Why are so many automatics being built?

[zizi]

According to the poll here most of the buyers will be buying the 5 speed version. I think I read somewhere that more than 50% of the TC cars built will be automatic version, I do not know if this is correct or not. If someone has official numbers that would be nice. I looked at my local inventory of XA and XB and all the cars are automatics!! Is everyone buying the 5 speed scions and leaving the automatics on the lots?

[Sideswipe]

Just from people I know I would say that about 80% prefer automatics then manual. Most people now are taught to drive on automatics and never learned how to drive a manual. So the demand for automatics are much higher.

[zizi]

Thats what I thought but why are so many people on this forum driving the 5 speed? It seems like 80% of the people on these forums drive 5 speed.

[UCSDPinoy]

The people on This Forum are NOT the ONLY one's buying Scions you know!!
haha
And who cares if they are making a lot of auto's, just don't get it.
Scion has to make both parties happy

[djct_watt]

Well it was mentioned in another thread that statistics can be misleading. . . this is a prime example. Where did you get the poll results? From the poll at SL? Well think about the type of people who are members here. . . enthusiasts. We are all, for the most part, car nuts. Most car nuts, as you know, want to squeeze every drop of performance out of their cars. And because of that, it skews the numbers. In reality, the general public tends to want automatics. Even tho most guys will never admit it, most of them end up buying auto anyway (not that there's anything wrong with that). Hahaha. . . I opted for the manual and it should be here within a matter of days.

[George]

The answer to this question is very very simple:

A salesman can switch a "manual" buyer into an automatic much more easily than a salesman can switch an "automatic" buyer into a 5-speed. Some people just flat never learned to drive a stick!

George

[Undecided_Fate]

america is lazy!

but seriously, we learned a little bit about surveys and sample size and all that stuff in psyc. as has already been mentioned, the majority of people who frequent car boards are enthusiasts and people lurking for answers and nothing more. a more accurate representation of the percentage of people who prefer auto would be random selections from a phone book. that way people who arent car enthusiasts have just as good a chance as car entusiasts of stating their opinion.

if you wanted to gauge the whole US, you would have to get phone books from all the major cities or a different method because some cities are known for car stuff and may have a stronger concentration of car people then normal cities. a good example of this is Daytona, Detroit or Indianapolis.

keep in mind that not everyone has internet... some people can still not afford it so online surveys instantly become lob sided much like the pre-election phone surveys of back in the day when a lot of people could not afford phones.

damn.... i need to stop learning so damned much :-\

[samendolaro]

I've been driving a stick for the past 10 years... My mind wants another 5 speed but my knees want the automatic... Traffic in the city is not pleasant ...

Now I can use my hands for more important things like talking on the phone,eating drinking and flipping off the other drivers telling me I shouldn't do such things...

[TheScionicMan]

And some people know how to drive a stick but prefer an automatic.


And the enthusiast angle is right, this site draws only a portion of overall owners. Most Scions I see on the road are stock or close to it. I rarely see something modded, but if you look thru the registry here, you'll see moreee modded Scions than not, I bet.

WHAT??? People with no internet??? Blasphemy.

[BlueBox]

I can drive 5-spd ...but i opted to get an Automatic cuz it's my daily driver..and i work far from home... shifting gears on the 405 during rush hour for over an hour is not fun...not to mention...very draining. I love my A/T... i can eat, hold my gf hands, and just relax while driving... it's a luxury of its own. That's y pay more for the A/T.

[BLKScion]

I love 5 speeds....ive had some 5 speeds in the past, my motorcycle is a six speed, ive always loved to shift....but, i commute to school and drive way to much (about 150 miles a day) That would equal out to tons of shifting...yeah, its alittle more powerful, but the lazyiness that i have aquired through my teenage years has taken over me. The auto is just easier...plus it gives me a hand to play some PS2 while im driving lol!!!!

[Al-Truistic]

I think no matter which way you go auto or manny, they are both really fun to drive. I drove both and if you can drive and hold out for manual than do it, it is worth it but, there is much joy driving the auto (xB) in my experience, I love it.

--- and I totally agree with you on this George...
Al.Truistic
aB

Originally Posted by George

The answer to this question is very very simple:
A salesman can switch a "manual" buyer into an automatic much more easily than a salesman can switch an "automatic" buyer into a 5-speed...George

[erc]

Yep, I think America just might be lazy.

A friend of mine who was a foreign exchange student from Italy said she never drove an automatic before coming to the states.

[iZero]

I'd guess over 90% will be automatic. It is still a Toyota after all...

[cliffy1]

I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in the Central Atlantic Region, we're getting a 50-50 split for the first batch. The mucky-mucks at Toyota will see how fast each type sells and alter the orders accordingly.

When a car like this comes out, the enthusiasts are normally the first to buy them. Enthusiasts generally prefer stick shifts. I suspect we'll eventually back down to a 80/20 split in favor of automatics. Like it or not, that really is the demand.

[George]

Off-topic posts have been moved to the Off Topic Cafe under the subject "TokyoRaver's girlfriend"

George

[George]

More notes about automatics:

Automatic transmissions have been improving steadily, and the introduction of electronic control systems have brought them close to even with manual gearboxes.

The early automatics, such as the GM 2-speed Powerglide, were horribly inefficient and any vehicle equipped with them took a big hit in both performance and fuel economy. This was unacceptable in those parts of the world with expensive fuel, which is why automatics are relatively rare in Europe. In the US, fuel was cheap and engines were huge, so automatics proliferated here.

Sporting drivers also shunned the automatics, since vehicles of that time relied on engine braking to supplant the barely-adequate service brakes. Also, the automatics had a severe time-lag for downshifts as they were operated by a combination of vacuum signals and hydraulics. Sporting drivers were not willing to wait the half-second for a downshift, and then have the downshift occur with a sudden burst of torque that upset the car's handling.

Automatics have slowly worked their way into racing, starting with the automatic Chaparels in the '60s. These allowed the driver to use his left foot for braking, improving lap times by eliminating the delay between the gas and the brake. Modern racing transmissions are a combination of automatic and manual technologies, allowing shifts without pushing a clutch pedal.

On the street, modern cars have excellent brakes, so drivers no longer have to rely on engine braking as they have in the past. With multi-speed lockup automatics, many cars are acheiving greater fuel economy with the automatic than with the manual. Automatic transmission reliability has also been improving, removing another objection to their use.

Early automobiles had several controls that would mystify gen-Y drivers. There used to be levers than controlled spark and fuel mixture, along with that curious crank that started the engine. Each of these controls were obsoleted by automatic control technology, and soon the shift lever and clutch will follow them into the museums.

But not quite yet. I like the stick on my xB, and my wife insisted upon it!

George

[ASUgradinWA]

very cool. Makes me feel like buying an auto won't be the death of me. I could do a manual for the weekend, but not sitting in traffic every day.

[c_rowe]

Originally Posted by zizi

According to the poll here most of the buyers will be buying the 5 speed version. I think I read somewhere that more than 50% of the TC cars built will be automatic version, I do not know if this is correct or not. If someone has official numbers that would be nice. I looked at my local inventory of XA and XB and all the cars are automatics!! Is everyone buying the 5 speed scions and leaving the automatics on the lots?

From the discussions I've had with our inventory guy, the Denver Region (AZ,CO,NM,NV,UT) will be allocated a crop of tCs that is 55% MT and 45% AT. I don't know about other regions but I assume the distribution will be somewhat comprable.

Casey

[ikhonlord]

Yep, I think America just might be lazy.

A friend of mine who was a foreign exchange student from Italy said she never drove an automatic before coming to the states.

I think you are wrong in that statement. The reason why Manual transmissions are mostly used in foreign countries is because like here the Auto trannys are more expensive...allot more than they are here VS the manual tranny's..... Atleast they are in South America....

Also as to why the allocation's from Scion Corp are geared towards Auto's more than Manual is because they based their production statistics on the Toyota Brand..(Duhh) and if you see the ratio between the Auto and Manual cars being sold by Toyota you will see that the Auto's win.....Atleast this is what the Regional Scion Guy for the NY metro area mentioned to a few us during a Scion event....Anyone agrees with me?

Just my 2 cents!