downshifting on automatic?
I frankly don’t understand why anyone would buy an automatic and manually shift the gears all the time.
It reminds me of the story of the Sears customer who bought a power chain saw guaranteed to knock down ten trees per day. About a week later he returned the saw, looking dirty and spent, complaining it took him a whole week to cut down ten trees. The salesman took the saw and said, “Let me see what’s wrong here.” He fired up the saw and heard the usual BUZZZZZZZZ sound. The customer looked bewildered and said, “What was that noise?”
It reminds me of the story of the Sears customer who bought a power chain saw guaranteed to knock down ten trees per day. About a week later he returned the saw, looking dirty and spent, complaining it took him a whole week to cut down ten trees. The salesman took the saw and said, “Let me see what’s wrong here.” He fired up the saw and heard the usual BUZZZZZZZZ sound. The customer looked bewildered and said, “What was that noise?”
Your analogy makes no sense to me. No one is complaining about the AT malfunctioning or not performing as it should. In fact my experience has been that the AT is performing exactly as expected per driver input.
Some people want the control of shifting gears when on the open road or cruising around town but have the freedom to let the car shift when they want it to as opposed to only having the option to manually shift.
For me, the car drives more preferable in manual mode than in auto, unless its stop/go traffic.
The conclusion however is that it simply may not be for you to understand.
Senior Citizen
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,984
Likes: 87
From: Los Angeles
.. well since I am the only one that posted that I use mm most of the time, I will respond.
Your analogy makes no sense to me. No one is complaining about the AT malfunctioning or not performing as it should. In fact my experience has been that the AT is performing exactly as expected per driver input.
Some people want the control of shifting gears when on the open road or cruising around town but have the freedom to let the car shift when they want it to as opposed to only having the option to manually shift.
For me, the car drives more preferable in manual mode than in auto, unless its stop/go traffic.
The conclusion however is that it simply may not be for you to understand.
Your analogy makes no sense to me. No one is complaining about the AT malfunctioning or not performing as it should. In fact my experience has been that the AT is performing exactly as expected per driver input.
Some people want the control of shifting gears when on the open road or cruising around town but have the freedom to let the car shift when they want it to as opposed to only having the option to manually shift.
For me, the car drives more preferable in manual mode than in auto, unless its stop/go traffic.
The conclusion however is that it simply may not be for you to understand.
My analogy was a simple way to voice an opinion that buying a product and not use it as intended is a waste of resources and money. Purchasing a car with an automatic transmission and bypassing it to shift manually is IMO in that category. Sure there are certain occasions when you want to shift manually, and I too do that, but you said you “Drove it in nothing but manual mode for 50K miles” and that’s what prompted my response. In that situation it seems you should have bought a MT car.
Registered Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
From: Houston, Texas
I frankly don’t understand why anyone would buy an automatic and manually shift the gears all the time.
It reminds me of the story of the Sears customer who bought a power chain saw guaranteed to knock down ten trees per day. About a week later he returned the saw, looking dirty and spent, complaining it took him a whole week to cut down ten trees. The salesman took the saw and said, “Let me see what’s wrong here.” He fired up the saw and heard the usual BUZZZZZZZZ sound. The customer looked bewildered and said, “What was that noise?”
It reminds me of the story of the Sears customer who bought a power chain saw guaranteed to knock down ten trees per day. About a week later he returned the saw, looking dirty and spent, complaining it took him a whole week to cut down ten trees. The salesman took the saw and said, “Let me see what’s wrong here.” He fired up the saw and heard the usual BUZZZZZZZZ sound. The customer looked bewildered and said, “What was that noise?”
Senior Citizen
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,984
Likes: 87
From: Los Angeles
There’s no question that manually shifting gears can be more satisfying to a driving enthusiast, especially in MT cars with no shift paddles or DS modes that IMO do not give the same gratification. But after one gets stuck in heavy traffic a few times then AT cars certainly become more tempting.
Frankly, and dedicated MT owners hate to hear this, MT may be completely phased out for new cars in a few years as AT technology continues to advance in both gas mileage and performance.
Frankly, and dedicated MT owners hate to hear this, MT may be completely phased out for new cars in a few years as AT technology continues to advance in both gas mileage and performance.
There’s no question that manually shifting gears can be more satisfying to a driving enthusiast, especially in MT cars with no shift paddles or DS modes that IMO do not give the same gratification. But after one gets stuck in heavy traffic a few times then AT cars certainly become more tempting.
Frankly, and dedicated MT owners hate to hear this, MT may be completely phased out for new cars in a few years as AT technology continues to advance in both gas mileage and performance.
Frankly, and dedicated MT owners hate to hear this, MT may be completely phased out for new cars in a few years as AT technology continues to advance in both gas mileage and performance.
My analogy was a simple way to voice an opinion that buying a product and not use it as intended is a waste of resources and money. Purchasing a car with an automatic transmission and bypassing it to shift manually is IMO in that category. Sure there are certain occasions when you want to shift manually, and I too do that, but you said you “Drove it in nothing but manual mode for 50K miles” and that’s what prompted my response. In that situation it seems you should have bought a MT car.
Your analogy made you come across as a douche and was almost an outright implication that people who bypass the auto function in the AT are stupid. As that would be my conclusion of such a person who would operate a chainsaw in the manner in which you described.
To you it may seem that I should have bought a MT. To draw that conclusion from a post that it took perhaps 15 seconds is doing so without all of the facts or understanding of the others perspective would be to draw an inaccurate conclusion- for what does it matter to you? And I have not seen anyone in the thread complain of the use of the AT using that functionality.
But you're certainly entitled to your opinion. And I know that at times you like to share strong ones. And my response is simply my opinion about your opinion (if we are playing fair here).
Disclaimer- I may come off as an *** too when I debate but in the end its just opinions being shared. And I'm still cool if you are.
Senior Citizen
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,984
Likes: 87
From: Los Angeles
KAHBOOM,
Your last post shows a tendency to call names here rather than debate the issue in defiance of forum rules. I’m not really in the mood for this sort of thing today so I’ll refrain from further discussion with you.
Your last post shows a tendency to call names here rather than debate the issue in defiance of forum rules. I’m not really in the mood for this sort of thing today so I’ll refrain from further discussion with you.
Chekov,
No one called you a name or demonstrated any tendency of such. The fact that a mentioned that you came across as a Douche was based apon the fact that you decided to interject opinion into fact and in the process offered no value to the true context of the thread(talk about forum rules shall we?)- which was about downshifting in the automatic and not about whether it was a waist of money and time. To pretend that you were not trying to make others seem foolish with your post is an insult of others intelligence. My advice to you would be to refrain from that behavior all together if you can't handle someone having a strong opinion about your opinion.
Best,
K
No one called you a name or demonstrated any tendency of such. The fact that a mentioned that you came across as a Douche was based apon the fact that you decided to interject opinion into fact and in the process offered no value to the true context of the thread(talk about forum rules shall we?)- which was about downshifting in the automatic and not about whether it was a waist of money and time. To pretend that you were not trying to make others seem foolish with your post is an insult of others intelligence. My advice to you would be to refrain from that behavior all together if you can't handle someone having a strong opinion about your opinion.
Best,
K
Granted, I didn't really use the paddles much until this past September when the car was paid off and I installed an ARK Grip so I could hear the exhaust. Now, I manually shift 98% of the time. It's nice getting rev-matched down shifts when I hit turns.
Senior Citizen
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,984
Likes: 87
From: Los Angeles
When I bought my G, I wanted a manual. Only two of my previous eight cars were manuals. Well, I could not find a new manual S sedan in the southern half of the US. Ordering a manual would have taken three months and I wasn't willing to wait that long or to buy a coupe or to buy used.
Granted, I didn't really use the paddles much until this past September when the car was paid off and I installed an ARK Grip so I could hear the exhaust. Now, I manually shift 98% of the time. It's nice getting rev-matched down shifts when I hit turns.
Granted, I didn't really use the paddles much until this past September when the car was paid off and I installed an ARK Grip so I could hear the exhaust. Now, I manually shift 98% of the time. It's nice getting rev-matched down shifts when I hit turns.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area, CA
Senior Citizen
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,984
Likes: 87
From: Los Angeles
There’s also nothing wrong with:
• Buying a new color TV and setting it for black & white viewing only
• Bypassing your computer’s hard drive by backing up your data on handwritten sheets of paper
• Removing the battery pack from your hand drill and using it as a manual screwdriver
• Pulling the plug on your refrigerator and filling it with store bought ice
I could go on.
• Buying a new color TV and setting it for black & white viewing only
• Bypassing your computer’s hard drive by backing up your data on handwritten sheets of paper
• Removing the battery pack from your hand drill and using it as a manual screwdriver
• Pulling the plug on your refrigerator and filling it with store bought ice
I could go on.
Those examples are not 1:1 examples. They would only be applicable if, in order to drive the car in manual mode, it would require some sort of modifications.
I say that not to convince you to sway your opinion but to point out the "futility" in trying to convince others that their way is wrong. There is no inherent disadvantage in one driving the car in manual mode as what one is attempting to accomplish in manual mode is not what you are attempting to accomplish in auto mode
It's like making a post in a thread that is contrary to the theead's intended purpose.
I could go on...
I say that not to convince you to sway your opinion but to point out the "futility" in trying to convince others that their way is wrong. There is no inherent disadvantage in one driving the car in manual mode as what one is attempting to accomplish in manual mode is not what you are attempting to accomplish in auto mode
It's like making a post in a thread that is contrary to the theead's intended purpose.
I could go on...
My analogy was a simple way to voice an opinion that buying a product and not use it as intended is a waste of resources and money. Purchasing a car with an automatic transmission and bypassing it to shift manually is IMO in that category. Sure there are certain occasions when you want to shift manually, and I too do that, but you said you “Drove it in nothing but manual mode for 50K miles” and that’s what prompted my response. In that situation it seems you should have bought a MT car.
And it is a huge difference in the driving experience. It does have a bit of lag, but once you get used to the shift points, it becomes quite smooth and enjoyable. I'm glad this option exsits for fast cars with auto trannys, I just hope Manufacturers can get rid of the shift lag for most of them.
And yes, auto (manual) transmissions are the future, f1 has been using seamless clutch (auto) up and downshifts for a while now because it is way faster.