Survey: Auto or Manual transmission?

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Manual. I learned to drive a manual transmission on my mom's Ford Probe. I never had any trouble or issues in stop and go traffic. The first time I drove to the mountains when I was 18 I actually did a very good using the manual transmission to help slow the car down without having to really use the brakes. If my Altima didn't have the manual mode on it I wouldn't have bought it. This helps one not hardly have to use the brakes in the mountains. I barely had to use the brakes coming down from Lover's Leap at an elevation of 3300 feet down to 1500 feet east on Rte 58. At times it was a 9% down hill grade on that route as well. Quite pleased by that. Versus my 2008 Ford Fusion which had only two options. D1 and overdrive. And in D1 you couldn't go much over 15 mph because the rpms got way too high. So, it left you in overdrive and using the brakes. A LOT. Coming down from 6,054 feet of elevation on the Blue Ridge Parkway down to Rte 74 Waynesville gap elevation of 3400 feet those brakes were VERY hot. Not fun. I would tell anyone that the Ford Fusion is a good car but in the mountains they are hard to drive. Unless Ford changed the transmission set up in the next generation of them.
 
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Originally Posted By: Sunnyinhollister
I prefer manual transmissions but they are getting hard to find.


And some manufacturers manage to F up the manual transmission somehow. Dual mass flywheels that fall apart on more than one brand of vehicle, synchros wearing out prematurely, etc. My friend's dad has a newer Jeep Wrangler that has been to the dealer a few times because it was extremely difficult to get into reverse, if it even went into it at all. Seems after the 3rd visit they fixed it. There have been some horror stores on the Wrangler forums of clutches failing early due to manufacturing defects, and not being covered under warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
This survey displayed 2 things. People prefer automatics and can't count. Must be connected, somehow.

....by the fact that everyone is a human being? Of course.

Surely that's what you meant, and not anything insulting.



Bwa Ha Ha!! Good one, OneEyeJack!!

D00d do you really not get it?
 
Perspective. A new car with a manual is a breeze to drive. After driving my Mustang with a cable operated clutch for three hours and then hopping into the Subaru the clutch feels like I'm pressing a button! New manuals are really easy to drive and require little effort physically. We all have memories of some older car on a hot day in traffic being a pain. I think these memories taint peoples' choices.
 
Originally Posted By: Daschicken
I
Autos [censored] me off. They don't shift up when I want them to, they get [censored] gas mileage, the torque converters refuse to lock up except in top gear at lower loads(older autos) which means you can repeatedly press the gas then let off and the rpms will vary wildly, meanwhile your speed stays the same.... .


I would agree with you if you're talking about automatics from, roughly, 1985 though 2010 or so.

Older automatics were GREAT. Always in the right gear, because there were only 3 to choose from. Engines of the time had torque enough to not care if the ratio wasn't slightly perfect- with a little convertor slip a big-block v8 could move almost as well in 3rd gear as in 2nd. And the shifts were nice and crisp.

Starting in the mid 70s, shifting really softened up to focus on a "luxury" feel. Automtaics behind little 4-cylinders were laughably terrible. The 90s were a disaster- even with bigger engines, there were indecisive shifts, downshift 2 gears in a row for a quarter second then decide "no, that was wrong, up another gear, only needed to go down one.." and also a big drop in reliability.

That all changed as soon as I got behind the wheel of the 8-speed ZF in my wife's 2014 Grand Cherokee, that transmission is practically telepathic and is just *never* in the wrong gear. It locks the convertor almost all the time. It actually has a very predictable and usable "engine braking" feel and doesn't just freewheel like a bicycle and unlock the convertor every time you lift off the gas the way 90s/2000's transmissons did. The same is true for other 6- 8- and 9-speeds I've driven... eagerly awaiting the chance to try the Ford/GM 10-speed collaboration.
 
I prefer automatics, but in the past drove mostly manuals. I drive an 18 wheeler, so prefer an auto when on my own time. It would be fun to have a sports car with a manual like a 6 speed Mustang or Challenger though.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum


I would agree with you if you're talking about automatics from, roughly, 1985 though 2010 or so.


Yup, 2001 Nissan Maxima.
 
Manual all the way; I dont commute. Not sure that the technology for automatics is really there yet ;-) However, I did somewhat regret driving the manual 09 Accord in Orlando recently, while saving $2 by not driving on the toll roads...also the Honda manuals are geared really high, I assume because the cruise cant downshift in high load situations. Rolled over 15k miles on the way home,wont have to change the gearbox fluid for a while still.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Daschicken said:
That all changed as soon as I got behind the wheel of the 8-speed ZF in my wife's 2014 Grand Cherokee, that transmission is practically telepathic and is just *never* in the wrong gear. It locks the convertor almost all the time. It actually has a very predictable and usable "engine braking" feel and doesn't just freewheel like a bicycle and unlock the convertor every time you lift off the gas the way 90s/2000's transmissons did. The same is true for other 6- 8- and 9-speeds I've driven... eagerly awaiting the chance to try the Ford/GM 10-speed collaboration.


Agree with your assessment of the ZF8-HP transmissions. I have one in my 2014 1500 Ram and another in my 2016 Charger Scat Pack. Truly amazing transmissions. Have to say the 8-speed in my wife's 2017 330i is equally impressive. A great leap forward from the 6 speed in her 2011 BMW 328i.
 
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I have owned two automatics and two manuals...2 M5ODs, 1 4R55E, and 1 5R44E. Nothing but fluid changes; and filter changes for the autos. No clutches, valve bodies, solenoids, nothing. Literally just fluid and filters.

Combined mileage on the autos...357,000 miles

Combined mileage on the manuals...282,000 miles

That's not total mileage for the life of the vehicle (2 have been sold), but I do put more miles on the autos than the manuals overall, and for me reliability is a wash. In my application, a manual is only marginally more fun or useful than an auto if at all, so I kind of lean towards autos now.

I would not pass up a manual vehicle I wanted, but it's no longer really a selling point for me. It was when I was 16, but now I'm good with an auto in most vehicles.

That said, I probably wouldn't buy something like a 1993 Mustang or a roadster type car with an auto.
 
I would only consider a manual if it were a second car. Having said that, if my choice is between a dual clutch or CVT, or manual, I'm not sure what I would pick.
 
'01 Ranger. I like the Rat's M5od and its totally new stuff from the RMS to the pedal swing arm. But not to commute with. 4spd AT in the 528e made it the ultimate commuter car.
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It really does depend on the transmission itself, or me. Poor automatics are a nightmare to me , but so are poor manuals. If the manual version is better than the automatic, I'll take that. If the automatic is better, I'll get auto.
 
I learnt to drive in MT, pass test in MT, have own only MT. Grew up in the capital with plenty of traffic jam where it takes 1 hr to cover 1.5 miles.

I need to learn how to drive an auto. Last time I drove it, I can't unlock my door when not in P. I can unlock my door and even open my door in my MT. I don't care for what reason I need that, I just want control of my car. My car doesn't control me.

The clutch and traffic never bother me much. But, slow driver in the left lane or slow driver swoop in my lane and don't bother gas up to match traffic flow boils my blood.
 
I love my manual madza 6. I love my truck too with the M5R2. I wouldn't say no to a decent pickup because it had a manual, mine just happens to have one. Im ok with a truck auto. 4 cylinder sedan, manual is a must.
 
Well, the count is screwed up, and hard to figure out some peoples actual answer.
For me, a daily driver/commuter would be an automatic.

I have driven manuals in traffic and it sucks. I like driving them otherwise and have owned several through the years, and would like to own another one, but probably won't.
Wife can't drive a stick (I have tried several times to teach her, and she just does not get it). I want one to teach my kids how to drive a stick, have thought about buying a beater car to teach them on. But finding a manual is just hard these days (I have been looking for a $1000 or less running Hyundai, Toyota, Ford etc)
 
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