In re: the matter of manual transmissions

[ThatM1key]

Real driving involves shifting one's own gears. Period.

Real driving involves accidentally doing money shifts:

 

[Blumlein 88]

In the 1930's the arrangement of the pedals was brake on the right, gas in the middle and lower, with clutch on the left. This made heel and toe much easier to do. And all race cars used straight cut gears so no syncrhos. In addition, on straights the driver had to pump away at a lever to pump pressure into the fuel tank to keep gas flowing. So should we say, if you don't pump up your own gasoline tank pressure it isn't real driving? Or that using a tranny with synchros isn't real driving? Is using a synchro'd manual not real driving compared to a non-synched setup where you have to do double clutching or have a heck of an ear and feel for rev matching? Things change, tech improves, and we move on. Even now good automatics can work better than any driver can do the shifting. So manuals provide lower performance. Get with the program, exist in the modern world. Driving a manual has its own satisfactions. But it isn't a requirement to do real driving.

 

[dasdoing]

I would, too - - but I enjoy shiftin' gears.

never drove a EV but I think the biggest enjoyment with shifting is the control you have to be always in the right gear. with EV you always have instant torque anyways, so personaly I think I wouldn't miss the gears

 

[JP]

Suicide clutches FTW!

Thought I might miss manual with PDK. I don’t.

 

[Rip City Dave]

There are precious few that are only available with a manual transmission.

I never tire of driving it, even in heavy traffic. It's like therapy.

 

[BDWoody]

There are precious few that are only available with a manual transmission.

I never tire of driving it, even in heavy traffic. It's like therapy.

View attachment 190030

While the DCT available on my car undoubtedly makes track times faster, I wouldn't have considered buying my car without that third pedal.

It's just more fun to me.

 

[MRC01]

Real driving involves accidentally doing money shifts ...

Ouch, that video hurts just to watch. Soon after my daughter learned to drive, we took a road trip from WA to So Cal. She did some of the driving to gain more experience. Slow in fast out cornering, downshifting for acceleration, passing safely, stuff like that. At one point we were stuck behind a motor home going 55 in a 65 zone on 2 land road. I told her to downshift from 6th to 3rd to pass, and MAKE SURE it's 3rd gear not 1st gear; push it straight forward from neutral, do not push it left. She asked what would happen if she accidentally hit 1st gear. I told here that's called the "money shift" because it destroys the transmission, engine, or both. That got her attention.

 

[Rip City Dave]

As do I, but there's no way around the harms of ICE.

ICEs are indeed bad, but that doesn't mean EVs are better. When you drive an EV, you may not be polluting, but the carbon costs have already been built in to the car and carry on further with the batteries.

 

[beefkabob]

I used to think that until having to deal with two hour stop-and-go-traffic commutes.

That would be time to move or shift jobs. I'm willing to do a 30 minute commute, but only because much of it is on a twisty canyon road.

 

[maverickronin]

Manual driver here, but contrary to popular opinion I actually like the idea of CVTs. The only problem is their implementation.

What you actuall need is manual CVT. Not the fake shifting BS, but a big sliding lever like the throttle on a boat or plane to let you change the gear ratio as you see fit.

 

[Doodski]

Manual driver here, but contrary to popular opinion I actually like the idea of CVTs. The only problem is their implementation.

What you actuall need is manual CVT. Not the fake shifting BS, but a big sliding lever like the throttle on a boat or plane to let you change the gear ratio as you see fit.

By having adjustable spider weights the clutch engagement point could be varied. That would change the gear ratio dependent on RPM and where the driver selected the ratio and weights to be. Like a sport mode and a cruise mode.

 

[MRC01]

The idea of CVT is better than the implementation I've driven. The Subaru I drove with a CVT had the worst throttle response I've ever experienced. Worse than slush box automatics from the 70s and 80s. Stomp the gas pedal and while the engine revved up quickly enough, I could count slowly to 3 or 4 (literally!) before the tranny fully engaged and started moving the car.

I drove some new Porsches around the local race track last year and their throttle response and automatic shifting was much better. They were fast nice handling cars. But while they were fun to drive, I knew that if I bought one for myself I'd get the stick shift because I prefer the engagement & experience, even if they might be a tenth or two slower around the track.

 

[Freeway]

Manual Gearbox AKA 21st century anti-theft device....

I don't know about that. My 1999 Acura Integra GS-R has been stolen twice. Finally sold it this year after thieves tried to push start it, with another vehicle, down the parking lot ramp. Great little car. Really fun to drive. Called it my go-cart.

 

[Blumlein 88]

ICEs are indeed bad, but that doesn't mean EVs are better. When you drive an EV, you may not be polluting, but the carbon costs have already been built in to the car and carry on further with the batteries.

This has been addressed several times and yes overall EVs are better. Yes including what is built into the car and batteries.

 

[RickSanchez]

Reminds me of when I bought my first manual transmission vehicle and taught myself how to drive stick.

• Learning stick on a Jeep Wrangle: easy.
• Learning stick on the streets of San Francisco: panic-inducing.

 

[JayGilb]

The idea of CVT is better than the implementation I've driven. The Subaru I drove with a CVT had the worst throttle response I've ever experienced. Worse than slush box automatics from the 70s and 80s. Stomp the gas pedal and while the engine revved up quickly enough, I could count slowly to 3 or 4 (literally!) before the tranny fully engaged and started moving the car.

I drove some new Porsches around the local race track last year and their throttle response and automatic shifting was much better. They were fast nice handling cars. But while they were fun to drive, I knew that if I bought one for myself I'd get the stick shift because I prefer the engagement & experience, even if they might be a tenth or two slower around the track.

Wow - Porches driven on a race track had better throttle response than a Subaru.

 

[MRC01]

Wow - Porches driven on a race track had better throttle response than a Subaru.

I wasn't comparing the Subaru to the Porsches. I was comparing it to other automatics I've driven dating back to 1970s. It had the worst (slowest) response of any car I have ever driven. I mentioned the Porsches only to indicate that all automatics aren't bad; some get it right and don't have that problem.
Response isn't the same as power or acceleration. An underpowered economy car can be responsive, even if it's not fast.

 

[TimW]

I drive a manual and always have. More control, more fun, lower maintenance and initial purchase cost, some people think it's cool, and most can't drive it so theft is less likely. However when I want to really have fun with an engine and a gearbox I do it on two wheels. Cars just can't compete on the fun scale for me, they are mostly utilitarian. So if EV's become cheap and practical enough I will switch from 5 speed to 1 speed and be happy, but I will never give up my sequential gearbox, loud exhaust motorcycles.

 

[JayGilb]

I wasn't comparing the Subaru to the Porsches. I was comparing it to other automatics I've driven dating back to 1970s. It had the worst (slowest) response of any car I have ever driven. I mentioned the Porsches only to indicate that all automatics aren't bad; some get it right and don't have that problem.
Response isn't the same as power or acceleration. An underpowered economy car can be responsive, even if it's not fast.

Just being a smart ass. I agree that the Subaru's have a slow throttle response.

 

[SIY]

That would be time to move or shift jobs. I'm willing to do a 30 minute commute, but only because much of it is on a twisty canyon road.

Didn’t have much of a choice, sadly. Company moved my lab from a 40 minute train ride to a two hours in hell drive. Moving was financially out of the question.

These days, it’s a 7 minute walk. That’s something I can live with!