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Ezkerraldean
from the lowest common denominator (United Kingdom) on 2006-10-19 05:12 [#01989202]
Points: 5733 Status: Addict
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why do americans always have automatic cars? they suck! you cant wheelspin with them!
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-19 05:17 [#01989205]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag
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The only automatic car I've ever enjoyed was a (new type) Civic with Honda's sportshift system. Essentially you can switch between fully auto and a setup that emulates a rally car's clutchless sequential gearbox. Banging it up and down the box with the accelerator pinned was great fun.
The reason Americans have automatics is that they have long distances to travel and automatics are less tiring to drive. Also, they tend to have huge engines by european standards and large low revving "lazy" engines suit automatics well (needs fewer gearchanges so smoother).
I agree that generally though, automatics are not very engaging at all and I can't ever see myself buying one. The depreciation on them is massive too (particularly on anything remotely sporty) as most people feel the same way about them.
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-19 05:18 [#01989207]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Ceri JC: #01989205 | Show recordbag
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*I forgot to mention I managed to wheelspin the automatic Civic. Done by banging down 2 gears in the wet while gassing it.
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Wolfslice
from Bay Area, CA (United States) on 2006-10-19 05:19 [#01989208]
Points: 4910 Status: Lurker
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I'm American, and I never learned to drive a manual. Now i'm just too lazy to learn.
Plus I like keeping my left leg tucked comfortably under my right leg.
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mimi
on 2006-10-19 12:12 [#01989450]
Points: 5721 Status: Regular
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i like to drive my manual but an automatic isn't so bad, you can talk on your cell phone, eat breakfast, put on mascara and crash into the car in front of you all at once!
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LuminousAphid
from home (United States) on 2006-10-19 18:19 [#01989630]
Points: 540 Status: Lurker | Followup to Ezkerraldean: #01989202
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i can wheelspin with mine. but i'm just that cool. i know how to drive a manual but i'd rather have an automatic hands-down. too much of a hassle to fiddle with gears every time you come to a stop light, which there are many around here.
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-19 19:59 [#01989637]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to mimi: #01989450 | Show recordbag
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I see school run mums managing all that in manual cars almost daily.
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bogala
from NYC (United States) on 2006-10-19 20:09 [#01989638]
Points: 5125 Status: Regular
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i learned how to drive on a manual. My grandparents who taught me think automatic is lazy. It does demand more attention.
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bogala
from NYC (United States) on 2006-10-19 20:09 [#01989639]
Points: 5125 Status: Regular
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My grandparents are insane though
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swift_jams
from big sky on 2006-10-19 20:12 [#01989641]
Points: 7577 Status: Lurker | Followup to Ezkerraldean: #01989202
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OHohohoh...YES YOU CAN! :D I found out the hard way! In the rain too of all things. Hydroplaning is fucking awesome when there are no other cars and you're going 75 on a 55 road. ;)
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bogala
from NYC (United States) on 2006-10-19 20:40 [#01989650]
Points: 5125 Status: Regular
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Isn't there a new sport involving spinning out?
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-19 20:41 [#01989651]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to bogala: #01989650 | Show recordbag
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Drift racing?
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Anus_Presley
on 2006-10-19 20:44 [#01989652]
Points: 23472 Status: Lurker
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manuals might be harrderr to learrn, but they'rre not harrderr to drrive and rreally... they don't take any morre attention i wouldn't think. i've neverr drriven an automatic, i wouldn't want to, it'd feel horrrrible.
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-20 02:13 [#01989724]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Anus_Presley: #01989652 | Show recordbag
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IMO, manuals do take marginally more attention, but this is offset by the fact you have more control over the car's acceleration and deceleration. The only time I was glad to be driving an automatic, rather than manual version of a given car was when I was feeling very ill (some sort of glandular infection) and was having to really concentrate and still was only able to drive safely at about 5mph less than the speed limit. It was nice to just have to think about "stop and go, left and right" and I could see the appeal for people who are poor drivers.
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Taxidermist
from Black Grass on 2006-10-20 06:08 [#01989777]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker
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Automatics have a better resale value than manuals. I tried learning how to drive a manual and I nearly destroyed the transmission.
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-20 06:34 [#01989796]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Taxidermist: #01989777 | Show recordbag
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Not in the UK (and to a lesser extent, Europe in general). We hate them.
I can understand why in America manuals would be harder to resell.
Out of interest, roughly what proportion of people with licences have manual licences in America?
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Taxidermist
from Black Grass on 2006-10-20 06:36 [#01989797]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker | Followup to Ceri JC: #01989796
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Do you need a separate licence to drive manual than automatic in UK?
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Taxidermist
from Black Grass on 2006-10-20 06:39 [#01989799]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker
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If your talking about how many people own manual cars, I would say out of the fifteen or so people I know that own cars, only my sister has a manual. The number would be different in rural areas (about half of canada's population is rural) so perhaps 1 in 7, I would guess.
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-20 06:44 [#01989807]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Taxidermist: #01989797 | Show recordbag
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In the UK, if you pass your test in a manual, you can drive either an automatic or a manual. If you learn in an automatic, you need to redo your test in a manual in order to be able to drive a manual. The only people who have automatic licences tend to be the disabled, or women who learn to drive later in life and can't really get the hang of it.
I imagine in rural areas, more people learnt to drive on tractors and hence already know how to use manuals?
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Rostasky
from United States on 2006-10-20 06:49 [#01989812]
Points: 1572 Status: Lurker | Followup to Ceri JC: #01989807
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I live in a very rural area and learned on a (standard) work truck. Most people where I live drive standards, but there aren't that many people that live there.
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Ezkerraldean
from the lowest common denominator (United Kingdom) on 2006-10-20 06:52 [#01989820]
Points: 5733 Status: Addict | Followup to swift_jams: #01989641
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but its not the same! with a manual you can wheelspin off at every junction, in any weather! and redline with the clutch down when you drive past someone you know, more polite than beeping the horn ;)
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-20 07:07 [#01989839]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Ezkerraldean: #01989820 | Show recordbag
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I use the "dip the clutch and up the revs" trick to get pedestrians (often drunks) to get out of the road. It actually takes 2 seconds to visually gauge a car's speed with any real sort of accuracy- most people, even if they don't drive themselves, seem to base their initial view of a car speeding up/slowing down on engine noise. In short, you trick them into thinking you're speeding up, when actually you're slowing slightly.
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Ezkerraldean
from the lowest common denominator (United Kingdom) on 2006-10-20 07:09 [#01989842]
Points: 5733 Status: Addict
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i like your style. what do you drive Ceri me boy?
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Ceri JC
from Jefferson City (United States) on 2006-10-20 07:17 [#01989850]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Ezkerraldean: #01989842 | Show recordbag
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All sorts; I get a new hire car pretty much every week. I mainly ride bikes and prefer them for getting from a to b in a "sporty" manner, but cars are convenient for work sometimes.
I've just handed back my favourite "big car" so far; a petrol Vectra SRI with sat nav. It's the only car I've ever unintentionally wheelspun due to power (as opposed to losing grip when taking the piss cornering). Even in the dry, without the touching the clutch, press the accelerator too hard and it'll start wheelspinning. I've had it once before a few months back. Last time I had it, I drifted it a complete 360 round a mini roundabout.
They look nice too; if you put a matt black Irmscher grill in it and debadged it, but kept the rest stock it'd look superb.
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redrum
from the allman brothers band (Ireland) on 2006-10-20 08:14 [#01989867]
Points: 12878 Status: Addict
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i hate automatics.
buy a manual, you have far more control over the movement and behaviour of the car.
also, automatic gearboxes are notoriously unreliable.
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