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Your average American slob driver has more important things to do while driving than shifting gears.
Then, of course, you have your "American slob" who insists upon having a manual sports car and continues to do those things. I've seen, more times than I care to think about, someone sitting at a light, smoking, on their phone, and with a manual transmission. Made me incredibly happy to be on a bus at that point...
Personally, I grew up (and learned how to drive) with cars with automatic transmissions. I don't think that they made "family cars" (aka station wagons in my day) with manual transmissions. I *did* learn how to drive a standard years later, and actually had one of my own for a little bit of time. IMO, unless you have a sports car, and have vast, wide open spaces in which to drive, there's no reason at all to have a manual transmission in this country.
I don't think, for one moment, that makes me "lazy" or anything like that. When I'm stuck in stop-and-go traffic (which is a lot of what my driving is these days), I don't miss my manual transmission for a moment. Now, if I weren't driving in the heinous I5 traffic, maybe things would be different.
A question that has been around since you had the choice on automobiles.
It seems harder and hard to find the old 5 speed manual transmission on newer vehicles these days. Since I first got my license, I have only had one automatic vehicle, the rest have been manual. I feel it offers me more control in bad weather, better fuel efficiency, and more get up and go than an automatic would.
The one automatic car I had, blew the transmission. Never had a transmission problem on a standard. Overall, manual transmissions seem more reliable. You can replace a clutch 10 times over for the cost of a new automatic transmission!
What do you all think? Why is it car makers are taking away the choice? Why is it, if a car comes in four cylinder or six cylinder, I have to have the four to get a manual, or get stuck with a power-sapping automatic with the six?
Im QUITE happy with my 4 speed in the 1970 built 454 cid Corvette I have. Of course having one extra speed would give her better gas mileage...but then again...i didnt buy it for fuel economy ! lol...
Around here, i wouldn't even want to drive a stick. Whenever you're on the highways during rush hour, virtually everyone is 3 inches off the bumper of the car ahead of them. Same thing at stoplights as well. I can't imagine how often people who have a stick, roll back in to the car behind them on our roads. My personal preference would be a manumatic.
Unless I buy some sort of a sports car, and at my age that's not likely to happen, give me a modern automatic transmission any day and any where. I grew up with standard shift cars and trucks and I do not want to go back to slipping clutches and squalling throwout bearings.
Just drove a new Subaru with a continuously variable transmission.
Smoooooth.
Also is automatic but you can switch to manual mode.
My first one....manual....was much better in deep snow
I like automatics because I can drive them quicker in the twisties using left foot breaking and proper throttle control. I generally put the auto in 3rd or 2nd and just drive.
Around here, i wouldn't even want to drive a stick. Whenever you're on the highways during rush hour, virtually everyone is 3 inches off the bumper of the car ahead of them. Same thing at stoplights as well. I can't imagine how often people who have a stick, roll back in to the car behind them on our roads. My personal preference would be a manumatic.
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That is WHY you need a good hand emergency brake.
Other option is to learn how to heel and toe the three controls properly but the hand brake makes it much easier.
I ride a motorcycle and I make it a habit to leave at least two car lengths in front of me when I am stopped on an incline behind ANY vehicle that I think might have a manual transmission. A younger riding buddy asked me one time why I left so much room in front of me. I don't think he understood why until a few months later a sports car driver not used to a manual tranny rolled back into his bike. Totaling it out.
Every vehicle I've ever ownd is a MT except for the cars my wife routinely drives. Tough to shift and text at the same time, what would you do with your coffee? Folks can hardly believe my 98 pickup is a factory installed manual trans. Even had a parts store guy crawl under it to see.
I had that happen once as well, when I went in to get an oil filter for my 09 Spectra5. He absolutely couldn't believe they still made cars in a manual. Funny thing is, both my sister AND my mom have 08 Yaris' with manual transmisisons... my mom had to wait a few months to get hers, because they don't generally carry them in stock.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,774,074 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by melinuxfool
A question that has been around since you had the choice on automobiles.
It seems harder and hard to find the old 5 speed manual transmission on newer vehicles these days. Since I first got my license, I have only had one automatic vehicle, the rest have been manual. I feel it offers me more control in bad weather, better fuel efficiency, and more get up and go than an automatic would.
The one automatic car I had, blew the transmission. Never had a transmission problem on a standard. Overall, manual transmissions seem more reliable. You can replace a clutch 10 times over for the cost of a new automatic transmission!
What do you all think? Why is it car makers are taking away the choice? Why is it, if a car comes in four cylinder or six cylinder, I have to have the four to get a manual, or get stuck with a power-sapping automatic with the six?
I definitely hear you barkin' (standard is just plain fun), but modern automatics are pretty darned good in terms of reliability and efficiency. It's getting to the point where you need to be an extremely proficient driver with an excellent understanding of the vehicle and optimal shift RPM's to get a better 1/4 mile time out of a 5-speed than a comparable automatic.
For a daily grind car that will fight traffic, that automatic is more convenient by several orders of magnitude. Worth the small loss in fuel efficiency to me, for one.
For a heavy vehicle that will pull something, a standard is probably better if you are a skilled operator but the automatic towing technology has basically caught up and is so much easier as to be considered superior by yours truly.
If you buy a Jeep that sucker had better be standard. Otherwise, what the hey did you buy a Jeep for?
I will say that it is difficult to keep an automatic transmission working without a major overhaul for more than about 150,000 miles. The standard will need some service in that time but it may very well outlast the engine.
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I've seen, more times than I care to think about, someone sitting at a light, smoking, on their phone, and with a manual transmission. Made me incredibly happy to be on a bus at that point...
