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Re: A few of your conclusions are off (Reply to this comment)
by digitalquirk
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that hugs the road and blasts away from a stop light. So is the Maserati GranSport. Both are available only with an automatic transmission. At the track, the cars that run some of the lowest quarter mile runs are also fitted with an automatic; for example, Darrell Cox's Phatridez/Mopar performance Neon had a best time of 9.24@157, and runs a 3 speed automatic.
Consider the current model Honda Civic, with its 5 speed automatic. It achieves better highway mileage (by 2MPG EPA estimate) than its 5 speed counterpart. We're at a stage in automotive technology today where not only do automatics equal the stick shifts (which is usually the case when comparing a modern 4 speed electronic auto to a 5 speed manual), but with 5 gears, the automatics are exceeding the manuals.
Holding gears down steep hills is a cinch; the gear shift selector in my ATX car lets me select which gear I'd like to hold. Quite often, I've downshifted to a lower gear to save my brakes when driving down a 6 percent grade. I can drive around in 1st gear all day if that's what I want.
Sorry, jccoun, but the facts are the facts. Automatics are where it's at; the stick shift is going the way of the hand crank starter.
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Aug 30 '06
10:01 am PDT
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A few of your conclusions are off (Reply to this comment)
by jccoun
I agree that automatic transmissions have made some massive improvements in the past 20 years --- especially when it comes to durability.
But there are still some reasons why the manual transmission is desired in some cars. Nobody wants a manual in a lumbering SUV --- it's just more work for a car that's no fun anyway. But in a sports car that hugs the road and blasts away from a stop light, a manual transmission give the driver more a feeling that he or she is a part of the machine and has more involvement with the driving experience.
I disagree with your conclusion that manual transmission don't make much difference in fuel economy --- they do. The five speed in my sports car gets considerably better mileage than comparable automatic models. I know because I've compared notes with friends. A big reason is because the 5th gear overdrive that drops the RPM in half and higher speeds.
And there are times when no matter how advanced an automatic transmission is, it can't replace a manual. Take a trip down a twisty mountain bypass with a 6 percent grade with an automatic transmission on a regular basis on you'll find the consequence is worn out brakes. This doesn't happen with a manual transmission as the lower gears hold the speed to managable level without the need for constant braking.
There's one place where the automatic has always shined and that's in heavy city stop-and-go traffic. I've always prefered a manual transmission, but if I lived in Los Angeles, there's no way I'd want one. My leg would likely fall off from the constant clutch use.
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Aug 29 '06
7:51 pm PDT
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