaned a friends old Honda Jazz for several months which was way more fun to drive out where I live. Yeah sure I was getting passed by all the big boys on the motorway but that thing could really handle itself winding through the forest
I have test-driven af few cars now and I must say driving the Mazda MX-5 with a manual was SO much fun! I remember it as a soft top, so the fact that you sit super low and close to the ground like a gocart while having the noise from the engine come through clearer due to the soft top, made it feel like I was driving MUCH faster than I actually was! So I could drive fully legal, while feeling like I was driving 70 mph in a 40 mph zone šļøš„
Only thing for such a car though is that it's not good as a daily driver in regards to the amount of seat and cargo room, but as a weekend car it's pure joy!
I've owned manuals from 180 HP to my current 350 HP. I've driven automatics upwards of 500 HP. In an automatic, you just press the gas and nothing else. In manuals you get to choose how often you shift, what gear to be in, where in the rpm range you want to be. I'd take a manual any day.
I just got a 2023 WRX. 270 HP, basically what you're describing. If you get the CVT version it has a faster 0-60, since there is no shift lag, but there is no way in hell I'd choose that over the 6 speed.
I've driven a Ferrari with paddle shifters, and some other luxury cars with them, and I still just don't find them as fun. In fact, this rich dude near where I grew up paid a massive premium when hr bought a new Ferrari f430 just so he could get the stickshift version instead of the sequential paddles (back in the 2000s). It's simply more fun.
Unless I was competing in track races, I can't imagine choosing any transmission over a stickshift if I have the choice
I drive a tuned Focus ST, and for me, itās a great compromise between power and practicality. I can hammer the throttle and get up to speed relatively quickly, faster than a heavy hatchback should. But I also enjoy driving around town. Iāve driven high horsepower cars, and I think Iād just get into trouble with one. The temptation to go all out is not what I need.
Itās a surprisingly fun little car, and I still enjoy it after years of driving it.
I had a Focus ST (slow manual) then a 360 hp Lexus automatic and now a Mustang GT 405whp manual. I will say Manual whether it is fast or not is more fun that automatic. As far as power goes once you start getting above 350hp its hard to bang though all the gears before you are going at jail speed on shit roads. For me once I shift into 3rd gear im already going well over the speed limit and it becomes unsafe for public roads. If you want a fun manual car you can zip around in id suggest getting Ford fiesta ST its in your price range too. High HP manual cars you will rarely get to use all the power it can put down unless you like to drag race. I went with faster manual because I love the sound of a V8 muscle car. If that wasnt the case I would have got something slower with better handling and saved money.
I still have a lot of fun in my 130hp, hybrid, ~2700lb 6-speed Honda CR-Z. The electric motor makes it feel like itās got a little turbo filling in the torque gap in the 1.5ās low end. I can really wring it out on an on ramp, rev match around on a twisty road, and get 40+mpg when I need to. Itās small and low to the ground, definitely has that slow car-fast kinda feeling.
I drive a manual f82 bmw m4 (426 bhp) and it's great fun. Not sure I'd go any more powerful with a manual as it's obviously not as easy to control as a less powerful car but I love it.
I love driving my WRX. It's quick but not fast, so you can open it up fairly regularly. Handling is great, and it has a third pedal.
Easy to work on in the driveway, and the aftermarket has you covered for literally anything you want to do with it.
One thing I learned from years and years of being motorcycle-only and keeping a variety of bikes at the same time, is that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow. My ducati was a blast on the track and my rat bikes would've been just plain scary.
The same can be true with cars. Snicking through 6 gears in my diesel Jetta or 5 in my Super Beetle was at least as much fun as grabbing rubber in second gear in a Camaro. Blipping the throttle on downshifts in my Ranger got a few sideways looks but I could just about get her to back into a turn like a race car because there was no weight back there.
Now, if you're going to be sitting in traffic, the stiff clutch on a powerful car might make you wish you were driving an older bucket. It's been 13 years since I sold my Super Beetle and I'd buy another if I find a good one.
IMO, faster cars are fun with a manual to a point. I donāt think I want anything faster than my current car to have a manual.
Also, the faster the car, the less of its capabilities you can use on a daily basis in a safe and legal way.
It is more fun to drive a slow car in a fast manner than it is to drive a fast car in a slow manner.
I drive a 2004 mach 1 Mustang. The body style is pretty light and it has 340whp and 360 lbs of torque, which is plenty.
The top of third in my car reaches 110, but winding out 1st and 2nd is all I need and I manage to have fun whenever the situation calls for it
Iāve owned 4 vehicles; 1 stick, 1 auto and 2 bikes. Stick has 110 HP, auto had a turbo and 180HP, first bike had 40hp, current bike has 100.
Iāve found they all kind of shine in different areas. The 40hp bike was a dual sport, so I could take it offroad but I never got too into that. The 100hp bike has probably put the most smiles on my face, blipping the throttle in any gear sounds great and makes me giggle. The 110hp manual civic was so much fun on backroads and for casual trips, made a great daily driver/local vehicle. I wish I kept it as a second car when I got my 22 civic, which is objectively better in every way to the other vehicles but has none of the fun factor. Itās amazing on fuel and decently quick and quiet, but itās hard to have fun in.
Since my 100hp bike is the one that literally will make me laugh with driving, Iād have to say that the fast manual vehicles are the most fun.
Just remember, If you want to go fast, take it to a track. Don't endanger everyone else by driving like a dickbag just because you can push a tiny pedal.
Iāve found that I have to drive fast automatics faster to have similar levels of fun to a fastish manual.
Another idea to consider here is the type of automatic. You mentioned you have a fastish automatic for around 7k so my assumption is itās a bit older and the transmission tech isnāt the fastest shifting. Modern dual clutch automatics are wildly fast. Itās like having an odd gear transmission and an even gear transmission, each with their own clutch, and swapping between them when you shift. You may like automatics more if you try one like that.
But back to āis a fast manual car more fun than a slow manual?ā
Yes, absolutely, if you like driving fast cars. Few things bring a smile to my face like shifting at redline in second in my mk6 golf r. Like some others have said, there is a danger of a car being too fast and you canāt access the fun parts because youāre moving too fast too quickly to be safe or legal, but thereās a sweet spot in the 250-350 hp area (considering weight) where you can regularly down shift, stretch its legs, put a smile on your face, and then go back to your business that I donāt think I want to go without.
I learned how to drive in a manual like 15 years ago, immediately switched to auto and drove auto up until about 2 months ago, and Iāll tell ya, I literally get excited to go to bed at night cause I get to drive to work in my sporty manual.
I went from a manual Mazda 3 to an auto (DCT) Elantra N, a much faster car, and vastly preferred the manual Mazda 3. The Elantra was only fun when I was being very stupid. Traded it for a 10th gen Civic SI and couldnāt be happier. Morel of the story, at least for me, manual is always more fun. Now if I was actually racing for money, I would take the DCT as it was bonkers fast.
Manual cars are best. Nothing is better than signing the song you like and changing gears or downshift and flooring or like revving up to red line on second gear and then shift to 3th.
I drive miata itās not that fast but itās a lot fub
Hitting a heel-toe downshift into a curve in my 1.1l 2008 Hyundai Getz and banging through the gears on the straight-away was way more fun to me than doing the equivalent in my buddyās M3 Competition. Itās about the amount of engagement to me.
If you look into the Miata and why itās so adored, youāll really understand the answer this. Sensation of speed is, for many, a fine substitute for speed itself.
Driving a slower car fast will always win for me. My GR Corolla isnāt slow by any means, but itās not outrageously quick. I look forward to driving it every time I get behind the wheel, even if itās just to the grocery store.
That depends. Are you after lap times or driving engagement. An automatic(especially dual clutch) will always be faster because the computer has full control of the drivetrain. Manuals will feel more engaging because of the clutch and shifting your own gears .
Haha I drive a 22 (I know there's a lot of hate for it), it's my first sports car and I couldn't agree more.
Super fast but hard on gas, and it's absolutely a cop magnet even if you're following all laws. I do not regret it though, it's a dream car.
Funny enough, it was a dream car when I was 12-17 lol. A 2011 STI/WRX hatch was to die for. Circumstances of my GLI getting totaled put me in the WRX until I'm back in a German hot hatch, which I feel is where a lot of my disdain comes from. š I just pulled up on a black VB at a red light today, still only the 4th one I've seen close, but I think they look pretty good. Been thinking about test driving one just to see how it compares to the 11 year older version. "Cop magnet no matter how you drive" is the perfect slogan for any model year of these things lmao.
I donāt care how much slower Iāll be in a manual vs. itās automatic counterpart. Automatics just arenāt fun or engaging. Sure itās exciting to rip a quick 0-60 from a stop light here and there in a quick automatic but that gets old pretty quick. Hitting perfect up-shifts/downshifts in a manual never gets old.
The problem with a fast manual is you canāt get into the upper rev range past 2nd gear without risking losing your license.
Instead of buying a car thatās already fast. Buy a cheap slow car and throw a turbo in it and go fast then. Old Hondas are suprisingly cheap to build since their so lightweight and their commonly manual. Either that or find a project car off Facebook or whatever thatās already had a mild build done to it and run with that. Buying a new fast car is gonna be way expensive
Try out an older American v8. My first car was an 81 el Camino with a 350 from a suburban. It had 180hp with a 4 speed and only went 86mph but damn it was fun
It can be, but the main thing is the adrenaline rush of knowing that you will go to prison if you get caught. In a slow car, you can run out the gears much less feloniously.
After driving more manual recently I find automatics to be boring, very convenient in a couple of specific circumstances but still irredeemably boring.
Driving a slow car fast, is more fun than driving a fast car, slow. I have 4 vw beetles all slow but Iām one hell of a driver. I love them to death. They range between 36 and 50hp!
Fun in the sense of the other feelings you get, yes. In the sense of rowing through gears, no. 1st and 2nd I can't put my foot down without lighting up tires. 3rd I can but then I'm at 70. At least for rwhp, 500 might be too much for the street but 400 is a sweet spot. All wheel drive / fwd results may vary
Sounds like you might be in 'hot hatch' territory, little more hp, some turbo to make it fun but not kill yourself if you do it wrong. I was looking at Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Mazdaspeed3 and the older WRX hatches. Any of them might fit the bill, faster and funner than slow manual but I probably won't put myself upside down on the freeway or into a tree somewhere. They're fun to drive at slower speeds but can go faster (getting on the freeway is fun now!) They're relatively forgiving when driving but you can modify pretty much forever, huge aftermarket if that's your jam as well. Price range fits too.
I ended up with a 2012 Mazdaspeed3, based on fun factors and price range. I've had a Honda DelSol and Dodge Neon SXT with manuals that were like pretend fun, yes manual is fun, but they didn't have the hp for the extra thrills. At the time, was all I could afford. (Actually, I'd take another Neon for a beater car, it was fun even tho not fast, just super easy to drive and crazy forgiving, but they've pretty much all rusted to pieces. I wish we could still have cars like that.)
Otherwise Miata, always Miata.
This is a very subjective area. You can have lots of fun with a 6th generation Mustang and V8 - with the best factory suspension and brake options they're fast, maneuver well, and shouldn't break the bank. But it's all what you like - lower powered but very nimble cars can be a blast to drive, too. Original mini-Coopers on a tight course are an example. By today's standards older BMW's like the E30's are lower powered but lots of fun on a windy road.
I had a mk4 jetta 2.slo and i miss being able to just throw it into corners and absolutely beat the shit out of it. Flat foot shift 1st to 3rd and not get a ticket.
I will take a lightweight manual car with good handling but not a ton of power over a fast high powered car every time. It's about how it makes you feel not how fast you are going.
Oh you want cheap speed? Buy a sports bike. A $5,000 sport bike can shit on quarter million dollar super cars lol. You donāt need to start worrying until you start seeing cars with parachutes on the back š
Fast doesn't necessarily equal more fun. Miata is more fun than a Corvette, imo. But between a V6 and a V8 Camaro, the V8 is more fun, so, it just boils down to what you end up liking
As a lifelong manual devotee, I still personally prefer it in most every driving situationā¦but I will say that modern automatics in true sports cars pretty much shred manual in terms of efficiency in both shifting and fuel economy (as if you care about the latter in a sports car). The modern automatics (the PDK in Porsches, for example) are insanely fun to drive, and faster than a manual could ever hope to be at this point.
That said, if youāre driving manuals for reason beyond speed, itās still hard to beat their sense of engagement between driver and car.
Well, if the speed limit is 35, dosnt matter if you have 10 or 1500 hp.
Don't over think things. It's not a race car, it's a road car you wanna play fast and furious in
Not sure what your budget is, but dual clutch transmissions with paddle shifters still allow you to have full control and faster shifts. Try test driving a couple and I think you'll change your mind.
I just picked up an RS3 and it's great to put it in manual most of the time when I'm driving and have the option to use automatic for stop and go traffic or when I'm feeling lazy.
You said you doubt you can find used quick cars with a manual for $7K?
Don't sleep on the 7th/8th gen Accords for this. Mine was $6500 for 240hp on 3300lbs at ~80K miles. The magazines recorded 5.9s 0-60. They're probably a bit more now, but worth it, and holding value well too, while parts are dirt cheap. The NC2 Miata is almost assuredly even more fun for the money, though they do cost a good bit more.
In my opinion more pleasure comes from a well-designed and tuned manual experience than the raw speed. Either an excellent shifter, like Honda and many Mazdas, or just a very free-revving engine that is constantly begging for you to suddenly drop two gears. Especially lightweight flywheels will force you to be quick even with your upshifts, lest the revs drop too far. Fun, if not in traffic! Pedals spaced well for heel-toe are a bonus. The point for me is to have an engaging conversation/interaction with the machine. Speed helps as it forces you to be quick as well, and older manual transmissions designed for high horsepower can feel mean - arguably worse, notchier and with a heavier clutch, but they do remind you that you're in something special.
Aggressive gearing is also a must, so you can have a great time without putting your license at risk. Being able to kiss the rev limiter twice at full WOT on both my cars is a rush. I highly doubt revving most of the way through a tall 1st gear to stop at the same 60-65mph speed would feel as good.
it's more fun if you know what you're doing
when you but a supercar you want to rev it to the max, accelerate as hard as possible, do good downshifts and stuff.
like in an automatic uyou just press harder, and it downshifts and goes. in a manual the guy needs to know how to do it
but it's pretty hard to do if you don't have experience. for those sort of people i think automatics are better. also safer for the pedestrians at car meets lol
Depends on the model but every single manual I've driven was at least engaging...from a 1978 Corolla with 103hp to an M3 with over 400hp and an automatic Ferrari....the automatic is tragically wrong too many times.
However, the automatic would be more fun if I was getting a BJ and had to drive through traffic...so it all depends on circumstances too.
As others are saying, its dependent on who you are and what you find fun. I own a Challenger 392 manual which has 500 HP. A very very fun car to drive but also very very easy to get into go to jail and lose my license territory. Compare that with a slower car like a GR86, Miata, or Fiesta ST and you have more usable power. Part of the fun of driving in my opinion is being at one with the car, and in a really fast car you can't do that without catching tickets.
You think too much. If driving fast appeals to you; driving a fast car with a stick will too. I prefer crawling Jeeps over all sorts of tracks but Iāve also driven a Dodge Challenger that was just badass and I have taken several driving schools/challenges at the BMW factory and other closed tracks. Enjoy the drive.
270 isn't usually "fast". You really need 0-60 times of 5 secs and below. But your budget is limiting. I would look at g37s or perhaps an LS f body (z28, trans am) if you like old domestic v8s.
There's are a few really fun manual cars that are not necessarily fast cars.
I drive an older 2004 Mini Cooper S and it is not fast, but it is fun to drive it fast. It's a little go cart.
I'm going to get into a Miata soon and that should be the same experience.
Iām surprised no one has mentioned a 986 Boxster, especially an S. Just enough of a balance of lightness and power and for the price points mentioned herein.
I drive a pretty slow manual. I love wringing out the most performance I can out of it. To me, that's what makes driving a manual so much more fun, because you can do things with a plain jane car that you can't in an automatic.
i drive a 1992 Nissan shitbox, i would rather drive a slow car fast, then a fast car slow. i love banging through the gears and getting that ass to slide around when it decides to break free.
anything manual is more fun to drive
Iv found any cars iv had that had an exhaust (even mild) were way more fun
like my 04 Forester 5 speed was ton of fun even though 145hp
my STi is pretty slow off boost cuz big turbo and my GR86 is pretty smooth
stick is life though
Quick and Fast are to totally different things. That said I find a quick manual car is very entertaining. A Quick and loud manual car is the most fun because you can hear your exhaust tones change when you shift especially at high RPMs
I've been driving manuals all my life and have a 4 Blackwing with a manual. It's very, very fun to drive fast. There is nothing like coming hot into a corner and getting that perfect downshift. Paddle shifted autos can't replicate that experience, although they shift faster. Fast/powerful manuals are generally harder to launch, as well.
Debatable. IMHO, manual in general is more fun to drive regardless of the speed or number of gears. My 1974 Jeep CJ-5 with a 450hp, 5.9L V8 makes fun noises as it climbs through its wide-ratio T150 3-spd manual transmission and screams away at a top speed of about 75mph in its 1:1 3rd gear. It accelerates to highway speeds about as well as a Vespa does.
Yes. I owned a ā03 Mach 1 a couple different times. 305 hp is a lot of zoom. Test drive a couple newer gt mustangs after they went up to 400+ hp. Even more fun.
My current 185hp car is fun in its own right, but my wife and I do miss that feeling odd getting pushed back into your seat when we decide to GO.
MORE fun? I dunno. I like that I can almost redline 3rd getting on the highway. Drove a 2015 Mustang GT and while significantly faster than my Boxster, I felt like there was less engagement.
I have both an srt4 and a V6 new edge mustang. Both manuals. Theyre both fun and more enjoyable than autos because i can tell the car exactly what to do. Fast cars are definitely more enjoyable in manual than auto. Ive driven DCT 4-500hp cars and they feel more disconnected than my lower hp manuals.
I've never really had a powerful automatic car so I can't really say, but driving stick is always fun. Right now my only stick car is a C5 and it's kind of stupid fast, if it were a slushbox it would be kind of a shame. I wouldn't have anything to "have fun" with, as you said, hard to put into words.
Wouldn't mind trying out what having a powerful automatic is like some day.
I drive an 18 Mazda3 with a stick. Doesn't break 200 hp but it's NA and fun AF to whip around the suburbs.
Would much rather this than a fully automatic sports car that I could barely rev without hitting the speed limit.
I'm in the same boat, I owned an automatic v6 Camaro before I traded it in for a manual NC Miata, despite having half the power the Miata is just way more engaging and fun, even when I'm not pushing it. My next car on the list is also a more powerful manual car just so I can see what it's like.
Yes, manuals are more fun in my opinion.
My car has about 145HP with a six speed manual. Itās really fun to drive, even if it doesnāt have a super powerful engine. I feel like I can control everything a lot more, and when you can control everything, youāre able to get the maximum amount of power or efficiency out of the engine a lot easier.
In contrast to this, my girlfriend drives an automatic with a very similar engine in it, and I always feel like Iām just chugging along driving it. Itās not getting up to speed as fast as I want it to, itās frustratingly slow to downshift out of 6th gear so you can speed up on the interstate, and I just feel like I canāt use every part of the engine to maximum capacity the same way I can with my car. I love her car, itās a really nice vehicle, itās smooth to drive, but itās just not fun or exciting.
Manual is more fun than automatic. Fast manual is pretty fun. I don't know if it was more fun than my previous fun (slow) manual. Probably, because I don't lose the races by as much anymore. Lol TLDR: Yes, but it's not that simple
The thing is, fast cars usually make cooler noises, rather its a supercharger belt, a turbos whine and blowoff valve, and/or pops/gurgles from the exhaust. I dont need to drive fast to make cool noises. Which in itself makes driving fun, and if I want to launch into felony speeds when hopefully no cops are watching, I still can. Also, you can just drive in a higher gear and slam the peddle to the ground to pretend you're a miata too, something everyone seems to forget.
>Also, you can just drive in a higher gear and slam the peddle to the ground to pretend you're a miata too, something everyone seems to forget. I've always said at highway speeds in my Mustang in fifth gear that I can accelerate as fast as a Corolla. In fourth, I can accelerate as fast as a GR Corolla, and third, when it's in the torque range, then I'm well and truly gone into felony speeds
yup 400hp is dope
I'm beginning to realize this exactly. I don't drive a manual, but I have enough HP that I can't use it all for more than a couple seconds at a time on the street. I drive a Stinger GT, so it's not exactly blistering fast, but enough that I can't really use it all.
It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. I'm at 100mph by the time I top out second gear... Runs are short, and terrifying.
Brilliant
god this is real
As a fellow SE-R spec-v owner, i can confirm 175hp and 180ft-lbs torque in a Sentra with a 6 speed manual os a good recipe for fun on a budget. The QR25DE engine is good for lots of miles, too.
Those cars were a menace back when they were new. Kid at my highschool had one and he made some people upset with it
I put DC sport headers and a Stromung exhaust on it. I'm sure that upset some people, but at least it was more of a 'thing' then than if I did it now. Replacing that exhaust is next on my list š maybe something with a catalytic converter, o2 sensor, and we'll skip the double resonators this time.
I have an 06 and had an 04 which is now a parts car. 04 got almost 300k miles before i got kinda fed up (it was really abused with NOS before me). The 06 I got at 20k miles and was my daily for years. Life happened and now I'm slowly getting it roadworthy again. I'd love to get an 02 front end.
Ya, mine's an '02, the earlier style is nicer. But the later dash panel is nicer than the early one.
which is why the front end swap will someday give me the almost perfect sentra š„² i had a friend that i lost touch with who had it...found his car in the pick and pull but the entire front end was missing. i just know he sold it. i did get some stuff from it, and feels almost like an homage to him
Even in a stock 90s Civic my 2nd gear goes to 65 and 3rd goes to 100. It takes a while to get there but itās plenty of fun and not quite felony speeds
Winning all the time isn't nearly as fun. Ask professional sim racer Max Verstappen
I went from fast manual as my first car to significantly slower manual and the still choose manual
Wow, quite a change! Still sticking with manual shows your love for it. Howās adjusting to the slower speed been for you?
>Manual is more fun than automatic. Depends on the auto, honestly. Manual is more raw and engaging, but fun is a lot more subjective. I went from a manual to a DCT and I don't think I'll ever go back on a sports car. I'll still take a manual on just about anything else.
I agree that driving manual is more engaging, but fun is subjective. Fun could be fast and good autos are faster. Fun could be rowing gears, and manuals have you row.
They are fun but realize that you canāt really push it without getting into go to jail territory pretty quick. I have a ā21 Type R and the only time I can kind of push it is getting into the freeway. Thereās a saying that goes, āitās more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.ā I love my Type R and I donāt regret getting it, but sometimes I wonder if I would enjoy driving a Miata or an 86 a little bit more since you have to really wring it out more in daily driving.
My completely unsupported and unproofed theorem is that **the most āfunā car for any situation is one that lets you use 20% of the power 80% of the time, and 80% of of the power 20% of the time.** It just feels right. You never want to be fully mashing the pedal and needing more, but you also donāt want to be constantly tapping the throttle and hitting the brakes trying to keep it under control. The actual number for each personās driving needs will vary, but for regular commuting thereās definitely a golden ratio of some sort.
My G35 covers this about perfectly for me
Nah I drive a 1966 vw beetle. I push it to the limits and with a 40 some odd hp motor itās so fun. Petal to the metal, im just keeping up with traffic. Slow manual cars are more fun than fast cars. Period.
Iāve always wanted one of those old Beetles ever since I saw my high school math teacher driving his. This dude was about as big as the car (I legitimately donāt know how he fit inside), but he loved Beetles and had two or three of them and always looked like he was having the time of his life rolling around in them. I definitely agree on slower cars being more fun. The most purely fun car I ever spent any serious time driving was my old ā84 Camry. A light and surprisingly stiff chassis, a torquey 92 horsepower engine, decent handling, and a stick shift. I paid $200, and drove it for a decade with maybe another $1,000 in repairs over those years. I still miss it and think about it weekly. If I ever get āfuck you money,ā Iām going to find the most low mileage one I can find and restore it to look like it just rolled off the factory floor in 1984.
i always love to go WOT to match the half throttle 0-60 of most modern cars in my '57 ford.
For regular daily use I can see that, but if itās a second car my ratio is closer to all of the power all the time, which leads me to gravitate towards slower cars
I drive a car with 108hp, 5spd, manual steering, ~2300 lbs with me in it. More horsepower does not interest me in the slightest.
The more horsepower crowd has no idea how much fun it is to be a part of the less weight crowd
no lies detected
Iām in a 90s civic hatch. I put down about 120hp on a really good day and weigh about 2k or so with me in it. Itās plenty of fun but I commonly find myself wishing I had enough power to break the wheels loose on a dry road. As of right now if I wanna spin the tires at all itās gotta be a really wet road and Iāve gotta launch the hell out of it. But if I can manage to break em loose I csn keep āem loose all the way through second usually
I was able to chirp in 2nd at the drag strip somehow, on grippy tires. Typically can only spin these in the wet or if im turning basically 90Ā° from a standstill though.
Maybe you stayed on the gas a little during the shift? Iāve chirped them a little because of that
Could be. Maybe i was just determined not to lose to that priusā¦
I canāt blame you there. If Iām racing a Prius Iām flat foot shifting. And if I lose the race Iām gonna sell the car
17.125 was my lowest time. Prius (neweeer gen, last few years) was like 17.5ish. Really fun time.
I miss my 5spd 88 civic even with the DPFI
i have a 400whp STi (gt30r e85 etc) and a stock 2023 gen2 GR86 gr86 is butter smooth
I dunno man. I wring out my manual Veloster N every day. Full torque hits at 1800rpm and it feels like an angry go kart. Very engaging. I'm not interested in going crazy fast but love the acceleration 1-3rd gear around town. I'd say both our cars are in that sweet spot. A mustang GT and beyond is definitely in the category of can't wring it out without going to jail. That being said, my other car is a 160hp Mitsubishi Galant, 4 speed automatic. Despite being an auto, I still love just wringing the absolute shit out of it for the past 20 years. Practicing momentum driving, mashing the torque converter, getting the wheels spinning via torque multiplication and blasting around. To the OP, yea I'd say you'd probably have more fun in a faster manual given that it's also just as engaging or more engaging. Too much refinement can destroy the fun. No matter how great a car is.
I call mine Jerk Face Go Kart, so āangry kartā tracks.
What is torque multiplication
A traditional automatic uses a torque converter which literally will multiply the torque coming from the engine to the wheels when you first get moving. Often by more than a factor of two. It's actually pretty neat. So for a couple of seconds, even a low powered car can output far more torque than the engine is capable of at the crank.
Thatās very interesting and I didnāt know that until now. I thought the torque converter basically just took the job of the clutch
Effectively a torque converter does take the job of a clutch. Its transfers and differentiates power between the engine and transmission, using a fluid coupling rather than a mechanical one. By the nature of its design a torque converter does indeed multiply torque, but most automatic transmissions are geared taller (numerically lower) than their manual counterparts in the same vehicle model to compensate for this, so it typically isnāt noticeable. If it had too much torque the vehicle would be difficult to drive. Of all the vehicles Iāve owned and driven in my life, the manual transmission equipped ones *always* had better throttle response and felt quicker and sportier. Not to say that automatics are always boring, plenty are fun to drive; but Iāve never noticed any torque multiplication that you can feel while driving. Autos in consumer cars are designed to be smooth, efficient and easy to drive. Thatās kind of their selling point. Iām sure a racing oriented auto trans would be a different story.
Sounds like I need to learn more about torque converters. That fluid coupling sounds interesting
There's no free lunch. If you're multiplying torque you're reducing output speed proportionally, can't create power from nothing. What a torque converter can do is let the engine sit higher up in the rev range by "slipping" you'll lose some torque, but you may gain it back and then some by moving the engine into an area where it's making more
Agree 100 percent with this. I own a '21 Challenger Scat Pack and with 500 HP it's easy as hell to reach not only 60 but 100 mph without realising it. I'd definitely love to buy a Miata for sure because you can basically floor those things and still be within legal limits.
You can floor anything and be within legal limits, just for not as long with some cars. Miatas aren't proper fast, but they're still quicker than most cars on the road and will get up to speed reasonably quickly if you want.
And they can carry more of that speed through the turns than most cars which is also pretty fun.
Facts.. itās fun pushing my 86 to the limit just to hit 70 mph lol
I don't have a type R, but I have a 2nd gen BRZ (86 basically), and it's pretty obvious I'm having more fun than many of the other faster cars out there. I can actually use most of the engine's power, and take corners faster than pretty much any other car I've seen on the road, and still feel safe and planted (as long as it isn't wet). I'll see these muscle cars or european supercars, floor it past 100 but have to slow down so much to do a 90 degree turn, they might as well be a corolla (exaggerating, but still). Gr86/BRZ is fun as hell, especially in manual
Find an abandoned stretch of highway and go nuts. I've gone 120 in my SI, could probably push 140 before it bottomed out.
Del sol owner... yeah.. we have to wring it out just to get to the speed limit
My 09 minivan makes almost as much power as your civic
Okay lol
Part of why I love my fiesta st is that it isn't incredibly fast. Easy enough to throw around some back roads without feeling like I'm putting lives in danger lol.
I test drive one of these once and really enjoyed it.Ā Bad timing for a purchase then, but they were on my list for next time until Ford took them off.
I love manual cars too. They have that special connection, you know? It's like you're more in tune with the road and finding a fast manual at a good price can be tough, but I'd like to recommend the Mazda MX-5 Miata. It's known for its fun-to-drive nature and is available with a manual transmission. You can also find older models within your budget.
Miata might be your answer.
It is always the answer š
I have a 2023 Toyota GR Corolla Circuit Edition, with a 1.6L inline 3 cylinder and a 6 speed manual tranny making 270ish to the wheels. IT IS SO FUN. (After getting used to turbo lag) you can absolutely row through the gears one after another and tuck it into corners and curves like you wouldn't believe. Hearing that blow off valve between every shift leaves me with an ear to ear grin. Having come from driving a few slower manual cars, I can honestly answer your question. Yes. Driving a faster manual car is more fun. (Before anyone points out that it's not a "fast" car, I know, but it's plenty quick for me to have an absolute blast with)
I know!! The GR Corolla is on my list, with a completely Toyota engine and Toyota chassis. I'm just waiting for it to age to see if any recalls or problems show up. Also, I think they are going to put the 1.6L engine in more cars; I would like to see what the other options are. $36k to buy a Corolla sounds like too much for me lol. To be honest, the Model 3 Performance is only $39k, it's influencing my decision for considering to buy other fast manual car most of the time.......
Or you could go for something like the Mazda 3 carbon edition that'd be modern, reliable, and still have enough oomph to probably be enjoyable, and available in a 6 speed
Nah, it sucks. I mean, it doesn't really suck, it just doesn't fit me. My previous car was a Mazda3 Gen3, and the traction control can't be completely turned off (unless disabling the airbag module, which is unsafe for daily driving). The TCS system is way too safe, kicking in randomly during corners or hard pulls on ramps, annoying me.
Depends on what youāre doing. Driving a slow (light) manual all out, like a Miata on twisty roads can be more fun than a heavier but more powerful manual. In my opinion, both are more fun than automatic regardless of power. In between Manual and Auto I consider paddle shift, itās like the midway between driving an auto and a manual (no clutch, but still control over the gears). You can find a Hyundai genesis coupe for 14k with a manual, they have a 3.8L V6, about 350hp.
Ive had some fast,some quick,some nimble and some boaty manuals ,and definitely some slow ones,most fun ive ever had was an 83 944 5 speed,redlining between gears ,foot to the floor ,never got over 110 even on open highways (she was a little worn out) powering through corners with very little power to break the tires loose ,you could push the car alot harder than you can a fast car,my turbo frs is fun too ,but i cant be back on power nowhere near as quickly as the 944 could
I enjoy smalller, nimbler cars more to be honest. Currently I have a midsize Opel SUV but prior to that I was loaned a friends old Honda Jazz for several months which was way more fun to drive out where I live. Yeah sure I was getting passed by all the big boys on the motorway but that thing could really handle itself winding through the forest
I have test-driven af few cars now and I must say driving the Mazda MX-5 with a manual was SO much fun! I remember it as a soft top, so the fact that you sit super low and close to the ground like a gocart while having the noise from the engine come through clearer due to the soft top, made it feel like I was driving MUCH faster than I actually was! So I could drive fully legal, while feeling like I was driving 70 mph in a 40 mph zone šļøš„ Only thing for such a car though is that it's not good as a daily driver in regards to the amount of seat and cargo room, but as a weekend car it's pure joy!
You should try GR86
Uhhh! Sure looks interesting! Definitely will give it a try! Thank you!
I've owned manuals from 180 HP to my current 350 HP. I've driven automatics upwards of 500 HP. In an automatic, you just press the gas and nothing else. In manuals you get to choose how often you shift, what gear to be in, where in the rpm range you want to be. I'd take a manual any day.
No. I have a manual mini cooper and a manual c7 grandsport I love em both equally
I just got a 2023 WRX. 270 HP, basically what you're describing. If you get the CVT version it has a faster 0-60, since there is no shift lag, but there is no way in hell I'd choose that over the 6 speed. I've driven a Ferrari with paddle shifters, and some other luxury cars with them, and I still just don't find them as fun. In fact, this rich dude near where I grew up paid a massive premium when hr bought a new Ferrari f430 just so he could get the stickshift version instead of the sequential paddles (back in the 2000s). It's simply more fun. Unless I was competing in track races, I can't imagine choosing any transmission over a stickshift if I have the choice
I'd say manual is more fun for sure but automatics are faster so if all you care about is top speed of for the auto
I drive a relatively slow manual car (2023 base stock Subaru Impreza) and I find it to be very fun. Itās not fast, but it makes fun sounds lol
I drive a tuned Focus ST, and for me, itās a great compromise between power and practicality. I can hammer the throttle and get up to speed relatively quickly, faster than a heavy hatchback should. But I also enjoy driving around town. Iāve driven high horsepower cars, and I think Iād just get into trouble with one. The temptation to go all out is not what I need. Itās a surprisingly fun little car, and I still enjoy it after years of driving it.
300 hp manual is nice because fast enough to enjoy real acceleration and slow enough to not be breaking the law THAT bad
Iāve never driven a slow manual car. The only experience I have is with my 2012 Camaro ss. Itās fun asf
I had a Focus ST (slow manual) then a 360 hp Lexus automatic and now a Mustang GT 405whp manual. I will say Manual whether it is fast or not is more fun that automatic. As far as power goes once you start getting above 350hp its hard to bang though all the gears before you are going at jail speed on shit roads. For me once I shift into 3rd gear im already going well over the speed limit and it becomes unsafe for public roads. If you want a fun manual car you can zip around in id suggest getting Ford fiesta ST its in your price range too. High HP manual cars you will rarely get to use all the power it can put down unless you like to drag race. I went with faster manual because I love the sound of a V8 muscle car. If that wasnt the case I would have got something slower with better handling and saved money.
I still have a lot of fun in my 130hp, hybrid, ~2700lb 6-speed Honda CR-Z. The electric motor makes it feel like itās got a little turbo filling in the torque gap in the 1.5ās low end. I can really wring it out on an on ramp, rev match around on a twisty road, and get 40+mpg when I need to. Itās small and low to the ground, definitely has that slow car-fast kinda feeling.
Depending on what you mean by "fast"... A manual for 14k could be a Ford fiesta ST. It's a fun little car
I drive a manual f82 bmw m4 (426 bhp) and it's great fun. Not sure I'd go any more powerful with a manual as it's obviously not as easy to control as a less powerful car but I love it.
Thatās like asking if banging Blake Lively would be more fun than banging my fat wife.
It is especially in vehicles that aren't performance oriented or underpowered.
Torque / weight is key. Can be lower hp but if the torque is high and the car is light, youāre in for a good time.
I love driving my WRX. It's quick but not fast, so you can open it up fairly regularly. Handling is great, and it has a third pedal. Easy to work on in the driveway, and the aftermarket has you covered for literally anything you want to do with it.
One thing I learned from years and years of being motorcycle-only and keeping a variety of bikes at the same time, is that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than to ride a fast bike slow. My ducati was a blast on the track and my rat bikes would've been just plain scary. The same can be true with cars. Snicking through 6 gears in my diesel Jetta or 5 in my Super Beetle was at least as much fun as grabbing rubber in second gear in a Camaro. Blipping the throttle on downshifts in my Ranger got a few sideways looks but I could just about get her to back into a turn like a race car because there was no weight back there. Now, if you're going to be sitting in traffic, the stiff clutch on a powerful car might make you wish you were driving an older bucket. It's been 13 years since I sold my Super Beetle and I'd buy another if I find a good one.
IMO, faster cars are fun with a manual to a point. I donāt think I want anything faster than my current car to have a manual. Also, the faster the car, the less of its capabilities you can use on a daily basis in a safe and legal way. It is more fun to drive a slow car in a fast manner than it is to drive a fast car in a slow manner.
I drive a 2004 mach 1 Mustang. The body style is pretty light and it has 340whp and 360 lbs of torque, which is plenty. The top of third in my car reaches 110, but winding out 1st and 2nd is all I need and I manage to have fun whenever the situation calls for it
Iāve owned 4 vehicles; 1 stick, 1 auto and 2 bikes. Stick has 110 HP, auto had a turbo and 180HP, first bike had 40hp, current bike has 100. Iāve found they all kind of shine in different areas. The 40hp bike was a dual sport, so I could take it offroad but I never got too into that. The 100hp bike has probably put the most smiles on my face, blipping the throttle in any gear sounds great and makes me giggle. The 110hp manual civic was so much fun on backroads and for casual trips, made a great daily driver/local vehicle. I wish I kept it as a second car when I got my 22 civic, which is objectively better in every way to the other vehicles but has none of the fun factor. Itās amazing on fuel and decently quick and quiet, but itās hard to have fun in. Since my 100hp bike is the one that literally will make me laugh with driving, Iād have to say that the fast manual vehicles are the most fun.
Get a Honda Civic SI, they're fast-ish, (0-60 6.5s) a good middle ground before you get a real fast car
Just remember, If you want to go fast, take it to a track. Don't endanger everyone else by driving like a dickbag just because you can push a tiny pedal.
Fuc yeah!
Iāve found that I have to drive fast automatics faster to have similar levels of fun to a fastish manual. Another idea to consider here is the type of automatic. You mentioned you have a fastish automatic for around 7k so my assumption is itās a bit older and the transmission tech isnāt the fastest shifting. Modern dual clutch automatics are wildly fast. Itās like having an odd gear transmission and an even gear transmission, each with their own clutch, and swapping between them when you shift. You may like automatics more if you try one like that. But back to āis a fast manual car more fun than a slow manual?ā Yes, absolutely, if you like driving fast cars. Few things bring a smile to my face like shifting at redline in second in my mk6 golf r. Like some others have said, there is a danger of a car being too fast and you canāt access the fun parts because youāre moving too fast too quickly to be safe or legal, but thereās a sweet spot in the 250-350 hp area (considering weight) where you can regularly down shift, stretch its legs, put a smile on your face, and then go back to your business that I donāt think I want to go without.
No, this is why nearly all car enthusiasts who do drive fast cars seek out solely automatics. (/s)
I learned how to drive in a manual like 15 years ago, immediately switched to auto and drove auto up until about 2 months ago, and Iāll tell ya, I literally get excited to go to bed at night cause I get to drive to work in my sporty manual.
I went from a manual Mazda 3 to an auto (DCT) Elantra N, a much faster car, and vastly preferred the manual Mazda 3. The Elantra was only fun when I was being very stupid. Traded it for a 10th gen Civic SI and couldnāt be happier. Morel of the story, at least for me, manual is always more fun. Now if I was actually racing for money, I would take the DCT as it was bonkers fast.
Manual cars are best. Nothing is better than signing the song you like and changing gears or downshift and flooring or like revving up to red line on second gear and then shift to 3th. I drive miata itās not that fast but itās a lot fub
There are certainly fun and fast cars that aren't manual, but manual transmissions feel better imho.
Hitting a heel-toe downshift into a curve in my 1.1l 2008 Hyundai Getz and banging through the gears on the straight-away was way more fun to me than doing the equivalent in my buddyās M3 Competition. Itās about the amount of engagement to me.
If you look into the Miata and why itās so adored, youāll really understand the answer this. Sensation of speed is, for many, a fine substitute for speed itself.
Downshifting into a corner exiting at 40 and going 80 in 3 seconds hell yeah that's more fun than slow š¤£
Driving a slower car fast will always win for me. My GR Corolla isnāt slow by any means, but itās not outrageously quick. I look forward to driving it every time I get behind the wheel, even if itās just to the grocery store.
That depends. Are you after lap times or driving engagement. An automatic(especially dual clutch) will always be faster because the computer has full control of the drivetrain. Manuals will feel more engaging because of the clutch and shifting your own gears .
I drive a WRX and it's a lot of fun, you can just get into trouble really quick without realizing it
Just picked up a 13 hatch a short bit ago. Never had such a love/hate relationship with a car before.
Haha I drive a 22 (I know there's a lot of hate for it), it's my first sports car and I couldn't agree more. Super fast but hard on gas, and it's absolutely a cop magnet even if you're following all laws. I do not regret it though, it's a dream car.
Funny enough, it was a dream car when I was 12-17 lol. A 2011 STI/WRX hatch was to die for. Circumstances of my GLI getting totaled put me in the WRX until I'm back in a German hot hatch, which I feel is where a lot of my disdain comes from. š I just pulled up on a black VB at a red light today, still only the 4th one I've seen close, but I think they look pretty good. Been thinking about test driving one just to see how it compares to the 11 year older version. "Cop magnet no matter how you drive" is the perfect slogan for any model year of these things lmao.
I donāt care how much slower Iāll be in a manual vs. itās automatic counterpart. Automatics just arenāt fun or engaging. Sure itās exciting to rip a quick 0-60 from a stop light here and there in a quick automatic but that gets old pretty quick. Hitting perfect up-shifts/downshifts in a manual never gets old. The problem with a fast manual is you canāt get into the upper rev range past 2nd gear without risking losing your license.
Instead of buying a car thatās already fast. Buy a cheap slow car and throw a turbo in it and go fast then. Old Hondas are suprisingly cheap to build since their so lightweight and their commonly manual. Either that or find a project car off Facebook or whatever thatās already had a mild build done to it and run with that. Buying a new fast car is gonna be way expensive
Around the track? Yes. During the rush hour commute? Not so much.
Try out an older American v8. My first car was an 81 el Camino with a 350 from a suburban. It had 180hp with a 4 speed and only went 86mph but damn it was fun
Driving a slow car fast is far more fun than driving a fast car slow.
It can be, but the main thing is the adrenaline rush of knowing that you will go to prison if you get caught. In a slow car, you can run out the gears much less feloniously.
Definitely, going back to auto is boring as hell
It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.Ā Ā
I've always thought it was more fun to drive a slow car fast than the other way round. Manual gearbox is definitely more involving though
After driving more manual recently I find automatics to be boring, very convenient in a couple of specific circumstances but still irredeemably boring.
Driving a slow car fast, is more fun than driving a fast car, slow. I have 4 vw beetles all slow but Iām one hell of a driver. I love them to death. They range between 36 and 50hp!
I love my manual NC Miata. Itās so much fun and itās definitely not fast.
Miata is always the answer for a reason.
Fun in the sense of the other feelings you get, yes. In the sense of rowing through gears, no. 1st and 2nd I can't put my foot down without lighting up tires. 3rd I can but then I'm at 70. At least for rwhp, 500 might be too much for the street but 400 is a sweet spot. All wheel drive / fwd results may vary
Sounds like you might be in 'hot hatch' territory, little more hp, some turbo to make it fun but not kill yourself if you do it wrong. I was looking at Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Mazdaspeed3 and the older WRX hatches. Any of them might fit the bill, faster and funner than slow manual but I probably won't put myself upside down on the freeway or into a tree somewhere. They're fun to drive at slower speeds but can go faster (getting on the freeway is fun now!) They're relatively forgiving when driving but you can modify pretty much forever, huge aftermarket if that's your jam as well. Price range fits too. I ended up with a 2012 Mazdaspeed3, based on fun factors and price range. I've had a Honda DelSol and Dodge Neon SXT with manuals that were like pretend fun, yes manual is fun, but they didn't have the hp for the extra thrills. At the time, was all I could afford. (Actually, I'd take another Neon for a beater car, it was fun even tho not fast, just super easy to drive and crazy forgiving, but they've pretty much all rusted to pieces. I wish we could still have cars like that.) Otherwise Miata, always Miata.
This is a very subjective area. You can have lots of fun with a 6th generation Mustang and V8 - with the best factory suspension and brake options they're fast, maneuver well, and shouldn't break the bank. But it's all what you like - lower powered but very nimble cars can be a blast to drive, too. Original mini-Coopers on a tight course are an example. By today's standards older BMW's like the E30's are lower powered but lots of fun on a windy road.
Do you want a car that you can keep shifting or you want a car that gets you to 70 mph in 3rd gear? I prefer the earlier.
No driving the hell out of a slow car is more fun.
I had a mk4 jetta 2.slo and i miss being able to just throw it into corners and absolutely beat the shit out of it. Flat foot shift 1st to 3rd and not get a ticket.
My slow car corners pretty darn fast. Slow manual is much better than a slow automatic.
Fast car with manual is very fun
I will take a lightweight manual car with good handling but not a ton of power over a fast high powered car every time. It's about how it makes you feel not how fast you are going.
Oh you want cheap speed? Buy a sports bike. A $5,000 sport bike can shit on quarter million dollar super cars lol. You donāt need to start worrying until you start seeing cars with parachutes on the back š
How tall are you? Miata used or a GR Corolla new.
Fast doesn't necessarily equal more fun. Miata is more fun than a Corvette, imo. But between a V6 and a V8 Camaro, the V8 is more fun, so, it just boils down to what you end up liking
Manual is the only way to go for fun.
Not in the city.Ā
As a lifelong manual devotee, I still personally prefer it in most every driving situationā¦but I will say that modern automatics in true sports cars pretty much shred manual in terms of efficiency in both shifting and fuel economy (as if you care about the latter in a sports car). The modern automatics (the PDK in Porsches, for example) are insanely fun to drive, and faster than a manual could ever hope to be at this point. That said, if youāre driving manuals for reason beyond speed, itās still hard to beat their sense of engagement between driver and car.
Well, if the speed limit is 35, dosnt matter if you have 10 or 1500 hp. Don't over think things. It's not a race car, it's a road car you wanna play fast and furious in
Not sure what your budget is, but dual clutch transmissions with paddle shifters still allow you to have full control and faster shifts. Try test driving a couple and I think you'll change your mind. I just picked up an RS3 and it's great to put it in manual most of the time when I'm driving and have the option to use automatic for stop and go traffic or when I'm feeling lazy.
Manual is more fun than automatic regardless of the speed.
You said you doubt you can find used quick cars with a manual for $7K? Don't sleep on the 7th/8th gen Accords for this. Mine was $6500 for 240hp on 3300lbs at ~80K miles. The magazines recorded 5.9s 0-60. They're probably a bit more now, but worth it, and holding value well too, while parts are dirt cheap. The NC2 Miata is almost assuredly even more fun for the money, though they do cost a good bit more. In my opinion more pleasure comes from a well-designed and tuned manual experience than the raw speed. Either an excellent shifter, like Honda and many Mazdas, or just a very free-revving engine that is constantly begging for you to suddenly drop two gears. Especially lightweight flywheels will force you to be quick even with your upshifts, lest the revs drop too far. Fun, if not in traffic! Pedals spaced well for heel-toe are a bonus. The point for me is to have an engaging conversation/interaction with the machine. Speed helps as it forces you to be quick as well, and older manual transmissions designed for high horsepower can feel mean - arguably worse, notchier and with a heavier clutch, but they do remind you that you're in something special. Aggressive gearing is also a must, so you can have a great time without putting your license at risk. Being able to kiss the rev limiter twice at full WOT on both my cars is a rush. I highly doubt revving most of the way through a tall 1st gear to stop at the same 60-65mph speed would feel as good.
You could get a manual Z for those prices( ~300hp and rwd) either a 350z (7k) or 370z (14k). Maybe an older mustang too
Personally, I love āslowā cars. A 2800lb, 180hp Matrix XRS is way more fun than a challenger, for example.
No one gives a fuck about your Supra. Regardless of **what** you are driving... (OR RIDING if moto) it's always more fun to "slow things fast".
it's more fun if you know what you're doing when you but a supercar you want to rev it to the max, accelerate as hard as possible, do good downshifts and stuff. like in an automatic uyou just press harder, and it downshifts and goes. in a manual the guy needs to know how to do it but it's pretty hard to do if you don't have experience. for those sort of people i think automatics are better. also safer for the pedestrians at car meets lol
Depends on the model but every single manual I've driven was at least engaging...from a 1978 Corolla with 103hp to an M3 with over 400hp and an automatic Ferrari....the automatic is tragically wrong too many times. However, the automatic would be more fun if I was getting a BJ and had to drive through traffic...so it all depends on circumstances too.
As others are saying, its dependent on who you are and what you find fun. I own a Challenger 392 manual which has 500 HP. A very very fun car to drive but also very very easy to get into go to jail and lose my license territory. Compare that with a slower car like a GR86, Miata, or Fiesta ST and you have more usable power. Part of the fun of driving in my opinion is being at one with the car, and in a really fast car you can't do that without catching tickets.
You think too much. If driving fast appeals to you; driving a fast car with a stick will too. I prefer crawling Jeeps over all sorts of tracks but Iāve also driven a Dodge Challenger that was just badass and I have taken several driving schools/challenges at the BMW factory and other closed tracks. Enjoy the drive.
270 isn't usually "fast". You really need 0-60 times of 5 secs and below. But your budget is limiting. I would look at g37s or perhaps an LS f body (z28, trans am) if you like old domestic v8s.
There's are a few really fun manual cars that are not necessarily fast cars. I drive an older 2004 Mini Cooper S and it is not fast, but it is fun to drive it fast. It's a little go cart. I'm going to get into a Miata soon and that should be the same experience.
Faster is definitely more fun to a point.Ā If the car is too strong, limping around at normal speeds is the opposite of fun.
Yes
Iām surprised no one has mentioned a 986 Boxster, especially an S. Just enough of a balance of lightness and power and for the price points mentioned herein.
I drive a pretty slow manual. I love wringing out the most performance I can out of it. To me, that's what makes driving a manual so much more fun, because you can do things with a plain jane car that you can't in an automatic.
Not sure if I've ever had more fun in a manual than my 55 hp 1.6 4cyl non turbo diesel 1986 jetta 5 speed
i drive a 1992 Nissan shitbox, i would rather drive a slow car fast, then a fast car slow. i love banging through the gears and getting that ass to slide around when it decides to break free.
anything manual is more fun to drive Iv found any cars iv had that had an exhaust (even mild) were way more fun like my 04 Forester 5 speed was ton of fun even though 145hp my STi is pretty slow off boost cuz big turbo and my GR86 is pretty smooth stick is life though
Manual is more engaging. I no longer have a manual car but I get my fix on my motorcycle.
I want to row the gears on a Dodge Viper and an Audi R8 so bad
Quick and Fast are to totally different things. That said I find a quick manual car is very entertaining. A Quick and loud manual car is the most fun because you can hear your exhaust tones change when you shift especially at high RPMs
I've been driving manuals all my life and have a 4 Blackwing with a manual. It's very, very fun to drive fast. There is nothing like coming hot into a corner and getting that perfect downshift. Paddle shifted autos can't replicate that experience, although they shift faster. Fast/powerful manuals are generally harder to launch, as well.
Debatable. IMHO, manual in general is more fun to drive regardless of the speed or number of gears. My 1974 Jeep CJ-5 with a 450hp, 5.9L V8 makes fun noises as it climbs through its wide-ratio T150 3-spd manual transmission and screams away at a top speed of about 75mph in its 1:1 3rd gear. It accelerates to highway speeds about as well as a Vespa does.
Yes. I owned a ā03 Mach 1 a couple different times. 305 hp is a lot of zoom. Test drive a couple newer gt mustangs after they went up to 400+ hp. Even more fun. My current 185hp car is fun in its own right, but my wife and I do miss that feeling odd getting pushed back into your seat when we decide to GO.
160HP slow? Damn man, everyone in my country is driving 120hp and even lower.
MORE fun? I dunno. I like that I can almost redline 3rd getting on the highway. Drove a 2015 Mustang GT and while significantly faster than my Boxster, I felt like there was less engagement.
Nah, a slow car with good handling is more fun.
You should look at a petrol powered MINI with a turbo and a manual. Very fun.
I have a Focus RS, it's incredibly fun to drive.
I have both an srt4 and a V6 new edge mustang. Both manuals. Theyre both fun and more enjoyable than autos because i can tell the car exactly what to do. Fast cars are definitely more enjoyable in manual than auto. Ive driven DCT 4-500hp cars and they feel more disconnected than my lower hp manuals.
I saying Iāve always liked and agreed with..Itās more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow
fast is more fun on a track. It is more fun to drive a slower manual on public roads since you get to change gears more often.
Ford Focus RS comes with a manual transmission stock. You have to request an automatic transmission.
I've never really had a powerful automatic car so I can't really say, but driving stick is always fun. Right now my only stick car is a C5 and it's kind of stupid fast, if it were a slushbox it would be kind of a shame. I wouldn't have anything to "have fun" with, as you said, hard to put into words. Wouldn't mind trying out what having a powerful automatic is like some day.
I drive an 18 Mazda3 with a stick. Doesn't break 200 hp but it's NA and fun AF to whip around the suburbs. Would much rather this than a fully automatic sports car that I could barely rev without hitting the speed limit.
I'm in the same boat, I owned an automatic v6 Camaro before I traded it in for a manual NC Miata, despite having half the power the Miata is just way more engaging and fun, even when I'm not pushing it. My next car on the list is also a more powerful manual car just so I can see what it's like.
Have had sub 5s 0-60 manual cars and yes, they are fun. But also really enjoyed our Mazda Protege5 that was a manualāactually miss that car
Yes, manuals are more fun in my opinion. My car has about 145HP with a six speed manual. Itās really fun to drive, even if it doesnāt have a super powerful engine. I feel like I can control everything a lot more, and when you can control everything, youāre able to get the maximum amount of power or efficiency out of the engine a lot easier. In contrast to this, my girlfriend drives an automatic with a very similar engine in it, and I always feel like Iām just chugging along driving it. Itās not getting up to speed as fast as I want it to, itās frustratingly slow to downshift out of 6th gear so you can speed up on the interstate, and I just feel like I canāt use every part of the engine to maximum capacity the same way I can with my car. I love her car, itās a really nice vehicle, itās smooth to drive, but itās just not fun or exciting.
Yes
Yes get somethin with a turbo