My 12 year old Opel Vectra just died. We already have a Chevrolet Captiva, automatic, which had cost us a lot. However, those were pre financial crisis days, so we're regretting having to pay it off, but don't hate ourselves for taking the decision to buy it. We're used to driving automatic, mostly because I'm really a lousy driver, and I have a bunion on my foot which makes me afraid of driving a stick car with the clutch and all. My husband also has knee pain and a couple of spine surgeries. However, his brother died in a car accident related injury, so we're both thinking safety first, i.e. go for a bigger car, with good safety specifications. Buying a big car that is automatic is not an option, as they're more expensive and I hear children need to drink milk every morning.
So, is it true that automatic cars are the norm in the US, but not in Europe? And that Americans and Asians buy a new car every like five years? Also, does anyone know if driving a manual car can cause further damage and more pain to those suffering from bunions or have knee pain? I've also been wondering if driving a manual car is not as safe because you have one hand on the wheel and all, but then again if you google it you'll see that automatic cars allow you to multitask (e.g. switch stations, answer the phone) and thus are more distracting. So far we're leading towards buying Kia Sportage 'cause it's the cheapest SUV (or compact SUV or whatever) and 7 year warranty. We were thinking of buying Peugeot 2008, but everyone says they have several problems
Opinions or experiences?
ETA: Just bought a VW Polo. Small, yes, but I did try to drive a manual and, no. Thus, I went for the automatic that our budget would allow. Please don't tell me anything bad about this car!! Only car I didn't do any reserach on, and there I was, buying it just like that! (It was on special offer, 14 500 euro)