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Automatic, Please

I've tried to use a manual shift, but I'm not good at it. So every one of my cars has been an automatic. I make no apologies for shiftless driving, especially in the city and on the freeway. Of the various cars with automatics I have owned, the smoothest has been the one on my current ride, my '07 Saturn Ion with the GM built 4 speed auto. By contrast, the automatic on my 1982 Nissan Sentra was annoying; too slow to upshift at higher speeds and a habit of erratic shifting at lower speeds. In the Sentra's case, the five-speed manual probably would have been better.
 
I have a buddy who's a vintage GM lover through and through. Currently he owns a '60 Coupe de Ville and a '65 Wildcat, and in his opinion the later three-speed plus torque converter Turbo-Hydramatic on the Wildcat is smoother than the four-speed plus fluid coupling Hydramatic on the Caddy. He remembers many large GM cars that his family owned back to the early '60s and feels his are representative of the breed. He's especially critical of the little 1-2 shift on the Caddy, although it seems pretty good to me.

The old Torqueflites were for many years probably the best automatics in the world. I love the pushbutton controls used through the '65 model year! Another friend of mine who owned '60s Imperials once told me "I understand your preference for manuals, but you've got to admit that with an automatic pushbuttons are the only way to go." Can't argue with that!

Regarding Priuses, I see them everywhere, especially in affluent neighborhoods where it isn't unusual to see a TOL Lexus, M-B S-Class, or Range Rover on one side of a driveway and a Prius on the other. In that case I guess that being hald-green is better than not being green at all. A couple of days ago I saw three Priuses parallel parked in a row in Brentwood, each a different color. Toyota seems to have produced the most classless car since the orginal VW Beetle. They evidently are really reliable, and owners like them. I doubt I'd ever buy one because Toyota only sells them with automatics!
 
In Oz and the UK I believe correct me if I'm wrong but if you take your driving test on an automatic you are not allowed to drive a manual but if you take your driving test on a manual you are allowed to drive both?
 
He's especially critical of the little 1-2 shift on the

Tell him to loosen the adjustment on the TV linkage. At full throttle from a dead stop I can't feel 1st to 2nd shift in my 59 Pontiac; you just hear the engine RPM's go down. The only shift you should feel in a dual coupling trans is 2nd to 3rd since that's when the rear band is applied.
 
Manual - gives you something to do while your driving, and is way more fun, and, your in control.

Dave, I too can double clutch. Growing up we had a jeep that had a bad 2nd and 3rd synchro. My day tought us how to doule clutch, was the only way to get that thing moving. Also know how to match revs and can shift without the clutch! Anyone else try that one?
 
Double Clutching

Wow, that brings back memories of driving my grandfathers fully un-synchronized 1928 Graham Paige sedan. Shift into neutral, let out clutch, rev engine, push clutch in, shift into next gear while staying in that small window of opportunity.

I double clutch my Honda on upshifts since upshifting is what takes the most toll on the syncros.

Back in 2001, I had to rev-match-shift my gay friends Mazda Miada when his hydraulic clutch master cylinder went out. Should saw the look on his face the first 3 gears I shifted without using the clutch, lol. Priceless!! Didn't even grind one gear all the way home ;)
 
Prius

Having driven the things several times, and found them rather like a school science experiment.

Yes, the car is quiet, and that in itself is rather off putting when one first "starts' the car and "nothing" happens.

Over all found Priuses to be a decent car for running around the city in, but on the highway can be rather a pain getting the things up to power for passing. One often does not have much of a wide window to "stick and move", and often found the Prius slow off the mark.

As for petrol mileage, there certianly is a learning curve to getting anywhere near the 50mpg claimed. One really has to keep below a certian speed so the car runs on battery power, and there will be lots of brake action and coasting. In otherwords a sure method to make people feel car sick.

Apparently the new models will exploit the above further, but while having more power, drivers will still need to coast and brake to keep that milage up.

Often haul things out to the country, and found the Prius didn't have enough room in back. However am seriously eyeing the new Ford "Flex".

L.
 
Double Clutching.

I learned how to drive stick on a 1983 Dodge Ram 150 pickup with the 225 slant 6 and 4 speed. The 2nd-3rd synchro was questionable at best so double clutching came in handy. I have also driven a friend's two 1931 Chevrolets (A Special Sedan and a Phaeton). Neither car has synchromesh, but are they are surprisingly easy and fun to drive.

My Volvo has an automatic, and it is one of only 2 things I hate on the car, the other being leather seats.
Dave
 
PeteK

Don't know about OZ, but in the UK if one has a license to drive a manual transmission, then one can drive an automatic. However if one has a license to drive an automatic, then that is all one is allowed to drive. Most persons take the exam for manual transmissions so they can have a "full" license.

It makes sense really, if one is used to driving an automatic, one ought not to be let loose on the world attempting to drive a shift. Know of many stories, funny and not so of Americans going over to Europe on holiday and renting a car, only to find it was a manual, and no automatics were available. So taking what they could get off people went, with varied results.

As another poster stated, automatics are becoming more common in the UK and Europe, but manuals still abound. Indeed for teens and others who are probably going to end up with a used or older car as their first, manual is going to be much of what is on offer.

L.
 
In the UK or Japan, I'd opt for an automatic. I drove a rental stick in Ireland about 10 years ago, and it was awful trying to shift that thing with my left hand. Ground the gears quite a bit. But what the heck it was a rental ;-).
 
Double Clutching. ...

Yes, VolvoGuy, in an 18-wheeler; with the best of them! ... And some of the best are WOMEN! (Circle of Excellence Award winning drivers; Swift Trucking. ...
Though I don't drive Big Rigs for a living, I DO hold & maintain a fully endorsed Class "A" Dr. License with valid medical certificate (CA. state law requires the certificates to be updated every two yrs; in other words- physical exam.)
BTW Fully Endorsed, except for Haz-Mat. Since 9/11 DMV. gets another $125 for this endorsement (which I don't need currently) because applicants must go through through Homeland Security screening now.
On a personal level, I can appreciate a "stick", but I would be "cheating" my SILVERADO hydra-matic that I so love.

-Russell ...
PS. That $125 may be more now than I first heard about it several years ago.
 
I hope that this question will be a non-issue the sooner the better when all cars have electric motors!
 
For years I drove cars with manual transmissions. They were a lot of fun. I discovered though using the clutch was causing problems with my lower back. Driving an automatic really helped with the lower back problems. My first Toyota 4 runner was a manuel transmission. My second 4 runner was automatic and much more enjoyable to drive. Seems the manuel transmissions were funner in smaller cars. I drive a Toyota Pruis now. Can not imagine a hybrid with a manual transmission.

5-3-2009-03-31-56--spankomatic.jpg
 
Here in Germany,

It is normal to learn how to drive with a standard transmission. Otherwise, there are limits as to what you may drive put on your driving license.

It's not that hard and even tho' double-clutching isn't necessary with modern transmissions, I did learn how to do it back in the non-fully-sync'd days.

Personally, I find the modern automatics just as easy and pleasant to drive, especially in stop and go traffic. Since the electronically controlled automatic in my Chevy in the 'States permits starting in 2nd, I have found an automatic to no longer be a problem in winter.

At this point in the technology, I'd have to say that automatics are now better at saving fuel than I am and with the stability control, traction control and abs systems we now have, just as safe in difficult conditions.

As for learning to drive, I am a firm believer in driver's ed and the American decision to eliminate it from the school curricula was of far more serious consequence than the question of whether one should learn how to properly drive stick or not.
 
Prius-
Ok i have had numours encounters with Prius's.. THE MAJORITY (not every one) can not drive them.. After nearly being killed by one recently (in lieu of hitting me, becuase she floord it and relized her prius couldnt out accerlate my Hyundai Santa Fe), she took out a Nissan Maxima, and up onto a sidewalk into a phone pole.. Car held up well, but was toast.. Not a Huge yota fan unless there older.. Anything after like 1998-1999 is a boring, classless car..

I have driven both and i drive automatics now cause there eaiser to handle...
My 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe V6 has an automatic and it has 132K on the original transmisson. Knock on wood i can get another 60K out of it with minor repairs... My Hyundai is such an awesome SUV.. I get 24 mpgs and i honestly would rather pay for gas to drive my SUV
ALso have a 99 Ford Truck now and its good, and the automatic shifts nice, but jerks.. GAs mileage is 21ish...

My Corolla and Focus both got 25-26 and the corolla was manual, focus automatic.. No diffrent to my Santa FE... At least my Elantra got 31... Wish i never sold it
 
Maytagbear

I don't doubt that the Prius is a lovely car - though, never having sat in, let alone driven one, I wouldn't know. In my curiosity I asked a Toyota dealer and that was the info he gave me. When petrol was getting pricey there suddenly was a notable presence of hybrids and smart cars, but as quickly as they appeared they disappeared again and it got me curious.

rapunzel
 
"Don't know about OZ, but in the UK if one has a license to drive a manual transmission, then one can drive an automatic. However if one has a license to drive an automatic, then that is all one is allowed to drive."

The above statement is correct for Australia as well. I got my license in a manual, but haven't driven one in years and can count people who own a manual car on one hand.

rapunzel
 
I love driving a manual. All but one of my cars has been manual.
-'79 Mustang 4 speed
-'87 S-10 4 speed.
-'93 Ranger 5 speed.
-'95 Explorer 5 speed
-'98 Stratus 4 speed Auto.
-'09 Ranger 5 speed.

Yesterday, I went to my home town, and I put the Scan Gauge, and both ways I got 34.7 MPG on my brand new Ranger.

My partner has a Prius, and his last fill, he got 54 MPG. I have driven the car and have no issues with passing, has plenty of power to pass.

Also, on the Prius, there is no up and down shifting, it uses they called "CVT"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission
 
Prius experience...
My previous cars:
1974 Chevy Vega
1976 Chevy Monza
1982 Toyota Tercel
1984 Toyota Tercel
1986 Isuzu Impulse
1990 Toyota 4 Runner
1991 Mitzubishi Eclipes
2000 Toyota 4 Runner
2008 Toyota Prius

Out of all of these the Toyota Prius is by far the easiest car I have ever driven. It has nice features. To start it you just push a button,that easy. No mechanical transmission selector here... just a little electronically controled knob,easy as flipping a switch. 80 mph on the freeway,smooth as glass. Speaking of gas.. The fuel savings from the 4Runner makes the car payment on the Prius,no joke. I would highly recommend it for elerly people,it's that easy to drive. Staying on the transmisson topic the CVT is great. It never shifts or changes gears. Goes right up steep grades with no problem.
Jim
 
Overhere in the Netherlands there you can also get a drivers licence for automatic cars only. In the past you were allowed to drive cars with manual gears after five years. IIRC that is not longer allowed. Once a auto license, always an auto driver.

I love the Prius, I've looked at it before, but with the high prices of cars in this country I can't afford one.
 
Mayguy . . .

I'm not surprised your new Ranger gets good mileage. My sister has an '04 Mazda B2300, four cylinder five speed. It's pretty much the same truck, built in the Ford plant in New Jersey, and can easily get in the upper twenties on the highway at 75-80 mph. That's pretty damned good for a truck. Finding it was really hard because Ford and Mazda dealers generally only stock the four cylinder in stripper form. If you want power windows and locks, tilt wheel, cruise, and the nice interior they almost always come with the V-6 and automatic. After failing to find what she wanted in Los Angeles I did an internet search over almost the entire state and found three loaded trucks with the four cylinder and five speed, one Ford in San Diego and two Mazdas in the Central Valley. She ended up doing the deal over the phone, then we drove 300 miles up to Stockton a few days later and got it. Like I wrote earlier, dealerships hate to order manuals and will work hard to talk you into an automatic. In this case, the local Ford and Mazda dealerships lost out on a sale because of this attitude.

I just hope when Ford replaces the Ranger/Mazda B-Series that they don't make it bigger. It's a great little truck, economical, reliable, and not bad to drive, and making it larger and heavier wouldn't help anything.
 
Manual!

I love driving a manual transmission!

There's definitely something about a manual transmission that allows one to be more connected with the car. When given a choice, I will probably always get a vehicle with a manual transmission. Granted, I know there are autos out there where it's not an option... and I likely wouldn't purchase one of them. Granted, every now and then I like driving an automatic....to remind me why I like driving a manual. :-)

All three cars I've owned have been manual transmission:
1993 Volkswagen Fox
2000 Mazda Protege
2007 Mazda 3

When I got my license, both of my parents had manual transmissions... Mom in her 1997 VW Cabrio, Dad in his 1994 Mazda Protege, and Dad's "mid life crisis" car - 1975 MG.

So, naturally--I just learned and loved.

My sister also learned how to drive a manual transmission ((and a new clutch later, finally did learn)) she currently has a 1999 Civic.

Mom got a newer 2001 VW Cabrio, still a manual.. and Dad is in a 2001 BMW 325i, also with a manual transmission.
 
I learned or more like attempted to learn to drive manual, in dad's 1995 Ford F-150 5 speed with inline 6 engine and 8 ft. bed, I had a really hard time with this.
I also spent more time in grandpap's 1979 GMC Sierra with the 3 speed manual on the column, it had the 6 ft step side bed, this was much easier for me.
But once I got my liscence I have only had automatic by choice and all my choices only come with automatic, all my cars in the past 7 years have been:

-1990 Buick LeSabre Custom
-2002 Chevy Impala
-1991 Buick Century Custom
-1999 Buick Park Avenue
-2006 Ford Crown Victoria LX
-2001 Cadillac DeVille
-2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
Currently I still have the Town Car and DeVille and often drive my mothers Park Avenue, and hopefully adding a 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate wagon with the LT1 engine to the fleet soon.
 
UK Driving License Laws

Not hijack one's own thread, but the UK has rather common sense laws regarding licenses. Many states in the US could take a few lessons.

For one thing newly licensed drivers only hold a "temporary" license, which may be surrendered in about 2 years or so for a permanent one. However if one gets a certain number of points while holding a temp license, it is taken away and one has to wait several years and start the whole process of obtaining a license all over again, including drivers ed.

As poor "Martin Fowler" on EastEnders found out, there are VERY serious consequences for driving without and or a suspended license, especially if one causes bodily harm and or death. A person can find themselves sent down for several months.

L.
 
I got a Manual License in 1997 as it was seen to be a big loser to get an Auto only license by my peers. It is as Rapunzel states, Manual license can drive Auto, Auto license drives Auto only. In Queensland now, you have to spend a minimum of 12 months on your Learners Permit (Must have a licensed Driver with you, log booking driving time to get Provisional License), 12 months on a restricted Provisional License (Limited to 80km/hr 4 Points on your license and time limits around the number of passengers.) Then you spend 3 years on a Provisional License with no Speed or passenger Limits, but still limited to 4 points, and then after that it becomes an Open license with 12 points.

As an example of how easily you could blow all the points on a restricted license, on a recent trip to Victoria (1600km each way), Michel got clocked by a mobile speed camera doing 115kmh in a 100 zone in the middle of nowhere. Fine was $200AUD and 3 points.

I grew up in the country and all the cars we ever had were manual, 76 Ford Cortina Wagon, 81 Ford XD Falcon, 1986 Mazda 626, 1991 Mazda 626 (The Car I learnt to drive in) and Mums current car a 2000 Mazda 626.

The first car I bought was a 1991 GMH Commodore with the Buick V6 and a 4spd Electronic Auto. The Second was a 1997 Ford Falcon Futura with the 4spd Auto and I6 engine, the Third was a 2000 Ford Fairmont Wagon with the same Auto and Engine and the Current one is a 2008 Ford BFII Falcon Futura Wagon with the most amazing 4spd Auto and the Dual VVT I6 engine.

I still drive both and find Mums Mazda to be the worlds easiest Manual to drive. Having driven Ford and GMH 6cyl manuals the gearing was wrong, the gearshift very harsh and really just not worth the hassel. First gear in the fords was good from 0 to 15kmh and then you had to change up to second before you redlined at 30kmh. In traffic it was a nightmare.

Up until this current car, I found the 4spd autos to be horrible things, lumpy shifts big gaps between ratios and compared to the 5spd Autos in our Landcruiser, just feeling really old and horrible. The Auto in the current car, which was the Ford update from early 2007 is just amazing. Perfectly smooth shifts, even on half throttle kickdown it just seamlessly moves through the gears, with only the engine note providing a clue that a gear change has happened.

For small cars, I say a manual, as it is much easier to really wring the power out of a smaller engine (Although the cheap small autos are getting more efficient) for large cars with more than 150kw, the auto is better at getting the power down to the road.
 
Real men shift gears. What's good enough for a real man is good enough for me.

I also prefer manual transmissions. When I buy a car, in fact, that is one of the "must haves."

Some comment about the trouble in city driving. I suppose there is truth to that, although--frankly--I find that city driving irritates me regardless of whether or not I have to shift gears.
 
I prefer a manual transmissions.

I just enjoy and prefer "rowing" through the gears! I don't refuse to drive an "auto" though because of the 3 cars I have, one is a 5-speed manual, one is a 4-speed auto and the third (my daily driver) is a CVT.

The daily driver is a Camry Hybrid and boy did that CVT take some getting used to and I am used to it, but talk about a BORING car to drive, GEESH! (I have to explain, I am a "car guy" and I would prefer to drive something fun or entertaining or interesting. Don't get me wrong, the Camry Hybrid is a great car, but it's just a "lack luster and uninspiring" car to drive.) But I suppose I can't complain too much since I do get 33-34 MPG around town and 38-40 on the open road.

I would drive my 5-speed car on a more regular basis, but with a supercharged, 5 liter V8, the fuel economy is.... umm... "not the greatest" and I do tend to "enjoy" the power when I do drive it!

The 4 SP auto car is a 16 year old, Japanese luxury car with 201K miles on the clock. It's still a very nice, comfortable car that runs great and has no leaks or problems. However it gets exactly half the MPG the Camry gets, so it gets driven less.

While I really do prefer any car with a manual trans, there are times it IS nice to have an auto trans. While I have been very fortunate having never had to deal with heavy "rush hour" traffic, but I can see the benefit to having an automatic when you spend many hours in the car on a daily basis.
 
Manual

I feel like I am more in control that way. Have had a lot of trouble-prone automatics in the past. A friend recently swore off all automatics. Another junked a car because the CVT automatic was

FWIW, I drive the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway about 40 miles each way to work and back every day, and sometimes I get stuck in traffic. It stinks, but I just deal. Its worth it for the fun I have when I reach the open road.

I don't double clutch, because its 2009 and I have a relatively modern transmission. If its broken enough for me to need to resort to techniques needed for a car built in 1930, or used by professional truck drivers, I probably shouldn't be driving it through the barren wastes of the Meadowlands or in New Jersey traffic.

I'm relatively adept at driving with a coffee, adjusting the radio and so on. When you live in your car for 2 hours a day, you can get pretty good. Biege interiors are also good at hiding coffee stains. :-)
 

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