Modern autos can shift smoothly and seriously fast. Especially on the highway, this lets them shift into overdrive long before I'd do it with a stick, since the auto can also shift back out so quickly and smoothly. Better living through chemistry.
Even my funky Accord auto is very, very good at such things, it's only when you want a downshift and try to get it through the gas pedal that it sticks and stumbles.
J.
Computerized
2005 Civic manual transmission, for one, still beats the automatic version in city driving: Manual VTEC 32/37 Auto VTEC 31/38The 2005Toyota Echo's manual still trumps the auto version in both city and highway driving: Manual 35/42 Auto 33/39
Source:
There are of course explanations for this. The point is, it's not yet time to generalize and say all automatic trannies trump all manual trannies, as far as fuel mileage is concerned. They do not.
"Elle" wrote in news:hrmXe.82$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:
Well, for the most part they do, even if it's not universal (yet).
"Brian Smith" wrote in news:K1SWe.171790$wr.34624@clgrps12:
I mean automatics shift gears all by themselves. I hate that. That's all I meant.
I like having complete control over the shifting, even if it means having to wrestle with a clutch in heavy traffic.
"Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote in news:elmop- snipped-for-privacy@nntp3.usenetserver.com:
That's the modern perversion of grammar caused by political correctness. It's now /evil/ to say "him". Sexist and exclusionary, don't you know.
yes. Interesting that they didn't demand we switch to "her".
"Elmo P. Shagnasty" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@nntp3.usenetserver.com:
I've seen authors use "she/her" where traditionally "he/him" would have been the generic third-party singular term. It looks odd and is against custom, but I guess that's better than using "they/them/their" in the singular.
if that's happening, there's something wrong.
More like not having 'total control' than losing control.
I used to enjoy driving manual transmission equipped cars too. The key phrase is 'used to', as I grow older the knees don't work as well as they once did and an automatic transmission is similar to taking Aspirin (it relieves the pain).
Brian
"Brian Smith" wrote in news:XdzXe.262471$tt5.208035@edtnps90:
I'm only 43, so my Aspirin days are a few years ahead. :)
LOL! You're lucky. My knees started giving me problems when I was in my late teens. Thank goodness that all shifting doesn't require the use of a clutch. {;^)
Brian
Damn straight, but I suspect it's wrong with most of the cars out there, Honda just don't grok automatics. On my Acura, change of fluid cleared up the identical problem ... and it was back in 60 days.
I'll probably whine to the dealer, I'm about due for the 30k. Besides the little matter of the tranny, rubber gasket on the sunroof is slipping off, and I think the right front speaker is blown, too. We'll see what gets fixed.
J.
eh? name a single planetary gear automatic that will routinely give you
300k+ miles! or with the same mechanical efficiency...
It doesn't work right pretty much from day one, somehow if it lasts that way for fifteen years I'm not so thrilled.
Not to mention the Acura and Honda 6-cyl autos that leave people stranded under 30k.
J.
The AW-71 transmissions Volvo used in their legendary 240 and 740 series in the '80s were truly lifetime transmissions. If any of them have failed I haven't seen it on the alt.autos.volvo group, and ours is going strong at somewhere around 230K miles, even connected to the turbo engine. But even the lockup version AW-71L isn't as efficient as a manual gearbox.
Mike
Nothing is wrong. The new automatics have extra tall over-drives for greater highway fuel economy. This more than makes up for the energy lost in the torque converter. Your typical 5-speed auto today is a 3rd gear at ~1:1 then 4th is over-drive and 5th is an even taller gear. This does not apply to 5s sports car transmissions.
I think we can thank the Koreans for these well designed, fuel efficient Japanese transmissions (relative to previously mass produced ones). In fact, I thank the Koreans for all the great value that Japanese manufacturers are giving us. Kudos to the Koreans!
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