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: ateixeira (Oct 23, 2008 6:04 am)  I've yet to even feel the slightest cramp in my left leg because of the clutch, even when stuck in heavy traffic, both on the highway and in cities, for upwards of 2 hours. I think it has to do with the fact that I'm using a full range of leg motion vs pivoting on the heel of my right leg. And because I don't have to stand on the brakes because of the auto creep, my right leg isn't nearly as busy, except maybe on steep inclines. I've been almost exclusively driving a manual car for over a year and a half now, and I've yet to feel the slightest pain in either leg (the exception being when I banged my knees really hard falling and it hurt no matter what I did...). I drove an auto for a few years prior, and I had cramps every once in a while. It can't be psychosomatic or something, since I fully expected a pained left leg when I was learning. *shrug* No Kool-Aid here, just honest truth. 
|
|
|
Replying to: razorasdf (Oct 23, 2008 8:57 am) So think about it...which one is more likely to cause pain over the long haul? Let's lay it out. To drive from a stop to 60mph with an auto, here's is what your feet do: Right leg: off brake to gas. That's it. Now, with a 6 speed manual: left leg on the clutch right arm shift to first left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest left leg to the clutch right leg off the gas right arm shift to 2nd left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest left leg to the clutch right leg off the gas right arm shift to 3rd left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest left leg to the clutch right leg off the gas right arm shift to 4th left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest left leg to the clutch right leg off the gas right arm shift to 5th left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest left leg to the clutch right leg off the gas right arm shift to 6th left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest OK, honestly now, which one is simpler? Which one is less fatiguing? Less likely to cause a cramp? I'm not saying you will get a cramp with a manual, just that you are less likely to have any sort of fatigue in the one-step process vs. the 125 step process. I believe manuals are better - more efficient, cost less, more control, lots of reasons. Ease of use is not one of those reasons, nor is fatigue or cramping. As for the auto creep - you can just slip an auto in to Neutral and that's that. |
|
|
Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 23, 2008 9:07 am) right arm shift to first left leg off the clutch slowly right leg on the gas in synch with left leg left leg to the dead pedal right arm to elbow rest left leg to the clutch right leg off the gas right arm shift to 2nd left leg off the clutch slowly Etc, etc, etc.... OR... Shift from first to second as above.... Run second all the way up to 50 mph.... Shift to sixth.... Just Kidding 
|
|
|
Replying to: ny540i6 (Oct 23, 2008 9:39 am) Ya got me.
|
|
|
Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 23, 2008 9:07 am) Well now we've heard from someone who has experienced those cramps and I'm sure that there is someone who actually got them in their left leg with a stick too. However, I was just trying to make a tongue-in-cheek point that a leg cramp was a pretty weak argument to avoid using a manual in traffic.
|
|
|
Replying to: tallman1 (Oct 23, 2008 10:21 am) With a stick, the problem is more in terms of wear-and-tear to the joints. Knees especially. I guess it's the opposite - with an auto your legs don't move, with a manual your legs move constantly. My mom had to give up manuals due to her arthritis plus worn cartiledge on her left (clutch) knee. |
|
|
Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 23, 2008 9:07 am) I'm not arguing that a manual is easier to drive, simpler in number of steps, or less fatiguing. Just saying that I'm a freak that cramps with an auto but not with a manual because of how each is driven. Arguing with me doesn't change that, not sure why we're still on this topic.  By the way, shifting to neutral isn't all that useful when you have to move forward every several seconds... With all these workarounds you might as well have three pedals instead of two!
|
|
|
Replying to: razorasdf (Oct 23, 2008 2:04 pm) |
|
|
Replying to: ny540i6 (Oct 23, 2008 9:39 am) Run second all the way up to 50 mph.... Shift to sixth.... Just Kidding Why, there's something wrong with that? When I want to get moving quickly but don't want to exceed the speed limit that's exactly what I do. I very seldom run thru all 6 gears in a row. -Frank
|
|
|
Replying to: p0926 (Oct 23, 2008 2:59 pm) I mean, depending on where I am I do a lot of "1-3-5-6" shifting myself.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views The Future Of The Manual Transmission
