Is this the end for the manual box??

an ironic thread given last week i test drove a golf GTI with the DSG box, it started with me wanting to have a go in an R32, purely out of interest i'm not in the market, anyway, i went out in the r32 which was manual, very impressive drive i must say the ride was sublime, power wise it was not as lively as my 3.0 Z, the saleman asked if i had considered DSG and would i like to try it so when we got back into a GTI with the DSG, after the R32 i honestly thought it would be a bit of a let down but christ this thing was awesome..., the GTI was a far better car to drive much more responsive steering but the DSG box was fantastic, it really opened my eyes, the gear change was totally seamless and instant, hard acceleration just plant the foot and flick the paddles, in normal auto mode it was not as responsive as using the paddles but yeh with paddle shift fantastic, i would buy one and i would buy the GTI with DSG over the R32....... :thumbsup:
 
All this Manual vs Auto business also depends on were you're from. Some here said they learned how to drive on auto and the younger generation will never learn manual etc. Well as long as cars are offered in manual and the automatic transmission is an optional extra people will learn to drive on manual!

In Cyprus you must either be sick and tired of shifting or a professional driver (taxi, deliveries etc) to own an auto. If it costs more most people wont bother. Now if they start offering an automatic or semi-automatic transmission as standard or no-cost extra then that may change.

I have been driving a manual all my life and the only time i drove automatic is when i was driving friends cars. The first car i ever drove was a manual. Anyone knows the Suzuki Super Carry? (ironic name) Really old teeny tiny microvans? Well that's the car i learned how to drive on. And it was awsome! Feather weight and RWD (my first dose of oversteer! :driving: ). I would stuff all my friends in that tiny thing and head to the beach. This was about 2 years before i even got my license. I drove the transmission off that thing. Literally... one night the gear lever just fell through the bottom of the car and that was end of it. :cry:

Now what was this forum post about... I forget..
 
I had an auto hire car while looking for my Zed, I never felt like I was in control and infact I found I was paying less attention to my driving because of it. It made me realise that any Zed I bought would have to be a manual.

Though had it been a good SMG box, I might of felt different.
 
takedown8 said:
Manual transmissions will definitely be phased out, good or bad. I think the younger generations, including myself, never even grew up having to drive a manual. On top of that, traffic definitely ain't gettin' any better in the city.

I learned how to drive manual a few months ago, and although I can see how it's kind of fun, I also see how much of a pain it would be to drive on a day to day basis. And of course 80-90% of the time I'm in the car, I'm just going from point A to point B unfortunately. :thumbsdown:
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I think a big portion of our friends over the pond are still driving standards, theyre more popular there than in Canada and the USA. Now I living Brooklyn New York...if we dont have traffic I dont know who does and I would still prefer shifting myself than having a computer do it for me...something about the gear shifter I love moving.
 
WaZZZZman said:
It is probably true that the manual (stick) shift is going away. But look at the complexity involved between an automatic and a stick. I would attempt to replace parts in a manual transmission, but with all the pumps a hydraulic lines etc., even a crazy old fart like me would not even attempt it. I used to replace stick transmissions just for the hell of it when I was a kid racing on the drag strip. I have replaced a manual transmission in one of my cars quite recently. But an auto, now that is another matter. :(

Just one more thing they are doing to make it damn near impossible for the average Joe to work on his own car without specialized factory tools. :headbang: Too bad in my mind. Not to insult the young folks, but judging from my observation of a lot of young guys these days, they do not know what end of a wrench to hold (nobody on this forum of course). :poke: My daughter works on her own cars and does things like brake jobs. She is a little ex-model but can swing a wicked wrench. :) I wanted all my kids to know how to work on cars, but these days it is getting harder and harder for them and me to do even routine maintenance. :(
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Wait, you have a Model hot daughter AND she knows how to fix things??????

PLEASE send me her number...
 
PhilDZ4 said:
Shipkiller, not that I'm trying to tell you your business or
anything, but don't you think you should see a pic first? :)
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What makes you think he's picky? Beggers can't be choosers. :lol:
 
Well Shipkiller and others here is a picture of her working at a local shopping place for a real estate firm. She was about 10 years younger when she did auto shows and many other events. But she got married had a couple of kids and now just works when she has the time. This photo looks like she has bad teeth or something but it is just the photo. Now as far as her fixing your car, well she has a very big and somewhat possessive husband, but I am telling you she can work on cars and does a great job....Oh and she can drive a stick and power shift.

sundeeforz4.jpg
 
Anyone read the latest Evo magazine? They have a nice 7 page article testing and comparing the various kinds or transmissions. The automated manual is represented by the Ferrari 599 GTB, the automatic by the Jaguar XKR, the dual clutch by the V6 Audi TT and Nissan GT-R and the manual by the BMW 335i.

They finish by saying the new automatics are in many ways better than a good driven manual. The Ferrari shifts faster and smoother than any driver could, the dual clutch ones deliver faster acceleration than a manual and better economy too and the ZF in the Jaguar is smoother from rest than all the other automatics and in it's 'manual' mode offers a level of responsivness that "rivals that of the AMT and DCT". The downsides of the automatics is cost. The Audi DSG is around 1400 GBP BMW's SMG was around 2250 GBP and the new M DCT will be 2590 GBP also they say the AMT "has never seemed viable for the mass market thanks to the often high wear rate of the clutch friction plate with lots of city use". But the DCT doesnt have these issues and is "set for serious growth".

They say that research shows that in 5 years DCT will have an over 7% European market share but seeing that last year 80% of cars built in Europe where manual the manual isnt going anwhere anytime soon. Also another reason the manual is staying for a while is that European buyers would prefer to spend money on alloys and a stereo upgrade than a gearbox. And for enthousiasts there's also a great emotional element; mastering a manual is one of the most satisfying aspects of driving etc etc.

There! That was a lot to write and i hope you people appreciate this! :D I have to say i pretty much agree with the article. The manual, in Europe at least isnt going to disappear.
 
Haha. Oh well nevermind then. Uhm scan it maybe? :poke: Nah, yeah that is a bit of typing. Show's how geeky I am at times I guess.....hard to imaging people still receive magazines.
 
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