On Thu, 15 Oct 1998 4x4dakv8@iname.com wrote:
>
> Manual tranmissions are going the way of the dodo bird because the automatics are so much better than they were 20 years age ...not people getting lazy...Same goes for power steering and power brakes. Not only are modern cars easier to drive, but they'
re safer to drive as well. Overdrives allow you to have lower rear end gearing for pulling power, but still get good gas mileage on the highway.
>
> I'm sure you will always be able to get a manual tranmission for those who prefer the 'sporty' feel...but, the car may be built by a Japanese company.
Granted, autos have come a long way, but IMHO, they've got a LOOONG
way to go before they can replace a manual. They have the same general
problem as cruise control: they can't anticipate changing conditions.
If I'm in 5th and I want to get-up-and-go, I don't mash the throttle
then decide that I'm not accellerating fast enough and shift. Before
I step on the gas, I'm already in 3rd or 4th because I know what I'm
gonna do, and I can prepare for it. Same deal for coming up on a
steep hill, or engine braking down a hill. I know what I want to
do, and I know what gear I need to do it. Sure, I can probably
do some of that by "shifting" an auto, but then what's the point
of having an auto? Anyway, shifting an auto always gives me the
heebie-jeebies. :-) They also don't let you get the RPMs up and
dump the clutch. Something as simple as giving someone a little blip
of throttle as you go by is darn near impossible.
An autostick is an interesting idea, but its still worthless to me
without a clutch.
Color me stubborn, but I'll be rowin' a manual until they can
figure out a way to wire the thing directly into my brain. :-)
-Jon-
.--- stei0302@cs.fredonia.edu ----------------------------------------.
| Jon Steiger * AOPA, DoD, EAA, MP Race Team, NMA, SPA, USUA * RP-SEL |
| '96 Dodge Dakota v8 SLT CC (14.77@92.97), '96 Kolb FireFly 447 |
`--------------------------- http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ ---'
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