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manual transmission difficult and dangerous article

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Old 12-04-2004, 05:12 PM
  #16  
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that article hurts my head, he's calling US ignorant...his name should be in a thesaurus as a synonym for the word...
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Old 12-04-2004, 05:17 PM
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and it IS possible to get better mileage with a manual...its very possible! just shift lower! ugh! its not that hard to drive between 1500 and 2500 rpm, its just horribly slow...
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Old 12-04-2004, 05:37 PM
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lets not forget how quick these "superior" auto trannies are to develop problems, and how they are heavier...with more moving parts, more expensive...and ive not driven a single automatic car that shifts soon enough in first gear, it always winds it way too high, some cars even wind second a bit too high, and downshift at strange and inconvienient times.
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Old 12-08-2004, 03:44 PM
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haha that is funny

he assumes that it takes a lot of thought and effort to drive a manual. apparently he isn't a very coordinated individual and a little slow in the head. when first learning to drive a manual transmission i will agree with his assumptions. but once you have it down, it is second nature. automatic transmissions lead to lazyness and even less attention to what is going on around you imo. you are never in the correct gear, shifting takes 3 seconds too long, and you can not utilize engine braking properly.

automatics were made for people who don't want to learn how to properly drive imo
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Old 12-08-2004, 03:52 PM
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Come on people... How are you going to shift that manual transmission safely while juggling your Starbucks and cell-phone ? Automatics are obviously superior because they let you do so much else with your time :-)
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Old 12-08-2004, 03:54 PM
  #22  
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you can email the guy directly here

bobelton@thetruthaboutcars.com

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Old 12-08-2004, 08:42 PM
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I guess ignorance is bliss for opinionated people like that

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Old 12-08-2004, 10:05 PM
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Follow up article

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorials/1102552227/
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Old 12-09-2004, 04:41 AM
  #26  
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So now there is no energy loss in a torque converter, it's not viscous goo but a magical torque spring giving a 3speed auto a "ratio spread of 10-11," “where a typical 6 speed has a ratio spread of 6." He's and engineer so we’ll let him get away with making up terms. I must have been imagining that the last auto equipped car I drove hunted for gears, downshifted awkwardly, upshifted corners, etc. Notice that he didn't bring up the issue of control. I take that back, he dodged around it with the “attending to the mechanical needs” statement that he applied out of context. When I advance the throttle I want the car to go, and when I retard it I want it to slow down. If I’m driving a manual, I’m already in the right gear or can quickly and positively select it, letting me make the car do what I want it to. As opposed to an auto where acceleration comes awkwardly on the gas, and then coasts when you let off. And his cost argument is simply stupid. Folks, you shouldn’t get a car with a manual transmission because....(this is good): "replacing a clutch on Thunderbird Super Coupe at a franchised Ford dealer will cost over $2000 in labor alone.." Riiiiiight. He also cited that the rebuilding of a F-150 transmission will cost 4000.00 or more, well what does it cost to rebuild an auto in the same truck ya Jack ***. I'm not against auto's in some situations, like if I had to drive in bad traffic much. But I completely disagree with this guy's logic, hopefully he is not really this retarded and is just trying to get some mail. I’ve seen superior arguments presented by 7th grade speech classes, Mr. Elton you should be a politician.

Last edited by GregA; 12-09-2004 at 06:03 AM.
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Old 12-09-2004, 10:47 AM
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this guy is an idiot, i say nobody e-mails him and completely ignore anything he says, then see if he tries to **** more people off just to get e-mails
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Old 12-09-2004, 01:35 PM
  #28  
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he does make a few good points in the last one, and i emphasize few. but at the same time he makes a lot of assumptions on reasoning behind things that is actually just his opinion on why they are that way
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Old 12-09-2004, 02:40 PM
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For me, control is an issue. Modern autos have improved a lot. They shift quickly and hold gears through corners/spirited driving etc. Where they still lack is that they are not pre-emptive. If I'm pulling onto a freeway, I shift down in anticipation of needing more power. With an auto, this can only ever be a response after hitting the throttle. Another issue is how 'connected' the drivetrain feels. In a manual, when you get on or of the power, there is an instant feeling of connection. With an auto, you always feel like there is a blob of goo sitting between the engine and the wheels.

The only auto that I would accept over a manual would be an electronically switched manual box (whatever these are called) such as the Ferrari F1 transmission.

As for this article, and the follow up, the guy is a troll. He can't think of anything good to write so he justifies his presence by being provocative; incorrectly equating volume of reader response with writing a good article.
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Old 12-09-2004, 06:55 PM
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I'd like to see a legitimate explanation of the term ratio spread or whatever he called it
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