Sorry to quote your post, wasn't meaning to infer that you were one of the beat you over the head "manuals are better durrrrrrr!!!!" kinda drivers.
Cheap gas + a design that is not really efficient == Wasteful. Just because we have cheap gas doesn't mean that we have right to waste it on efficient technologies - which is apparently what we were doing in toe 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's just because little 16 year old Marry Jo could not be bother with learning how to drive manual.
At 5 bucks a gallon because of the problems with supply you'll wish that all that gasoline that was wasted, was appreciated more and conserved more.
Wtf are you talking about? There are a lot of cars that get very similar gas mileage ratings for manual and automatic. There are even automatics that surpass the manuals in fuel economy.
We're not looking at like 50% drop in fuel economy either for this comparison of yours. We're looking at maybe 2-3 mpg for those cars if they do get less mpg.
And hypermiling takes way too much fucking time. Seriously, I'm not going to be the guy going 35-40mph on the freeway in an awkward part of the lane because I'm trying to avoid where people normally drive because it's smoother at this part... And really, all the roads where I live are fucked in all parts. I don't want to take 2 hours for a 1 hour trip...
You can't shift faster than a DSG AKA manual without a clutch pedal.
Manuals also have the ability to be more flexible than autos. For the most part autos shift as a certain rev count and might have a sport mode option to raise that. With manuals you can shift where you want, this means you can granny drive it for mpg or get top revs for performance.
For some of us, getting 25-30 MPGs qualifies as "hypermiling"
FYI - The 26MPG of the Z is somewhat of a stretch...You really have to try to drive slow to get close to this...it's more like 22-23 highway.
I don't care what car, you can pretty much always beat the AT mileage with a MT. The rated mileage is tested based on standard driving, and you can always squeeze more MPGs from a MT. If a AT is geared like crap for maximum efficiency and low power, you can't change it (without significant tranny work). With a MT, YOU choose the gears, YOU choose when to shift/not shift, YOU choose when the car is in neutral or in gear.
Call me a control freak, but I like the ability to do what I want in a MT to get maximum power or better efficiency.
Just a question.....
But do any manual transmission drivers use cruise control?
I just find some humor in true manual transmission diehards that say that automatics are for the lazy and that they want more control and then go on to use cruise which essentially negates those arguements.
A manual transmission would have prevented that guy and his family in the Lexus loaner car from dying that's for certain.
So why do you continue to argue for manuals when new autos get better gas mileage?
True enough, but I wonder why he couldn't just have slid the car into neutral gear.
Wouldn't all he have to do is slam on the brakes and then get it into neutral or are these transmissions computer's little bitches?
There should be an override for this sort of shit.
It's NOT and emergency brake, it's a parking brake!I was wondering about that too...
Instead of calling 911 to bitch about not able to stop the car, put in on Neutral. On my wife's auto Civic, I can do it without pressing on the brake pedal.
Had that poor mofo known what the shift lever is for and what it does, he and his family would still live...
The Toyota recall is actually not an issue with the manual because you can always shift to neutral - even without pressing the clutch - your transmission won't like it very much, but it is possible. Not to mention the emergency brake always next to the shifter too.
Had that poor mofo known what the shift lever is for and what it does, he and his family would still live...
It's not simply for parking, but you already know that.It's NOT and emergency brake, it's a parking brake!
What do you call the brake that is next to your foot? Not the middle one, the one to the left of the brake in the middle...It's not simply for parking, but you already know that.
It's a Handbrake.
What do you call the brake that is next to your foot? Not the middle one, the one to the left of the brake in the middle...
Volvo despite having literally a hand brake, calls it a parking brake.
http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/2004/2004_s60/04s60_00.htm
http://new.volvocars.com/ownersdocs/2004/2004_s60/04s60_02b.htm#pg37
"Parking brake (hand brake)
The lever is situated between the front seats. The brake is applied to the rear wheels. The indicator light in the instrument panel will light up to indicate when the parking brake is applied. Apply the parking brake by pulling up firmly on the lever. Release the parking brake by depressing the button at the end of the lever and lowering the lever completely. "
I think people spend longer in cars here, though, too.
That's a one-off example. I recall but can't be bothered to google that miles per year average in US is higher than in Europe. I grant that on average people in Europe drive slower though so if US average is 12k and Europe is 10 it's probably a wash.traffic jams around European big cities are just as bad as in the US. A typical 40 mile commute to Brussels takes around 60-90 minutes one way. That is 2-3 hours a day stuck in traffic and people still drive a manual.