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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?

#731

Post by lisper »

euroderf wrote: post #381
lisper wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I drove a manual for about 20 years and I still really enjoy them, but there is one thing that made me happily leave them behind: stop-and-go traffic. Not having to clutch constantly when driving in the city is a big enough win that I'm willing to give up the fun of a manual for it. But I do sometimes miss having a stick on a windy mountain road.

And don't forget leaving from a stop uphill.

I actually enjoyed the challenge of that. The problem with stop-and-go driving, especially in LA where I made the transition to automatic, is that it can go on for a very long time. My left leg would get sore. Starting up a hill typically only has to be done once.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#732

Post by lisper »

capableweb wrote: post #532
lisper wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I drove a manual for about 20 years and I still really enjoy them, but there is one thing that made me happily leave them behind: stop-and-go traffic. Not having to clutch constantly when driving in the city is a big enough win that I'm willing to give up the fun of a manual for it. But I do sometimes miss having a stick on a windy mountain road.

I currently use a (automatic) borrowed car from the shop while my (manual) car is being repaired. I mostly do city-driving. One of the biggest issues with the automatic is stop-and-go traffic. It's absolutely trash at accelerating smoothly but fast, and I have no choice but to either go very slowly forward to not make it janky, or really aggressive acceleration. With a manual car, smooth-but-fast acceleration is easy…

Then there is something wrong, either with the car, or with your technique, because that is absolutely not typical.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#733

Post by jihadjihad »

kfajdsl wrote: post #280
idatum wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My VW GTI with 6 gear manual is such a joy. And what I fail to convey to my GenZ kids is the simplicity of it. Once I started the engine on a hill by engaging clutch. Kids were puzzled, but not so impressed. Oh well.

Hey, I'm a Gen Z kid and I drive a 20 year old shitbox with a manual (a BMW 3 series that I love). At least for enthusiasts, the love is alive and well

I had an E46 330Ci that was just a joy to drive. Those in-line sixes are bulletproof, and the six-speed manual never failed to bring a smile to my face. Great cars, annoying upkeep

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#734

Post by yencabulator »

walnutclosefarm wrote: post #704

2 years ago, I bought a slightly used Tacoma. I looked for months to find a light pickup truck with a manual transmission. In theory, there were a couple of models from two manufacturers available with a manual, but in reality, I couldn't find one on a lot. In the used market, it was maybe one in fifty. I held out until I found one, because I knew that this would be my last chance to drive a manual, and more than lik…

Pickups are very American -> I would expect stick shift to go away there first before hot hatchbacks etc.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#735

Post by driverdan »

gerdesj wrote: post #94
rad_gruchalski wrote: post #48

> it’s not something you master overnight. I’m not ashamed to mention that it took me a few sessions in a parking lot to get the fundamentals down This kind of line always confuses me. I mean, I remember my first driving lesson in the UK. Guy arrived in a BMW 116, manual. He said to me: what is there to explain, you get in and drive. So I got in and drove. Did my first hour, took 5 minutes to get comfortable with the…

It's unlikely it took you five minutes to get the hang of clutch control and shifting gears. OK, it is possible you managed to avoid kangerooing but only for a small range of circumstances. From rest (with a gear selected and clutch depressed), you have to unlatch the handbrake, whilst at the same time gradually engage the clutch and deploy power via the throttle pedal. You have to ensure you don't go backwards on a…

I had the same experience with my first manual car. I learned the basics by getting in and driving it.

Like many things if you understand it at a high level then getting the basics down quickly is easy. It's the details that require practice and experience, like starting on a hill.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#736

Post by taylodl »

lisper wrote: post #352
eric4smith wrote: post #113

Manual transmissions are dead. I grew up learning to drive a manual transmission car. Awesome. I loved the feeling of driving and shifting gears up the hilly, mountainous, twisty horrible roads in Jamaica. Exhilarating! But cars got better. I got older, and now automatic transmissions are so much more efficient than manual transmissions * for ordinary people *. We're not talking about people who love driving here. We…

I drove a manual for about 20 years and I still really enjoy them, but there is one thing that made me happily leave them behind: stop-and-go traffic. Not having to clutch constantly when driving in the city is a big enough win that I'm willing to give up the fun of a manual for it. But I do sometimes miss having a stick on a windy mountain road.

People say they hate driving manuals in stop-and-go-traffic and I don't get it - maybe it's because I've been driving them as my daily driver for over 30 years? My left foot and right hand just take care of what needs to be done without my even having to think about it. Essentially I am driving an automatic! :)

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#737

Post by doliveira »

SuperQue wrote: post #301
doliveira wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you really think your experience is representative and that most people take a few minutes to learn how to drive? Honestly, it even sounds like a humble brag (mostly because I'm a little jealous)

No, it really is pretty easy. I learned on a '85 VW Jetta manual. Took a couple tries to figure out, then it wasn't an issue. There are some cars that have very touchy clutches, but most are just fine.

What's the top reason for people failing driving tests? Down here it's letting the engine die while switching gears and failure to park

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#738

Post by yencabulator »

Retric wrote: post #564
raverbashing wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> many large pickup trucks are providing real utility to construction, farming, etc. Yes. One in 10 or maybe 20

Let me guess, you don’t live next to farmers or a lot of snow.

The best-selling car brand in Norway is Tesla. Pickups are not good in snow, at all, and that you think so puts you in "that crowd" for sure.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#739

Post by taylodl »

proamdev123 wrote: post #699
tigershark wrote: post #395

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Automatic transmission is much worse than manual in mountain roads and uphill. But I always forget that a lot of people have no idea on how to drive uphill with manual transmission.

Apparently I’m one of those people, given I had no idea this was a thing. How is driving uphill in a manual different than flat driving in a manual? (Serious question)

They're talking about taking off when stopped on a hill. Pressing the clutch and releasing the brake will result in the car rolling backward down the hill until you get enough forward momentum going to take off. Newer drivers freak-out on the rolling backward bit.

I remember an earlier discussion on HN where different people around the world learned different techniques for preventing the rollback. I remember lots of Europeans saying that's what the parking brake is for. Here in the States we're taught to let out the clutch until it starts to bite and then release the brake. You may still roll backward a few inches but that's no big deal.

Re: The end of the manual transmission is near?

#740

Post by mywittyname »

hnov wrote: post #404
gorgoiler wrote: post #383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Automatics traditionally had a single clutch and a viscous coupling to convert smooth the torque between gear shifts. Switching gears was slow and the transmission as a whole was less fuel efficient. Modern automatic gearboxes have dual clutches and two separate sets of gears for even and odd numbers. You alternate between them as you shift up and down. Shifting is faster and smoother. (The system isn’t perfect. If y…

That’s not quite how traditional autos worked, they also have sets of clutches and bands, controlled by a complex hydraulic system. Modern automatics are electronically actuated and are basically killing the need for DCTs, with VW Group and Hyundai (and some exotic makers) being the lone holdouts in the U.S. market.

DCTs are still best for that sweet-sweet 0-60 time. The max stall RPMs on a stock torque converted transmission is probably 2300rpms at the most, while Porsche PDK can launch at redline and modulate torque delivery precisely.

I don't know of a car with a torque converted that can hit sixty in under 3.0 seconds, but the Corvette and 911 can both do so with RWD due to the bonkers launches these cars manage.

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