Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views The Future Of The Manual Transmission
5807 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 7:20 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
|
Replying to: nippononly (Sep 26, 2008 9:48 am)  Unless, you consider the various manual-control automatics, which is a different matter. This is, of course, just the opinion of a die-hard stick-shift devotee.  James |
|
|
|
|
cdnpinhead, I just noticed you're another one of us Arizona Edmunds members. I'm heading up there towards your area from Willcox on Monday, to get my '08 Lancer GTS detailed with an 'Auto Butler' paint protectant treatment. I get it every 6 months from the dealer I bought the Lancer from, Avondale Mitsubishi in Avondale, AZ. But what I wanted to comment on was your statement on driving and how much you like it. Drive on, because driving is not illegal, there's an oil company around that wants your ghastly dollar and a service station that wants your ghastly dollar, too. But driving is fun and a form of entertainment for a lot of us automotive enthusiasts. And whether we drive a rig with an ICE, hybrid, or all-electric, I believe it is important to be able to feel free to do just that. Drive our rigs with glee...I love driving around Arizona and New Mexico seeing new places and learning about the people of that land. Around here are the Chiricahua National Monument(the "land of standing rocks" the native Indians called them) with their enchanting rock spire formations, that are truly fascinating to see. Only about 37 miles south of Willcox, too. There is Fort Bowie, where Geronimo was held by the U.S. Army, after finally catching the great Apache warrior, back in 1886. Fort Bowie's ruins are available for viewing and they are only 25 miles SE of my home. More interesting rock formations are found in Texas Canyon with the Dragoon Mountain range and their rocks resting on top of other rocks and abnormalities are great to visit. I-10 actually runs right between the formations. Cochise Stronghold is about 45 miles west of me here in Willcox, and that is the proud Chief Cochise's old hiding place from the Cavalry and anyone else he didn't want to find him. We drove up to see a Foghat concert in October of '07 near Wickenburg, AZ, about 60 miles or so NW of Phoenix. The next day we left our motel and drove up to the Grand Canyon. I have never seen anything like that place and heartily await our next visit. When my son ran up to the edge on the SE area of the South Rim, he just stopped in his tracks and stared in amazement. "Dad, you're not gonna believe this!" He's right, I couldn't believe the beauty I was staring at. Incredible, awe-inspiring natural beauty that just went on and on. Point is, fact is, this country has benefited greatly from the automobile and it's availability to people. It's given us freedom and mobility that can't be rivalled by the horses and the carriages. Agreed? If we still have a rig with a ICE, and most of us do, I am for driving as much as we can afford to drive and for as long and far as we want. Restricting that idea is bad for business, bad for the economy and bad for our emotional health collectively. But it's an individual thing that varies according to the person, agreed. The environmentalists will never be satisfied, whatever propels our automobiles. You realize that, don't y'all? And if you love a manual-trannied rig way more than an automatic-trannied rig, ya know what, you've got that right. Once again, it's an individual thing. I think that with the advent of hybrid and all-electric propulsion technology you're gonna have to be ready to abandon your stickshift vehicle, however. Reading up on the subject points me to things like automatic push-button starts for new world order rigs like this. And after starting the rigs, I am reading of the implementation of simple levers for putting the power to the wheels, like "forward" and "reverse" buttons. Does that doom the manual tranny? I don't think so. Especially if you've got some awesome backyard mechanical skills, gentlemen. I am starting to see the end of the manual transmission. But that's just my view, my car-nut buddies. Think I'll go exploring in the Lancer GTS. And I'll feel good about doing just that, too.
|
|
|
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Sep 26, 2008 11:43 am) To be consistent you would have to be just as approving of the Hummer driver mentioned earlier commuting in his vehicle simply because it makes them feel good. After all you said: If we still have a rig with a ICE, and most of us do, I am for driving as much as we can afford to drive and for as long and far as we want. Restricting that idea is bad for business, bad for the economy and bad for our emotional health collectively. But it's an individual thing that varies according to the person, agreed. The environmentalists will never be satisfied, whatever propels our automobiles. You realize that, don't y'all? Thomas Paine couldn't have written a more compelling speech for the car enthusiast than you did for disregarding societies disdane for the unfettered use of the automobile to use as much fuel as you can afford. Using that logic would I be justified in parking my compact car and driving my Tahoe as a daily driver? I can afford the fuel and the Tahoe is a lot more comfortable than the little 4 banger. However I haven't put fuel in the Tahoe since August 19th. I will be in the 4 corner states in October and do plan on visiting places like the Garden of the Gods, Sky City, and Chinle Canyon. Until then I believe I should be more responsible than to use all the fuel I can afford just because I feel like it. Even if I have the freedom to do so. |
|
|
|
|
I think the usability of fuel and resources has already been determined for most all of us by the greedy oil barons and the nervous Nellie futures traders. Most of us have and will restrict energy usage just because the costs are so high. But should we conserve even if we can afford to use all of the ghastly we want? Once again, that's an individual decision. High fuel costs are going to continue to drive down the miles people are going to be able to afford to use, but, I believe that if one can afford to use more fuel, they should feel free to use it. The numbers of these people have been so sharply diminished of late anyway. If a rogue warrior has the time and money to drive insane distances to see America, or Canada, or Mexico as they see fit, I say have at it. The "green" crowd will never be satisfied, even when all ICE vehicles are in the scrap heap, and hybrid technology, all-electric technology and fuel cell technology are filling the nation's highways and biways. I believe the market will automatically correct the resource usage on it's own as time marches on, but outside of that, I support those who want to and can travel for entertainment. Now if Uncle Sam imposes restrictions on individual energy monthly usage in the form of vehicle fuel, like being honorable in paying Federal, state and local taxes, I would of course abide and pay. Or in this case, restrict how much I pay. Will it come to that? Don't think it will. We'll be on to other forms of transportation propulsion by then. But in the absence of the Guv-Mint reaching out and strangling someone's individual usage, I say pay for what you want or need and travel to your heart's desire. We've never been much of a nation of restrictions, have we? To fulfill my future automotive "fuel" usage, I am going to need to have recharging stations available to keep moving around. A whole new way of propelling, indeed. And another whole transportation energy story for another day. Those of you insisting on Hummer-ing along and driving large pick-em-up trucks and RV's etc., will have to make your own fueling decisions. But I wouldn't want to be the one to deny you those privileges. No way. Those are decisions for the Department of Transportation Secretary, the current adminstration in charge's energy dept,. etc., to make. This type of decision may be made for us by the Federal Guv-Mint and the state governments. Everyone is accountable for their own fuel short term and long-term usage decisions. Some years one may want to use more "fuel", whatever it might be, in whatever form, more than they use during another particular year, huh? No siree-Bob, I am not going to be the one charged with judging someone else on that sort of a thing. And, personally, I am for the continued existence of the manual transmission, too. I like having the ability to pick and choose propulsion and drive modes on every new rig I choose to buy on out ahead down the road. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Sep 26, 2008 11:43 am) I remember running Texas Canyon back in '78, but I quit going that way once I figured out that it was shorter (& quicker, with the 55 mph limits then) to run through Globe & Safford. I've hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon three or four times & certainly appreciate it as well. The greenies won't be happy until we're all walking and/or riding bicycles, with the (rare) use of public transit for everything else. Something like being barefoot & pregnant comes to mind. Oh wait, that's a different downtrodden class, and that one's in the PC "protected" group. |
|
|
|
|
Grand Canyon before, and I knew it would be great to see in person. But when I caught up to my son and looked out to all of that awesome color and vibrancy, just bouncing that strong Arizona sun right off of all of those beautiful reddish-brown rock formations, I really couldn't believe my eyes. The incredible size of it all, so huge and wide...made a big impact on me. The Grand Canyon must've really freaked out the early settler types, or the prehistoric Indians that existed in what is now northern Arizona. And the fact that those donkey-ride expeditions have never resulted in what did the shuttle driver say, a death on the trail down to the Colorado River and back, or never even an injury. Whichever he said it sounded impressive, because those donkeys have been relied upon for steady, solid transportation for about 100 years at the Grand Canyon. Safely transporting loads of people down the Grand Canyon's south rim to the river and back up again. Over and over again. To try and pop back on to the topic of this discussion, a brand of car that really should always be purchased with a manual transmission would be a MG. I mean, driving a MG Midget or MGB with an automatic tranny? Come on, gotta be a stick for a rig like that. Another brand would be the Triumph TR-3, TR-4, TR-6, TR-250, TR-7, and on and on. Those would need to be stick shift transmission-ed or it just wouldn't play out to be the right automotive experience, eh? 
|
|
|
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Sep 26, 2008 8:47 pm) I kind of like the idea of the 7 speed slushies they are building for next year. Keeping the shifts in a short rev band should improve MPG, no? Regards, OW |
|
|
|
|
and I have heard of 8-speed slushboxes being looked at as well. Yeah, keeping shifts in a short rev band is good, and this is why I tend to like my '08 Mitsu Lacner GTS withCVT and titanium paddle-shifters. I can change instantly and effortlessly to another band-spot and the engine/drivepower pops to it right quick. I never thought I'd like the CVT system as much as I do but it actually works like a champ.
|
|
|
Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Sep 27, 2008 11:55 pm) Regards, OW |
|
|
|
22 mpg city and 34mph highway. When I travel on the freeway I just put it in 'D' and go. But in town I'll use a mixture of paddle shifting and 'D'.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views The Future Of The Manual Transmission
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
