Bring back the manual tranny

[Silverado4x4]

Three reasons to ban the automatic transmission:

 

1. Driving a stick shift requires the driver to pay attention to driving, and obviously requires the use of both hands and both feet. This mental and physical involvement greatly reduces the tendency to become distracted or drowsy, both of which are significant safety problems.

 

2. About 15 percent of drivers would not be able to operate a stick shift, and would give up driving. This would mean less traffic on the road, so fewer traffic jams. As a bonus the 15 percent who gave up driving would be some of the worst drivers, so accident and insurance rates would go down.

 

3. Significant improvement in fuel economy.

 

In fairness, we could make allowances for the physically disabled to have automatics.

 

 

Ummm ok.

[tesnoboy]

Three reasons to ban the automatic transmission:

 

1. Driving a stick shift requires the driver to pay attention to driving, and obviously requires the use of both hands and both feet. This mental and physical involvement greatly reduces the tendency to become distracted or drowsy, both of which are significant safety problems.

 

2. About 15 percent of drivers would not be able to operate a stick shift, and would give up driving. This would mean less traffic on the road, so fewer traffic jams. As a bonus the 15 percent who gave up driving would be some of the worst drivers, so accident and insurance rates would go down.

 

3. Significant improvement in fuel economy.

 

In fairness, we could make allowances for the physically disabled to have automatics.

 

Gee that's mighty white of you! ;-) I have never understood how a manual gets better fuel mileage than a computer controlled auto. From the zipperheads I've seen jackrabbiting off the lights with sticks, I would say they probably use more fuel!

[whizbanger1]

2. About 15 percent of drivers would not be able to operate a stick shift, and would give up driving. This would mean less traffic on the road, so fewer traffic jams. As a bonus the 15 percent who gave up driving would be some of the worst drivers, so accident and insurance rates would go down.

 

You're foolish. Automakers want to make it easier for people to drive so they sell more cars. Manuals are dead. If you think its bad now, wait till you can get push button autos. What do you want next, scrap power steering and forget ac and a heater? My seats are comfy, maybe we should sit on milkcrates so we don't fall asleep.

[MikeNH]

Three reasons to ban the automatic transmission:

 

1. Driving a stick shift requires the driver to pay attention to driving, and obviously requires the use of both hands and both feet. This mental and physical involvement greatly reduces the tendency to become distracted or drowsy, both of which are significant safety problems.

 

2. About 15 percent of drivers would not be able to operate a stick shift, and would give up driving. This would mean less traffic on the road, so fewer traffic jams. As a bonus the 15 percent who gave up driving would be some of the worst drivers, so accident and insurance rates would go down.

 

3. Significant improvement in fuel economy.

 

In fairness, we could make allowances for the physically disabled to have automatics.

 

 

 

1. Wrong. I could eat a burger, talk on the phone, itch myself or do whatever I wanted just as easily in my manual-equipped vehicles as I can in my automatic.

 

2. Wrong. I'm not even going to debate this one though.

 

3. Wrong. Modern autos can do significantly better than their manual counterparts.

 

 

 

People can complain all they want about the manual being a dieing breed and like I've said before, I'll agree to a point. There will always be a place in my mind for cars with good manual gearboxes. I've driven countless manual trucks and they all suck and are no fun to dive. Sporty cars or a few of the higher-end normal cars with slick manuals are fun to drive and I'll take the efficiency/performance tradeoffs (because that's often what you'll get) for the enhanced experience. But not in a truck. People who whine about the current 6-speed don't know how to use their truck- if it's shifting too damn much than lock it in M5 or M4.

[terzmo]

2. About 15 percent of drivers would not be able to operate a stick shift, and would give up driving. This would mean less traffic on the road, so fewer traffic jams. As a bonus the 15 percent who gave up driving would be some of the worst drivers, so accident and insurance rates would go down.

 

You're foolish. Automakers want to make it easier for people to drive so they sell more cars. Manuals are dead. If you think its bad now, wait till you can get push button autos. What do you want next, scrap power steering and forget ac and a heater? My seats are comfy, maybe we should sit on milkcrates so we don't fall asleep.

 

 

Push button automatics were available in 1956

[00Silverado4x4]

Dang terzmo, comments like that & people will think your old or something...LOL! Although I have gotten to see one of those push buttons before. Pretty awesome but I was told they didn't work so good in the old Plymoth's (i think) as the push rods would bend way real easy.

[terzmo]

Three reasons to ban the automatic transmission:

 

1. Driving a stick shift requires the driver to pay attention to driving, and obviously requires the use of both hands and both feet. This mental and physical involvement greatly reduces the tendency to become distracted or drowsy, both of which are significant safety problems.

 

2. About 15 percent of drivers would not be able to operate a stick shift, and would give up driving. This would mean less traffic on the road, so fewer traffic jams. As a bonus the 15 percent who gave up driving would be some of the worst drivers, so accident and insurance rates would go down.

 

3. Significant improvement in fuel economy.

 

In fairness, we could make allowances for the physically disabled to have automatics.

 

Gee that's mighty white of you! ;-) I have never understood how a manual gets better fuel mileage than a computer controlled auto. From the zipperheads I've seen jackrabbiting off the lights with sticks, I would say they probably use more fuel!

 

 

 

Zipperheads ?? so driving an automatic means no jackrabbit starts ?? Reserved for standard trans only ??? lol...compare it apples to apples...noy apples to coconut head

[terzmo]

Dang terzmo, comments like that & people will think your old or something...LOL! Although I have gotten to see one of those push buttons before. Pretty awesome but I was told they didn't work so good in the old Plymoth's (i think) as the push rods would bend way real easy.

 

 

They were connected by cable and the torqueflight trans that mopar had back then was the best 3 speed tranny of all ford or gm automatics. I am getting old. And the push button was available in all the mopars ib 56 on up. Some chryslers had a console/handle assisted automatic. (high dollar)

[kstruckcountry]

Lol come on people, whats up with all the hostility? It's personal preference. For most people, an automatic is fine. But some people enjoy the feel and drive of a manual. It's fun to throw gears in a big truck or fast car. And for some things, a manual is better. Many fleet semis have auto transmissions, and most drivers hate them. That's why most private trucks are "old school" Petes or Kens and such, most with manual trannys. The automatics in semis haven't caught up yet, they prolly will soon though. Point being, I don't mind having an auto in either the 1990 or 2006, but I enjoy throwing gears when I end up driving one of the Dodges or the 944. No reason to get mad cause you don't like what someone else does.

[Wolfmanjohn]

Dang terzmo, comments like that & people will think your old or something...LOL! Although I have gotten to see one of those push buttons before. Pretty awesome but I was told they didn't work so good in the old Plymoth's (i think) as the push rods would bend way real easy.

They were connected by cable and the torqueflight trans that mopar had back then was the best 3 speed tranny of all ford or gm automatics. I am getting old. And the push button was available in all the mopars ib 56 on up. Some chryslers had a console/handle assisted automatic. (high dollar)

 

Hey, man, I remember those! Drove a few, too. Also drove a Ford F-600 4 speed/split shift in the early 70s; "challenging" is the word I'll use to describe that experience. It depended on the terrain we had to traverse to get the drilling rig and water truck to the job site.