- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Austin Babies
Opinions please: manual vs. automatic mommy mobile?
DH test drove a Subaru Outback after work today. I'm pretty sure he's in love...
Anyway, just wondering what your mom opinions were. Will I regret getting a manual transmission vehicle? I can drive them just fine & they're about $1000 cheaper. I'm just wondering if this is a bad idea considering I'll be driving around 2 babies with me. Input would be appreciated. Thanks.
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Opinions please: manual vs. automatic mommy mobile?
Is your current car a stick shift? If you are used to it, it might not make a difference.?
?
If not, I think Mrs.Christmas makes an excellent point about traffic. I drove a stick in L.A. all summer and sometimes my clutch foot would get so tired from constantly shifting in traffic. Also, driving on hills in a stick shift is a PITA and forget about ever making a phone call while driving unless you have a hands-free bluetooth thingy.
I agree w/ MC- if you're comfortable go for it, but I do think you need to be really really comfortable. Having been in a car with an unconsolable baby screaming at the top of his lungs, focusing gets pretty difficult. Also you really need to feel like you can transport your precious cargo as safely as possible.
Good luck!
ditto that! ?I used to get pretty flustered sometimes when Anderson was pitching a fit in his infant seat- so unless you're really experienced with the stick shift, I'd go automatic.?
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
Ditto to that too! Even though you aren't supposed to be distracted while driving, it happens when your baby/ies are screaming and there's no one in the car but you. It can be very unnerving. Plus, I second the traffic issue. And babies HATE it when a car is NOT moving, ie traffic and red lights. I think anything you can do to simplify a process, is best.
Personally, I love driving a stick (no, not like that! okay, like that too but that's not what I mean
). However, the reason I don't is because rush hour is a b*tch with a clutch.
While i think we all know you shouldn't tend to babies while driving there will be times when you hand stuff back to them to distract them or whatever. Not a huge deal since you shouldn't constantly be shifting, but it wil probably happen sooner or later.
I was totally heart broken when I switched from a standard to automatic but all my mom friends told me I would need to. Lucky for me I did not care for the standard version of my car (CRV) and I have to say--I love driving an automatic. This is a lot coming from a girl who actually took her road test on an standard and did not drive an automatic for the first time until about 5 years after getting my license.
That said--there are many times that I do reach a hand back to get something or hand something to my toddler. Also, just the focus thing--when there is crying or whining and you are trying to drive--it is just shot.
However--if you love it then go for it. I still love driving my dh's car (standard) when I go out w/ my girlfriends.
Given the weather and normal road conditions, I totally agree that and automatic is more practical with babies. If you living where road conditions are safer having a clutch I might say otherwise. Even with that a lot of automatics have the shifters still so you can down shift it needed.