Some recent comments spurred this on a bit, so thought it might be an interesting topic to delve into a little deeper.
I started out pretty much exclusively running in auto, but eventually improved my ability to use manual (no clutch) in certain classes/tunes, which enabled me to improve my times in most cases.
It’s still a mixed bag for me personally & depends on the class & gearing to determine what I will run. Typically the lower classes are where I find the most benefit from manual. Holding a gear longer to maximize RPMs, downshifting vs braking, etc.
*I play on XSX w/controller.
So what works best for you & why?
What is your preference:
Auto all the way
Manual no clutch
Manual w/clutch
I like to mix it up depending on the class/application
Once I started being able to drive M, it’s all I do in racing games.
Tried MC a bit on fh5 but my older brain doesn’t grasp the AB AX as well as I like
I don’t like how manual+clutch works in the game but with too much shift time penalty (~+0.06) MC is objectively the fastest option.
Personally I alter between manual and MC depending on the shift time penalty.
Still auto all the way for me, I can use M/MC as I did it years ago in FM4 mainly for credits farming in Rivals (beating a good time in that game gave you 250k each time and it’s standard economy didn’t shower you with credits to buy every car like these later titles do) but honestly mine is mostly out of laziness lol, sometimes I just like to completely switch off and use RT, LT + the left stick only.
Rayne’s alluded to it above, cars where the shift penalty is present is where you see one of the biggest differences, an auto/manual user either has to make do with/work around what can sometimes be more than a quarter of a second penalty or use up a sizeable chunk of PI to reduce it, either way the car/tune’s suffering a severe hit to it’s potential pace.
Powerbuilds are also similar, as someone who’s made the mistake of using them 3 times (though to be fair one was in a Rivals group event and another a last resort to get rid of an old Bone Shaker time that I couldn’t beat with anything else) I’m baffled when I regularly see certain auto users always in what is always the meta one, you’re guaranteed to be miles off a powerbuild’s potential in auto and they are not a pleasant driving experience so I don’t see the point at all.
On standard AWD converted cars though I think it’s often underestimated how far auto can go.
Automatic, but only because I find manual with clutch on a controller to be rather clunky. If I had a sim rig, I’d be driving manual with clutch all the time.
Used to use manual without clutch because on a controller that is just weird. However, as my hands take a beating at the boxing gym and doing all the stuff I have to do I just can’t have the extra movements. I prefer auto…it allows me to play without my hands getting more irritated, and it actually has helped me focus more on little fine points of gearing to make up for the lack of shift time. I know a lot of folks who have tired hands that have to use auto.
I used to use automatic in all racing games, but since FH4 I started slowly getting into manual no clutch over time mainly for completing drift zones in Forzathon Live events. Now I use manual no clutch in most games.
Re: additional movements when using manual: I’ve done it for so long now that I honestly don’t even think about it & have never really found it to be more fatiguing with the XBOX controller (for me at least), just bc of the natural position for your thumb when playing. Anymore, the funniest part is when I switch back to auto for whatever reason & I catch myself trying to shift
Can definitely appreciate where this could be a factor for some, so not trying to downplay the impact it could have; just my own experience. I’ve definitely had those times where your hands start to cramp up just from the intensity of playing & gripping the controller.
I stick with auto because I’m too smoothbrained to handle shifting alongside driving, at least when using the keyboard’s default Q/E control bindings. I’ve wondered if I might have better luck mapping them to something on my right hand. About the only times I’ll switch to manual is when there’s a close seasonal PR stunt or low-tier championship where eating a gear change can really cost me, but I always fumble over it. I think the worst part is how manual mode handles reverse gear, because I’ll be at a standstill and holding ‘S’ and wondering why nothing’s happening. I wish there was an option to have the car automatically shift to/from reverse in that situation.
Now in real life I’ve always wanted to learn manual, but unfortunately I’ve never had the chance to do so. My dad had an old crappy used third-gen Mustang when I was a kid, and that’s probably the last manual car I’ve so much as sat in. At least my Golf GTI has a manumatic mode, so I can play pretend a bit.
Ive driven about 1.5 million miles in the real world with a manual + clutch … still driving a 2000 BMW M5 … so its manual with a clutch 100% of the time. Thats real driving to me, but yeah those days are ending. On a real track, i prefer no driving aids other than power steering, so i keep everything else off. Braking is way more challenging without ABS in game, but im not looking for help.
Have to give you guys credit, as that seems like it would have its own set of challenges & be pretty awkward by comparison. Though I know some of the best players I’ve been associated with are on keyboard (looking your way @ziperrPL)
I’m an auto gal here! I figure the majority of people drive auto, so I use auto to drive/tune with, with the hopes the tune will be accessible and usable by the most players. I don’t really feel the need to switch to manual in a quest to save time but do have a couple of times set with manual (usually a specific rivals challenge…d class Caldera I think ). The sad part is…thanks to some of our resident speed demons…I know what’s possible with auto and I know I am many seconds off of that time! (eg: TGM can use one of my tunes and be seconds faster on his initial run in comparison to the time I set after 50 runs). Much respect to the ridiculously fast auto drivers!
I figure the majority of people drive auto, so I use auto to drive/tune with, with the hopes the tune will be accessible and usable by the most players. 
I don’t really feel the need to switch to manual in a quest to save time but do have a couple of times set with manual (usually a specific rivals challenge…d class Caldera I think 
). The sad part is…thanks to some of our resident speed demons…I know what’s possible with auto and I know I am many seconds off of that time! 
(eg: TGM can use one of my tunes and be seconds faster on his initial run in comparison to the time I set after 50 runs). Much respect to the ridiculously fast auto drivers! 