|
|
TOTAL CONTROL: Is driving a passion or a chore?Jan 24 '00 (Updated Aug 22 '00) Write an essay on this topic.For me, driving is a passion. I first learned on an old beat up 1981 Volkswagon Rabbit Diesel with virtually no clutch left. Ever since then, I've always owned a manual transmission because I don't feel safe otherwise. There have been too many situations where I've been forced to drive an automatic and the transmission hasn't given me an appropriate gear for a given situation. Then again, I drive my cars hard and expect more from them than the average owner. I've found that the decision to go with a manual or automatic transmission should be based on a single question. Is driving a passion or a chore? It's as simple as that. If a car is simply a mode of transportation to get from point A to point B, an automatic transmission is the way to go because performance isn't a key issue. If driving is a passion and the car becomes an extension of the body, a manual transmission is absolutely required because it gives much more control over the vehicle. In performance or spirited driving, an automatic transmission gives an extremely mushy feel and may have difficulty deciding the best gear for the conditions. More than once I've been in a situation where I've floored the gas pedal and have been able to count to three or four before the automatic decides to downshift to a lower gear to accelerate. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are a quite a few times where I've been under hard braking or entered a turn with light braking and the car hasn't downshifted. Even with the foot off the gas, automatic transmissions still apply power to the wheels, even under braking. In the above examples of having to accelerate or brake quickly, a manual transmission is definitely the way to go. Most manuals have five gears or, in performance transmissions, six close range gears that allow for extremely precise acceleration and deceleration. No matter what the driving conditions are, a manual transmission will give the driver much better control over the vehicle, especially when driving on winding back country roads. To the driving enthusiast, roads like this beg for speed and precise gear selection is key to keeping the car tightly hugging the turns. On the other hand, an automatic transmission is the way to go for daily commuters who only drive their car to and from work or the store. Tightly packed city driving and rush hour stop and go on the highway are every driver's nightmare, but are especially hard on a manual transmission. Constant clutch work in first gear is required to keep up with stop and go, and the automatic handles this much more gracefully than a manual ever can. So, to wrap it up, I am a performance driver. I prefer function over comfort, where I can have precise control over every aspect of the car, and the manual transmission of my Subaru Impreza is my weapon of choice.  |
| Write the first comment on this review! |
