General Talk (primarily non-naturist) > The Hobby Hut
Cars: Manual or Automatic transmission?
prodigal_son:
Here's an English perspective. There are 2 different full licenses available here. One just for autos and one that you can drive both. If people can't deal with a manual then they take the auto test and hence there is stigma around it 'ha you can only drive automatics!' I would say 90% of cars here are manual, not a scientific figure, just my guess. My first car was a 1.1 petrol, so up steep hills you really had to work the gears to make it to the top! Plus a manual is way more fun to drive. When you are going fast on a good winding road, there is nothing else like working your way up and down the gears to get the most from the engine. An auto box can't anticipate what you are about to do, if you want to overtake, or if there is a corner etc. So getting in the right gear can be hit or miss. Driving an auto isn't real driving, why do you think racing cars like rally cars are all manual? Yes I have driven an auto and that was fun because it was a 3.2litre turbo diesel mercedes! So if you hadn't guessed already, I wouldn't swap my manual for an auto, unless you are offering me an aston martin, then I might consider it!
brandon:
I got to drive a car without power steering once. It was an old Porsche 911. It had the best steering feel of any car I've driven. The steering was not heavy since the engine was in the rear. Not sure I'd want to drive it on a windy day though, with such a light front end.
Getting back to the fuel economy penalty of manuals:
The CVT version of the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid is rated at 35 miles per gallon (US) city, 39 mpg highway.
The manual gearbox version is rated at only 31 mpg city, 37 mpg highway.
In real life, manual drivers will keep the car in too low a gear much of the time in city driving, so the real world penalty for the manual will be even greater.
peteR:
Here in Austria, cars with manual transmission are standard. When you take the test with a car with automatic transmission, your driving license is limited to them. I've driven several cars since I was 16, and none of them had automatic transmission.
Nude_not_rude:
Yep manual all the way for me. I can't stand the lag and unresponsiveness of the auto.
peteR:
--- Quote from: Toddo on August 29, 2010, 01:22:32 am ---Yep manual all the way for me. I can't stand the lag and unresponsiveness of the auto.
--- End quote ---
That wouldn't apply to a double clutch transmission.
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