Originally Posted by ayrton88

I have 2 cars, the Z is a stick and an automatic Avalon. I drive both in Chicago traffic all the time. I much prefer the stick. I get so bored in the Toyota that I'm afraid of nodding off. With the stick at least you have something to do. I also agree that neutral is your friend in traffic. I spend lots of time just coasting in neutral when the traffic is just barely moving. I do have one hilly area on the route where traffic always backs up. I just use the parking brake to avoid rolling backward. That said, this is Chicago not San Francisco so our inclines are minor...I might feel different if I had a commute with lots of hills.