I'll take the auto. I bought the 5 for the wife anyway replacing a much larger minivan. I don't have a baby that simply needs to be yelled at constantly, she isn't old enough for that to work. In the old van my wife couldn't reach her to put or hold the pascifier in until she calmed down so someone always had to be in the 2nd row with the baby. In the 5 its safe enough I'm hoping for her to do it herself while driving but she couldn't shift gears, holding a passy and steering the car. It sounds as dangerous as it is, trust me. I'm not happy about the situation which is partly why I bought the 5. I was behind her seeing this going on in the old van and ungh, ungh thats not going to work. Although she knows how to drive a stick as I've mentioned before starting off in 2nd or even 3rd doesn 't mean she is good at it.
I can and do drive a stick on the weekends. I'm classified as disabled per the VA. In flowing traffic I can manage just fine but just a bit of stop and go and my knee has about had it, I'll be limping the rest of the day. As little as 2 years ago I drove a stick daily, but currently after re-injuring my knee I'm having a tough time just being in the driver seat for to long a time period much less shifting my own gears. I'll be driving over 500 miles back to NC from Athens, GA on friday. Stick or auto its going to hurt especially when I try to get out of the driver seat. With contruction on I-20 in SC I'm definately glad I'm driving a stick now.
I need knee and legroom as well, I haven't been in a Mazda that fit in that area at least for me. In the past I have driven large 6 and 8 cylinder cars that are poo poo'd on this board and will drive them again I'm sure. I currently drive a tiny little Kia Rio, which at least to some is a total piece of ..... well you know. But it has only slightly less legroom (over 42 inches) them the last full size car I owned and I'm able to get comfortable enough in it to still drive hundreds of miles at a stretch. As a beni' I managed over 49mpgs from Elizabeth city NC to Favetteville NC, much better then the 24 I got in that full size car on the same trip. I still got over 35 mpg's doing 80-85 mph on the rest of the drive to Athens.
I love my sticks but on a cold day with traffic I definately love my auto.(breakn)
I can and do drive a stick on the weekends. I'm classified as disabled per the VA. In flowing traffic I can manage just fine but just a bit of stop and go and my knee has about had it, I'll be limping the rest of the day. As little as 2 years ago I drove a stick daily, but currently after re-injuring my knee I'm having a tough time just being in the driver seat for to long a time period much less shifting my own gears. I'll be driving over 500 miles back to NC from Athens, GA on friday. Stick or auto its going to hurt especially when I try to get out of the driver seat. With contruction on I-20 in SC I'm definately glad I'm driving a stick now.
I need knee and legroom as well, I haven't been in a Mazda that fit in that area at least for me. In the past I have driven large 6 and 8 cylinder cars that are poo poo'd on this board and will drive them again I'm sure. I currently drive a tiny little Kia Rio, which at least to some is a total piece of ..... well you know. But it has only slightly less legroom (over 42 inches) them the last full size car I owned and I'm able to get comfortable enough in it to still drive hundreds of miles at a stretch. As a beni' I managed over 49mpgs from Elizabeth city NC to Favetteville NC, much better then the 24 I got in that full size car on the same trip. I still got over 35 mpg's doing 80-85 mph on the rest of the drive to Athens.
I love my sticks but on a cold day with traffic I definately love my auto.(breakn)
