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The end of the manual transmission is near?

popularmechanics.com

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Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#601

Post by JoBrad »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #494
marcusestes wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disagree. Because the utility is seldom fully utilized in an urban environment, they are nearly pure fashion. They serve as a signaling mechanism the same way that a pair of Gucci loafers do, just for a different culture.

>Because the utility is seldom fully utilized in an urban environment, they are nearly pure fashion. Utilization of private vehicles scales with income, not with population density. HN just all tends to live in "nice" places so they never see people using their vehicles to the max. This is true for all vehicle classes, not just pickup trucks.

Maybe selective utilization of private vehicles is linked to income, but in many parts of the US, a car is a necessity.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#602

Post by domh »

tomxor wrote: post #527
domh wrote: post #466

I always found it strange how people in the UK prefer driving manual transmissions, there's always talk of liking the "feeling" and "control" when driving, this is coming from people who are not enthusiasts and don't even like driving sometimes. 90% of driving tests in the UK are done in manual transmission cars[1]. Taking your driving test in an automatic means that you are not allowed to drive a manual[2]. After li…

I'm from the UK, there's probably an element of cultural momentum behind it, but I suspect it may also be due to the less flat terrain: UK roads can be very undulating and windy, for the couple of times I drove someone else's automatic car it always felt like I was waiting for it to figure out the correct gear - some of this is probably historically inferior designs, but the other element is anticipation... I can see…

Yeah I'd agree with this. Smaller more windy roads, maybe need more control.

I think a lot of it does have to do with historically bad automatics as well, and the fact that doing your test in an automatic locks you into driving them forever.

Regarding hills, I normally drive with cruise control on so if I'm going 50mph, the car will automatically downshift to maintain that speed. You'd be surprised how many people slow down by default when going up hill because they don't try to maintain the speed and you end up zipping past.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#603

Post by liotier »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #493
jacquesm wrote: post #462

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every landscaper seems to have at least one of them.

And this is a problem because why? It's pretty perfect for the role of "something a little lesser than a small dump truck but that still does the same jobs".

More expensive than a small dump truck, bigger and less useful... Therefore the status symbol is the point.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#604

Post by iggldiggl »

throwaway_4ever wrote: post #262
analog31 wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where can I buy a < $15k econobox? Seriously, I'm looking. Yes I'm also looking at used cars, but they're also expensive.

Chevy Spark: https://www.chevrolet.com/cars/spark Nissan Versa at $15.5k: https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/cars/versa-sedan.html Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent aren't too far off at $16.5k: https://www.kia.com/us/en/rio https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/accent

Mitsubishi Mirage, too: https://www.mitsubishicars.com/cars-and-suvs/mirage

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#605

Post by mauvehaus »

gjulianm wrote: post #440
euroderf wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And don't forget leaving from a stop uphill.

A lot of modern cars have an automatic brake that keeps your car from going downhill in those situations. Some are smoother, some are weirder, but it works.

Generically, that's called a hill holder, and there were pre-electronic implementations. My 1986 Subaru BRAT had one. I can't speak to how it was to drive; it never worked. The hill holder specifically, the rest of the car mostly worked.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill-holder

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#606

Post by dumpsterlid »

bregma wrote: post #546
tadfisher wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they're not classified as passenger vehicles, so they don't have to meet the same standards.

I understand, but a modern pickup truck comfortably seats 6 in its King Cab (and good luck finding a truck without a King Cab) and has a bed that is useless for carrying anything except maybe your gym bag or a dozen cases of empties. There is no doubt the purpose of a modern pickup truck is as a passenger vehicle and secondarily to provide an advertising medium for you political beliefs. The fact that modern American…

Sort of comfortably, for how big trucks are they barely provide adequate passenger space.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#607

Post by domh »

kaashif wrote: post #530
ngcazz wrote: post #470

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Folks are less lazy this side of the pond ;)

Although you're joking, I just want to say that avoiding needless work isn't laziness, it's efficiency. Maybe those are two sides of the same coin, but I could equally say people in the UK are being needlessly inefficient. Not just for themselves, but for others - automatics have had better fuel efficiency (less pollution) for years now. We could even go further and say that needlessly polluting to improve the "feel"…

Yup this is what I always say. Using modern conveniences doesn't equal laziness. There's a bunch of stuff that cars do for you automatically that you wouldn't call laziness for not doing it yourself: traction control, abs, power steering, using a choke to start the car etc. I lump changing gear into this bucket.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#608

Post by ajdude »

gjadi wrote: post #479
Salgat wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I ended up going back to automatic after 3 years of manual. Automatic is more fuel efficient, more convenient, and honestly I can't enjoy urban traffic either way, at least with automatic I don't have to think about it. If I truly want to enjoy a manual I'll do it on the race track.

As a cyclist, I fear that indeed, automatic requires less thinking, thus less concentration. Are there studies on the frequencies of accidents based on manual vs. automatic?

I would be very interested in such a study.

I have driven both autos and manuals and have noticed a distinct difference in focus when driving the latter. I feel more engaged with the roads and my environment. I also noticed that I've never fought to stay awake while driving a manual, and unfortunately this is the case with automatics.

My previous and current cars are manuals, and I don't ever plan on buying an auto in the future. If my next car has to be a Miata or something, so be it.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#609

Post by Gordonjcp »

lm28469 wrote: post #516
recursivedoubts wrote: post #7

I reiterate my compromise proposal: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32397975 I will give up my manual transmission, if you will bring back pull-knobs, twist knobs and other tactile switches for the main controls of my vehicle, with the appropriate tactile feedback at set points so I can set them without looking. After thinking on it, I am going to raise my demands, however: you also need to produce cars that are…

It would be nice if they still made cheap cars with no tech to just go from A to B. Old school Fiat 500 or Citroen 2cv style

Look into the Dacia Sandero, then. When they launched they were about six grand in the highest trim spec, which included a space to fit a stereo. Not the stereo, just the space to fit it.

Manual door locks, manual windey windows, manual seats, buttons and dials, mechanical gauges. All based on "proven technology" first-gen Renault Megane components, so it's easy to fix.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#610

Post by dumpsterlid »

bambax wrote: post #399
Retric wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s more than just about style. As much as modern pickup trucks have become a fashion statement, many large pickup trucks are providing real utility to construction, farming, etc. And much like 18 wheelers they can’t scale down the front while maintaining utility because they need large engines and high ground clearance.

> As much as modern pickup trucks have become a fashion statement Pickup trucks are the opposite of fashion. There are to cars what Crocs are to shoes.

I would say crocs and pickup trucks are opposite. Many many people hate crocs and how they look but they are in many regards actually an extremely practical shoe for most peoples' day to day life. The opposite is true for trucks.
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