why do americans drive automatics?

My dad just got an Saab 9-5 auto the other day and before I'd been in it I'd never seen the appeal of them. I thought they'd be slow and have cluncky gear changes, but it's incredibly smooth. It's hard to notice when it changes really, plus you can whack it into sport mode for some fun.

It feels very strange having no clutch though, do they use both feet to drive in america or just the one? At the moment the clutch foot keeps diving for the brake pedal which is a bit annoying. :D

But I still prefer manual as I drive an MX-5 which wasn't designed for an Auto box, I like to hold the gears right to the end when pushing it. If I were to buy a luxo barge though I'd certainly look at an Auto version.
 
chino said:
There's less driver satisfaction driving an automatic.
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As i said before, in an out and out sports car then yes i guess this would come into play, but this hardly applies as there are still loads of manuals over in the states in sport's variants of cars, especially european ones such as M-series BMW's.

In anything else i fail to see the point. Ive driven absolutely tons and tons of cars now and its only really the jap turbo stuff id bother with a manual gearbox in. Anything else i wouldnt even give the manual option a passing thought.
 
Nitro_Junkie said:
the intellgence of some people in this country astounds me
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rare said:
Flat4 I hope you are joking because you sound stupid.
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Why have you not contributed anything to this thread? In some instances I wish i was joking, unfortunately, most of it is true. Their introduction to the American market was down to sheer laziness, nothing more
 
Flat4 said:
Why have you not contributed anything to this thread? In some instances I wish i was joking, unfortunately, most of it is true. Their introduction to the American market was down to sheer laziness, nothing more
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Could the same not be said for every other labour saving device fitted to anything though? Its an automation of something, it happens all the time in every walk of life, and it makes a lot of sense in this case.
 
using Kickdown with both hands on the wheel is a damn sight more safe than taking on hand off the wheel and changing gear manually and booting it!...

I loved my CV-R (which incidentally has the shifter on the dash like yank-tanks)... was sooooo much more satisfying to drive, round town or open road!... at least I know I was always in the correct gear for what ever the road was doing!...

I'm now driving a manual Civic and its not as nice!... I get massive leg ache from constantly pressing the clitch in town!... with my CR-V I just let it drive its self in town gently pushing the break to control it!..

My Next car'll definatly be an Auto!.. :cool:
 
Jez said:
Could the same not be said for every other labour saving device fitted to anything though? Its an automation of something, it happens all the time in every walk of life, and it makes a lot of sense in this case.
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Its kind of true though, Human lazyness makes us make things that makes things easy to do so we dont need to put up with using as much time or energy :p
 
chino said:
Jez said:
...things...QUOTE]

In my opinion, yes there is less driver satisfaction. I actually like changing gear, making a perfectly smooth gear change satisfies me.
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I clearly dont share you fetish for changing gear pointlessly. Luckily there are both types on the market so we both win :)
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The reason automatics are popular is that US auto manufacturers developed some excellent autos in the 1950s. They were successfully able to market the devices as being superior to standard transmissions in the same way that electric windows and power steering are superior to their non-powered counterparts. Automatics became essentially the standard; only bargain-basement jalopies and fancy sports cars come with manuals. After a while a generation of drivers learned to drive in a car equipped with an automatic transmission, further reducing the standard transmission's popularity becasue most drivers had never learned to use a standard.

It's either that or we're all very fat and lazy. Every American I've ever seen weighs over 400 lbs and makes a concerted effort to move less than a hundred yards each day by his or her own power. Oh wait, that's not true.

EDIT: That said, 2/3 od my cars are equipped with manual transmissions becasue I'm cheap. :p
 
I'm with Jez here, I don't understand why the average car in the UK has a manual transmission. I mean the average driver doesn't need to hold their rpm's in the redline all the time or heel/toe it everywhere. Why would they WANT to constantly press a pedal and waggle a stick around when they dont have to?

Nothing beats a good old fashioned slushbox for a smooth and relaxing drive, not to mention the convenience in traffic.

Saying that, my experience of european autoboxes is a horrific one. My dads old merc c200 auto was terrible, harsh changes and what seemed to be only 2 modes, bogging down or screaming the engine.
 
chino said:
In my opinion, yes there is less driver satisfaction. I actually like changing gear, making a perfectly smooth gear change satisfies me.
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but why? An auto would make the perfect shift every single time.
 
Simian said:
I'm now driving a manual Civic and its not as nice!... I get massive leg ache from constantly pressing the clitch in town!... with my CR-V I just let it drive its self in town gently pushing the break to control it!..

My Next car'll definatly be an Auto!.. :cool:
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Civics do have heavy clutchs, my VTi was a pain, my MR2 is faaaaar nicer to drive with a forgiving clutch and sweet gearbox.
 
Clarkey said:
but why? An auto would make the perfect shift every single time.
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Because he manages to do it him self. It makes you feel like you accomplished something when you get shift after shift perfect :D

And Not all gear changes in autos are perfect, I hate it when they dont know if they want to be in a high or low gear and keep changing up and down :p (Usually find this when accelerating)
 
60s/70s muscle car + 3 speed manual + B&M Shift improver kit and/or manual shift kit = ultimate muscle machine, with the manual shift kit and shift improver you get total control and precise shifts with you chosing when to shift up and down and no clutch

also for luxury cruisers an auto is so much better, and with our motorways the way they are traffic jams with an auto are hassle free

In response to autos changing up and down, it is either a crap auto or it needs a rebuild
 
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