Somewhere on the internet, probably under a blurry photo of a base-model Civic, someone is typing:

“If it’s not manual, it’s not a real car.”

And just like that, automatics are declared the enemy again.

Let’s get one thing clear before the comment section warms up like cold oil on a winter morning:

Car people don’t hate automatics.

They hate boring arguments, lazy generalizations, and people who learned everything they know about cars from Instagram reels.

The Myth: “Real Car People Only Drive Manual”

This idea refuses to die. Manuals are somehow painted as the ultimate badge of honor, while automatics are treated like a participation trophy you got for not trying hard enough.

But here’s the inconvenient truth:

Most serious car people care about how a car feels, not how many pedals it has.

If that wasn’t the case, race teams would still be heel-toeing H-patterns instead of letting computers do it faster, cleaner, and without money-shifting a $30,000 engine into scrap metal.

And yet… no one’s calling F1 drivers “fake enthusiasts.”

Interesting.

Automatics Aren’t Slow Anymore (They Haven’t Been for a While)

This argument might’ve worked in 2003.

Back then, automatics shifted like they were asking permission from three different managers before engaging the next gear. Torque converters slipped, gear changes were vague, and manuals genuinely felt better.

But modern automatics?

Different story.

• Dual-clutch transmissions shift faster than your brain processes regret
• ZF 8-speeds are basically witchcraft
• Paddle shifters actually respond instead of thinking about it first

If your favorite car YouTuber is setting lap times, chances are it’s not with a clutch pedal.

And no, that doesn’t make the car “less pure.”

It makes it effective.

Why Some Car People Still Prefer Manuals (And That’s Fine)

Manual lovers aren’t wrong. They’re just… emotional. In a good way.

Manuals offer:

• Mechanical involvement
• A sense of control
• The feeling that you are doing the driving, not the car

There’s a reason people still romanticize rowing gears on a back road. It’s engaging. It’s satisfying. It makes even a slow car feel fast.

But preference doesn’t equal superiority.

Liking vinyl doesn’t make Spotify illegal.

Liking manual doesn’t make automatics invalid.

The Truth Nobody Likes to Admit

Most car people don’t hate automatics.

They hate bad drivers hiding behind automatics.

You know the type:

• Flooring it in “D” like it’s a personality
• Bragging about horsepower they never use
• Calling themselves “built not bought” while making monthly payments

That frustration gets misdirected at the transmission instead of the behavior.

Same energy as “The Guy Who Revs at Every Red Light” — the problem isn’t the car, it’s the operator.

(If you missed that one, you should probably click here and read it)

Automatics Make Sense — Especially in the Real World

Daily traffic.

Long commutes.

Bad knees.

City driving.

Track days where consistency matters.

Automatics shine here.

No one’s handing out trophies for suffering through rush-hour traffic in first gear. And no, your clutch pedal endurance doesn’t make you more authentic — just more tired.

Even at car meets, you’ll notice something funny:

The loudest “manual only” opinions often come from people who barely drive.

Meanwhile, the actual enthusiasts? They’re too busy enjoying their cars.

Enthusiasm Isn’t a Transmission Choice

Being a car person isn’t about:

• Manual vs automatic
• Old vs new
• Cheap vs expensive

It’s about interest, effort, and respect for the machine.

You can love cars and drive an automatic.

You can hate cars and still own a manual.

Transmission choice doesn’t grant membership. Passion does.

This idea pops up a lot in car culture rules that nobody actually wrote down — which is probably why people keep getting it wrong. (If you know, you know: read, unwritten-rules-of-car-meets)

Even Motorsport Agrees (Quietly)

Rally.

Drag racing.

Circuit racing.

Automatics, sequential boxes, DCTs — they’re everywhere. Because results matter more than nostalgia when money, time, and safety are on the line.

And yet, somehow, the internet still thinks a base manual economy car is more “driver-focused” than a purpose-built race machine.

Car logic is wild.

Final Gear Change

So no — car people don’t hate automatics.

They hate:

• Gatekeeping
• Outdated opinions
• People who confuse preference with identity

Drive what you like.

Enjoy how you enjoy.

And if someone tells you your car “doesn’t count” because it shifts for you?

Smile. Let the transmission do the talking.

Because whether it’s manual or automatic…

Loving cars is the only real requirement.