Correlation of political views and car drivership

[Cranberry]

Very important #analysis incoming

As for me, non-automatic (sane), left

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'll never understand the Euro obsession with manuals (stick shift)... Driving using one foot and two hands on the wheel is inherently safer.  Do you know what happens if your wheels lock up on ice and you don't push the clutch in in time?  Your engine dies and you have no power steering or power brakes.  That's always great as you careen off the road into a ditch or another vehicle.

All of the benefits that manual drivers tend to spout are subjective... "It saves fuel"...if you drive it like a grandma!  "You have more control"...over what?  Which specific gear you're in as you drive around the round about?

I've driven both and realized automatics really are just better.

[/rant] and left.  

[RINO Tom]

I don't really care about the safety, driving automatic is so much smoother.

[NeverAgain]

Well I just started but currently non-automatic (leftist, sane)

[Joe Republic]

Do you know what happens if your wheels lock up on ice and you don't push the clutch in in time?  Your engine dies and you have no power steering or power brakes.  That's always great as you careen off the road into a ditch or another vehicle.

#midwestproblems

[muon2]

I drive a hybrid, so I didn't answer the poll. I know manual transmissions exist for hybrid drivers that demand one. However, a manual transmission makes no sense to me when one is trying to optimize power to the drive train from both the electric and gasoline engines as well as deliver power to recharge the batteries.

[dead0man]

I'll never understand the Euro obsession with manuals (stick shift)... Driving using one foot and two hands on the wheel is inherently safer.  Do you know what happens if your wheels lock up on ice and you don't push the clutch in in time?  Your engine dies and you have no power steering or power brakes.  That's always great as you careen off the road into a ditch or another vehicle.

All of the benefits that manual drivers tend to spout are subjective... "It saves fuel"...if you drive it like a grandma!  "You have more control"...over what?  Which specific gear you're in as you drive around the round about?

I've driven both and realized automatics really are just better.

[/rant] and left.  

Back in the 90s and earlier, they got better mileage no matter how you drove.  Now-a-days there isn't much difference with autos being better often times.

re:the snow/ice.  Yes, if you don't have anti-lock brakes and lock 'em up on the ice without pressing the clutch your engine might die.  But like the third think you learn when learning stick shift is to press the clutch in when you brake heavy.  And once the clutch is in you're slightly more likely to catch it vs an auto.  Manual's are also better cornering in the snow 'cause they won't shift on their own and fark up the balance of the car...granted if you're that close to the edge of traction you're probably going to fast and are going to lose control eventually anyway, but in theory....


Really, the reason I prefer manual to auto is that I feel more "in touch" with the car.  I enjoy driving.  Most people it's an annoying task one must do to get by in life, like grocery shopping and doing the laundry.  You guys can have your autos and distance yourself from the process as much as possible (self driving cars for the masses is right around the corner), I'll keep having a good time.  (if this asshat driving an automatic would ever finish passing this guy)


manual-moderate

[Santander]

I will only ever buy a car that has:
4 doors
naturally-aspirated engine
180-250 bhp
RWD
manual transmission
European or American make

I think the only car sold in America that fits that description right now is the ATS.

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

Don't know anyone with automatic transmission in his/her car. No one in my family have automatic transmission. I am not even sure if people outside US uses cars with automatic one.
I bought manual one shortly after I got my driving licence (5 years) and never even had occasion to drive such monstrosity like car with automatic transmission. I guess in Germany they don't have such cars.

[dead0man]

I will only ever buy a car that has:
4 doors
naturally-aspirated engine
180-250 bhp
RWD
manual transmission
European or American make

I think the only car sold in America that fits that description right now is the ATS.

I'm guessing you meant "the only car MADE in America that...." because of all those MBs and BMWs and such.  It's sad that you can't get a RWD performance sedan with a stick that's made in the US.  There is no good reason not to.  I can't figure out why they can't make (and sell) a small, RWD sports car either.  By most accounts that Pontiac/Saturn thing from a few years ago was a decent car, but they only sold them for a few years and never sold all that many of them.  Meanwhile there are well over a million Miata's on the road.

[IceAgeComing]

I've never ever been in an automatic car; I find the whole idea perplexing.  Then again I did a bit of racing a few years ago and play a lot of sim racing games; so the idea of driving without shifting gears just seems unnatural to me because I've never done anything else.

This is going to be more of a regional split than anything I think!

[Santander]

I'm guessing you meant "the only car MADE in America that...." because of all those MBs and BMWs and such.  It's sad that you can't get a RWD performance sedan with a stick that's made in the US.  There is no good reason not to.  I can't figure out why they can't make (and sell) a small, RWD sports car either.  By most accounts that Pontiac/Saturn thing from a few years ago was a decent car, but they only sold them for a few years and never sold all that many of them.  Meanwhile there are well over a million Miata's on the road.

Last I checked, the C-Class Mercs sold stateside are all Auto/AWD now, and all the 3-series BMWs are turbocharged. I've only ever owned a 3-series, but I can't buy a new one now because they don't have naturally-aspirated straight-6s. I was close to buying a 320i last year, but I couldn't bring myself to drive a turbo four.

With that being said, American cars have been getting better every year since 2008. I'm quite happy to buy American now.

[dead0man]

I totally missed the NA part and had no idea you couldn't get a stick in a Benz....meh, junk fancy cars anyway.
You don't like forced induction?  I've owned a couple of turbo'd cars (87 RX7 and 00 Golf 1.8T) and kind of enjoyed the way boost built up.  It was especially.....dramatic with rotary, not much below 4k, but get up about 5k and your ass is planted.  The lag from the drop of the foot to the rush of power can be a bit annoying.  Especially when you're already at speed and want to accelerate decently without dropping a gear.

I've spent most of my days driving underpowered economy cars, rotaries and now the Miata, so I'm accustomed to down shifting all the damn time

[dead0man]

and American cars are pretty damn good these days.  Even the Chrysler 200 I rented last week wasn't horrible.  There was a lot to not like....I cracked my head on the door frame like 10 times, a couple of times very hard.  There is like 2 feet of space between the top of the seat and the door frame.  There isn't enough space in the driver's seat for large people....and again, I'm used to driving tiny cars.  I've owned a Chevy Sprint (the Geo Metro before there was Geo) and a Subaru Justy (also 3 cyl) and had more room behind the wheel.  It did get good MPG (over 30) but not as good as those two...of course I got speeding ticket going 97, those old things topped out in the mid 80s....with a tail wind going down hill.

<he's Angusing, pull it back dead0>

Yeah, but it wasn't a bad car for a Chrysler/Fiat.  The fit and finish was decent, the materials seemed of quality plastic and metal.

[This account no longer in use.]

Both of my parents drive automatic cars.

[Murica!]

I've never owned anything without a stick and anyone who has is a fycking heretic.

[Mr. Reactionary]

I had no idea that manual transmission was still a thing among anyone other than older car owners and hobbyists. Apparently that's all the Yerpeeins drive?

[muon2]

I assume from the posts that hybrids aren't much of an option in Europe. Hybrids run best with a continuously variable transmission (or equivalent) and no fixed gear ratios like in either a manual or conventional automatic transmission.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I had no idea that manual transmission was still a thing among anyone other than older car owners and hobbyists.

, left.

[DC Al Fine]

I drove stick until I got married. My wife doesn't drive stick...

That said I wasn't that upset to be rid of it. Manuals are fun when your cruising on the highway, but now that I commute everyday, I'd take an automatic in a heartbeat.

[Illiniwek]

This question is much less interesting in America.... I wouldn't be afraid to drive stick in a great performance car, or if there is a big enough price difference.

[Miles]

I drive a stick and would never trade it for an automatic.

[Mr. Smith]

Auto. Old Left.

Sorry but reverse gears are always a big pain-in-the a&^ [which pretty much makes parallel parking even worse than it already is]. Also not a fan of being forced to use the emergency break at every uphill stop. Literally lost a job because of that.

A Sports-Mode can get almost the same feeling of "feeling the gears", and without the damn stalling.

The only reason to drive stick is if you're on a budget and trying to get something that will last for more miles.

Sure it's fun on the highway and downshifting is much nicer than pure breakpad abuse at times, and fun if you love doing California Rolls everywhere you can, but for commutes with lots of stoplights it's awful.

[Cranberry]

I knew that there were far more people driving automatic in the States than here... but I'm a bit suprised over how large that margin is, actually. Judging from your posts, pretty much everyone drives automatic?

I assume from the posts that hybrids aren't much of an option in Europe. Hybrids run best with a continuously variable transmission (or equivalent) and no fixed gear ratios like in either a manual or conventional automatic transmission.

There are hybrids around, but afaik at least a portion of them also come with manuals.

[muon2]

I knew that there were far more people driving automatic in the States than here... but I'm a bit suprised over how large that margin is, actually. Judging from your posts, pretty much everyone drives automatic?

I assume from the posts that hybrids aren't much of an option in Europe. Hybrids run best with a continuously variable transmission (or equivalent) and no fixed gear ratios like in either a manual or conventional automatic transmission.

There are hybrids around, but afaik at least a portion of them also come with manuals.

As I understand it, hybrids with manual transmissions are largely for European drivers. An electric motor can run with a single fixed gear transmission (Nissan Leaf, Tesla, VW e-Golf, BMW i3). The gas motor on a hybrid needs to change gear ratios so a manual shift transmission can be used. That seems to be more to driver taste, since the combined motor works better with a continuous field of gear ratios rather than a fixed set. That seems to be why European manufacturers have stayed with fixed gear transmissions for hybrids, while US and Japanese makers go with variable drives.