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I think only the GT and above will get the hydraulic steering. Base v6 and 4cyl models are still getting the electric steering/
Body roll is a factor of weight. Granted weight is not the biggest deal, take a look at an extreme, ever see a packed van hit a bump? It goes up and down a few times after. That is a very exaggerated example, but it shows how weight affects roll.
If the car is lighter, the same spring rates will deal with less weight, thus less force pushing up and down when they hit a bump. Its that simple. Now you can fix this by adding stiffer springs, but then you will feel everything.
Actually, that engine has 241 horsepower, not 252, and you have to order the GTP trim level to get it. Base Price for the GTP sedan is well over 23 thou. All of a sudden the G6 doesn't look so tough...
I think that really depends on the manual. Some aren't very easy to drive in stop and go. Usually that's the case with sportier models that are only smooth when driven aggressively. One stick I owned WAS pure torture to drive in the city (so I know what you're intimating), but some manuals ARE easy to drive, even in heavy city traffic. You just have to shop around and find the one that fits right. My commute is 90 minutes from the sticks to downtown Minneapolis and despite the traffic, I think an auto (of which I've owned several) makes driving another mundane task rather than a part of my day I actually enjoy.
Shifting an suto like a manual is fun
You should try to avoid stating your opinion as though it is fact. To me, manually shifting an automatic is like downhill skiing in a chair. I just don't get it. But that's MY opinion.
I only get reminded of it when I drive something else for a bit longer and hop back to my WRX. Last time I stalled twice :surprise: , but after other three traffic starts I was good to go again :shades: .
2018 430i Gran Coupe
A fact at times may best be characterized as an opinion that is commonly shared. For example, sunshine is a good thing. Many may love the cold, but the overwhelming proportion of people would agree with the statement. Most people I know that drive a manumatic, absolutely love it. That is probably because most of them, over 60% of all drivers since 1970, are used to driving sticks, but that doesn't take away from the fact that manumatics are a blast. I couldn't deal with a manual. I do too much city driving and I let other people drive my car at times. I'd hate to be in a situation where I couldn't drive and have to find the nearest manual driver. Considering they are becoming less and less, I might just be S.O.L. at that point
Also, I'm not sure where to go to even try and look this up but shiftable automatics have been around for several years now. Are there any inherent long-term reliability issues with them or have they been proven to be no worse/better than your basic auto-trans?
There's no difference because the transmission is exactly the same. Almost all automatic trannies are shifted electronically today. Adding the manual shift feature just takes the shift control away from the PCM and gives it to the driver (some more than others). The PCM still orders the shift and it will not allow any type of shift that would hurt the transmission (e.g. downshifting at a higher speed than is safe).
Not to mention features that Ford probably never heard of:
Electroluminecent gauges(common on Civic but no ford),
Bluetooth compatibility,
iPod interface,
Intelligent Key system,
Dual zone climate control,
Navigation,
Rearview Monitor,
Is Ford even capable of building a car that Gen Y or Gen X would consider?
Mark
ford has a solid platform with the CD3, it remains to see how nissan's D platform drives, but i doubt that it would be much different from the current altima.
First, the 4 banger has decreased in power in the Altima to 165hp so it is on par with the Fusion. The Altima has swoopier styling and is a inch shorter in wheelbase so we'll have to see how dimensions work. The CVT isn't what everyone wants. There has been a lot of complaints about CVTs, the Nissan Murano's especially. Hopefulyl Nissan got it straight with the different modes the new Altima has but we'll have to see.
The Alitma with the top end features you mentioned will compete with Camry's in the upper end of the pricing spectrum above $25K. Currently, the Fusion doesn't go into those price ranges. Hopefully, with the two year freshening and new engine the Fusion may get these features.
FORD IF YOU'RE LISTENING, THE BASE ALTIMA COMES WITH A MANUMATIC. GET IT TOGETHER. IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET BACK IN THE GAME YOU NEED TO OFFER EVERYTHING THE COMPETITION OFFERS!
why make it slower when the CVT is maximizing efficiency for you?
engine braking is also pointless as you can use your feet
Fred Flintstone was ahead of his time! :P
I take it you've never driven down a mountain.
I take it you've never driven down a mountain.
In snow.
i doubt driving down the mountain at 50 mph in low gear for a extended period of time is going to be good for your engine and transmission
brakes are pretty durable and cheap these days anyways. also it is safer to use brakes, you have better control, and the brake lights go on.
Using engine braking in low gear does no harm at all to the drivetrain.
True, but pointless since engine braking does absolutely no harm to the transmission.
I don't think you've even driven a manual before with a statement like that.
Brakes aren't necesarily "safer" to use, considering they can get wet, lock up, or overheat. All these instances leave you without useful braking power. if you're barreling down a hill and your brakes overheat, what else are you going to do besides downshift to slow the car? "Better control" with brakes is a myth as well, especially with non-ABS equipped cars (which still exist, BTW).
"Brake lights" won't exactly help YOU to stop in any case. And if anyone behind you solely relies on red lights ahead of them in order to make him/her hit the brakes, they don't belong on the road.
Using engine braking as well as discs/drums will yield you the best results, for instance:
When I approach a stop light, I'll downshift (usually to third gear) and match revs to slow the car, and use brakes to actually complete the stop.
Down steep slopes, engine braking is most effective, preventing the brakes from overheating and warping, and they're also ready to go (at full power) in case of emergency, instead of being hot and fatigued from overuse.
In snowy weather, engine braking is more apt to allow me to maintain control in deep snow or ice, rather than have my tires lose grip from sudden deceleration forces that brakes sometimes cause.
One more thing, using engine braking adds no more stress and strain to an engine and transmission if it's done correctly.
Well maybe only on a hot day but its still possible.
Mark.
lol at modern brakes overheating. ive went down hills for hours using regular brakes and they work perfectly each time. i am not an engineer, but i do know that driving schools these days explictily tell people not to use engine braking, that it is old school and causes unnecessary wear to the drivetrain. especially when you are driving 55mph down a mountain.
brake lights are safer and it lets the person beside you have extra reaction time than just trying to estimate your speed, especially if he is tailgating you.
engine braking is lame and completely unnecessary if you know how to use your brakes
oh yeah, and get ABS.
i.e. matching the engine revs. Am I missing anything else?
I use engine braking all the time. With all of the hills around here a manual transmission is very useful, especially in the winter when the side streets I use to get to and from work are covered in ice/snow/sleet. I actually hit the gas sometimes going down hill in the snow to keep up with traffic. Where they slide to a stop on the mid-hill stop signs I come to a nice controlled stop.
Yes it still sucks to have a manual shifter in bumper to bumper traffic but I wouldn't have it any other way if I have a choice.
That is not the same as engine braking while descending a hill or keeping the drivetrain hooked up while taking a corner. No driving instructor in their right mind would tell you to use your brakes when descending a long mountain road. It's dangerous.
peopple usually descend mountains at around 90km/h. This is really bad for the engine at low gear.
also, engine braking has much less control over braking. if you use your brakes you can use them the exact amount you want, and release them if you want speed to increase, for example when the road is straight ahead of you.
The kind or grades they have warning signs on, or signs that say trucks use low gear, or signs that say NO trailers or rv's.
Those overheat your pads, discs, and brake fluid.
I followed an Expedition down the Priest Grade coming back from Yosemite. She didn't use her low transmission gear (obvioulsly automatic, but should have been available). By the end of the grade, she could barely stop and smoke was pouring out from her breaks. Every time I take that grade I use my lowest gear (whether stick or auto) AND have to periodically hit the brakes. But my brakes never smoke and have lots of stopping power left over.
I don't know about that, last time I drove down a mountain (volcano actually) I never came close to 55 MPH (90Km/H). I would guess few do get that fast and fewer still stay on the road while going that speed. Last time I was going down a mountain at those speeds it was on an interstate.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Does the V6 have tiptronic type shifting ?
-Loren
-Loren
I'll only be driving the mustang on weekends and nice days, or just for fun. Shifting won't be a problem and will actually be preferred.
engine braking offers much less control of speed, you wont want to worry if you are going too fast shifting to a lower gear
when i went to driving school in taiwan, they said not to use engine braking as it is bad for the engine and transmission. they say modern car's brakes are good enough.
The Fusion looks kinda cool. Not sure I want to buy another FWD car, but so many are, they are the main lot to choose amongst. I take it from comments here, they do not have the tiptronic type shift. If I buy another sedan, I will test this one against the Altima, Honda, Camry and Sonata. Currently, the Sonata V6 is $19,500 and dang tempting. If the economy crashes, I suppose buying an American car would help the blow a bit, so Ford and GM are still something I will consider. Well a used GM maybe.
If I go with a coupe, it is between the Stang and the Tiburon.
As sedans go, the Fusion is pretty stylish and sporty looking. In that respect it has more eye candy than does the leaders Accord and Camry. Living in California, the RWD of the Mustang seems right. I am thinking of getting an automatic this time, but would prefer a shiftable one.
Perhaps a stick for a Stang or an automatic for a sedan is the best way, since the sedan is FWD.
I just don't like sticks as much with FWD cars.
-Loren
Engine braking offers as much control of speed and saves on brake life. It can even prevent brake fading.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
also, with today's brakes, riding them for a long time does not hurt them.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
-Loren
Heck, the car I had back in 1960's was a Plymouth Satellite with an automatic. Going down the grade here near town, he always told the students to use the lower gear, as in not going down in overdrive. Not that it slowed the car all that much. I think the car had front disks, but I will never know for sure.
-Loren