Why are the majority of cars in the US of A Automatic?

[HAL9000]

As a person who used to drive only manuals until quite recently I barely even know what this means.

I still have a steering wheel, I still have brakes, and my automatic accelerates much quicker than most out there.

I'd hate not being able to be in the gear I want to be in, I like to pre-empt what I'm about to do by putting it in the appropriate gear... No matter how good an automatic is it can't do that.

 

[Railgun]

This is the truth. In the UK we mostly drive smaller engine (< 2L) underpowered cars which become noticeably slower and less efficient with an auto box. That's why autos are less popular here.

But also look how many more diesels there are where that isn't necessarily the case. It would suggest that diesels would/should be autos.

 

[Railgun]

I'd hate not being able to be in the gear I want to be in, I like to pre-empt what I'm about to do by putting it in the appropriate gear... No matter how good an automatic is it can't do that.

To play devil's advocate a bit, I would have to say that a DCT would be able to do that, and faster and more smoothly than you or I. For example, you're trolling along in 5th at a relatively low speed. Some will shift to the appropriate gear by simply mashing the gas, and holding whatever downshift button/lever there is. A nice rev match instant later, you're in second and away you go.

Now, not all are like this of course. And I would still prefer to row them myself as well.

The key here is that it must be whatever version of dual clutch gearbox. Any conventional AT won't cut it.

 

[sdifox]

I'd hate not being able to be in the gear I want to be in, I like to pre-empt what I'm about to do by putting it in the appropriate gear... No matter how good an automatic is it can't do that.

you know most autos today accept shift commands right?

 

[_Rick_]

you know most autos today accept shift commands right?

Mostly they're treated like shift suggestions though

 

[sdifox]

Mostly they're treated like shift suggestions though

or idiot proofed :sneaky:

 

[HAL9000]

you know most autos today accept shift commands right?

I've never driven one so no, but I don't want to command it to be in a gear then it will change up or down based on some factor other than my instructions

 

[sdifox]

I've never driven one so no, but I don't want to command it to be in a gear then it will change up or down based on some factor other than my instructions

and a lot of autos have a semi manual mode. It will stay in whatever gear you put it in.

 

[HAL9000]

and a lot of autos have a semi manual mode. It will stay in whatever gear you put it in.

Hmm OK, but if you are only going to drive it in semi-manual mode (as I would) then why get an auto?

 

[HAL9000]

To play devil's advocate a bit, I would have to say that a DCT would be able to do that, and faster and more smoothly than you or I. For example, you're trolling along in 5th at a relatively low speed. Some will shift to the appropriate gear by simply mashing the gas, and holding whatever downshift button/lever there is. A nice rev match instant later, you're in second and away you go.

Now, not all are like this of course. And I would still prefer to row them myself as well.

The key here is that it must be whatever version of dual clutch gearbox. Any conventional AT won't cut it.

True, but that removes all the fun, I don't want something else driving the car for me.

 

[sdifox]

Hmm OK, but if you are only going to drive it in semi-manual mode (as I would) then why get an auto?

your whole complaint about auto was that it doesn't let you choose gear and I show you you can and you ask why have it? It's called choice. Once in a while I would engage the manual mode on my land boat, say in the middle of the night with light traffic, but most of the time I leave it on auto. Hell, I have it start from second gear most of the time.

 

[lavaheadache]

because race car

 

[Monster_Munch]

But also look how many more diesels there are where that isn't necessarily the case. It would suggest that diesels would/should be autos.

The bigger diesels like Jaguars and BMWs are often automatics now. VW's DSG gearbox seems quite popular in the Golf and the Prius does well, although it's a CVT transmission.

I have a Ford Fiesta. The manual car is supposed to get 48mpg vs 42mpg in the automatic with the same engine. Plus the auto version costs £170 a year to tax compared to £120, and it's 2 seconds slower to 60.

 

[Childs]

Auto trans on modern cars shift really fast, on sports cars faster than a human and they do it at the right time. They also have have manual mode so you can shift when you want. I'm sure back in the day there was some dude complaining that using a manual crank to start the engine was better than using a starter, but whatever. Most people drive to go from A to B. 80% of the cars I've owned were manual, current one is auto. It hasnt changed my enjoyment of driving.

 

[homercles337]

Because driving in rush hour traffic with a manual isn't any fun

I think this is the main reason. Many years ago i got stuck on the Schuylkill in crawling traffic for 20 miles. That was no fun at all. If i had to do that every day i would get an auto.

 

[mmntech]

Auto is more popular here I believe simply because it is easier. Most people don't care about driving being "fun". They're just heading out to the office. To them, a car is a tool, not a toy. It's one less thing to worry about while driving.

I worked as a driver for three years and I can't drive manual. I'd like to learn but nobody I know has a manual car. You can't rent them anymore. Lord knows I'm not going to run out and buy one. It's a lost art. That said auto has gotten better. Fuel economy differences are negligible these days. A lot of auto gearboxes are six speed now, while manual are fives. Plus a lot of autos have tiptronic, so you can still shift gears sequentially. Though some are more responsive than others. Be nice if you could disable the idiot proof auto up/down shifts on them.

 

[Zenmervolt]

True, but it's now 60+ years later and the same statistics generally hold true. Transmissions are much more widely available, engines, relatively speaking, much more powerful. Every manufacturer offers an automatic yet there are many that still have a manual. While there is a cost consideration I think shouldn't be overlooked, I think it could still be a culture thing.

Note also though that it has only been in the last 5-10 years that automatics have begun to surpass manuals in terms of fuel economy, and in countries where gasoline is heavily taxed there was a strong incentive to stick with the more fuel efficient manuals. In terms of relative drawbacks within a given market places like Europe are really only about 10 years into the adoption curve; roughly the same place that the US was in the 1960s (because our relatively cheap gasoline made the mileage penalty inconsequential for most Americans).

Large vans are manual, so are small trucks.

I'm assuming that by "large vans" you're not talking about something like an Econoline (which is only offered with automatics) but rather things like UPS delivery vans. There the reason has to do with simply having less to go wrong. No matter how good an automatic is, it's always going to be more complicated than a manual and when you have fleet vehicles that can easily see a million miles each manuals make more sense. Here too there's the fuel economy issue that has only changed in the last few years. Saving 1 mpg across a few million driven miles a year adds up so those vehicles stuck with manuals for a long time. I think we'll be seeing automatics start to make inroads here too though in the next couple of decades.

Americans are all about convenience. And the vehicles many buy aren't performance oriented anyway. I would love to have an option of a manual in everything. Many automatics I've driven within the last decade are your typical slushbox. Not a lot of improvement over mass produced, low perf gearboxes. Depending on the vehicle, I may opt for a DCT as, having sampled a few, they are fantastic.

Manufacturers won't completely get rid of manuals. The European market won't allow it. What I can see is US arms of these makes will no longer offer or import them as demand will all but disappear. It's a shame too since, as the car is already made, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Take the TT-RS as an example.

I think that in a couple decades Europe will come much more into line with the US as the cultural resistance to automatics fades and automatics continue to press their advantage in terms of fuel economy with seven and eight speed units filtering down into "everyday" vehicles. I can see something like a DCT taking over for the traditional torque converter automatic, but I don't think that the average person, even in Europe, will continue to stick with a traditional manual transmission as automatics gain the fuel economy advantage and gasoline prices continue to rise.

ZV

 

[_Rick_]

With small cars, the added cost and weight of an auto box is probably not going to be very popular.
Additionally, engines are getting ever smaller in the lower segments, so auto boxes will suck away what little horsepower there is.
In anything 1.6L upwards, I can see the autos taking over, hell even 1.4s if they're properly charged. But the 1.2s, 1.0s and below? It might happen, but I am less optimistic.

Also, a note of preference: With a manual box, you can anticipate traffic way better, than with most auto boxes. Being in the right gear at the right time can save some split seconds, when pulling out for an overtake, especially in turbo cars, where you've not only got to wake the turbo, but also wait for the downshift. If you're already in the lower gear, the increased engine rpm already generates more exhaust, so boost is on tap, and overtaking much swifter. Same for peaky petrols, where you have to hit 4k rpm first, and then pull out. With an auto, there's always that hard-to-judge delay, between pushing the pedal, and pulling out....

But, having recently driven a car with a relatively hard clutch, I understand how it can be a pain in the ass. On the other hand, the feather light clutch on my Swift is a dream to drive, and I wouldn't want any kind of auto to take away the engagement and enjoyment.

 

[unokitty]

While flying with the 8th Air Force, my father became disabled. He couldn't drive stick.

I've never owned an automatic. Perhaps, its my way of restoring harmony to the universe. Though, there are other perspectives.

For example, consider how difficult it is to eat a Big Mac, or text, or talk on your iphone while shifting.

Consider also that many Americans are no longer exposed to cars with manual transmissions... Its even getting difficult to buy a manual. Took me six months to find a manual Honda Element...

Uno

 

[imagoon]

I prefer manual because:
a) the RPM slop of an auto drives me nuts
b) If I want to drop 3 gears (6 -> 3 whatever) I move the shifter from 6 -> 3 and I am done. I can get back to loading the chassis up for a turn. On the manumatic.... 6 > click -> 5 -> click again -> 4 -> click again -> 3 [waiting for the trans to decide to shift each time] During this entire time engine braking is erratic rather than letting use it and the brakes to enter the turn.
c) never broken a manual [yeah it can happen] blown a couple of autos.
d) takes over an hour of stop and go for "my leg to hurt" which doesn't happen often enough to care.
e) don't care about mpg in auto vs manual.
f) I am quite aware that I am in the <5% of Americans. At least that means the odds of being car jacked is bordering on 0 since the thief couldn't drive it away.

 

[DigDog]

i lo0ve automatic cars.

yeah i know this adds nothing to the thread, but i love automatics. they are `*so* much simpler and isn't that what a car is supposed to be? a moving couch? autos ftw. stick drivers should all buy suzukis 1000r instead.

 

[michal1980]

I prefer manual because:

b) If I want to drop 3 gears (6 -> 3 whatever) I move the shifter from 6 -> 3 and I am done. I can get back to loading the chassis up for a turn. On the manumatic.... 6 > click -> 5 -> click again -> 4 -> click again -> 3 [waiting for the trans to decide to shift each time] During this entire time engine braking is erratic rather than letting use it and the brakes to enter the turn.

So on the street you have a need to load up the chassis for a turn? LOL.

And brakes are for braking. Your transmission/engine are not.

 

[Throckmorton]

Auto is more popular here I believe simply because it is easier. Most people don't care about driving being "fun". They're just heading out to the office. To them, a car is a tool, not a toy. It's one less thing to worry about while driving.

I worked as a driver for three years and I can't drive manual. I'd like to learn but nobody I know has a manual car. You can't rent them anymore. Lord knows I'm not going to run out and buy one. It's a lost art. That said auto has gotten better. Fuel economy differences are negligible these days. A lot of auto gearboxes are six speed now, while manual are fives. Plus a lot of autos have tiptronic, so you can still shift gears sequentially. Though some are more responsive than others. Be nice if you could disable the idiot proof auto up/down shifts on them.

Why not just go out and buy the manual?

 

[Throckmorton]

Sure we do. You just need to live in the right city.

Around Chicago, (or an easy drive from) you have:

Gingerman Raceway
Mid-Ohio
Road America
Autobahn CC
Blackhawk Farms
Grattan
Whatever IRP is called now (which sucks anyway)
Putnam

And no, those are NOT strips. We do have plenty of those as well.

Not to mention SCCA, NASA and other organizations as well as clubs that offer up open days as well as a plethora of test and tune days.

You're lucky. No track days in Texas.

 

[pauldun170]

So on the street you have a need to load up the chassis for a turn? LOL.

And brakes are for braking. Your transmission/engine are not.

If its fun and the roads are right...why not? It's not like you have to break laws to do it.

Engine braking rocks.
Rotors last a lot longer, brake pads last a lot longer.
I haven't ever had to replace the rotors on any car I've owned.