POLL: Standard or Auto?

[Ultima]

oh, my opinion is that it depends on what you need it for.
If you just care about A to B, then get an automatic. If you want to feel involved in your driving and you like doing stuff like burnouts then get a manual. If you drive a truck get auto for the extra towing capacity.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Guys like girls who know how to drive a stick

 

[blueghost75]

My car has the steptronic. I use to drive a standard, but Austin traffic is a big pain in the @ss.

My current job requires a drive from the dripping springs area to north austin. You guessed it, I drive all the way up mopac and back every day durring rush hour. I also have a manual car.

Eh.....ok, I started the job two days ago. Also, both afternoons after work, I have ended up exiting mopac before the river and taking backroads home. Much more fulfilling than sitting with a bunch of cars.

I'm fine with traffic as long as its moving 30+ mph.....

 

[B00ne]

hmmm if u guys consider that a good mileage.....
I would say anything that gets less than 30mpg is quite a lot nowadays. Damn even my dad with his usual cruising speed of 110-130mph doesnt get less than 25 mpg, well in inner city driving it'll drop to 20 or so
American cars just have huge engines and not much power (for such a big engine) they go slow on the highways (due to speed limit), yet they take tonnes of gas - but thats off topic


btw my car gets like 35mpg at top speed driving(95), but its small though

 

[blueghost75]

Oh, and manuals always get better gas mileage than an automatic, assuming that you are comparing the same vehicles with the same engines. Trucks are included.

There is more power loss in an automatic due to the torque converter. Manual transmissions also weigh just a bit less, so that is another contributer to the better gas mileage.

 

[BatmanNate]

Looking at that poll, I sense an over abundence of sausage in here.




I drive a 5-speed manual.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: Vadatajs
Anybody who doesn't drive standard is retarded!

Mind if I ask how far you commute daily and on what roads?


BTW - Rambler had a push-button Automatic many, many years ago, as did Mopar.

 

[vi edit]

American cars just have huge engines and not much power (for such a big engine) they go slow on the highways (due to speed limit), yet they take tonnes of gas - but thats off topic

Ummm, wrong.

The GM 3.8L puts out a respectable 220 or so HP and pulls 30 MPG on the highway moving a 3200+ pound car. That sticker on the window shows better gas milage than many 4 cylinder cars, and nearly every 6 cylinder Japanese & European engine.

 

[Fatdog]

After 17 years of shifting 5,6,8,9,10,13,15,18, and 21 speed manual transmission trucks, I'm too damn tired to be doing it in my personal vehicle. Auto for me.

 

[m2kewl]

Originally posted by: Rallispec
6 spd

Amen - auto's for ppl not skilled enough to multitask

 

[fitz4521]

still driving my parents cars....they are all autos and i prefer sticks, but the price is right, and so is the insurance

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: blueghost75
Oh, and manuals always get better gas mileage than an automatic, assuming that you are comparing the same vehicles with the same engines. Trucks are included.

There is more power loss in an automatic due to the torque converter. Manual transmissions also weigh just a bit less, so that is another contributer to the better gas mileage.

not on the highway, and not if the stick driver isn't shifting at the optimum shift points. I doubt anyone buys stick just for gas mileage.. most people who take stick these days are driving enthusiasts and as such are doubtful to be driving within EPA guidelines, if you know what I mean.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Auto is like Pan & Scan:

It's just not right.

Viper GTS

What he said.

Yep... although if I know it's going to be rush hour and I have to go into chicago I'll take the auto...

 

[blueghost75]

not on the highway, and not if the stick driver isn't shifting at the optimum shift points. I doubt anyone buys stick just for gas mileage.. most people who take stick these days are driving enthusiasts and as such are doubtful to be driving within EPA guidelines, if you know what I mean

That depends on the gearing of the car. My car, a 97 maxima, does get a little less on the highway than the auto verison. I would like to see some numbers on the 6 speeds though out of curiosity.

If I were going to get a truck for towing, I would get a manual for a couple of reasons. First, it is cheaper to repair a manual, and if you are towing stuff, your tranny is going to go out a bit sooner. Also, if you are climbing a steep hill, or say going up the interstate in the mountains or something of the sort, and you are in an automatic, you area going to burn out your tranny if it is anything other than new. A manual allows you to keep it in one gear going up hills, and the wear and tear is only on the engine. The automatic tranny is probably going to be upshifting and downshitfting over and over again, etc.

You are correct in that most manual drivers get worse gas mileage due to driving style. I know I do, I drive the crap out of my car. I still get a respectable 19-24 mpg though. (city highway mix). I am sure some people do buy a stick for both gas mileage and to save some on the car. A lot do not though.....

 

[Ultima]

True, but autos these days aren't that stupid anymore and besides that's what the "2" and "1" selections are for. Yes, a manual tranny is stronger than an auto but auto trannies these days aren't so weak either. The automatic's torque convertor will give you torque multiplication which will give you more torque when starting. When you're shifting your manual on a hill the shifting time will slow you down. I like manuals myself but I don't think they're that practical on a pickup.

What wouldn't be a bad idea is a manual with a hydraulically actuated (sp?) clutch. The gears would have to be selected manually but the actual gear change would happen very quickly. That would take away one of the main drawbacks of a manual. You still wouldn't get torque multiplication though. Hmm...

 

[LAUST]

Originally posted by: B00ne
hmmm if u guys consider that a good mileage.....
I would say anything that gets less than 30mpg is quite a lot nowadays. Damn even my dad with his usual cruising speed of 110-130mph doesnt get less than 25 mpg, well in inner city driving it'll drop to 20 or so
American cars just have huge engines and not much power (for such a big engine) they go slow on the highways (due to speed limit), yet they take tonnes of gas - but thats off topic


btw my car gets like 35mpg at top speed driving(95), but its small though

Weight just doesn't register in your brain does it?

 

[LAUST]

.

 

[Nocturnal]

I've driven stick shift for the past five years. I wouldn't trade it in for a automagic.

 

[LAUST]

.

 

[B00ne]

Originally posted by: vi_edit<br
Ummm, wrong.

The GM 3.8L puts out a respectable 220 or so HP and pulls 30 MPG on the highway moving a 3200+ pound car. That sticker on the window shows better gas milage than many 4 cylinder cars, and nearly every 6 cylinder Japanese & European engine.

ummm wrong any car going at constant highway speed is able to take very little gas. Drive your GM into town and u will see what 3.8l and even more so the 3200+ pounds are doing to ur gas consumption. btw 220 from a 3.8l engine is not really respectable but it doesnt really matter how u achieve the horses as long as its efficient.
Nowadays normal bread and butter engines get around 70-80 Hp per litre the good one 100+HP but thats more the ranks of M3 and the like btw the M3 will prolly get 25-30 mpg at constant highway driving too thats with a 3.3l 350hp engine (not charged)

Another thing why do think US cars are basically not exsistant in Europe (which is the toughest car market)? certainly because the products are not competitive. here we dont sell cars on rebates and how many buttons for electrical devices the car has. PPL are more interested in how the car drives, yes fuel efficiency is a big selling point too, and also technological sophistication is a big selling point.


1.) the poor quality (u know the car is expected to hold just as well when driving all the time in the upper third of the revolution range)
2.) bad crash behavior and safety features
3.) bad gas mileage
4.) poor suspension
5.) size

Little example: Opel (GM owned german manufacturer) is almost ruined now since a GM guy took charge and changed the company course. Since then: quality problems, they had to take a car of the market (some US Van which they put the Opel badge on) due to the bad crash performance - They ruined the reputation of OPel in like 2-3 years before that, Opel was the 2nd in Europe after VW.

 

[d33pt]

one of my cars is an auto..and the other a stick.. i prefer auto for city and stop and go driving.. stick for offroad and long distance

 

[chickendinner]

1 down 5 up. (six speed)
my car, which i hardly drive is an auto.

 

[The Dancing Peacock]

I drive auto, but the next car I get will be standard. My old civic was standard, and I miss driving it. I'm a male, btw.

 

[trmiv]

Both cars I've had have been manual transmissions. I'm pretty tired of manual transmissions, especially here in the Bay Area where a large amount of my time on the road is spent in stop-and-go traffic.

 

[LAUST]

Originally posted by: B00ne

Originally posted by: vi_edit<br
Ummm, wrong.

The GM 3.8L puts out a respectable 220 or so HP and pulls 30 MPG on the highway moving a 3200+ pound car. That sticker on the window shows better gas milage than many 4 cylinder cars, and nearly every 6 cylinder Japanese & European engine.

ummm wrong any car going at constant highway speed is able to take very little gas. Drive your GM into town and u will see what 3.8l and even more so the 3200+ pounds are doing to ur gas consumption. btw 220 from a 3.8l engine is not really respectable but it doesnt really matter how u achieve the horses as long as its efficient.
Nowadays normal bread and butter engines get around 70-80 Hp per litre the good one 100+HP but thats more the ranks of M3 and the like btw the M3 will prolly get 25-30 mpg at constant highway driving too thats with a 3.3l 350hp engine (not charged)

Another thing why do think US cars are basically not exsistant in Europe (which is the toughest car market)? certainly because the products are not competitive. here we dont sell cars on rebates and how many buttons for electrical devices the car has. PPL are more interested in how the car drives, yes fuel efficiency is a big selling point too, and also technological sophistication is a big selling point.

BOOb... your a Domestic basing troll is all, you don't have any sense at all.... in the US we loose a lot of power but we also have this thing called DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, they make us include many more emmisions then you guys do, get a clue.