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Comments
Most cars sold in Europe are less powerful, with smaller displacement engines.
I these types of cars, most of the time automatic transmissions use more fuel than their manual counterparts, although this has been changing with 6,7 and 8 speed automatics and CVT's.
Considering the price of gasoline (US$ 5.20 per gallon in Germany) I don't blame them for sticking (no pun intended) mostly with stick shifts.
I'm still not seeing the connection there as to why Europeans accept the manual transmission more, just based on those two arguments.
Thanks!
Automatics aren't that much hungier anymore, if at all. It's more related to laziness and habit and how people are "weaned" on (and off) their parents' cars when they learn to drive.
So really the best answer is "history".
So, anyway, what this is all boiling down to, it seems, is CULTURE. The American expectation of machines to do all our work and even our thinking for us. Americans prefer automatic transmissions because they prefer not to think about driving, whereas Europeans prefer to control the machine rather than the machine control them?
What a difference an ocean makes!
I wonder, then, what about Canadians? Are they more like Europeans, or more like US, in their driving preferences? Gee, I wish some Europeans or Canadians would give their POV, this is interesting!
I do not see any real benefit to a manual transmission for the average driver.
I drive in crushing, mind-numbing, collosal traffic snarls all the time, and really, a modern stickshift car with a light clutch and good shifter is a piece of cake. What after all is the big difference between raising your left foot up and down on a clutch pedal or driving an automatic with the "left foot as brake foot" method? (which many people do).
I like a manual transmission for:
engine braking on turns or hills
getting the exact right gear at the exact right moment you want it
more fun to drive
easier to repair a clutch than an entire automatic transmission
slightly better fuel economy
DOWNSIDE:
lower resale value (usually, depending on the car)
if your friends or spouse borrow it they might not drive it correctly
hard to drink coffee and drive
Actually, the fact that most of them CANNOT drive it could be put on the upside!
I really miss, miss, miss having a manual tranny...
As for the transmission, except for certain transmission models (i.e. Ford Taurus, Dodge minivans, etc.), transmissions pretty much seem to last forever with minimal maintenance.
Personally, I prefer having both hands on the wheel to maintain control of the vehicle when necessary. Also, I prefer to have a vehicle that anyone can drive in an emergency or safety situation.
A quick shift to the proper gear for the situation and then back to 10 and 2 on the steering wheel allows better vehicle control than relying on braking (or flooring it).
Agreed on the emergency situation... but oh well, it's an unlikely scenario, and the fun and control of a manual is well worth it. And all those non-emergency situations keep my Corolla parked for the stick-disabled.
Destroying a manual transmission requires a more or less conscious effort on the part of the driver...he has to either be a meat-handed shifter, or allow the trans to run out of oil, or run the trans way past the time when "warning noises" tell him to replace the bearings. Then the bearings wear so badly they destroy the main shaft, etc.
But automatics (as we've learned from reading these boards) seem to just "die" of a massive coronary without warning half the time.
To be totally fair, I would guess many auto trannies fail because people don't change the fluid often enough, or even corrrectly. If you don't change the fluid at all, or if when you do change the fluid you only drain the tranny instead of have it flushed, you're probably going to experience a failure much sooner than someone who has their tranny flushed at least every 30K miles. However, even doing this won't make an auto last as long as a manual.
Oh, and nobody should drive with their hands 10-2 anymore. I just heard that the other day. That's old-fashioned positioning for cars back when they had bigger steering wheels. I keep my hands more like 8-4 or even 7-5. On TV they said any higher than that, and you risk knocking yourself in the head should your airbag deploy! If you'll notice on your Corolla, those triangular-shaped spaces are just where you should put your hands!
I almost want a manual-shift Corolla to replace my '98 with now - do I dare re-learn after 20 years? LOL
I've never heard 7-5. That sounds like it's designed to make it easy for your knees to take over. Scary.
Most of the time I drive one-handed anyway unless there are weather situations that compromise my sense of control. Know your vehicle, know yourself, I say!
Driving one-handed is something I do from time to time as well. It's not a smart thing to do. Weather conditions are irrelevant - you cannot predict what someone else around you, in front of you, behind you, whatever, is going to do to you at any given second. Why take the chance on not being prepared?
I guess I was looking for an explanation of how 8-4 or 7-5 is the best way to hold the wheel because I'm genuinely confused about that.
I hadn't heard the 7-5 previously, but I have heard the 8-4 and I don't get it.
Urban legend. The only way your hands could ever get between your head and the airbag is if they were placed directly over the center portion of the steering wheel where the horn sensor is. If they are anywhere on the outer wheel itself, they will be kept outside the path of the airbag.
I haven't learned how to link, never wanted to get that deep into these forums, but if you go here, they can explain the reasoning better than I can.
I've swiped a short clip from the article:
"The 2006 edition of the Minnesota Drivers Manual on page 31, Airbag Safety Suggestions section says, "Try to maintain at least 10 inches between yourself and the steering wheel. Keep your hands on the 8 and 4 o'clock or 9 to 3 o'clock position on the steering wheel. Avoid the 10 and 2 o'clock position. Keep your thumbs turned out on the steering wheel."
"Certainly drivers should avoid holding their hands in the airbag danger zone: over the top of the wheel, over the airbag cover, and on the bottom," says Dr. David Roberts, Emergency Department physician at North Memorial Medical Center, who has been tracking airbag injuries. Dr. Roberts advocates that drivers follow this recommendation and keep their hands to the sides of the steering wheel for much of their driving. He also advocates that drivers always keep two hands on the wheel for critical maneuvering of the vehicle in any emergency situation."
So, again, I'm not telling anybody how to drive, I'm just sharing information. I did notice that on my Corolla they designed the wheel so that your hands are in the right spots. But if you think these people are wrong, then use your own judgment! That's all...
In fact, your link confirms my statement that the only way you can hit yourself in the face is if you are honking your horn (if you have a center-mounted horn) at the time the airbag is deployed.
On the first car, the hands were placed at the 10 and the 2 o'clock positions (true grip) with the thumbs inside the wheel. When the airbag deployed, the left arm rocketed off the wheel, striking the windshield pillar and then striking the left side glass. The paint was removed by the scraping of the airbag from the inner medial aspect of both forearms. The right arm stayed clamped to the wheel and was bent by the deploying airbag with great force. In a real person, something would have given and broken between the thumb and the forearm. The paint was removed from the entire inner surface of the arm and the top of the thumb and was deposited onto the airbag fabric. The plastic cover flaps of the airbag housing contacted the inner wrists of both arms with the force of the opening airbag.
When driving, it is important to note that honking your horn at the moment of a crash can be dangerous too, because the horn button is often right in the center of the wheel - right where the airbag comes out! This can place the hands and the arms right over the airbag when it deploys, and the hands and forearm can be punched into the face. Some manufacturers are moving the horn and cruise controls to the sides of the wheel to avoid this scenario.
Last purchase we ended up with a sweet little 5 speed Sentra, after looking at Corollas all over town. I'm happy with the Sentra, but looking down the road to the day I have to replace my pickup... I'm wondering what will happen when Toyota goes "all hybrid" - will any of these new hybrids be made with manuals?
Secondly, as an ex-racer, and Toyota mechanic, I can say that the electronically controlled automatic transmission is no longer like the old automatics. These new autos, are very reliable, take very little horsepower and run cool an reliably. They are extremely durable and every bit as reliable as a manual transmission. In addition, if your's has a gated floor mount shifter, you can manually shift it and have a degree of control for up shifts and engine braking on down shifts. It's win-win.
When I bought my Yaris S Hatchback there was not one manual trans to be found in the state. Because I had an immediate need for the car, I could not wait and order one. After a months ownership, I'm very pleased with the auto trans, and find it's performance is very good.
I could not be happier.
Here's a secret. The auto does a better job than you in chosing the gears for the best fuel mileage.
The funny thing is, the newest automatic transmissions appear to post the same or higher mpg's than sticks. I think the computers have finally gotten smarter than we are!
1) Automatics have better resale value
2) Automatics get mileage equivalent to current 5-speeds
3) My wife refuses to learn to drive a standard
But I want to get the stick because:
1) difficulty of finding a 4-door 5-speed with no options in black and I FOUND ONE
2) rarity of having a 4-door 5-speed
3) I like to shift my own gears and upshift early for mileage when appropriate
4) I haven't owned a stickshift car in 5 years (2 trucks, but no cars)
I've had a number of small 5-speed cars before, a VW Scirocco, a Datsun 210, 2 Escorts, 2 Tempos, a Colt Vista, a '97 Accent, an '86 Civic, and a '90 Sentra. All of them were pleasant and even fun to drive with the stick. Some of these I have driven or owned the automatic version (210, Escort, Tempo) and was unimpressed compared to the standards offered. I've also driven a 4-speed Escort and a 4-speed Civic and those were even better with the wider ratios.
If I had one complaint about modern 5-speed cars, it's that the final drives are wound too tight (numerically higher) and the engines still race at highway speeds. The whole point of having an overdrive fifth gear is for cruising on the highway and the final drive should be low enough to allow low engine speeds at 60-70mph. The Corolla I test drove today was nearing 3000rpm at 70mph and the Cobalt was running much slower at 2500 or so. An automatic Cobalt would probably be closer to 2000rpm which I would consider ideal. A friend of mine with a 1996 Grand Prix, 3.1L/auto OD, runs 1700rpm at 70mph and that's perfect!!!
3) My wife refuses to learn to drive a standard
Assuming your wife will sometimes need to drive this car.. get the automatic.
I agree completely. I own a 2006 Scion XB with a 5 speed. AT around 70, it running about 3200 RPMS. It shouldn't be geared this high.
I also managed to score a 1993 Saturn for $200 on CL, and she can feel free to learn to drive stick on that. I bought it specifically to teach her and the kids how to drive stick without wearing my new car's clutch. It's actually not as bad as the seller said it was, and a fender and a couple mirrors and it'd probably pass inspection and be roadworthy.
I think you're right, I said it backwards. After I wrote it, I wondered if anybody would catch it.
Yes they are all good and reliable. But the ECHO engine is special.