Driving a Manual in Traffic: It’s Not Really That Bad

"WhatDaFunk" (WhatDaFunk) 01/11/2014 at 15:19 • Filed to: None

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When the conversation turns to manual transmission versus every other form of transmission that has ever been or ever will be, which it often does, someone will invariably mention that they prefer manual transmission except for driving in traffic. Well, I'm here to say that driving a manual in traffic isn't really that bad.

Now, you might be asking yourself what makes me so qualified to speak on this topic. Well let me tell you!

During the past 12 years of living and working/studying in the San Francisco Bay Area I have only owned manual transmission cars.

I have driven a number of different commutes of various lengths with stop and go traffic through bridges, tunnels, freeway merges, toll plazas and various other hazards.

The Bay Area has some of the worst traffic in the nation. According to a recent !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the Bay Area ranks 3 rd worst behind only DC and LA.

The key to driving a manual in traffic is to leave a large enough cushion between you and the car in front of you so you can use that space to coast until traffic lurches forward again. This way you can cruise in 1 st , and with smooth modulation of the gas pedal, it's the only pedal you need to use.

I will admit this system is not perfect. Sometimes traffic will come to a complete stop for long enough that you will use up all your cushion and have no choice but to stop and use the clutch. Jackasses making unnecessary lane changes will take advantage of your cushion and drive into it. Also, driving uphill in stop and go traffic makes it considerably harder (but also that much more important to maintain a cushion). But despite all that if you maintain a proper cushion you might be surprised by how little you have to use the clutch in heavy traffic.

I will also concede that the ease with which this can be done will vary from car to car based on the temperament of the transmission. My 535i will happily coast along in 1 st with the clutch completely out and no gas input until coming to an almost complete stop. However my Civic will start to buck, doing it's best lowrider impersonation, and feel like it's going to stall much sooner than the BMW at low speeds. But even then it's still manageable.

This doesn't just apply to manual transmissions either. Leaving a cushion when you're driving an automatic is a good idea as well; it's safer, smoother and more efficient.

Now what I really hate is driving a manual between an endless series of stop signs, which is slightly ironic since that perfectly describes my neighborhood. I suspect the stop sign manufacturers colluded with the city planners when developing the area so that it would consist almost entirely of stop signs with a few houses thrown in for good measure.

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons and Google Maps

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:24

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My friend and I got in an argument over pros and cons of stick vs pros and cons of autos. After he refused to accept my repeated nomination of "It's more fun," he pulled the 'ole traffic excuse. And I thought about it and realized, it's not that bad. It's not like your leg aches or its on fire, it's just more labor. And call me crazy, but I prefer not to sit stationary and do nothing, I like to be active and in control.

KirkyV > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:25

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I agree completely, though I do most of my coasting in second, rather than first. Thanks to the arrangement of my car's gear ratios, it can take off from an almost complete stop in second with no complaints. First, on the other hand, is pretty much exclusively the 'getting going' gear. It's utterly useless for everything else.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:25

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Yup.

If everyone left that cushion around them, traffic would actually flow better during congestion.

Walfisch > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:31

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I've driven through a really bad snow storm once using a manual transmission car on my way to work. The usual commute time back then was 20 minutes, but for that particular night, it took me 3 hours to reach my destination. So yeah, that traffic argument for me is not that big of a deal. Other people might see it otherwise, however.

Casper > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:38

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Traffic argument is an old one from back in the 50's when cars had heavy mostly manual clutch systems and very heavy transmission assemblies. Modern cars aren't bad at all and have such tall gears in traffic you wouldn't be changing gears more than to move and to stop. If anything, early paddle cars or high performance paddle cars are much worse in traffic... they herk and jerk, want to creep, and generally just try to annoy you into a fit of rage. Of course I'm not talking about slushboxes with paddle options... those are still just automatic slush boxes.

It's a matter of lazy. Most of the people who can't be bothered to move their foot once in a while are the same people who can't be bothered to actually pay attention to the fact they are driving. They want to zone out on the tail lights ahead of them and just let off the brake from time to time. I go back and fourth between many transmission types and don't notice any real difference in effort/difficulty. A motorcycle is FAR more work in traffic, and still easy.

Sinanigans > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:43

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The driving in traffic excuse is just a crappy cop out. I've driven through traffic in Newark and NYC for years and is no biggie at all. Back when cars had heavy clutches and rudimentary and tempermental fuel systems I could understand. But not these days with relatively light clutches and fuel injection...

lucky's pepper > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 15:52

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My daily driver for twenty years was a '94 Ranger with a manual transmission. Plus, in another life many years ago, I was a truck driver. Try being in a big city traffic jam in a semi! Anyone who says they won't buy a car with a proper transmission because of traffic is just lazy.

Ferrero1911 > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 16:08

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I drive in LA traffic everyday and I can't agree with you more. This is my first manual car and I was worried about driving in traffic because people seem to make a big deal about it. Now that I do it everyday I've come to the conclusion that people who don't own a manual because of driving in traffic have never done it.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 16:23

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I drove a G35 in Atlanta traffic, and still drive my Z4 and the Mini. All of them have driver operated clutches.

The G35 was the heaviest, and the most unpleasant. The Mini is easiest to drive in traffic, since it has the lightest clutch and 1st is done appropriately for creeping.

I drove an automatic Mercedes for three years, and it was more pleasant, but somehow, much more irritating.

911e46z06 > WhatDaFunk 01/11/2014 at 17:24

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If you're in SF, you're familiar with being dead-stop on a steep uphill with some asshole in a Prius 3 inches from your rear bumper.

Also, like you said, it's all about the clutch. Your bimmer is set up as a DD. I've driven my Z06 a few times in San Diego traffic, and you definitely feel it in the leg after 10 minutes or so.

Spasoje > Casper 01/11/2014 at 18:09

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The argument against diesels is from the 70's, so no surprise I guess...

Casper > Spasoje 01/11/2014 at 20:32

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People tend to carry prejudices from when they first learn to do something through most of their lives. Superstitions and prejudices further cement with age as well as people become less and less accepting of change as they age. In the automotive world there are a lot of them such as hard to work clutches, diesel vs gas, steering assist needs, RWD difficulties, etc. Most were either subjective or were tied to poorly designed vehicles of the time and even technology limitations.

Spasoje > Casper 01/12/2014 at 05:30

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This is the ideal comeback for when somebody says a manual is hard to drive in traffic.

Better yet, we should put this on billboards hehe

VAZLADA > WhatDaFunk 01/12/2014 at 19:35

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I agree. Manuals are fun but can be annoying with many stop signs.

Merkin Muffley > Casper 01/13/2014 at 20:35

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I completely agree. I drive in Boston area traffic. A good commute to and from work, about 22 miles, is 40 minutes. An average day is an hour and ten, a bad day is an hour and 45+. I drive a '13 MX5 Sport with a 5 speed or a '03 Honda Element with a 5 speed. There are certain lengths of the drive where the average speed is somewhere around 3 MPH (Rt. 117, Lincoln, Cambridge). I can easily cruise in first without using the gas pedal, just a feather of the clutch or a tap of the brakes.

Riding with my wife ('11 Impreza with a 5 speed), on the other hand, during rush hour is a lesson in whiplash!

I commuted for 5 years on an '03 Ducati M620. While that is far and away the most fun I have had on wheels, stop and go traffic was a killer. Although it is fun to see how slow you can go without putting your feet down.

I don't have a log in name. Call me Lucky Pierre.

GreenN_Gold > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 18:04

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I've been commuting in rush hour with a stick shift for over a dozen years. It's no big deal.

Justin is driven > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 18:06

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During the past 12 years of living and working/studying in the San Francisco Bay Area I have only owned manual transmission cars.

You're doing god's work, friend.

Also, I heartily agree. Suck it up, you pansies.

Omega_Alex > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 18:09

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On a similar note, this is also why it is advantageous to be in the same lane as truckers. They are efficient.

*drove in/around LA Traffic for 4 years with a Jetta TDI, now drive in Bay Area with M5.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 19:01

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To be honest, I can't stand driving an automatic in traffic; the damn thing keeps moving unless I press the brake, which is the opposite of how it should be. My previous DD was used on a 120 mile/day round trip commute and had 231K on the original clutch before it needed replacement, and that's only because the person I let use the car executed a stunning 5th to 1st downshift. Had he not vaporized it in that act of stupidity, it may have made it to 300K.

Daddio > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 19:32

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Totally agree. I like to think I'm actually helping the traffic because the guy behind me gets to drive more smoothly as well, and so on until some herky jerky moron messes it up again. I'd rather have to clutch occasionally than to have to ride the brake constantly. And my new car has a hill-holding feature so rolling backward is no longer an issue. Although I was pretty good with and kind of enjoyed the hand brake sometimes, I am now spoiled.

Daddio > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 19:35

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Plus it's fun when you find a kindred spirit. You recognize his lack of brake lights and know he's doing all the "work" for you, so you just get to follow smoothly.

Iamopenlyjudgingyou > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 20:04

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Best part about driving stick is my brakes and rotors last twice as long as those driving the auto version of my cars.

gear332 > Casper 01/21/2014 at 20:09

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I disagree. I'd rather ride a motorcycle in traffic than drive my old '09 WRX. It physically made my knee sore after getting stuck in traffic on an uphill freeway one day here in SoCal. It took 2 hours to go 2 miles. It's much easier to pull the clutch in on any of my motorcycles than it was to push it in on that WRX. My left knee was sore for days after that, and I was only 27 years old at the time. I much prefer the single speed gearbox in my Model S. For most driving, I loved having a manual, but driving in LA traffic absolutely ruined it.

shenmue37 > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 20:29

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Yup, I'm a huge fan of the 1st gear creeper method. I drive a super light car with a totally manual clutch and a ceramic clutch disc. If anyone should complain about rowing your own gears in rush hour traffic it's me, but I totally agree with everything here. ESPECIALLY THE STOP SIGNS!!!!!!!

Iamopenlyjudgingyou > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 20:33

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Best part about driving stick is my brakes and rotors last twice as long as those driving the auto version of my cars.

Bongo > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 20:43

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"The key to driving a manual in traffic is to leave a large enough cushion between you and the car in front of you so you can use that space to coast until traffic lurches forward again. This way you can cruise in 1 st , and with smooth modulation of the gas pedal, it's the only pedal you need to use."

Not only is this practice safer, it helps to relieve traffic congestion if enough people do it by reducing the accordion effect.

Bongo > GreenN_Gold 01/21/2014 at 20:47

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Same here — My cars, in order since I've lived in Los Angeles: Miata | Impreza WRX STi |Scion xB | 997 Carrera — all with manual transmissions, all with a 45 minute commute.

Wouldn't have it any other way, because when I'm not in said traffic, I'm tearing up the greatest canyon roads in the world (except for the Scion, though it was surprisingly sprightly in the canyons!)

Go, Grün, Go! > KirkyV 01/21/2014 at 21:30

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Agree as well. I have a first generation CR-V and the gearing is quite low in 1st and 2nd. It will easily roll along in either gear without need for clutch or gas. Was pretty happy to figure this one out one day, has made being stuck in traffic a marginally better experience.

jpunk > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 21:43

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I would be bored out of my tree in traffic without the third pedal and gearshift to keep me company.

With proper technology in automatic gearboxes, a manual these days is only about making boring driving more engaging... and maybe letting you do stupid things with your car from time to time. It's also great that casual drivers can't steal your ride any more.

deekster_caddy > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 21:55

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You could never leave enough space in front of your car around here to coast along. Three or four cars would change lanes in front of you, taking all your space away.

Agreed though, it's really no big deal.

Also figure that most commuter level cars have pretty light shifters and clutch pedals, making them bearable. Most "high performance" cars have a rather heavy pedal, or used to, making it less desirable.

cuts_off_prius > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 22:57

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I HATE stop signs in a series. That kills your FE. The ones in series should be replaced with roundabouts IMO. Only two lane roads though, so it's easier.

Slow4o > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 22:58

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My only beef with this is that my Mustang has the stupidest, heaviest clutch I've ever driven. I have no idea why, but all the 4.0 SN197 manual Mustangs have insane clutches (or at least all the ones I have tried). They are heavier than the Terminator I learned to drive stick on. Commuting daily for around 2 hours in Houston traffic is one the reason I bought the SVT Focus for a DD. I have not at all regretted my decision.

alan > Iamopenlyjudgingyou 01/21/2014 at 23:12

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Re manuals saving brakes: true dat, my 2003 Vibe has 115K and I am 3/4 the way thru my original brakes.

Burrito de EJ25 > Ferrero1911 01/21/2014 at 23:29

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I drive on the 105 at 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. Rush hour.

It's not anymore annoying than sitting in an automatic. If anything driving a manual has forced me to develop good driving habits in traffic. Leave enough space for one to coast around and for other drivers to merge in and out more easily. It eases congestion.

Also, as fellow Angelino, DON'T YOU JUST FUCKING HATE THE DESIGNATED CARPOOL ENTRANCE AND EXIT ZONES?! WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! ALL THE GOD DAMN TRAFFIC SEEMS TO STEM FROM THOSE FUCKING SPOTS WHERE EVERYONE IS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO ENTER AND EXIT THE FUCKING HOV LINES! WHO DO I HAVE TO BLOW TO GET RID OF THAT SHIT?!

bones > WhatDaFunk 01/21/2014 at 23:34

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anyone who says otherwise is wrong.

Gouveia > WhatDaFunk 01/22/2014 at 07:32

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The only thing I complain abou driving a manual in traffic is that most brazillian cars have a really, really short first gear, and so I have to change from first to second to neutral a lot.

But it's just so much better than the automatic gearbox we usually have here, that takes like two or three seconds to change gears.

Found0nRoadDead > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 01/22/2014 at 09:09

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Agree on the G35. Owned a unicorn - a G35 manual sedan - for a few years in Atlanta and while the clutch wasn't too bad (much better than my first car, a '95 Mustang GT 5-speed), it was still heavy enough to become a chore, particularly when sitting in traffic on an uphill grade, which Atlanta has plenty of.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Found0nRoadDead 01/22/2014 at 09:48

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The 2003 clutches were particularly awful. Which is what I had.

I know the clutch effort was redone for 2005 and on (with the engine modifications), but it could have also been done for 2004.

Although DSC on most cars now includes the cheating function: Hill Holder.

Gaseous Clay > WhatDaFunk 01/22/2014 at 10:34

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Yes, thank you. My first manual car had really short gears for some reason ('85 mazda 626, anyone know why?) so I was in 2nd before I hit 30, but in spite of that, I'd still find it nearly stalling if I wasn't all over the clutch and throttle like squiddly diddly. Of course, I bought a manual car on purpose, living in portland, oregon (whose roads are populated entirely by people in subarus who drive like they've got learning disabilities that include not knowing how to use their eyes for anything other than looking at their knit caps) so I didn't complain, and it wasn't hard, just sort of exhausting. Luckily, my current car, an '84 toyota would-be hilux, has roughly the same gearing, but since it makes more torque at 900-1300 rpm than my mazda made in its entire life, I don't need to work the clutch unless I actually come to a stop, or if traffic is going along well enough that I can leave it in 2nd (so over 15mph) but then slows suddenly.

Now, my big manual problem is that I want to learn how to use engine braking, because I live in Denver now, but work in the mountains, and when the roads are all icy, coming down the hill is scary and i'm terrified to use the brakes because they lock up in dry weather in summer sometimes, but I'm also terrified to actually try it with all the audis and imprezas leaving their ski trips in the mountains and cutting me off and doing 90 because they think awd will save them

Actually my real problem is I hate everyone who drives on the roads who is not me. When I come to power and ban everyone from using them (except for civil vehicles and plows, cos I don't own a plow) then I'll have no problems

Gaseous Clay > Burrito de EJ25 01/22/2014 at 10:38

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ugh. I want to knife whoever thought that shit was a good idea. Isn't the point of HOV lanes to ease congestion by offering a lane available only to carpoolers? Forcing everyone to get into the lane at one spot, while anyone already in the lane also has to get out and then get across five or six lanes because oh shit that's my exit, while everyone else is doing either 10 mph or 106, sort of defeats the purpose

Gaseous Clay > Sinanigans 01/22/2014 at 10:43

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What problems would rudimentary fuel delivery pose in heavy traffic? My truck is carb'd, but I know so little about carbs that I don't know what sort of problems would actually arise from traffic

Gaseous Clay > Daddio 01/22/2014 at 10:52

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I never use the handbrake for that, since my truck has one of those terrible ones that you pull out of the dash, but there's not a quick release button, i have to turn it and then manually push it back in, which would make using that method wildly impractical (not to mention it doesn't actually keep the truck from rolling away). My first manual car had a normal handbrake that was really just for appearences, so i just spent a year or two practising the quick feet movement I'd need, while driving around with a sticker I'd made saying THIS IS A MANUAL CAR AND IT IS GOING TO ROLL BACKWARDS. BACK THE FUCK OFF, AUDI.

I dunno if that warning would have helped me if i ever actually rolled backwards into anyone (Audi drivers would probably have the sort of insurance that would take my car and my house and get me fired and send me to siberia to mine salt, though, so I doubt it), but it did tend to keep people from sitting on my ass because they don't know anything about anything. I need another one of those, actually

Sinanigans > Gaseous Clay 01/22/2014 at 10:58

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Modern fuel injection gives you the freedom to shift into a higher gear at lower revs, while letting the ECU sort out the fuel delivery, timing, etc. Carb'd cars tend to be more finicky depending on how they're tuned and traffic condition. I've been in a friend's carb'd Camaro in traffic. While that thing was a beast on the dragstrip, it was not fun in traffic.

Stroke-a-loke > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 01/22/2014 at 11:02

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I have a 2003 manual G35 - the clutch is easily the heaviest I have ever used. Quite a shock when moving from an Abarth to that. Did you ever have to replace your clutch on the G?

Gaseous Clay > Sinanigans 01/22/2014 at 11:13

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That explains why I haven't had any problems. My truck's rev range starts at around 800-1000 rpm, so I'm almost never at low enough revs to make it an issue, and the gearing is pretty short on top of that

I'm paying for it by not being able to go much more than 60 though

Michael H > WhatDaFunk 01/22/2014 at 11:16

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I drive a 3/4 ton diesel pickup with a clunky G56 manual through rush hour stop-and-go traffic twice a day, and it's just fine. People who use traffic as an excuse not to get a stick in their Mazda 3 or whatever commuter shitbox they choose, just need to woman up and admit they prefer automatics.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Stroke-a-loke 01/22/2014 at 12:10

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I sold the car with 100K miles on it (Mom bought it new, and I bought it from her with 40K miles).

Still had the original clutch.

Going from that to my BMW was a shock. Clutch was light, and the shifter wasn't balky and recalcitrant like the Nissan box.

PhiLOL (slowcarSLOW-MPGlol) > WhatDaFunk 01/22/2014 at 13:37

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Those who say "manual is worse in traffic" typically haven't tried it. After years in my 5-speed Ford Escort, automatics seem like more of a nuisance because you have to stand on the brakes to keep it from lurching forward.

Daddio > Gaseous Clay 01/22/2014 at 13:55

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Too funny. I find the SUV moms tailgate even worse than the Audis... The need for handbrake was rare given how flat it is around here. But my new driveway is actually quite steeply sloped, downward into the garage. I appreciate the hill holding feature more at my own house than I do out on the actual roads.

marcinmk > WhatDaFunk 01/22/2014 at 14:07

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I think this all comes down to the car and the clutch uptake. My old Forester was fine to drive in traffic but it did have a slight knock when letting off of the gas. This is mainly due to age and I found a way around it. The R has a light clutch uptake and both have enough power to get it going even in 2nd gear without issues.

If I was to drive my friend's WRX, I'd probably have to disagree. The clutch uptake is almost instantaneous and a pain in the ass to get down right.

Sinanigans > Gaseous Clay 01/22/2014 at 14:53

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Yeah I think carbs are really cool. But, there tends to be a range where they operate (dependent on load as well) efficiently, and that range tends to be wider with EFI because the ECU is adept at controlling the variables.

mazdaspeed2 > WhatDaFunk 05/04/2014 at 09:02

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Thank you!! I've been saying this for so long. The only part that I find annoying is hill starts, and the way traffic works here, leaving a cushion doesn't always work. That being said, it is far more annoying to drive normally without rowing through the gears.

thebigbossyboss > WhatDaFunk 06/25/2014 at 12:20

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Agreed. I like to pretend I am a semi truck in traffic jams. Also what is even worse than stop signs is a long line of cars for a stop sign. Too slow to hold a gear.

thebigbossyboss > Omega_Alex 06/25/2014 at 12:21

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Yes, I always try to get behind a truck myself...but then usually there is some type of crossover right behind it.

MGS315 > KirkyV 04/14/2016 at 07:04

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Aye spot on here, 1st is too jerky for me. A quick speed modulation with a mix of clutch or throttle is fine in second, not to mention mine will pull just about pull away in second without any throttle (yay diesels).

It does become a bit of a nuisance when doing it for periods over an hour, but then again any rush hour traffic for that long is tedious regardless of the transmission type.

Still makes me laugh that even in the UK where there are a large number of manuals people still drive start-stop and slam on the brakes all the time. Not to mention those that sit on the brake pedal at night. Thanks for dazzling me with your brake lights you bastards.

E92M3 > Omega_Alex 04/19/2016 at 07:17

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^This. The only downside is you can’t see much besides the back of a trailer.

Damascus-ari > WhatDaFunk 06/22/2016 at 08:49

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Actually, bumper to bumper traffic beats start and stop shenanigans any day. I’d rather let that leg lay on the clutch for a while or hit neutral rather than paddling a million times on a gazillion turns and roundabouts...