I am currently in the market for a new car, and I’d like to know what you all think the plusses and minuses are of standard and automatic transmitions. I live in a relatively northern climate, so I do a lot of driving in ice and snow and all that. Also, any automobile suggestions (cheap!) would be appriciated as well.
Michigander here, have driven both standard and automatic on snow and ice.
Hands down, standard wins for me. I was able to slow down more effectively with a standard in icy conditions, and get out of many a snow drift much easier than with the automatics.
I am willing to concede, however, that it may just be that I felt more in control of the vehicle - tho’ with the automatic Firebird, I sure got a lot of practice getting stuck in the snow (swear, that damn thing got stuck in 2 inches of snow).
I have a standard, and I definitely like it. I enjoy driving a standard more than an automatic, I feel more in tune to what’s going on with the car. It’s a feel thing more than anything else.
The biggest drawback to the standard is driving in traffic, stop and go can be murder on your left leg.
A nice plus is that standards generally require less maintenance than the automatics.
Car suggestion, I have a '98 Honda Civic, and love the little thing. 70K miles over 3 years, and NOTHING of any significance has gone wrong, nothing. knock on wood
Actually, I LOVE my standard (whatever the cheapest Saturn is) specifically for traffic. I find the ability to change lanes and accelerate quickly is greatly superior to automatic.
And ditto the remarks regarding ice and snow by wring!
Disclaimer - confirmed standard drivers are fanatical devotees!
Having driven both for much further than I’d care to admit, you have to take a look at your driving habits. For me, the big factor is how much traffic do you drive in? If you’re in stop and go for a great part of your trip, save yourself the agony and get a automatic. If not, grab a Manual.
That feeling of “being in control” with only one transmission has always mystified me. I’ve always felt in control of anything I drove, whether it be slushbox or standard.
One tends to get better gas mileage with a standard, provided they don’t use it to accelerate hard all the time, or rev high just to hear the engine whine. They are also damn sturdy (in general).
Another concern is that Joe Random Person doesn’t know how to drive a stick. So if you ever let anyone else drive your car…
If you get a pickup truck, I’d definitely recommend a manual transmission, especially if you’re gonna haul stuff or tow a load.
I too am a confirmed standard devotee.
Other pros and cons:
Price - you can (sometimes) save money by buying standard.
I have a '00 Honda Accord, and saved almost $1000.
Selection - For most popular models, dealers stock far fewer “manual” cars than automatic.
Resale value - In some parts of the U.S., manual is hard to resell.
Other people driving your car - this may be a plus. For example you may prefer that your spouse/children not drive your car.
“Push” starting - if your battery dies (or whatever) you can “push” start a car with a manual transmission.
Standard shift.
However, I live in a rural area, and am rarely stuck in traffic. When on trips to the city I do sometimes pine for an automatic, but only in that situation.
I went to high school in the Sixties. A girl in my government class, “Evelyn,” had been driving the family Oldsmobile (automatic) wagon. After graduation she got a used VW beetle; they were all stick-shift then. She later told me it was “like learning to drive all over again.” She had that car for several years I know of…
Get a manual. It’s cheaper, and you’ll be a better person for it.
And for those who remember my “What Car Should I Buy?” thread from last month, I am proud to announce that I bought a red '01 Honda Civic as recommended by the helpful Dopers who posted. I love it. I’ll second Cheesesteak’s recommendation. And I saved lots of money by gettin it in manual instead of automatic.
Now I will conduct some field research on whether or not red cars get pulled over more often than other colors…
True Story:
*
I’m driving my '85 Corolla GTS home from high school down a side street - one lane in each direction. I’m travelling the speed limit - 25 MPH and (as always) driving safely and responsibly.
I come around a sharp curve to see - BAM - right in front of me, a TelCo van, blocking the lane, surrounded by cones. I can’t stop in time, so I swerve into the oncoming lane, directly into the path of oncoming traffic. I downshift to second, double-clutch up to 7800 RPM’s or so, and - VROOM - I squirt through the small gap back into my lane, just past the van.
*
In an automatic, I probably would not have had the oomph to accelerate fast enough to avoid a head-on collision. As is, I thought I was going to blow the engine up - it was something special, all right.
The TelCo guy came running over apoligizing and promptly moved his van onto the shoulder (!) where he had not parked before because he didn’t want to have to step in mud. The putz.
New or used?
My vote for new would be a Subaru. Excellent vehicles. Great in the snow. Suby’s are good used too, but seem to have a habit of rusting out early if they are not maintained well (IE - washing the salt off often).
Any Honda, and most other Japanese vehicles.
As a rule, I recomend you stay away from Korean vehicles.
I don’t recomend many N.A. vehicles very often, but;
I love my 98 Cherokee 4.0L 5 spd
My wife has a 92 Grand Am 5spd that we bought from my mom. Runs like a top.
I prefer stds just for the reliability issue. That may not even be legit, but there is less to go wrong in a manual than an auto.
After driving a five-speed stick for years, I love, love, love my new van with an automatic transmission! I can drive without worrying about keeping my right hand free for shifting. I got pretty good at shifting crossover style with my left hand while trying to drink coffee on the way to work, but it’s not the safest way to drive. I really like not having to shift gears manually anymore.
Smile when you say that, pardner…
For the vast majority of drivers it really makes very little difference when it comes to how they drive on an everyday basis. Many manual transmision drivers, maybe even a majority, would have been history in the situation sdimbert describes – while a skilled driver in an AT Corvette or Jag may have pulled thru. And wring’s experience with his Firebird may not have so much to do with the AT as it does with it being an overpowered RWD 
Connected to the exact same car with the exact same engine the manual has the advantage in fuel economy and power delivery that may or may not be significant depending on fuel prices and how puny the engine is; is less expensive to obtain and maintain; it is quite superior if you’re going to be doing a lot of alpine-type driving (steep hilly terrain) and if you will need to put a heavy draw on power (carrying/towing large loads). It may be at a disadvantage in resale value, useability by other drivers in your family/friends group, and if you are slow at learning shifting skills. If you are the sort of person who cares about “feeling in control” and “performance” it will also be satisfying.
AT’s have an advantage in ease of use – zero learning curve; they are a breeze in stop-n-go city driving; modern AT’s can be very fuel efficient for ordinary cars in ordinary driving; they also raise the resale value of the vehicle. They have a disadvantage in the price of purchase and of maintenance – and catastrophic failure is a greater possibility; you also have to put up with smug stickshift drivers claiming to be more in tune with the road, the car, the environment and the Wild Man(Woman) Within 
jrd
Manual transmissions are safer in the snow.
YOU choose when its safe to shift.
You don’t have to use the brakes as much.
That’s enough reason for me.
I’m not alone here in prefering manuals (we’ve had a good balance of posts for and against), but I think I am alone in prefering them because of driving in city traffic. I find that when you’re crawling along and stopping every few seconds, it’s easier just to keep my right leg on the accelerator, with my left leg doing some easy up and down work on the clutch, rather than hefting my right leg back and forth between the accelerator and the brake. Also, I’m not in the habit of racing people at the traffic lights, but occasionally I’m in a situation where I do have to be quick off the mark, and the manual wins hands down for that one. My favourite thing about manuals, however, is their superior cornering ability. I also like the fact that there is a bit more work to do driving a manual. It gives me something to do. The ability to drink a coffee or make a phone call should not be an issue for a safe driver.
Automatics have their good points too, but I think it’s good to keep up your manual skills, so that you know that in an emergency, you can jump into any vehicle and drive it.
Admittedly, I live in Sydney, so I don’t have snow experience, and I’ve heard some people prefer autos for driving in desert sand (maybe snow is a similar case), but if I had to drive in snow (or any other extreme driving conditions), I’d feel safer in a manual.
Everyone seems to think that MT makes a substantial difference when driving in snow. In my experience in law enforcement and traffic accident investigation, and driving in snow and ice, I’d say transmission type is a complete toss-up. For Jo/Joe Average, the benefit of selecting shift points is completely nullified by the chance of over-revving or missing a shift. Automatics allow Jo/Joe to concetrate on the most important factors in inclement weather driving: proper speed control and effective braking. IMO, the only two features really beneficial in bad weather are ABS and traction control. MT and FWD/AWD/4WD may make it a little easier to get a car rolling on snow and ice but at least 75% of accidents are caused by problems stopping the car. Most of the rest are caused by problems steering the car. The type of transmission has no effect on either.
If you do a lot of city driving, get the auto. You can drink your coffee without being a menace to traffic.
It’s not a cheaper alternative but if you’re really torn between getting a manual and an automatic, get a car that features a manumatic. That is, a car that has an automatic transmission that can be put into a manual shifting mode. It works in every situation except the most demanding sports driving and most have a built in safety feature that keeps you from downshifting at too high RPM. It’s not quite the same as a manual since there is no clutch and the gear changes are sequential but you can’t go completely wrong with one.