(and in this scenario you’re also usually sharing the car with other people so driving automatic would make everyone’s lives easier)
I'm noting that C++ vs Rust is basically this: every article that someone writes which goes over "we're still choosing C++" has the same vibe as people who choose manual transmissions in 2025. There's no real reason to do so at this point, other than if you want to.
I worked on one recently.
I learned on stick and I still feel a nostalgic appeal, sure. I test drove a used hothatch Volvo C30 T5 Polestar edition last fall before ultimately settling on an electric performance car (Polestar 2) to feed my midlife indulgences. And I have to admit a certain ... thrill... from the turbo lag and the process of shifting.
But it all seems a bit silly when compared to instant torque at any RPM.
When an EV actually has a suspension setup and overall weight that doesn't feel like I'm piloting a boat at sea, then I'll probably care. Porsche & co seem like they're still aiming for it so I've got some hope we get there.
They refuse to take 'I do it because I like it' as an answer.
(I've been stuck on planes for 20 hours with little sleep, so ignore it if it doesn't make too much sense lol)
People eating, drinking and using mobile phones .. I think the luxury of having a hand free with automatic transmission is a contributing factor.
Stick shift requires a certain level of attention/engagement that might actually make for safer driving IMO.
For one thing, manual transmissions require physical activity and coordination. That's not true with programming languages...
I almost had a panic attack driving an _automatic_ up Lombard. (Sadly an old minivan with bad-lish tires).
In stop and go traffic (is there any other traffic in SFO?) it moved so much backwards and spun so hard every time I tried to move forward/upward.. I swore never to return. I haven't been back on that road since.
