Manual Vs Auto

[robbi-wan]

Basically: there are 2 schools of thought.
Manual and Auto.
Personally, i think the advent of automatic everything is killing the driving experience stone dead. Auto climate control/cruise control/auto transmission etc..
How long is it before there is no driving to be done at all???
GPS satellites will soon be dictating how much we pay for miles covered, as tracked by big brother looking out for our best interests (as always?!?!?).

All we need is a wire in the road, and we will not need to drive at all. Select destination and press go: That'll be it.
What it boils down to is this: I like to be in control. And i like it. I choose when and if i want to change gear. If i want it colder - open the window.

Rant over - Am i alone?????????
Am i wrong?? (NO!!)

 

[littlebrooklyn]

How long is it before there is no driving to be done at all???

Well that sounds quite a nice idea robbi....just think you could get into your car, tell it where you want to go and sit back and watch a dvd to while away the journey....can't think of anything nicer :lol:

 

[pascal]

Thats progress Robbi.

Automatic gearboxes have been around for decades, i cannot see how they can be associated with other new technologies. They have improved though. Used properly you will almost always be in the gear you want to be.

The other things like ABS/BAS/ESP/SRS/CLIMATE/SAT-NAV are to help us enjoy our driving experience.

Climate has been around for decades also.

I don't like the idea of this big brother charge per miles though:evil:

Every few weeks we have some sort discussion on auto v. manual, but as it's a motoring topic it will be moved into that section.

 

[GrahamC230K]

You could have a starting handle on the front of the car too, but I find an electronic ignition quite handy.

ps. On my 2nd manaual Merc. I like it, they are not as bad as people would have you believe, although I am not anti Autos. My ideal would be a car that was truely capable of both.

 

[littlebrooklyn]

Well this is what The Times thinks about that topic

There is one simple rule to buying a Mercedes: the marque is not renowned for its manual gearboxes and the C-class is no exception, so it?s sensible to opt for the five-speed automatic over the six-speed manual.

 

[pascal]

You could have a starting handle on the front of the car too

with magnetos and the timing advance/retard lever. Might as well put solid tyres on too. Who wants a radio or even a heater.

 

[42864]

Magnetoes etc;

IPascal - I remember driving cars with this set up quite well, certainly made driving an intresting time and you had to stay awake - allways adjustments to be made to get the best performance

Dave

 

[OlafMaxwell]

I was thinking of getting a starting handle for the 320CDI.....good for muscle development and the odd broken thumb....

Seriously though the auto is nice and relaxing but can be wild when you want.....just give it a good engine.....

 

[shrekky]

Well that sounds quite a nice idea robbi....just think you could get into your car, tell it where you want to go and sit back and watch a dvd to while away the journey....can't think of anything nicer :lol:

hmmmmmmmmmmm i think this the point lazy mans(womans) car.in my opinion the only reason for having a auto box,if you're disabled and cant drive a manual,other dont be so ****** LAZY !!.and actually i do have a disability but not severe and the motion and exercise of changing gears does me the world of good .things like ABS and ESP although good for people who cant drive,so they dont lose control in super fast cars,but they take away the "driving experience" of a car....of a car starting to break at the rear under acceleration,or braking much much later because you can use the gears to help brake.

 

[tonytup]

Some people drive just because they have to and they have no other attachment to motoring. In their case, the easier the better. Hence the auto everything.

 

[pascal]

Lazy. Maybe a bit.

But beleive me, my car is fun to drive. I can turn off the traction at lower speeds. The brakes are awsome.

If I do get into trouble, whether though my fault or someone elses, I will have a much better chance of surviving than in an non ESP/ASR/ABS/BAS/SRS car.

The former E-Class (W210) was determined to be the safest car in the US by a huge margin. There was 10 deaths per million cars on the road. Some 'ordinary cars' recorded over 200 deaths per million. That means that you would have a 20 times more chance of you and your family been killed in these ordinary cars.

Nearly all E-Classes in the US are auto, as it was 'Standard'.

Do we want to throw away our sky remotes, and go back to non RC tvs/boxes. (probably sometimes:twisted: ).

 

[blassberg]

My ideal would be a car that was truely capable of both.

Would paddle shifters and a manual-only mode option qualify as that or not?

 

[mlc]

Shrekky,

Life in Sunderland must be very different than here in Manchester. Here we like to drive in a safe manner secure in the knowledge that the cars around us are under control and safe. Life on the standard road isnt about driving on the edge, not knowing whether you can get around the next corner, its about driving with care and consideration for other road users. If you want to enjoy the "driving experence" of lossing grip and pushing your car to its limit may I suggest a track day.

May I also suggest that you think of Yorkshire as a buffer zone between yourself and us lazy drivers who want to get home to the wife and children without having to avoid the prats who misjudge their ability so often.

Mark.

 

[shrekky]

For one, no-where did i say i drove wrecklessly round streets............and you must be the only person in manchester that drives like that..........having drove there more times than i care to count its one of the worst places in the country to drive and the M62 is worse than the M25.............and you missed my point entirely............i do alot of motorway miles,can be as much as 3000 miles a week..........and put it this way if its not a white van man driving like a lunatic its some pratt in a high end luxury car,top of the range BMW,lexus or merc..............and why ?..............because they think they are invinsible because they have automatic everything and cant crash or lose control..........yes their cars are safer as long as everything works or they dont have a blow out...........then they are real deep crap because they dont have a clue how to control it........whereas a person who drives an older car and have learned how to control it when it does break lose,will be less liable to hurt or kill other people.
And FYI if i intent in keeping a car........i take it to a track and learn exactly what it can and cant do,i also goto a skidpan often to refresh on getting out of skids,and you dont have drive wrecklessly to get into a skid !
and i dont claim to be the best driver around just better than 1/2 of them because they dont have a clue how to drive.

 

[davidsl500]

I think you might be confusing laziness with sophistication Shrekky.

Personally, auto's rule. I dont want to spend my time developing the muscle on my left leg particularly in traffic queues. if its not an auto then how else can you have a drink, light a fag, open a chocolate bar whilst flooring it at the lights?

ABS is a wonderful thing, the last time I remember it kicking in was in snow 3 cars a go in the early ninety's but it is there if I ever need it, and as much as I have practised cadence braking 99.9% of the population in an emergency situation will stamp on the brakes and hold on for dear life - because it is human nature to do so and this is where ABS comes in to its own. The fact that there are idiots on the road who dont judge conditions or potential hazards makes ABS essential for them - that way the dont hit me!

Stepping out the rear end may be great fun but it has no place on the roads today. Granted, knowing how your vehicle will react can make you a better driver and you practise all you like off road. The rear end breaking away means you have misjudged the conditions - and that 'aint good driving skill....

There is a skill to driving an auto fast, if you want to do that sort of thing and the skill is equally as difficult as driving a manual.

 

[shrekky]

you're driving along on a A road at 55 mph going round a curve,you think you're about to drive through a puddle of water..............only it turns out to be spilt fuel.........or on black ice.............sorry but these things dont need someone to be wreckless and all the gadgets in the world isn't going to help you,ABS is a wonderful(but not much good with only 3 wheels..for example a blow out) ,not disputing that or that i personally do like ESP...........and you're all missing the point...........the point i'm trying to make.............is that unless as i stated you actually cant drive a manual.............having a automatic is lazy .............and having automatic everything although intitially safer,makes drivers lazy because they get used to it,therefore when things go wrong the drivers cant handle it ,and it really goes wrong.
I respect other peoples view but some of you seem to have me painted a boy racer type moron,well you couldn't be more wrong........i have 2 kids of my own and.i drive for a living and have never lost total control of a car and have only ever lost the rear of my car on 2 occassions in 14 years and they were both on bends where fuel had been spilt and it was raining(and i wasn't the only one caught outbut was the only one who didn't hit anything),,and couldn't be seen.and i can personally brag i have never on any occassion had any sort of road accident.
And david yes there a a knack to driving automatic,just like there is a different style needed for driving deisels,
So personally manuals rule............you aint calling me no couch potato !

 

[Myros]

hey guys, let's chill

Time for the old duffer to pitch in. We have 2 manuals and an auto. I've driven all sorts of vehicle with all sorts of kit, sporting, safety and just plain naff sometimes (not my cars of course). Like David, and Shrekky, I take my driving very seriously, and when I look at what I see going on around me it makes me weep sometimes. All the passive safety that MB and others engineer into their cars is great, but can't replace a clued up driver who is on song. As we all are hinting, most drivers aren't either of those for any given length of time. So as long as we keep our brains and internal radar switched on, the net result is a decrease in the potential damage to be caused, in any given situation.
Back to the point. I quite like the auto box, but still, at the back of my mind, think I'd prefer a manual. However, I shift up and down the gate all the time, as in the hilly winding countryside where we live, my brain beats the auto's every time. It is nice to just have to tickle the gas pedal though, and have the car sort everything else out when pressing on. Despite me knowing I can outbrake the ABS, there is no place for cadence braking on the public road. I had cause to brake really hard on saturday, when approached by a driver on the wrong side of the road coming around a blind left-hander. The reason it wasn't painful was I expect nutters like that at every turn, and don't press on unless it's safe to do so. It's just as well that some of us do take a bit of care.
Shrekky's take is valid though. All that technology can, and eventually,will let you down.
Just how do you safely stop a speeding car with no brakes? I think I know, but does everyone else?

 

[The Editor]

Just how do you safely stop a speeding car with no brakes? I think I know, but does everyone else?

Throw it in reverse !! :lol:

 

[blassberg]

Personally, auto's rule.

For Benz I agree. For other makes I would go manual.

And not because I think Benz manuals are poor - I have one (ML270) and am very happy with it. And am looking 4wd to my 7Gtronic next.

Would the pro-auto brigade be for other marques?

 

[shrekky]

Personally, auto's rule. I dont want to spend my time developing the muscle on my left leg particularly in traffic queues. if its not an auto then how else can you have a drink, light a fag, open a chocolate bar whilst flooring it at the lights?

hmmmmmmmmmmm but let's see you push or tow start that !..........when you have a flat battery and no-one around to give you a jump start
wasting valuable breakdown services time when they could be off rescuing a fair maiden with a flat tyre.......... :lol: :lol: :lol: