Most cars in Europe have manual trannies?

No, I *like* feedback. I also like control.

It's an opinion. And my opinion is that their transmissions are awful, and honestly, I think that they in effect are actually noncompliant with FMVSS 102 which prohibits freewheeling. GM would probably make the argument that it is not technically freewheeling, but the difference between true freewheeling and what the Impala transmission feels like when it is unlocked is so imperceptible as to be in effect the same thing.

Not one, but quite a few.

nate

Licensed electrical engineer, WA. State.

He has his own web page -

Ed

License Details

License Information:

Name: HOVNANIAN, PAUL P License Type: Professional Engineer License Number: 22290 License Status: Active First Issued Date: Aug 24 1984 License Issued: Oct 15 2010 Expiration Date: Nov 22 2012

Address: BELLEVUE WA 98009

Endorsements on this license: Endorsement Status Electrical Active

Information Current as of 01/17/2012 3:06AM Pacific Time

you need to define "quite a few" since it seems to contradict your statement above. to put it another way, you say you haven't driven a frod, so what /have/ you driven?

A whole mess of late-model FWD GMs, all of which exhibit the same behavior.

It's sad because GM was the early leader in automatic transmission technology, although B-W and MoPar had good products as well.

nate

you're avoiding a direct and specific question to list precisely what vehicles with vague hand waving and inexactitude.

no, what's sad is someone making inappropriate and misguided sweeping statements of "fact" based on what is apparently a sample size of one. you get an F.

>

are you done stalking now ed? or are you going to post google earth pics of his house as well?

I can't tell you exactly how many of each, but at least 3-4 ea. of Impala and Malibu of several different generations.

Inappropriate? Misguided? Clearly you have not driven an Impala of either the current or previous generation otherwise you would have responded "oh hells yes they suck." And suck they do. They're quite possibly the worst-behaving automatic that I've ever driven, and without any exaggeration cannot believe that it was allowed to hit the market.

nate

Dec 07, 2010 - Dothan, AL - Automatic Transmission IN JUNE 2010 I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 90 WEST TOWARD DENVER CO. THE TERRAIN WAS STEEP AND WINDING AND DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC THE PACE WAS FAST. THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME BEGAN SLOWING AND I BEGAN TO SLOW BY STEADY LIGHT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY BRAKES HEATED UP FAST AND I FOUND MYSELF WITHOUT BREAKS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO THE ROTORS FEELING AS THOUGH THEY WERE WARPED AND THE FRONT END STARTED VIBRATING. I DOWN SHIFTED TO 3RD. GEAR BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SLOW ME ENOUGH SO I DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND AND THIS STILL WAS NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN A DOWNHILL SPEED TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO USE THE BRAKES. FINALLY I SHIFTED TO !ST GEAR TO MAINTAIN THE SAFE SPEED THAT I NEEDED. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THAT THE CAR FREEWHEELS SO EXCELLENT THAT EVEN ON LOWER GRADES AS EXPERIENCED IN THE CAROLINAS IN OCTOBER WHEN WE WERE THERE THE CAR IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GEAR DOWN SO AS NOT TO OVERHEAT THE BRAKES WHEN TRYING TO MAINTAIN POSTED SPEEDS IN MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH SOLOMON CHEVROLET IN DOTHAN WHERE I GET THE CAR SERVICED AND THE DEALER FROM WHOM I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY HAD NO SUGGESTIONS BUT ASSURED ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO DEALERSHIP WISE TO HELP ME. I FEEL IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH DOES NOT SURFACE UNLESS YOU DRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

Wow, that's absolutely laughable in so many respects.

where does that say anything about "Most modern autoboxes suck"?

so effectively two similar vehicles. great.

maybe they do, but that's not the point - that of you trying to deflect from the fact that you make sweeping statements about all automatic transmissions based on a ridiculously small sample size.

from your sample size of two, your 1950's oddities excepted.

the exaggeration is your ability to make statements without experience.

Well, let's see... I've driven vehicles equipped with GM (THMs of various different flavors, plus the modern suckboxes) Ford (various Cx transmissions, plus whatever they used in the late CV/GM) MoPar (TF727,

904, and at least one LHS, whatever that used) Borg-Warner/Detroit Gear (pretty much all of 'em) Aisin-Warner (AW4) several BMWs, VWs, and even one Porsche 944 which was sadly equipped with an automatic. Not to mention several Packard Ultramatics which I'm sure falls under your category of "oddity."

ALL were superior in driving behavior to the modern GM boxes.

But I have the experience, and consider myself qualified to state unequivocally that the modern GM transmissions are an embarassment to GM and actually of questionable legality.

nate

That sadly is normal behavior for a modern GM transmission, which is what I've been saying and you've been accusing me of fabricating.

To add insult to injury, the brakes suck too.

nate

dude, why the FUCK do you make some many ridiculously contradictory statements??? at this stage, i just plain don't believe a single damned thing you say.

so "most modern autoboxen DON'T suck". see above.

which is a long freakin' way from "Most modern autoboxes suck".

You are obviously functionally illiterate, and don't know it.

Of course! Why not follow one hasty generalization with another?

You don't know your conclusions are invalid, so how anyone else? -----

- gpsman

IKYABWAI.

How could I know something that isn't true?

nate

Contradictory? Please to be explain. Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you, but I ain't fabricating anything.

Those aren't "modern" they're all 10 years old or older.

really?

nate

Functionally illiterate. Your response in no way addresses the question and you seem completely incapable of understanding that.

You have merely restated your fallacious conclusion.

Easy. Functional illiteracy, combined with monumental ignorance and stupidity.

The anonymous reporter in your supposedly supportive example clearly states:

"I FEEL IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH DOES NOT SURFACE UNLESS YOU DRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS."

You believe people who "can't see a bleedin' thing" w/o glasses somehow pass "complete vision exams with flying colors" and "complete vision exams" are administered in 15 seconds at the DMV.

You obviously know many things that aren't true, and it doesn't appear it involves any effort at all. -----

- gpsman