Transmissions thread

[Sunshine108 174]

Hello everyone! Am I the only guy who prefer driving a car or a truck with a good old manual transmission?? When I bought my last car, the salesman asked me twice  "why don't you get an automatic car? You will get sick of it one day" He was wrong! 

When I call someone to drive my car when I drink too much, most people can't drive it. 

Who in there likes to play with a shifter and a clutch pedal? Who else likes the feeling of a stick shift? 

Automatic cars are so boring to drive.... Sadly, every pick-up trucks are now automatic. That's a shame!

[Sophie 24,413]

I'm British. 99% of cars here are manual. It's all I've ever known and I wouldn't want it any other way.

[steve25805 126,156]

1 hour ago, Sophie said:

I'm British. 99% of cars here are manual. It's all I've ever known and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Indeed, here in the UK, manual cars are the norm, automatic cars the exception. We all learn to drive, and take and pass our driving tests in manual cars. If we do it in an automatic we are perpetually limited to automatics and cannot legally drive a manual. This would exclude us from being able to purchase and drive most cars here.

And to be honest, changing gears becomes second nature right from the very start and is not seen as any kind of chore. It even has it's advantages in giving you more control. For example, you have the option of dropping down a gear for faster acceleration to more quickly overtake the annoying pensioner in front who seems to think the 60mph speed limit is actually only 40.

[Sweets 4,517]

6 hours ago, Sunshine108 said:

Hello everyone! Am I the only guy who prefer driving a car or a truck with a good old manual transmission?? When I bought my last car, the salesman asked me twice  "why don't you get an automatic car? You will get sick of it one day" He was wrong! 

When I call someone to drive my car when I drink too much, most people can't drive it. 

Who in there likes to play with a shifter and a clutch pedal? Who else likes the feeling of a stick shift? 

Automatic cars are so boring to drive.... Sadly, every pick-up trucks are now automatic. That's a shame!

Here in the city a manual is a pain in the ass. We have so many stop lights it sucks.  I learned to drive a manual too.  I didn’t get my first automatic until almost 30.  For were I live it’s more convenient and comfortable.  

[oliver2 4,422]

Hey, did Peefans merge with Jalopnik? (American car enthusiast site, hates SUVs, loves manual transmission & injokes, has a comments section actually worth reading)

I’ve not driven for that many years, and I’ve not driven automatics very much, so take all this with a pinch of salt, but - the physical sense of clutching and shifting doesn’t do a lot for me. It’s only actually a problem in really bad traffic, or stop-start town driving. The automatics I’ve driven have been dual clutch transmissions - they tend to start a bit jerkily from stand and can occasionally be “stuck” in the wrong gear when you are merging onto a highway or leaving a roundabout. You press the gas and the transmission goes “shift down, is it? Oh! Just a moment...” then shifts. (This is a precise technical explanation of what happens)

When you stop by the side of the road to piss in an automatic, you shift into “P”, which is surely worth something 

For stop-start driving, I think I want a hybrid or an electric vehicle.

[speedy3471 10,655]

We still have a few manual transmission pick up trucks on the farm, most are automatic tho. Our highway tractors all have 18 speed manual transmissions lol.

As a former truck driver I preferred the manual transmission, but city driving was a pain in the ass, leg got sore from pushing the clutch pedal all day long lol. Shifting gears can be done without the clutch pedal as the transmission isn't syncromesh. Just match the rpms and grab gears lol

[Paulypeeps 5,290]

I never got the hang of driving a car with a manual gearbox. I had a (very old) mk1 Ford escort GT for six months that was kindly donated to me while I was learning, but when I exchanged that for something a bit more reliable (the escort did not like starting) the Volvo I bought was automatic, and it was quite a revelation. I have only owned automatics ever since and would not entertain a manual.

With an automatic you have so much more control over the transmission when you actually need it:-

• No twatting about with the gear stick when steering around a roundabout, I can use both hands on the steering wheel if required while turning 90 degrees left, 180 degrees right, and going through first and second gears not having to be over cautious with the clutch to prevent sliding.
• When I want to overtake I just press down on the accelerator pedal to the floor and the gear changes down in a tenth of a second with no drop in power during the change - no way can anyone do that in a manual, it will take longer and there is no power on while the clutch pedal is pressed. I often drove the escort some considerable distance in 3rd or 2nd gear hoping to find somewhere to overtake.
• Whatever happens you are always in the correct gear - never any need to keep in a low gear because you don't know what is going on round the corner. Much improved fuel efficiency!

It is hard to adapt to all the having to do with a gear stick and clutch that a computer can do much better, and trying to remember to press the clutch pedal down when slowing still gets me every time.

Seeing how much trouble most old drivers have pulling away with sixty plus years of experience it is not just me that has trouble! I would like to see the manual gearbox banned on new cars as it will ease congestion a bit. When we all go electric they will be ancient history anyway - I can't see many people having a manual gearbox retrofitted on their Teslas!

[Peefreak99 3,722]

On 1/20/2020 at 2:14 PM, speedy3471 said:

We still have a few manual transmission pick up trucks on the farm, most are automatic tho. Our highway tractors all have 18 speed manual transmissions lol.

As a former truck driver I preferred the manual transmission, but city driving was a pain in the ass, leg got sore from pushing the clutch pedal all day long lol. Shifting gears can be done without the clutch pedal as the transmission isn't syncromesh. Just match the rpms and grab gears lol

Highway tractor? Sounds like a really fast tractor haha here they only go like 30km/h

[speedy3471 10,655]

5 minutes ago, Peefreak99 said:

Highway tractor? Sounds like a really fast tractor haha here they only go like 30km/h

Highway tractor is another word for semi truck lol

[Peefreak99 3,722]

2 hours ago, speedy3471 said:

Highway tractor is another word for semi truck lol

Hmm very confusing🤣

[Sunshine108 174]

It's a matter of preference these days. It's no longer true that manual transmissions are more fuel efficient, cheaper, and easier to maintain. (except for highway tractors). Since we have 5 (and more) speeds auto transmissions, efficiancy and reliability is there. And torque converters are stronger than before. In North America, only a few cars on the road are still manual, and I hope they won't stop building them due to a lack of demand. Anyways, transissions of all sorts will disapear with the future of electric cars. I will miss my third pedal and my stick shift!

[johnare 86]

I prefer a manual. Here in the US they aren't very common anymore and no one can drive one it seems. I very much enjoy driving big trucks with lots of gears but don't do that often these days.

[speedy3471 10,655]

6 minutes ago, johnare said:

I prefer a manual. Here in the US they aren't very common anymore and no one can drive one it seems. I very much enjoy driving big trucks with lots of gears but don't do that often these days.

All of my big trucks have 18 forward gears, hardly ever use more than 13 of them lol

[johnare 86]

4 minutes ago, speedy3471 said:

All of my big trucks have 18 forward gears, hardly ever use more than 13 of them lol

I've actually never driven a 18 speed. What do you have for trucks? Are you doing heavy haul? Thats where I see a lot of 18's still. I have driven a lot of 13s and 9s. Bucket list item is driving an old 5x4 twin stick. They are getting super hard to come by now.

[speedy3471 10,655]

I've got a kenworth t800, 379 peterbilt and a fld 120 freightliner. All with 18 speeds, diffrent engines. They are farm trucks now.

When I was a professional driver i pulled super b trailers. A gross weight of 140,000 pounds. 

[johnare 86]

2 hours ago, speedy3471 said:

I've got a kenworth t800, 379 peterbilt and a fld 120 freightliner. All with 18 speeds, diffrent engines. They are farm trucks now.

When I was a professional driver i pulled super b trailers. A gross weight of 140,000 pounds. 

Cool! I was going to say we need some pics but thats too much personal info to post here. Too many numbers and shit on a commercial truck.

Edited January 29, 2020 by johnare

[Sweets 4,517]

On 1/20/2020 at 12:08 PM, Paulypeeps said:

I never got the hang of driving a car with a manual gearbox. I had a (very old) mk1 Ford escort GT for six months that was kindly donated to me while I was learning, but when I exchanged that for something a bit more reliable (the escort did not like starting) the Volvo I bought was automatic, and it was quite a revelation. I have only owned automatics ever since and would not entertain a manual.

With an automatic you have so much more control over the transmission when you actually need it:-

• No twatting about with the gear stick when steering around a roundabout, I can use both hands on the steering wheel if required while turning 90 degrees left, 180 degrees right, and going through first and second gears not having to be over cautious with the clutch to prevent sliding.
• When I want to overtake I just press down on the accelerator pedal to the floor and the gear changes down in a tenth of a second with no drop in power during the change - no way can anyone do that in a manual, it will take longer and there is no power on while the clutch pedal is pressed. I often drove the escort some considerable distance in 3rd or 2nd gear hoping to find somewhere to overtake.
• Whatever happens you are always in the correct gear - never any need to keep in a low gear because you don't know what is going on round the corner. Much improved fuel efficiency!

It is hard to adapt to all the having to do with a gear stick and clutch that a computer can do much better, and trying to remember to press the clutch pedal down when slowing still gets me every time.

Seeing how much trouble most old drivers have pulling away with sixty plus years of experience it is not just me that has trouble! I would like to see the manual gearbox banned on new cars as it will ease congestion a bit. When we all go electric they will be ancient history anyway - I can't see many people having a manual gearbox retrofitted on their Teslas!

I can understand u not like a manual after driving a ford escort.  I had one too and I hated that car.   The gears are very close together.  I learned how to driver in that car.  I guess it made it easier to drive others after that piece of shit I had.  Was alway blowing a head gasket.  I up graded now I have a charger 

[speedy3471 10,655]

3 hours ago, johnare said:

Cool! I was going to say we need some pics but thats too much personal info to post here. Too many numbers and shit on a commercial truck.

I've posted lots of pictures of my farm equipment including the kenworth and peterbilt lol. I would be happy to post some more

[Sunshine108 174]

On 1/28/2020 at 6:16 PM, speedy3471 said:

I've got a kenworth t800, 379 peterbilt and a fld 120 freightliner.

Pictures please?????

[gldenwetgoose 21,500]

To echo what others have said - here in the U.K., well Europe in general the manual transmission is standard and autos are an option or a luxury thing. 
There is a certain satisfaction - being able to master the clutch, balancing engine revs on down changes and of course hill starts. My son is learning now and it’s been obviously rewarding seeing him get those things nailed.

Having driven in the US (of course in an auto) I think also there is a slightly different approach as well - setting off from junctions seems more relaxed somehow.  In the U.K. we seem to get underway a bit more crisply somehow which suits out more compact roads and journeys.

I’m happy to drive either - but definitely more rewarding to hustle round a country lane with a five or six speed manual. 
 

[oliver2 4,422]

8 hours ago, gldenwetgoose said:

. There is a certain satisfaction - being able to master the clutch, balancing engine revs on down changes and of course hill starts.

In bad traffic, clutch masters YOU

[gldenwetgoose 21,500]

I guess it's the difference between cooking a meal from scratch using fresh ingredients, versus taking a ready meal out of the freezer and popping it into the microwave.

Both will meet your need to be fed, but one will take way more effort, requires some knowledge and a fair bit of practice to get right. Which one gives more satisfaction - well, guess that comes down to whether you're satisfied just to consume the food or whether you derive pleasure from creating it (despite it taking more effort). No right answers, just preferences...

[steve25805 126,156]

I have driven an automatic before and they are easy to drive, but I learned to drive in a manual and it is what I prefer to drive. I feel I have more control.

[oliver2 4,422]

On 8/1/2020 at 8:01 AM, gldenwetgoose said:

I guess it's the difference between cooking a meal from scratch using fresh ingredients, versus taking a ready meal out of the freezer and popping it into the microwave.

Both will meet your need to be fed, but one will take way more effort, requires some knowledge and a fair bit of practice to get right. Which one gives more satisfaction - well, guess that comes down to whether you're satisfied just to consume the food or whether you derive pleasure from creating it (despite it taking more effort). No right answers, just preferences...

The home cooked meal is better, but some people insist on using blunt knives or grinding coffee beans with a grinder with a hand crank and my attitude to both is broadly: bugger that for a game of soldiers 

I should borrow/rent an mx5 (“miata”, in US English) and try not to die embarrassingly with it on country lanes. For research purposes. So I have an informed opinion, right? 🙃 I’m not taking any of you lot for a joy ride, you’d piss in it 😉

[Sophie 24,413]

You can pry my manual out of my cold, dead hands 😛

Going for a drive through the countryside later in my baby.