retzie

I tried to go into my car hunt with an open mind, but after a few test drives, I realised I absolutely couldn't stand an automatic. This cut the field down immensely and anything I could get in manual became fair game. This resulted in my getting a good, sensible Miata

hungryhorace

You're not European, are you?

hungryhorace

Automatics (ie, gearboxes with a torque converter, and also I'm gonna throw the shitty CVT in there as well) are absolute drivel. How anyone who cares about driving can stomach these heaps of shit is beyond me.

For those that love manuals, unfortunately the future is not manual but rather dual clutch. Since I've had one, and knowing how fast it shifts, I wouldn't have anything else.

scrubbedexpat091

Nope. Wife kind of is but kind of isnt at the same time.

hungryhorace

I think your insight into driving a manual says everything about how North Americans drive. Sorry old chap.

Pulaski

Explains his (Jsmth) view of wrecks and speeding on another thread recently. A trip up the highway near him, that he was talking about, in a car with decent suspension and a manual transmission would be an eye-opener for him.

Americans in automatics are a PITA on windy roads and on/off ramps! I can and do take curves and clover-leaf ramps faster in my d@mñ truck than drivers do in otherwise capable cars such as BMWs, Hondas/Accuras, and Teslas.

sir_eccles

You're going to see more and more cars come with cvt because it gives an extra couple of mpg to meet efficiency regulations.

The Subaru one isn't bad, though I barely use the flappy paddles that give you 6 virtual gears. I sometimes change down for a bit of engine braking or if I'm bored.

robin1234

I'm obviously out of touch, never heard of dual clutch or cvt.

Talking about manuals, I remember the old Citroen and Renault gear levers that you pulled in and out in an obscure fashion. I seem to remember that they were two different systems. I remember learning how to use them with no trouble ... my first car was an Ami 8 Estate.

It's a sobering thought, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't learn something new like that now, at my age.

scrubbedexpat091

I just see no benefit to manual for day to day slow congested street driving.

I am happy with autos. A car is simply a device to get from A to B and auto does that fine for me.

scrubbedexpat099

And for the Ladies, and possibly some men, apply make up.

scrubbedexpat099

I still do find it uncomfortable changing with my right hand, and this after many years.

yellowroom

The difficulty I found with the gear stick in the right hand was actually navigating the gears. My brain decided that as my hands and head were doing the mirror image of uk cars, the gears would be reversed. By that I mean I was used to first gear being furthest from me, and I worked up the gears working towards me with my left hand.

So in my US car, my right hand also wanted to find first gear furthest from me. I found it Difficult to adjust to first gear nearest to me and working up the gears away from me.

It was quite easy to find a manual Mini Cooper - apparently the brand attracts the kind of driver that likes "driving stick".

Pulaski

CVT transmission has been around for many years - the DAF 66 had it, and then after Volvo bought out DAF, the Volvo 66.

The system is basically a large rubber band running around two variable diameter pulleys - imagine a bicycle with a rubber band instead of a chain where instead of shifting between gears the pulleys at the pedals and rear wheel could be made larger and smaller.

Pulaski

Hopefully your feet didn't have a similar issue with the pedals? I had heard that!

Guindalf

This thread has degraded into an attack on automatic cars, giving Horace another excuse to be as ignorant as possible (along with a few others!).

The original question has been answered, so I think a mod should close it.