Im sick of driving automatic trannys
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dwulffusa
New member
If the fuel consumption was really a 'concern' for the powers that be they would place more stringent requires on motor manufacturers to offer manual transmissions and diesel engines of a normal capacity (a 6.6 V8 turbodiesel does not count in this argument!). But they dont and there is a string of emission red tape that prevents manufacturers from using engines and transmissions already in use other countries, in the USA. To many chiefs and captains I say and you never get anywhere.
Thats my propaganda theory and why the majority vehicles in this country are V6/V8 automatic behemoths that struggle to drive in a straight line safely. There needs to be a common sense reform.
Thats my propaganda theory and why the majority vehicles in this country are V6/V8 automatic behemoths that struggle to drive in a straight line safely. There needs to be a common sense reform.
I hear you and good luck finding a manual tranny!
In these days of high gas prices I'm amazed manual transmissions are not offered more often. Moreover they're more fun to drive IMO - you actually feel like you're driving rather than simply steering a 3-ton hunk of metal around the road. Then again, I guess manual trannys are not compatible with cellphones
I particularly hate the 4th-gen parking brake foot pedal. That really kills off the final hints of actually having some control.
In these days of high gas prices I'm amazed manual transmissions are not offered more often. Moreover they're more fun to drive IMO - you actually feel like you're driving rather than simply steering a 3-ton hunk of metal around the road. Then again, I guess manual trannys are not compatible with cellphones
I particularly hate the 4th-gen parking brake foot pedal. That really kills off the final hints of actually having some control.
JungleJim
New member
The gas mileage argument doesn't really apply today. Look at the EPA mileage on manual vs. auto models (I'm not talking about the 4Runner). You will see little, and sometimes no, difference in gas mileage. I can't remember which vehicle it was, but I read that the auto transmission was actually rated slightly better in gas mileage than the manual.
Back in the "old days" manual got better mileage. But not today.
Back in the "old days" manual got better mileage. But not today.
slimjim
New member
don't you have anything better to do with your right hand while driving. i'm too lazy to bother to shift all the time.
other things i could be doing with my hand:
holding my wife's hand.
holding my girlfriends hand.
talking on a cell phone.
giving people the bird.
holding a buger, fries and soda.
picking my nose.
...on second thought, maybe i should swap to a stick too.
other things i could be doing with my hand:
holding my wife's hand.
holding my girlfriends hand.
talking on a cell phone.
giving people the bird.
holding a buger, fries and soda.
picking my nose.
...on second thought, maybe i should swap to a stick too.
dwulffusa
New member
The quoted EPA figures showing automatics using less fuel than manuals are skewed by the fact that the highway figure is taken at a constant highway speed and in many situations the automatic's highest ratio (which in most cases is also an overdrive lockup position) allows for lower revs than the manual, but tank to tank when do you ever spend 400miles doing 70mph? Next time you fill up, reset your mpg readout if you have one then drive around the neighbourhood or city in stop start conditions, you will be horrified at how much gas you are using, I normally see 9-12mpg, and after a weeks on off highway I get up to the average 20mpg. In a manual you have less slippage in the tranny therefore more direct power from engine through tranny to wheels and shifting is done with foot off the gas so equating to better consumption. Back to the earlier comment when cruising in an auto that probably does not include much shifting and is running in a constant locked up gear, so making the EPA figure lower.
I dont know alot about the mechanical stuff so there may be holes in my argument but it definitely depends on your use. I believe I would get better mileage while having more fun and a more involving drive with a manual.
I had never owned an auto until I came over the US and have had 2 SUVs. The thought of a young person desiring to own an automatic car in South Africa is unheard of!
I dont know alot about the mechanical stuff so there may be holes in my argument but it definitely depends on your use. I believe I would get better mileage while having more fun and a more involving drive with a manual.
I had never owned an auto until I came over the US and have had 2 SUVs. The thought of a young person desiring to own an automatic car in South Africa is unheard of!
Jeff Kleb
New member
Manual Tranny
As mentioned above, most Americans are just simply too damn lazy to bother with shifting gears. Most folks would drive 1/4 mile rather than walk; hence our national epidemic of obesity. :frown: Also, when is the last time you saw much of anything with a stick shift on a dealer's lot? More often than not, you have to 'special order' them. Dealers often don't have "demo" cars with stick shifts, since that will render it useless for someone who may be interested in that model car but cannot operate a clutch.
Another thing to consider is that so few folks ever learn how to drive a manual transmission in the first place. It used to be that some schools had stick-shift cars for their driver education programs. Now you can only find auto-shifters - even if you can find a school that still offers driver training.
In the olden days when I was coming of age, the only car we had was a stick-shift Chevette. I had no choice but to learn how to drive one, and have generally preferred to row the gears myself ever since.
There used to be a wide chasm in gas mileage between auto and stick shift, but electronics and technology have closed that gap. Better engine-management, customized gear ratios and engineering advancements have virtually eliminated the "power loss" from having a fluid coupling.
As for swapping gearboxes, that was easily done in older cars. Of course, everyone knew someone with an old Camaro or Chevelle who yanked out the Powerglide slushbox to install a Muncie four-speed......but that is not so easily done nowadays. You have the electronics to worry about, but also must contend with clearance problems, different wiring, sensors and other such obstacles.
Since so many cars and trucks have moved upscale, perhaps it would not fit the 'neo-luxury' image to have a stick available in a new 4Runner. Or perhaps only 3 to 5 percent of potential buyers might desire to shift their own gears. I am not sure. Anyway, I love my 4Runner - automatic and all - and can always jump into my five-speed 2002 Sentra GXE if I feel like rowing the gears.
As I drive a large commercial diesel truck for a living (equipped with a seven-speed manual), shifting gears in my car during rush hour traffic is not as much fun as it used to be. Or maybe I am just gettin' old.
:bash:
As mentioned above, most Americans are just simply too damn lazy to bother with shifting gears. Most folks would drive 1/4 mile rather than walk; hence our national epidemic of obesity. :frown: Also, when is the last time you saw much of anything with a stick shift on a dealer's lot? More often than not, you have to 'special order' them. Dealers often don't have "demo" cars with stick shifts, since that will render it useless for someone who may be interested in that model car but cannot operate a clutch.
Another thing to consider is that so few folks ever learn how to drive a manual transmission in the first place. It used to be that some schools had stick-shift cars for their driver education programs. Now you can only find auto-shifters - even if you can find a school that still offers driver training.
In the olden days when I was coming of age, the only car we had was a stick-shift Chevette. I had no choice but to learn how to drive one, and have generally preferred to row the gears myself ever since.
There used to be a wide chasm in gas mileage between auto and stick shift, but electronics and technology have closed that gap. Better engine-management, customized gear ratios and engineering advancements have virtually eliminated the "power loss" from having a fluid coupling.
As for swapping gearboxes, that was easily done in older cars. Of course, everyone knew someone with an old Camaro or Chevelle who yanked out the Powerglide slushbox to install a Muncie four-speed......but that is not so easily done nowadays. You have the electronics to worry about, but also must contend with clearance problems, different wiring, sensors and other such obstacles.
Since so many cars and trucks have moved upscale, perhaps it would not fit the 'neo-luxury' image to have a stick available in a new 4Runner. Or perhaps only 3 to 5 percent of potential buyers might desire to shift their own gears. I am not sure. Anyway, I love my 4Runner - automatic and all - and can always jump into my five-speed 2002 Sentra GXE if I feel like rowing the gears.
As I drive a large commercial diesel truck for a living (equipped with a seven-speed manual), shifting gears in my car during rush hour traffic is not as much fun as it used to be. Or maybe I am just gettin' old.
:bash:
I agree that driving stick is more fun. And it adds more challenge to eating that burger, fries, and soda while driving! 
But I think the reason I gave up stick was driving to work every day in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Part-time jobs tend to be close to home, but my second "real job" after college required a commute to go with it. When there's no traffic, stick is great! Sometimes when I had a 5-speed on a rural stretch of interstate, I was looking for 6th gear! But stick is a PITA in stop-and-go traffic.
I learned how to drive in a stick-shift car, but there are still a lot of people that can't drive stick. When I traded in both cars that had stick, the dealer gave me the usual BS about how it's harder to sell a stick car so it's worth less as a trade.
But I think the reason I gave up stick was driving to work every day in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Part-time jobs tend to be close to home, but my second "real job" after college required a commute to go with it. When there's no traffic, stick is great! Sometimes when I had a 5-speed on a rural stretch of interstate, I was looking for 6th gear! But stick is a PITA in stop-and-go traffic.
I learned how to drive in a stick-shift car, but there are still a lot of people that can't drive stick. When I traded in both cars that had stick, the dealer gave me the usual BS about how it's harder to sell a stick car so it's worth less as a trade.
Light_Mania
New member
I do have a love/hate relationship with the auto tranny in my 06 T4R.
I hate that it downshifts earlier than I would like when climbing, and I hate the hunting it does when towing over hilly terrain. A manual also makes the vehicle feel snappier, though that is not so important in my truck. I would hate it if my old 911 had an automatic, even though Porsche has shown that a manually shifted 911 is slower around the Nurburgring than an automatic for all but the most skilled professional drivers.
Everything else about the auto is fine with me. An engine is going to last much longer mated to an auto, since it will prevent potentially damaging lugging and over-revving of the engine. It also supposedly does a better job of damping engine harmonics, which I've been told can also reduce engine life.
These days, in normal use, its hard to get better mileage with a manual transmission than a smart automatic without abusing the engine. And an auto definitely simplifies emission control for the manufacturer. That is why manual transmissions are slowly but surely disappearing.
I hate that it downshifts earlier than I would like when climbing, and I hate the hunting it does when towing over hilly terrain. A manual also makes the vehicle feel snappier, though that is not so important in my truck. I would hate it if my old 911 had an automatic, even though Porsche has shown that a manually shifted 911 is slower around the Nurburgring than an automatic for all but the most skilled professional drivers.
Everything else about the auto is fine with me. An engine is going to last much longer mated to an auto, since it will prevent potentially damaging lugging and over-revving of the engine. It also supposedly does a better job of damping engine harmonics, which I've been told can also reduce engine life.
These days, in normal use, its hard to get better mileage with a manual transmission than a smart automatic without abusing the engine. And an auto definitely simplifies emission control for the manufacturer. That is why manual transmissions are slowly but surely disappearing.
Living in Atlanta killed my desire to drive a stick Monday - Friday. When I first moved to the city I had a 94 Heep Mangler, standard trans. Didnt take long sawing through gears on i75 to convince me that auto trans and traffic are the best bet. One day when I have the spare time and cash for a toy vehicle it will be a manual. I miss it, but not enough for a daily driving.
Jacobzky
New member
left hand locked at 1 o'clock, right foot revving
you probably wanted the coolness of having your left hand right ont he steering wheel dead locked at 1 o'clock with your right hand feeling on your shift knob and can't wait till you see that green light and calf muscle ready to put pressure right on your right foot and pound on the gas pedal.
:driving: you'll get over it someday.
you probably wanted the coolness of having your left hand right ont he steering wheel dead locked at 1 o'clock with your right hand feeling on your shift knob and can't wait till you see that green light and calf muscle ready to put pressure right on your right foot and pound on the gas pedal.
:driving: you'll get over it someday.
KnightFire
New member
Eh, I'd have to agree, I wish our T4R had a stick and I'm far from 18 yrs old or the 'too young to know any better' title that some of you are throwing around.
Frankly, if I had my way, all of my vehicles would be manuals, sadly with most of the larger engine combos...your stuck with autos (my Ram and T4R come to mind)...if they would have had a stick option, I'd have been all over it.
Some of us still actually enjoy driving a car, not just being content going along for the ride, LOL.
My daily driver is my 02 Wrangler (4.0L/5spd of course) I drive 94 miles round trip every day in the Washington DC metro area...most of which is stop and go on 495/I95, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
With that being said, my drag car is an auto (only because when I bought it in 93' 6spds were IMPOSSIBLE to find and I looked for 4 months)...but I was able to fix that little problem with a manual valve body...lol...
Eh, I can understand his point of view...
Frankly, if I had my way, all of my vehicles would be manuals, sadly with most of the larger engine combos...your stuck with autos (my Ram and T4R come to mind)...if they would have had a stick option, I'd have been all over it.
Some of us still actually enjoy driving a car, not just being content going along for the ride, LOL.
My daily driver is my 02 Wrangler (4.0L/5spd of course) I drive 94 miles round trip every day in the Washington DC metro area...most of which is stop and go on 495/I95, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
With that being said, my drag car is an auto (only because when I bought it in 93' 6spds were IMPOSSIBLE to find and I looked for 4 months)...but I was able to fix that little problem with a manual valve body...lol...
Eh, I can understand his point of view...
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Uneek
Super Moderator
Re: left hand locked at 1 o'clock, right foot revving
LOL... I remember this all too well.
It's the "gangsta lean," driving like above with body twisted towards the passenger side, left shoulder forward, back on the left side seat bolster, while looking forward. Most usually have a baseball cap of some sort with the bill pointed to the side.
HS kids use to do this all the time, trying to pick up/holler at girls crusining 'round the block, music blasting and license plate rattling. And some pretending they're driving stick, by putting their auto in N and letting it roll back at stop signs on hills.
No offense to anyone driving stick, just the stupid things a few teenagers do. :bash:
Jacobzky said:
LOL... I remember this all too well.
It's the "gangsta lean," driving like above with body twisted towards the passenger side, left shoulder forward, back on the left side seat bolster, while looking forward. Most usually have a baseball cap of some sort with the bill pointed to the side.
HS kids use to do this all the time, trying to pick up/holler at girls crusining 'round the block, music blasting and license plate rattling. And some pretending they're driving stick, by putting their auto in N and letting it roll back at stop signs on hills.
No offense to anyone driving stick, just the stupid things a few teenagers do. :bash:
