Wouldn't a manual transmission be better in city traffic?
- Thread starter The motor guy
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JHZR2
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It depends upon the design of the MT.
I daily drove an MT BMW in dc/Philly/NYC traffic for a decade. Wasn’t an issue. It went and it was heard nicely.
My wife’s integra on the other hand? I’d have been shopping for a new car in no time flat. Even with the super slick, short throw shifter, the clutch setup was just so bad. And it was not just hers. I drove more than one.
My Dodge Ram CTD, I’d have no issues in traffic. It’s because Lo and 2 are pretty useful for creeping along.
So “it depends” as usual is a factor.
I daily drove an MT BMW in dc/Philly/NYC traffic for a decade. Wasn’t an issue. It went and it was heard nicely.
My wife’s integra on the other hand? I’d have been shopping for a new car in no time flat. Even with the super slick, short throw shifter, the clutch setup was just so bad. And it was not just hers. I drove more than one.
My Dodge Ram CTD, I’d have no issues in traffic. It’s because Lo and 2 are pretty useful for creeping along.
So “it depends” as usual is a factor.
No. I drive a 6spd Tacoma in Southern CA....and I've got a mostly destroyed left knee lol. If I travel in the middle of the day I'm fine...Before 9AM / after 3PM?....nope, I'm staying home or else it's miserable.
....still better than dealing with the shift strategy of the 3rd gen Tacoma auto trans though
....still better than dealing with the shift strategy of the 3rd gen Tacoma auto trans though
I have two manuals that I drive. The 2004 Focus handles four days a week up 680N past Walnut Creek. I skip 7 miles via a side street before dealing with 7 miles of bumper to bumper traffic. I have gotten very good using first and second without needing my brakes to come to a complete stop like everyone else. Just a few shifts and a few brake stops. If automatic I'd be coming to a complete stop much more often. In fact I just changed out the front pads at 200,000 miles and the originals still had 40% left. The rotors did need replacement.
Any manual trans in traffic is better if you just idle along in 2nd gear, letting a little gap form in front of you. With OPs concern about abusing his automatic, if he crept along like a semi truck, he'd alienate a few drivers but be better on the machinery.
I puchased my 2015 accord with the 6mt purely to avoid the cvt with the 2.4L. If it had an option for a conventional auto- thats what I would be driving.
There are some modern automatic's that are epic good. The ZF 8 speed in my F-Type Jaguar is stunningly good.
Sure, a lot of that is programming, but 200ms shifts makes for no drama, just the right gear when you want it.
Sure, a lot of that is programming, but 200ms shifts makes for no drama, just the right gear when you want it.
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Yeah, you can try but people will get in front of you.
I’m a manual transmission fanatic. I never owned an automatic. Traffic never bothered me. Featherweight clutches aren’t that hard on the leg. I consider it exercise anyways.
But after seeing time after time again automatics with 250k+, manuals don’t have the reliability edge. They are still the serviceability king, but automatics can go the distance, including in your case, traffic.
But after seeing time after time again automatics with 250k+, manuals don’t have the reliability edge. They are still the serviceability king, but automatics can go the distance, including in your case, traffic.
The xB is geared so low that it can chug along at 2-3 MPH idling in 1st, the Corolla & F-450 are geared higher (F-450 has transplanted 3.73 ring & pinion), so it's tougher. Seems like if one plans in advance a little bit, they can roll up on lights as they change-but, I'll admit, I know where the bad traffic areas are here & avoid them!
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Imho it comes down to if it’s one foot going back and forth, or two.
When my wife and I got married we had 2 manuals only. We never thought, “Wouldn’t an auto be better in traffic.”
I guess nowadays being for manuals is the old man yells at cloud conundrum. It would seem as one reads through this never ending mystery, nobody can truly have their own opinion.
Some like to focus their lens. Even less common some shoot with film. There are still kids who ride bikes, and maybe some prefer them over electric scooters. There may even be adults who prefer no electric motor on their bike.
I think people who prefer automatics sincerely do. It’s just that I think this notion of traffic having any bearing at all on the preference, should be decoupled.
Someday I’ll get another stick but a full sized suv is next up. So I’m glad to still have one in the garage as the other was junked 1 1/2 years ago.
edit thought of this one. When my dad bought his Kubota, it was an 8 speed manual. I am not sure but I do not think he had a choice--today, one does with the equivalent. But I do remember back then, Cub Cadets already had hydrostatic transmissions, and it was a selling point. Not having to change gears manually exuded opulence.
Around the same time, Porsche had a new fangled car that came out. It had an engine in the front, liquid cooling, and 75% of them were sold with automatics. I had the opportunity to test drive a few maybe 8-9 years down the road, and I always went for the 5 speed manual. One time the salesman took it out of the showroom, said he would drive it off the lot, and he lost control, which really wasn't supposed to happen like it could with the 911.
When my wife and I got married we had 2 manuals only. We never thought, “Wouldn’t an auto be better in traffic.”
I guess nowadays being for manuals is the old man yells at cloud conundrum. It would seem as one reads through this never ending mystery, nobody can truly have their own opinion.
Some like to focus their lens. Even less common some shoot with film. There are still kids who ride bikes, and maybe some prefer them over electric scooters. There may even be adults who prefer no electric motor on their bike.
I think people who prefer automatics sincerely do. It’s just that I think this notion of traffic having any bearing at all on the preference, should be decoupled.
Someday I’ll get another stick but a full sized suv is next up. So I’m glad to still have one in the garage as the other was junked 1 1/2 years ago.
edit thought of this one. When my dad bought his Kubota, it was an 8 speed manual. I am not sure but I do not think he had a choice--today, one does with the equivalent. But I do remember back then, Cub Cadets already had hydrostatic transmissions, and it was a selling point. Not having to change gears manually exuded opulence.
Around the same time, Porsche had a new fangled car that came out. It had an engine in the front, liquid cooling, and 75% of them were sold with automatics. I had the opportunity to test drive a few maybe 8-9 years down the road, and I always went for the 5 speed manual. One time the salesman took it out of the showroom, said he would drive it off the lot, and he lost control, which really wasn't supposed to happen like it could with the 911.
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When I bought my first new M/T (a 1977 Dodge Colt) they got much better MPG than an A/T....that isn't the case anymore and A/Ts often do better than M/Ts today. I love M/Ts and bought my 2014 Focus in M/T (had to search for it and drive 100 miles to buy it) because I knew the DCT was J-U-N-K in an otherwise good car.
I really like driving the Focus in my area where mountains and twisty country roads are the norm (although the pandemic has brought a lot more NYC people up here since we're only an hour north of The George Washington Bridge....traffic permitting. Having said that... I hate driving stick in NYC or any other place where stop and go driving is the norm. So to answer the OPs posted question....NO.
I really like driving the Focus in my area where mountains and twisty country roads are the norm (although the pandemic has brought a lot more NYC people up here since we're only an hour north of The George Washington Bridge....traffic permitting. Having said that... I hate driving stick in NYC or any other place where stop and go driving is the norm. So to answer the OPs posted question....NO.
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Agree 100%
Shifting 5 times to get to 25 mph in stop and go traffic gets old really quick.
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pretty funny, almost all owner operators still opt for an 18 speed manual. But around 15 years ago, new drivers would decline job offers if a company had manuals. This is all preference, nothing more, nothing less. But there's a tendency for folks to lurk or not repsond when they're on the unpopular side of the house
Over the years, I've had nothing but manual transmissions.
I still have one car with a great shifting 5 speed and very responsive, albeit low powered engine 190HP Jaguar X-Type AWD. Even at 230K miles it still drives better than common modern rental cars.
The very best one without any question was the Miata R package I turbocharged and installed a 6 speed in. (tougher trans for the 390HP). Just a joy in every way. The Turbocharged Honda S2000 AP2 was second. Various Ford cars really did not shift at that level of perfection, even with aftermarket shifters. Larger engines often suffer because of the mass of the crank/flywheel and clutch disk preventing fast shifting with low effort, and instant rev matching.
I still have one car with a great shifting 5 speed and very responsive, albeit low powered engine 190HP Jaguar X-Type AWD. Even at 230K miles it still drives better than common modern rental cars.
The very best one without any question was the Miata R package I turbocharged and installed a 6 speed in. (tougher trans for the 390HP). Just a joy in every way. The Turbocharged Honda S2000 AP2 was second. Various Ford cars really did not shift at that level of perfection, even with aftermarket shifters. Larger engines often suffer because of the mass of the crank/flywheel and clutch disk preventing fast shifting with low effort, and instant rev matching.
pretty funny, almost all owner operators still opt for an 18 speed manual. But around 15 years ago, new drivers would decline job offers if a company had manuals. This is all preference, nothing more, nothing less. But there's a tendency for folks to lurk or not repsond when they're on the unpopular side of the house
I wouldn’t have a manual transmission in class 8 truck anymore. No gears to grind or miss, automatic transmissions have really come a long way. We have about 20 dump trucks at work and I think the oldest 4 are manuals, rest are automatic. The newest Mack lowboy tractor is an automatic. It effortlessly downshifts with a heavy load to help slow you down. Pretty impressive.
A lot of the never drivers have an “ automatic only “ restriction on their license. I believe you have to pay more at the driving school to learn on a manual.
I got my CDL in 2012 and learned on a manual but I took the test in an automatic. There was no restriction back then.
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No question even modern tech only applies to autos. Such as the cruise control being able to allow for a lower speed than set uphill, because GPS tells the system a downhill is approaching. But look at the former Peterbilt 389s and now 589s. Could be more autos are selling today, but owner operators preferred the manuals. In business, even 6 vs. 6.4 mpg matters. And the auto gets better fuel economy.
But for us, it's really preference. And it's loud and clear, very few oddballs like myself, prefer a manual car/truck. But it does not invalidate my opinion and preference
I put a million miles on a 5-speed Golf TDI -- 300k in SoCal, then 700k in Mpls-StPaul. Never wanted an automatic. The car I mostly drive now has a Southbend Stage 4 clutch and it would not be my choice for regular stop-and-go traffic. But I'll be parking that one for the winter and my winter beater has a pleasantly light clutch. Between these two cars I'm all set for the next 10+ years, so no automatics in my past or future.