A thread on 5ch’s “Live: Anything Goes” board titled “Why would anyone want to drive a manual car?” turned into a mini showdown between automatic and manual fans. The thread starter, who saw shifting gears as a “hassle,” kicked off the debate — manual fans fired back, citing the feel of changing gears and the sensation of working the clutch as the whole appeal. The discussion went beyond everyday practicality in the city, touching on off-road driving, farm work, a new transmission for kei trucks, and even how manual operation differs on motorcycles.
What people said
1AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:51
Isn't it normal for people not to want to do tedious tasks?
6AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:54
It's not tedious.
9AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:55
Re: #6 More like annoying, isn't it? It just means more work to do.
176AnonymousAug 31, 2026 23:09
Re: #9 Nah, it's not annoying.
8AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:55
The weirdos who actually want to do that tedious work are the ones who buy manuals — it's basically a toy.
11AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:55
Re: #8 But once you get married and stuff, doesn't that get harder to keep up?
13AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:57
I like the 2→3, 4→5 shifts.
15AnonymousAug 31, 2026 20:59
Re: #13 What's fun about it exactly?
16AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:00
Because revving it up to redline and shifting feels great.
20AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:02
Re: #16 I guess it's fun if you've got the patience to keep at it until you get good, but eco-driving is easier and still pretty enjoyable.
22AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:02
Re: #19 At driving school I only ever used up to second gear.
28AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:04
Re: #22 Wait, where'd that come from?
23AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:03
If you want a smooth ride around town, EVs are actually better. Manuals only make sense on a track — otherwise the stress outweighs the fun.
25AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:03
Re: #23 I kind of feel like CVT is the way to go.
26AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:04
Manual has its own kind of ease. Automatic makes you rely too much on visual information.
30AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:04
Re: #26 But most of the information people take in is visual anyway.
29AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:04
If you hate hassle that much, you shouldn't buy a car at all.
40AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:07
Re: #29 Walking's a hassle, waiting for a taxi's a hassle, waiting for the bus is a hassle — isn't a car already a compromise?
32AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:05
I've never seen anyone with dementia who drives a manual — maybe it helps prevent it.
43AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:08
Re: #32 Isn't that just because once you have dementia you can't drive a manual anymore?
53AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:15
Re: #32 Pedal misapplication accidents basically don't happen with a manual, so driving one might actually be a good idea as you get older.
34AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:06
Because you can bump-start it.
36AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:06
Re: #34 No you can't. Can you even do that with a half-clutch?
41AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:07
Re: #36 Roll down a slope, pop it into gear, and it catches instantly.
46AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:09
Re: #41 …who's pushing it, though?
51AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:14
Re: #41 Don't modern cars have starting systems that won't do anything unless you disengage the clutch?
42AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:08
I just want to press the clutch.
44AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:08
Re: #42 I could honestly go a while without pressing one again.
48AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:11
Re: #42 My instructors used different words for "pressing" and "disengaging" the clutch and it confused me — I get it once you understand the mechanics, but still.
47AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:09
With my parents' kei truck on the terrible roads near their place, a manual is honestly safer.
50AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:12
Re: #47 Man, this brings back memories — Suzuki's old attempt at this.
August 26, 2014
Suzuki equips its kei truck "Carry" with a new transmission, "Auto Gear Shift (AGS)"
Carry KC, air conditioning/power steering set option equipped, Auto Gear Shift (AGS)
Suzuki Motor Corporation has added the "Auto Gear Shift" (AGS) transmission — which combines the benefits of manual and automatic transmissions — to its kei truck "Carry"*1, going on sale August 26.
52AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:15
Re: #50 I've got that same one in my Solio. The occasional grinding noise from a missed shift is just part of the charm.
55AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:16
Re: #1 It's the other way around — for everyday driving, automatic is more convenient, but for farm work or off-road driving, manual is actually easier to handle.
62AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:19
Re: #55 Creep is handy, though~
64AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:20
Re: #62 Honestly, automatic ends up being better for rough roads too.
67AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:21
Re: #62 I use a kei truck for farm work, and since I drive through muddy fields on rainy days, you need at least a diff lock and 4WD high/low switching.
114AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:56
Wait, hasn't AT surpassed MT in basically everything now — safety and all? I heard even in drifting, AT is faster these days.
115AnonymousAug 31, 2026 21:58
Re: #114 Sorry, but I happen to drive a Porsche — can an automatic (lol) even do a 1-3-5 skip-shift (jumping straight from 1st to 3rd to 5th gear)? No, it can't.
123AnonymousAug 31, 2026 22:02
Re: #114 (Meanwhile automatics) keep plowing into convenience stores all the time (a nod to Japan's frequent news stories of AT pedal-error crashes into shops).
142AnonymousAug 31, 2026 22:41
Unlike cars, why is it that manuals are easier to ride on a motorcycle?
143AnonymousAug 31, 2026 22:42
Re: #142 That's because you can grip with your knees.
145AnonymousAug 31, 2026 22:43
Re: #142 Isn't it because of the sequential shift? It's super easy in cars too — though cars with that setup are pretty rare.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Even today, a standard driver’s license in Japan lets you obtain and drive a manual car, but most people opt for an automatic-only license at driving school, and automatics are said to account for over 90% of new car sales domestically. The thread split over a values question — whether the “hassle” of shifting gears is a nuisance or a pleasure — pitting people who praised the thrill of changing gears against those who argued it’s just extra work in city driving. Opinions also diverged on off-road driving: some argued that with today’s advanced 4WD and diff-lock systems, AT and EV are actually safer, while others held that manuals are traditionally better suited to it, with no clear resolution. Worth noting on the topic of bump-starting: most current cars are built so the starting system won’t function at all unless the clutch is disengaged, meaning the old-school image no longer matches reality.
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