Shawn

CNN webpage

Shawn

I'm just quoting this article, hehe. I thought it would be funny.

funkdaddysmack

That guy is stupid. His points don't even make sense. For example, "you get more power", which is generally true. He says it's not a problem anymore because today cars can get more HP out of smaller engines. Yea, maybe, but they are still less powerful than older cars with their 8cyl and 6cyl engines. He didn't mention anything about drivetrain loss which is the whole point.

Just because this guy is a pansy and doesn't like to shift his gears doesn't mean that there aren't actual advantages to driving a manual transmission.

JJB

It's known as a CVT (continuously variable transmission), basically a system that uses a pair of cones and a belt to transfer power smoothly. By shifting the location of the belt on the cones you get an infininte choice of "gear ratios" so you can keep the engine at a steady peak power. The reason we have not seen more of these (Honda has also had one for years) is that, to date, they are not very capable of handling a lot of power and have been limited to 4 cylinder engines. Audi had some advances in theirs (the belt design) and was able to couple it to a 6 cylinder engine.

This type of technology is back in the fray as newer and newer models are designed and able to handle the higher power.

In addition, they also provide very good overall gas mileage.

funkdaddysmack

Of course there are advantages to driving autos, but I was saying that the points the guy was trying to make weren't valid.

Saturn has a CVT transmission out, too. I read about the Audi a while ago in C&D or something, and they said it was cool but felt 'mushy' whatever that means hehehe...

turbonium959

I think it is just a waste of their time to talk about such a controvercial topic. F*cking liberals, they would talk about anything just to get someone's attention.

njaremka

it 'feels' mushy because the chain/belt is strung between two pullys that are continuously changing size. and in the case with the audi, the engine reaches the power sweet spot and the tranny changes gear so that the engine can stay in the sweet spot. think about it this way: you're sitting at a red light. the light turns green, so you mash the gas. the engines revs up to about 4500 rpm - AND STAYS THERE! - while your speed increases.

macdaddyslomo

Ok that has to be the most opinionated,bullshizit piece of crap I have ever heard....it doesnt make more power??? what about the infamous torque converter?? there is no way to make that more efficient than a manual tranny...its still going to give you power loss and a guarantee you if you take any 2 cars,one with manual and one with auto,the manual will win every time,given the drovers skills are the same....power shifting an auto does not make the torque converter disappear!!! Ther are positives and negatives to both,but this guys just had someone **** on his wheaties about manuals or something...he doesnt back up his "facts" with any info..he just says "this is how it is" and since its on CNN you auto matically believe it??? if autos are so great,how come every SERIOUS sports car has a manual and most every professional race car is manual too??

obender66

This guy must be on mothballs-why so many autotrannys now have "manual shift" option? If manual was crap, why offer all that expensive technology to give car advantages of manual transmission if everything what "people" need is "put it in D and go"?
<Then there are those hazards caused by the average person's limited number of arms. Between changing CDs, answering the cell phone, drinking coffee and gesturing out the window at "that moron," do you really need something else that occupies one hand and a leg? Two hands on the wheel may be asking a bit much, but most safety experts do recommend at least one, pretty much at all times.>
Well, do not answer phone, do not drink coffee and do not gesture-drive, *******, all those activities might get you pulled over.

These journalists have no ******' clue what they writing about....cheap ******...
Alex
EDITED: Oh, I didn't pay attention-that's CNN website. Now everything is clear....

VagaBond-X

F**K autos.....

well they do have their purposes...for whatever someone wants to use them for


but i'll stick with my manual....and I will always get a car with manual....and if it doesn't have a manual tranny for that model....then I'll just have to get another car.

If I have to drink coffe or chnage cds...I do at when I'm at a red light.... and as soon as the don't walk (Hand in Canada) stars to flash....then i get ready to drive....so I'm ready for when my light goes green...and i stop changing the cd or drinking whatever.


well if you come from driving manual to going into auto....just pushing the gas pedal going straight feels really tiring...and sleepy...well it does to me....

autos can drive with one hand and one leg.....which is just not enough for me...and you don't get the exhiliration from changing gears..etc. etc.

well my post is more opinionated towards manuals hehe...well l8z

JAC

I wrote a very long reply to this thread but the damn thing didn't get posted, always copy the text before you hit submit .

I don't feel like writing it again, but to sum it all up, this guy is full of ****. I used to drive auto, got my new car with 5speed about 6 months ago... I'm never going back to auto.

BoostedPro

All I have to say is, when was the last time anyone saw a professional race car in any event with an automatic transmission?

"You steer an automatic, but you drive a manual."

Adam
91 LX 5-Spd

Dermen

My last car was an auto and I hated it. When I wanted to pass somebody and I was going 50mph sometimes the truck would downshift twice to about 5000rpm, sometimes once to about 3000rpm. I would never know if I was gonna have power or not when I wanted to pass somebody. With a manual the car shifts into what gear I want. And if I want the power then I get. None of that, well I have a 50/50 chance of being able to pass this person before that oncoming car down the road kills me.

UCSBgeek

subaru had an CVT in 1991
(according to Popular Mechanics I think? On a justy GL)

Oh yeah and I drove a "sport mode" transmission on a Mitsubishi Outlander (get a subaru forester, the outlander apparently can't use snow chains, more on that later), but it is almost the same as an automatic transmission except it doesn't hurt to manually shift it.