"El Rivinado" (joeman856)
04/02/2015 at 22:32 • Filed to: None
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"El Rivinado" (joeman856)
04/02/2015 at 22:32 • Filed to: None | 11
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I don't mind the automatic transmission. In fact, I think the automatic transmission has it's advantages. If only for one very important class of car.
Ask yourself this question honestly, if you bought a big land yacht with it's floaty ride, lack of performance, and tug-boat handling, why put in a manual? Aren't you just taking away the qualities of what make those cars great? So, I say, the automatic transmission is not only fine, but advantageous in some respects.
Tekamul
> El Rivinado
04/02/2015 at 22:35 |
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if you bought a big land yacht
Well, there's your problem....
Different strokes for different folks. I don't think I'll ever find myself in a land yacht by choice. I got my license driving a caprice classic, that was more than enough for a life time.
SlickMcRick
> El Rivinado
04/02/2015 at 22:37 |
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To be quite honest I much rather prefer the 135i with the sport AT over the MT. I've driven both and it's just something about the way it upshifts with sport package that's intoxicating.
That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
> El Rivinado
04/02/2015 at 22:38 |
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Luxury cars in general, really. If my DD Civic were an automatic, I'd likely die of boredom. But my XJ12 is much better for being an automatic...it just suits thr character of the car much better.
V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me!
> Tekamul
04/02/2015 at 22:44 |
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CHOO CHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
stuttgartobsessed
> El Rivinado
04/02/2015 at 22:49 |
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you are absolutely correct.
RallyWrench
> El Rivinado
04/03/2015 at 00:02 |
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Exactly. I went almost 20 years of driving& vehicle ownership having never owned an automatic. But my interests & needs have evolved, hence the recent purchase of an old F150 & much older Fairlane, both automatics.
The truck is self explanatory. The only thing the Fairlane does well is go straight slowly & look cool. With a 200ci 6 and bench seat, I have no desire to row my own in that car. If I repower it later, maybe it'll get a manual, but that's not even on my radar for now.
FishBoner
> That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
04/03/2015 at 08:04 |
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That's such a disappointing view to have. A really nice car, with engine that goes vroom, and people don't even want to properly drive them. What suits a nice car with a nice engine is driving it, not letting a computer handle 95-99% of it. Why even bother getting the extra cylinders if you're going to let the car do all of the work? Status? It's not about the car itself in that case...
I am a tech guy and am interested to see how autonomous cars will continue to evolve....but I love manuals. I also love driving and feeling the road. Sometimes analog isn't always a bad thing, and it's amazing how many basic skills and abilities are easily lost to reliance on machines. At the same time, it's amazing to see the advances in the machines themselves.
What remains is complacency on the road and lack of attention- I've never been more distracted than when driving an automatic a few times recently- since I wasn't shifting, it was easier to focus on things that didn't include driving.
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That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
> FishBoner
04/03/2015 at 08:55 |
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What, exactly, is properly driving them? Properly driving a Miata is different from properly driving a Rolls Royce. And properly driving my Jaguar isn't corner carving and rev matching, it's cruising.
Jaguar V12s in their cars weren't about performance...they usually only offered an extra 20hp over the largest six, the 4.2L. They were about being smooth and silent, which the car does exceptionally well. I don't need three pedals in that car to enjoy it, and I would argue that I'm absolutely driving the car properly.
A transmission isn't the only part of a car. A stick doesn't make a bad car good, and an automatic doesn't make a good car bad.
shop-teacher
> El Rivinado
04/03/2015 at 10:08 |
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I prefer my luxury cars and pickup trucks to be automatics. The shifter should be on the column as well.
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FishBoner
> That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
04/03/2015 at 15:26 |
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Fair play, and correct about the stick making a car bad versus good...I wasn't debating the car itself as much as the driving experience.
I would argue that putting 6 more cylinders in an engine should ultimately equate to more power, and thus a different driving experience from say, the DD Civic you mentioned- which is why one may want to take advantage of what's being provided...because more. Test driving an automatic GTI will not give you the buzz you get from driving manual, I can attest to that.
A classic Jaaaaaaag is a classic Jag, you're right they are meant to be driven like that. My dad has a 996 in the garage, and a wagon for DD, the Porsche is stick (because it's fun to 'properly' drive), the wagon isn't.
It does depend on the car, but for my money, if I'm going to drop that kind of loot on a vehicle, I want to take full advantage of driving it. That's what I was trying to say. If you enjoy the ride, more power to you..
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That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
> FishBoner
04/03/2015 at 17:35 |
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Yeah, exactly. I mean believe me, I'm by no means an automatic transmission guy. I'd wager out of the cars I've owned, and there have been plenty, maybe 15% have been automatics. For the most part, the manuals have been sportier cars and the automatics have been trucks and the occasional luxury car. So if I'm looking for that 'buzz' (an excellent word for it, actually), I'm usually going to gravitate towards a sportier car with a stick.
The Jag is a bit of a new experience for me, because up until this point, I've equated an enjoyable drive with sportiness. And yeah, those cars are probably more...engaging than the Jag, which just sort of hustles you along in silence and comfort. When I first got it, I thought it would be really neat with a stick (and I'd still love to do a swap on an XJS), but now, having lived with it for nearly three years? I wouldn't change it.
As to adding cylinders for power, I'd say it's more accurate to say you'd add displacement to add power. Interestingly, a 4.2L Jaguar 6 makes more power per liter than the 5.3L V12. I mean yeah, nowadays when you see a V12 it's probably in a Zonda or a Ferrari, but when Jag did it it was more a prestige thing. Sure, you got an extra 30hp (60 in mine), and it knocked a few tenths off the 0-60, but it was the change in character they were looking for.
The neat thing about our hobby is how many different ways there are to have fun. Cruising around in a classic Jag, fun as hell. Winding roads and auto-X in a 996, fun as hell. Off roading in a Jeep, fun as hell. Cars are the best.