Auto for the win.. I live in the twisty hills and mountains of Scotland, and I would go for auto every time... Every other part of a car is adjusted automatically these days, (just like fly-by-wire fighter jets that cant be flown manually anymore) so why do we need to kid ourselves we're more in control with a manual as cars now are so quiet you can't hear the shifts which you need to use a manual box correctly.... Its really a guy thing, but its fading fast.. Having said that, I left foot brake and, only use a clutch on a manual car when driving slowly..
so why do we need to kid ourselves we're more in control with a manual as cars now are so quiet you can't hear the shifts which you need to use a manual box correctly....
Obviously written by someone who doesn't know much about how to drive a car. Ever heard of a tachometer?
Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 3314 Location: inner west sydney, australia
Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject:
minigirl wrote:
yes, clutches (and getting them fitted) will cost you quite a bit, but if you drive properly, a clutch is not something that wears out very often. my car is 17 years old, has done about 180,000 kilometres and still has the original clutch.
yes, well, that might have been so four months ago, but i went for a rather longish drive today and, on the way back, ten minutes from home the clutch started acting up. got home ok but it looks like i'm ringing the mechanic tomorrow morning....
Personnally I like both. For nice country roads in a sporty car then a manual gearbox is great.
Autoboxes for long journies particularly if they involve the orbital car park that is the M25 can ease the strain considerably.
The economy issue is much less than it used to be and the engines tend to be less thrashed, however the cost of getting an auto box repaired after failure can be very high.
At one time I was lucky enough to have access to two cars one of each and could use whichever suited my mood and or journey, that alas is no longer the case.[/code]
Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 3314 Location: inner west sydney, australia
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 7:35 am Post subject:
minigirl wrote:
minigirl wrote:
yes, clutches (and getting them fitted) will cost you quite a bit, but if you drive properly, a clutch is not something that wears out very often. my car is 17 years old, has done about 180,000 kilometres and still has the original clutch.
yes, well, that might have been so four months ago, but i went for a rather longish drive today and, on the way back, ten minutes from home the clutch started acting up. got home ok but it looks like i'm ringing the mechanic tomorrow morning....
got the car back and it turned out to be a relatively minor problem compared to what i was fearing it could have been - the clutch plate itself is fine. thankfully it only set me back just over $200.
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 48 Location: The Sprawl
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject:
Always personal preference, as stated.
But to clear something up, a self professed "guru" (and you always have to watch for those types), claimed that autos have problems in corners.
Simply not true. An auto will not cause a car to swap ends because there is little to no engine braking in D/OD.
That would be like saying that maunals cause brake hop on cars equipped with the Bosch 5.3 ABS system during an EBD event, when the truth is that the driver forgot to engage the clutch.
Also, autos can be forced to shift via throttle control. That "guru" hasn't spent a lot of time driving one.
In drag racing, autos, especially stalled autos, will ALWAYS be faster, all else being equal. They own the first 1/8th.
In auto-X they are often faster as well because you can put it in 3rd, and utilize engine braking, and let the car shift for you, or drop it down to 2nd on your own, and have near instant shifts with no delay or clutch issues.
On a full blown road course, if you have paddle shifters, they still come out on top, because you get gear selection control, but shifts are instant - it's like playing Gran Turismo. And this applys to both the so-called "slush-boxes", and the SMGs.
Of course, the SMG is the pinnacle.
Manauals' real advantage is lighter vehicle weight, and more ability to customize gearing. And this is why SMGs are pretty much the pannacea (and why you see it on F1 cars, Ferraris, Lambos, etc).
I've owned autos and manuals. My toy is an M6, my daily driver is an A4. For me personally, daily drivers will ALWAYS be autos. I live in a hilly, high traffic area. But, despite the technological advantages, there is something fun about rowing through the gears, hence why my toy is an M6.
But if I were racing, I'd use an auto, or better yet, an SMG if I could afford it. (and depending on drag vs auto-x vs road courses/ORR, etc)
DSG, Tiptronic and Steptronic can all be as much fun as a true manual,
with the advantage of lazy driving in stop-start queuing traffic. If I could be sure of open road Q-free motoring all the time, I'd stick with a manual, but the reality is rather different.
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