The death of the manual transmission

[Puupi]

As someone who was forced to learn playing the piano from 6 to 16, I can only wonder about your comment.

You need a serious lack of empathy to believe learning how to play the piano is worthwhile for everyone. Everyone has a different taste in music.

Obviously forcing someone to do something is wrong.

And I wasn't talking about playing the piano per se, but an instrument generally. Whether you prefer piano or bongo drums it's up to you, but playing an instrument is worthwhile.

[caervek]

Because that's nothing but a petty insult. It's not based in reality, it's just a cheap shot at a country that, as a whole, seems to not value automatics as much as manuals. For whatever reason they may have. There isn't even a point to your post, it's just there to insult the British. :P

He's actually quite right, the whole thing dates back to our car industry (yeah we had one once) spending silly amounts in propaganda to try and paint automatics as "not real driving", etc. This is why our country is now living in the past as far as gearboxes are concerned.

[Noradin]

Nationalist? Haha, stop it, I'm choking! OMG.

Oh you know you are a dirty British Nationalist! ^^

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It was more of an observation rather than an attempt to insult people.

Oh this is pure gold!

Did your 'powers of observation' tell you that Slant was British, too?

[Afrospinach]

Most of the slides here could have been avoided with manual transmission. With automatic, if you lose traction or lift your foot from the gas, you become a passenger instead of a driver.

This is the single most aggravating thing about autos for me, the lift off behaviour. It actually makes me really nervous as a passenger too.

[Noradin]

Well I called Slant an anglophile. not british.

You should really tell Kalis, his reaction would be glorious xD

[Deleted]

I could probably learn how to drive automatic, but atm, I don't know how to. I can however drive manual.

Ever went go-karting? It's essentially a less aggressive version of that

[Orlong]

Several good reasons to have a manual. The best is reliability.

Actually the best reasons are being able to maximize power and fun. I will NEVER drive an automatic, they are boring and always shift at low RPMs. You never get to "wind it out". Also its impossible on most automatics to peel out and burn donuts

[Drunkenfinn]

I barely know how to drive an automatic car. Tried it a few times and it felt super weird.

Manual all the way.

[Deleted]

It's your fault for being an anglophile

Why are you such an anglophobe, you hate speech spreading racist?

[Slant]

He's actually quite right, the whole thing dates back to our car industry (yeah we had one once) spending silly amounts in propaganda to try and paint automatics as "not real driving", etc. This is why our country is now living in the past as far as gearboxes are concerned.

Think so? So... if I prefer a Diet Coke to the COKE ZERO! experience, am I living in the past, too? I mean, I don't see a manual gearbox as "outdated". I just see it as a gearbox that's manual. A choice of preference rather than technical necessity.

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Ever went go-karting? It's essentially a less aggressive version of that

I like that explanation.

Also, the big advantage of automatic is that if you're in a stop&go situation in traffic, it goes all by itself. When I drove automatics, I used to stretch my legs while slumping along slow traffic. It's a cheap man's cruise control. :P

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Actually the best reasons are being able to maximize power and fun. I will NEVER drive an automatic, they are boring and always shift at low RPMs. You never get to "wind it out". Also its impossible on most automatics to peel out and burn donuts

Oh, they absolutely wind it out. Ever driven a BMW automatic gearbox? They come not with just one kickdown, but two kickdowns. Oh, that glorious feeling when the Bavarian engine doesn't just downshift once, but twice on the onramp of the Autobahn!

Kinda scary when you don't know about it and find out by accident, like I did.

[Deleted]

Prefer manual, it's more fun - nothing against automatic though.
Also tried a semi-automatic this weekend, (Peugeot 3008) that was awful though.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Oh, they absolutely wind it out. Ever driven a BMW automatic gearbox? They come not with just one kickdown, but two kickdowns. Oh, that glorious feeling when the Bavarian engine doesn't just downshift once, but twice on the onramp of the Autobahn!

Kinda scary when you don't know about it and find out by accident, like I did.

Although some of the BMW auto boxes have really wierd ratios.

[Slant]

Although some of the BMW auto boxes have really wierd ratios.

Weird how? It felt adequate for a 3 series BMW.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Weird how? It felt adequate for a 3 series BMW.

I recently drove an M4 and the gears (in particular 3rd, 4th, 5th) felt so far apart that you could have fit another gear in between them. Maybe it's just because I'm used to my parents' rather docile (and boring) toyota corolla automatic, I dunno.

Other than that it was a brilliant car, and I'd probably get used to it over time.

[Slant]

I recently drove an M4 and the gears (in particular 3rd, 4th, 5th) felt so far apart that you could have fit another gear in between them. Maybe it's just because I'm used to my parents' rather docile (and boring) toyota corolla automatic, I dunno.

Other than that it was a brilliant car, and I'd probably get used to it over time.

I'll be honest, I'm a bit jelly right now.

[Kellhound]

Actually the best reasons are being able to maximize power and fun. I will NEVER drive an automatic, they are boring and always shift at low RPMs. You never get to "wind it out". Also its impossible on most automatics to peel out and burn donuts

Not true at all, you just need good power. My automatic pickup w/ a v-8 can peel out and do donuts with ease.

[Osmeric]

My point about autism still stands. If you think playing an instrument is about display of social status, you really are missing something.

Thorstein Veblen had a chapter of The Theory of the Leisure Class on the subject (chapter III, "Conspicuous Leisure"). Maybe you need to catch up with 1899, when that book appeared?

[Drekker17]

American, never drove a manual. Where I live very few people do, it's extremely rare for someone under 30, only exception is teen guys who think they're cool.

[Deleted]

The numbers are pretty much reverse that in Europe and Automatic usually means you have to go for a more expensive model. With older automatics there was also the missing motor break of manual transmissions which is really great in the winter. Now that automatics can all switch to manual and motor break thats not really an issue any longer. And automatics are becoming more common. Looking at the brand new Peugeot 3008 with automatic myself.

You literally drive exactly the same way without worrying about shifting or coasting in neutral to a stop light or rolling backwards instead of forwards on a hill.

Why would you coast in neutral to a stop light if you have manual? Using the motor break shuts of the fuel injection. Being good and efficient with the motor break is a great way to save gas.

[Ginantonicus]

No it doesn't, it has an automatic cruise control mode where you have to be at the wheel ready to take over, someone recently got themselves killed in one where it drove into a lorry. But yeah sure.

The Tesla can steer itself, change lanes by itself, park itself and has a summon feature. Yes you do have to be at the wheel because the Law says the driver must be in control of the vehicle at all times. Yes, someone was killed when the car hit a truck that was the same color as the stuff behind the truck.