I’ll stay manual until I go electric. Every time I’ve tried automatic transmissions I had the feeling that the computer was struggling to figure out what I’m gonna do (upshift, downshift, accelerate slowly, accelerate agressively?) based on the limited input available. It always felt annoying compared to the direct control with a manual.
The end of the manual transmission is near?
71–80 of 875 posts
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I’ve owned two manual transmission cars… an old Hyundai Elantra and an even older Toyota pickup. Well, that explains. You haven’t had a fun manual car. I loved my e36 325. Porsche 964 was nice, too.
I don’t understand… you can still get either of those cars on the used market so this wouldn’t affect you, would it? I’m also pretty positive if you wanted to buy a brand new Porsche or BMW you could pay for a manual version.
Seems like I have to explain …you said:
> Manual transmission fetishism is perplexing to me. I’ve owned two manual transmission cars… an old Hyundai Elantra and an even older Toyota pickup. I can’t think of a single reason I would not rather have the automatic version of either.
To which I say: it’s because you haven’t had a fun manual car. BMW 325i and Porsche 964 were both fun in manual.
> I’m also pretty positive if you wanted to buy a brand new Porsche or BMW you could pay for a manual version.
No, actually it doesn’t work like this anymore for most new models.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#73I wouldn't jump to this conclusion just yet! Porsche, Ferrari, etc all commanded huge premiums this year for their manual versions. Specifically among younger buyers and first time buyers! You even see this effect downmarket - Toyota promised to never make a manual version of their Supra, then just this last year they put together a cobbled transmission to save their car. Manuals are also an order of magnitude less c…
The real issue isn't the demise of manual transmissions. It's the upcoming demise of transmissions entirely as electrification continues it's march towards ubiquity.
You need a lot more mining and environmental destruction to get enough batteries for replacing all cars with electric vehicles. Kind of wondering if maybe one day we could have safe micro reactors that can power vehicles.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most modern automatic transmissions let you pick a gear if you really want to, either with paddle shifters on the wheel or a sideways +/- slot next to "D" on the gear lever. You don't get the sensation of letting the clutch go at juuust the right revs, but hey, there are always motorcycles.
Yep, the only thing that’s missing is modulating your front/rear braking split (and hence under/oversteer) with the clutch on the way in to corners. Of course, front wheel drives can do this with left foot braking but I never got the hang of that.
> Of course, front wheel drives can do this with left foot braking but I never got the hang of that.
I used to do this in my mom’s Kalos. Super fun. Makes it feel like your car is on rails.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#75I wouldn't jump to this conclusion just yet! Porsche, Ferrari, etc all commanded huge premiums this year for their manual versions. Specifically among younger buyers and first time buyers! You even see this effect downmarket - Toyota promised to never make a manual version of their Supra, then just this last year they put together a cobbled transmission to save their car. Manuals are also an order of magnitude less c…
The real issue isn't the demise of manual transmissions. It's the upcoming demise of transmissions entirely as electrification continues it's march towards ubiquity.
the amount of metal harvested to achieve ubiquity electrification is nowhere near enough... this march could take quite some time if we don't invent something new fast
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most modern automatic transmissions let you pick a gear if you really want to, either with paddle shifters on the wheel or a sideways +/- slot next to "D" on the gear lever. You don't get the sensation of letting the clutch go at juuust the right revs, but hey, there are always motorcycles.
Motorcycles are seeing some movement towards DCT too.
Not really. They’ve been available for ages now but not much uptake. This happens periodically - there was an automatic Honda back in the 80s that also didn’t sell.
WHat has changed, at least in performance bikes (broadly stated) is autoblippers/quickshifters. A skill you could learn (clutch less shifts) of course but never as fast as these.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#77Nothing protects your car from theft by millennials like a manual transmission.
And here lies electric_mayhem, buried with the last manual transmission, just as he always wanted. No grave robber will disturb his grave, nor know how to use his buried treasure.
That’s… I genuinely want that on my headstone someday.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#78I 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…
If it's in your budget I highly recommend test driving the Porsche Macan.
It has a screen but as far as I can tell it's not required for anything that doesn't implicitly require a screen (i.e. GPS).
Overall the car is amazingly well designed. The tactile experience is there, you can feel your way around everything without moving your eyes from the road/immediate dash area. It still has an analog clock. I also feel like there are a lot of advanced, car enthusiast friendly features I have yet to explore.
It's also a stupidly practical car. I've frequently loaded the back with cinder blocks and bricks, filled it with a small arboretum of house plants, drum sander, multiple bikes, small couches, etc. I feel a bit silly loading up a Porche at home depot, but boy does it do the job well.
And at the same time, when you're getting on the highway it has all the power you could want, and is just a blast to drive around at night on empty roads. Comfort wise it feels like it has exactly what you want, but nothing more.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can I add a request? A car that doesn't phone home. That is, one that the government is utterly unable to remotely turn off, monitor, or impose distance quotas. One that cannot be hacked through a poorly secured server in a car maker's server farm or government server with the username/pass admin/admin.
And, if there is a market for such features, where is the capitalism to service that market? And where are the political candidates to take pliers and a blowtorch to the regulatory barriers to satisfying the customers? Down with all or these regulatory pencil-necks and their doctrine of Portion-Controlled Servings[1], say I. [1] http://www.murashev.com/dmdl/lyrics.php?disk=196
I'd love to see new car manufacturers doing new things and appealing to different segments of the market, but I imagine there's so much barrier to entry, so many regulations to adhere to, that as a new car manufacturer it'd be near impossible to do anything new/different at this point, unless you're ready to throw billions into it; and even then, the regulations/laws are extensive enough that you'd end up making something 98% the same as what already existed.
Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?
#80Nothing protects your car from theft by millennials like a manual transmission.
Maybe American millennials. When I did my test in the UK manuals were most cars. You can do your test in an automatic but if you do, you can only drive automatics legally. Which can cause some problems especially if you want to hire a car. Almost all the millennials my age can drive and and a good percentage probably own a manual. Automatics are gaining ground in the UK but they're still typically more expensive. I s…
Europeans in general have way more car skills than the average American.
My understanding is that EU driving tests are vastly more difficult than US. You lot are throwing cars sideways, on purpose, and recovering from it to get your license.
Here it’s just use your turn signal, stay between the lines, and don’t crash.