View Poll Results: what kind of transmission do you have?
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Transmission Poll: Manual vs Automatic
Senior Member
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 105
From: North Carolina
went with....
Out of the 15 cars I have owned in 23 years, 12 have been 5-speeds, 3 were auto's. Struggled with the decision on the XB,,,really struggled. But since I still own a 5 speed 81' Rabbit Diesel, 4 -speed 79' Beetle Convertible and about to inherit a 4-speed 74' Custom VW Bus, I wanted the best of both worlds and went...
Automatique'''' as they say in the old world.
Not as fun as the 5-speed I am sure, but really and truly fun for an automatic and no power problems doing what I want it to do. And what a damn fine "relaxed" highway cruiser it is!
That was the clincher for me being the highway performance, I have owned "wound out , high rpm on the highway" cars before and they do tire me out after a couple of hours. I take a lot of 12-16 hour road trips, so it became clear to me after numerous test drives in both auto and manual. And like I said, I have both types at my disposal, so when I wanna shift, I go shift. When I wanna relax/cruise, I go cruise.
Peace.
Automatique'''' as they say in the old world.
Not as fun as the 5-speed I am sure, but really and truly fun for an automatic and no power problems doing what I want it to do. And what a damn fine "relaxed" highway cruiser it is!
That was the clincher for me being the highway performance, I have owned "wound out , high rpm on the highway" cars before and they do tire me out after a couple of hours. I take a lot of 12-16 hour road trips, so it became clear to me after numerous test drives in both auto and manual. And like I said, I have both types at my disposal, so when I wanna shift, I go shift. When I wanna relax/cruise, I go cruise.
Peace.
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 213
Auto or Manual
Automatic
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
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Scion Evolution
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,736
From: In the Hot Tub
Re: Auto or Manual
Originally Posted by DisneybB
Automatic
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Banned
SL Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 396
From: Phoenix, AZ
Re: Auto or Manual
Originally Posted by TheScionicMan
Originally Posted by DisneybB
Automatic
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Edmunds got an 8.99 sec 0-60 with the manual xB and every test of an automatic I have seen has been over 10 seconds.
In the history of cars, the number of models that were faster with the same engine and an automatic vs. a manual can be counted on one hand. The only one I can think of is the Audi A4, and that is with a CVT vs. a manual and a CVT is nothing like a conventional automatic.
When you pass power through an automatic and a torque converter etc, you get less power to the ground, period.
Senior Member
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Scion Evolution
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,736
From: In the Hot Tub
Re: Auto or Manual
Originally Posted by Rion
Originally Posted by TheScionicMan
Originally Posted by DisneybB
Automatic
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Drove both and my husband and I thought the auto was peppier. The manual had the shortest 1st and 2nd I've ever driven. I couldn't even get to the other side of an intersection without shifting 3 times. Oh and that little overdrive button works wonders when you hit it is is like downshifting, HOLD ON!! Also, I'm sick of sitting in traffic shift, shift shift, no rolling hills and curves in Florida!
Edmunds got an 8.99 sec 0-60 with the manual xB and every test of an automatic I have seen has been over 10 seconds.
In the history of cars, the number of models that were faster with the same engine and an automatic vs. a manual can be counted on one hand. The only one I can think of is the Audi A4, and that is with a CVT vs. a manual and a CVT is nothing like a conventional automatic.
When you pass power through an automatic and a torque converter etc, you get less power to the ground, period.
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SL Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 471
i think the manual is a way better pick becuase the car has such low HP you can run higher rpms so its not quite as slow. and for saying the auto us a cruiser....you can get cruise control for the manual. however in stop and go traffic, like any manual, it sucks.
Banned
SL Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 396
From: Phoenix, AZ
Fact: Traditional hydraulic automatic transmissions incur more parasitc drivetrain losses than manual transmissions.
Fact: The professionals driving both auto and manual versions of virtually every single car review get faster times with the manual.
Could an inexperienced stick driver lag behind an automatic? Sure, but all things being equal, manual transmissions get more power to the ground and that really counts when you have a 1.5 liter engine.
I can see definite advantages to having an automatic, if I wanted one I think I would prefer a CVT or SMG type deal. Many of the newer electronic autos are pretty good at not leaving you in too high a gear and hunting gears on hills, so that negates a part of what makes them unappealing to some people.
Fact: The professionals driving both auto and manual versions of virtually every single car review get faster times with the manual.
Could an inexperienced stick driver lag behind an automatic? Sure, but all things being equal, manual transmissions get more power to the ground and that really counts when you have a 1.5 liter engine.
I can see definite advantages to having an automatic, if I wanted one I think I would prefer a CVT or SMG type deal. Many of the newer electronic autos are pretty good at not leaving you in too high a gear and hunting gears on hills, so that negates a part of what makes them unappealing to some people.
