"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
02/13/2016 at 22:38 • Filed to: None
9
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"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
02/13/2016 at 22:38 • Filed to: None | 9
| 35 |
To start this off, the last three cars I’ve owned have been manual. The car I currently own is manual. By no means am I a perfect manual driver. I still annoyingly mess up from time to time like anybody else does. That isn’t the point though.
Here goes nothing:
I’ve had more fun aggressively driving/being driven in automatic cars. For the most part, they feel quicker off the line and the power feels much more linear. There’s less choice of gear and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you mash the go pedal, you go without having to do anything. Opposed to mashing the go pedal and searching around for the right gear to be in. While it isn’t that hard, it’s still kinda nice to just be able to “go.” Especially when stop signs and red lights litter the suburb that you live in, where being quick off the line is nicer than being able to cruise in one gear the entire time.
Another thing is that when I thrash a manual car, I feel like I’m going to break everything. Even if I’m shifting perfectly. I don’t know why, I can’t explain it. Maybe because I drive VAG products. When I thrash an automatic car, I trust the transmission and ECU to not break everything.
That being said, my next purchase it likely going to be an S3. The DSG system is amazing and they fart when they upshift.
CompactLuxuryFan
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 22:47 |
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Mmm that S3 kinda looks like an Avant with those roof rails. Wouldn’t that be nice.
I disagree about the “not searching around for the right gear to be in”. In practice, I find I’m able to get up and go (shoot for a gap in traffic, for example) faster with a manual than even with a modern, good automatic (e.g. ZF 8 spd). Because even though the actual shifting happens more slowly, you start doing it earlier than the automatic. Even with a kickdown switch, I’ve caught modern cars by surprise many times. With my stick, I guess I start seeing the situation unfold and I can downshift preemptively without actually speeding up just yet.
Definitely agree on the feeling like you’re gonna break stuff. But automatics get all nasty with high mileage :(
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 22:48 |
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Steve in Manhattan
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 22:48 |
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If I had to buy a car now it would be an automatic - SigOther can’t drive stick. But if it was just me, would I get a 6M? Suppose I’d have to be faced with it.
scoob
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 22:51 |
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BLAH BLAH BLAH TAKE YOUR SACRILEGIOUS ANTI-CHRIST ANTI-OPPO LOATHSOME INSUFFERABLE PRO-AUTO SATAN-WORSHIPPING EXCRUCIATING PERILOUS AUTO-LOVING DIATRIBE OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!1!11!!1111111111111111111111
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jkm7680
> CompactLuxuryFan
02/13/2016 at 22:51 |
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Agreed, automatics do get gross with high mileage haha.
The only thing is where I live, you won’t drive for more than three minutes without hitting a red light or stop sign and the flow of traffic varies constantly. I’d say that on a one mile stretch of road, I’d have to downshift between second and third and sometimes even forth every eighth of a mile.
whoarder is tellurium
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 22:54 |
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I’ll be honest: driving an automatic is like a mini-vacation.
However, I have great peace of mind with a manual. It takes skill and if it breaks it is usually the operator’s fault.
jvirgs drives a Subaru
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 23:00 |
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I feel the same way. Current car is my first manual and my next will likely be an automatic. I love the manual, I like the control, but its nice to just get in and go and not have to worry about shifting every 10 feet due to traffic lights and idiot drivers.
Nick Has an Exocet
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 23:08 |
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Dual clutch is where it’s at. All the control of a manual with all the fast shifting perfect runs to 80mph of an automatic.
I daily a car with a DCT - even Randy Pobst agrees that it’s where it’s at.
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scoob
> Steve in Manhattan
02/13/2016 at 23:10 |
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I don’t know if I could handle driving through Manhattan and Brooklyn with a manual.
Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 23:22 |
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I have an auto and I’m proud.
SirDrivesAlot (now with hybrid powerrrr)
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 23:31 |
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My first car was an automatic, after that all I would own were manuals. That is until this left knee of mine told me my manual days were over. The current car is an automatic, but has paddles so at least I can pretend I am still shifting my own gears....
I can still get my manual “fix” by borrowing the wife’s Miata...when I can get it away from her.
PatBateman
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 23:49 |
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I both applaud your bravery and agree with you. Today's autos are far and away better than those of yesteryear.
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> jkm7680
02/13/2016 at 23:50 |
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Your feelings are well thought out and I offer not my usual reply of heckling or something rather allroad.
Hellcat Everything
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 00:04 |
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Yeah, my tc, while it can be a hoot to drive, is also my only car, and because of that, sometimes I wish that it was an auto, because of all the unpredictable drivers around here, the occasional traffic jam, and (of course) the time I broke my left foot and had to drive 30 miles home from the hospital.
DrScientist
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 00:07 |
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autos do indeed have their place.
i was fully prepared to get an auto for my last car purchase, as it suited the car—a big heavy touring car.
but, a manual popped up locally, and because of the rarity, i had to get it. and now im stuck with one of the (maybe THE) worst manual transmissions ive ever driven.
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jkm7680
> DrScientist
02/14/2016 at 00:12 |
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What kind of car is it?
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DrScientist
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 00:28 |
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sm70- why not Duesenberg?
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 00:57 |
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I can drive stick (ish), and it’s tons of fun, but the wold isn’t one big back road or rally stage. Sometimes, especially in traffic, bad weather, or even on a nice clear day, it’s nice to be able to just put it in drive and go.
Tripper
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 01:06 |
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“The DSG system is amazing and they fart when they upshift.”
Can verify!
I don’t miss a gearshift on my DD, and I was always saying that I would drive a 3 pedal car forever. I’ve been really impressed with the DSG.
for Michigan
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 01:18 |
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While I like the control of a manual, if I could have the same level of control with paddle shifters, I would much prefer that. Mainly, I don’t like having to take my hand off the wheel to shift, but I also wouldn’t mind not having to work a clutch every time I change gear. It would also be nice to put it in auto mode when I just don’t feel like picking my own gears.
I think that means a good DCT is what I want, but I’m not going to be able to afford a car with one of those for a while yet.
PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 03:28 |
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I’ve driven a DSG mk5 GTI, a DSG mk6 GTI, a DSG mk7 GTI, and a DSG Golf R
and you know what? they were all great.
...right up until I drove a stick MK6 GLI, a stick Mk7 GTI and a stick MK7 Golf R
The manuals may lose a bit off the line, and you won’t be able to launch as well as one, but to me, there’s nothing comparing to physically moving a lever, nailing a pedal, and getting the car from one cog to the next.
While modern autos are amzing, and I really wouldn't mind one in a daily, there's just something about being able to rev the engine up, and dump the clutch that makes a car that much more enjoyable for me
911e46z06
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 03:55 |
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I like to keep an auto in the stable. They’re great for DD duty, especially when you need to sit in traffic. But you’re kind of wrong. When you’re thrashin’ it, manuals are just more fun. If it breaks, it breaks.
TheOnelectronic
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 06:07 |
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I despise automatics for exactly the reason you say they’re good- when you mash the go pedal, you get a good several seconds of “uh, uh, uh, wait, shit. I’m supposed to do something here. What was it? Oh! Right! Shift gears! Now, which gear should it be? Third? Oh, no, he’s lost patience and pushed the pedal down farther. Now I have to start all over” before the car actually starts moving.
In fact that specific trait is a common criticism I’ve seen of the DSG in the Golf R/S3.
shop-teacher
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 08:58 |
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I’d like to have a car with a manual trans for a weekend fun car, but for my daily driving? Nah, I’ll stick with my autos.
Master Cylinder
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 09:06 |
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I don’t think I’d mind a DCT auto. The problem I have with CVT and torque converter-based automatics is that vague, disconnected feeling you get, where it feels like all your throttle inputs are delayed. Like your gas pedal is connected to the throttle body with a rubber band instead of a cable (or wire).
That said, they do work in big cruisers. I’d hate an automatic in my 944 but in my old Mark VIII it was just fine.
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jkm7680
> Master Cylinder
02/14/2016 at 09:19 |
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That’s why I have CVTs. They’re horrible.
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jkm7680
> TheOnelectronic
02/14/2016 at 09:20 |
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Huh, I’ve never heard of somebody complaining about that with the Golf R/S3. You could get around it by using the paddles though, the gear changes are lightning fast with those.
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jkm7680
> 911e46z06
02/14/2016 at 09:22 |
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Well, it’s an opinion. So I’m neither wrong, nor right.
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jkm7680
> Tripper
02/14/2016 at 09:24 |
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Noice!
How do you like it so far? I too used to be a manual purist, but I’m opening up a little bit as technology is making the manual obsolete.
Slant6
> TheOnelectronic
02/14/2016 at 10:44 |
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That sounds like an old automatic. Like the one in my 1965 Dodge Dart, or my Dad’s old Suburban. New ones are much better. They realized the old ones were horrible so now they do everything better.
I’m also a manual purists who had 5/6 past cars as manuals. Only auto is the Dodge.
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TheOnelectronic
> Slant6
02/14/2016 at 11:21 |
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This was the DSG in a Mk. 5 GTI.
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TheOnelectronic
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 11:23 |
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It’s like any other dual-clutch. It’s fine going one gear up or down, but more than that takes a while.
It wasn’t entirely clear from the review I watched, but I also heard someone complain that the DSG will upshift at high RPM even in “manual mode”.
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Tripper
> jkm7680
02/14/2016 at 11:41 |
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I love it man, even more than I thought I would. I was a knucklehead BMW M guy for the past decade, and still am to a degree. All my cars have been manuals, and I swore I would always drive a RWD manual.
When my buddy suggested that I check out an S3. I was into it but really put off by the lack of manual. Once I had driven it, I don’t think I would have opted for the manual even if it was available. To be honest downshifting is what sold me on the DSG. The first time I came barreling into a hard turn and realized that I could down shift like I’m playing Forza I was hooked. The only thing that you’re really missing is the clutch pedal, and honestly I think it might actually take away from the fun of this car. It’s nearly as quick as the E90 M3 that I traded for it, and I average 10 more MPG haha.
It’s worth noting that the S3 was the most entertaining test drive I have ever been on. The salesman drove it first...like a fucking maniac. Then he pulled over, we switched seats and he said “ok check your mirrors, get your seatbelt on, then drive it like you just robbed a bank”. I did, and I don’t know if I would have been able to fully appreciate the car had the salesman not encouraged me to drive it hard. (I was 98% sure that we would be pulled over while the salesman was driving)
Full disclosure: If we did not have two other 3 pedal cars, there is a slim chance that I would have ended up in an STi limited, but knowing what I know now, that would have been a bad move. The S3 is awesome!
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jkm7680
> Tripper
02/14/2016 at 12:15 |
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That makes me want one twice as much, haha.
qbeezy
> 911e46z06
02/16/2016 at 23:14 |
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When I thrash a manual compared to an auto, it feels like the manual is taking more of a beating.