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Two nations separated by a common car transmission (automatic vs standard (manual))

Two nations separated by a common car transmission (automatic vs standard (manual))

Old Feb 17, 2017, 3:48 pm
  #46  
 
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Originally Posted by rickg523
You don't really want to be steering your vehicle from the side not adjacent to oncoming traffic, unless you like shunting body panels.
AFAIK, it's being used a lot by public services. I've seen lots of trucks that either have RHD for RHT (or vice versa) or two steering wheels. It's obviously safer for their workers that stop frequently to get out on the right side, than getting out on the left side, while traffic passes them.

Other than that (and buying a classic car) I don't think that there is any reason to buy a car with the steering wheel in the "wrong place".
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Old Feb 17, 2017, 5:26 pm
  #47  
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Originally Posted by WorldLux
BTW (and I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up):

Hey UK, how about you stop driving on the wrong side and start driving on the right side of the road? There's a reason why it's called the right side.
Driving on the left makes more sense. Easier to unsheathe your sword and fend off marauders.

It was in anticipation of an extended tour in a county that drove on the left where I would be assigned a standard transmission vehicle that prompted me to buy a standard months before to practice at home. I could learn driving on the left or a standard but not both at the same time.
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Old Feb 17, 2017, 5:45 pm
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
Having lived in basically flat areas and not needing to drive in stop-and-go traffic I almost never found it annoying.

Now, had I lived in a place like San Francisco I probably would have a very different opinion.

Also, in the plus column I'll add one more feature: If you need to stomp on the gas to get out of the way a manual is better than an auto. The auto will rev up the engine, decide it should be in the lower gear, slow the engine, shift and rev it again. The manual will simply let the engine rev. If you stomp on the pedal while driving you don't care about fuel economy at the moment!

Having evaded accidents twice due to this I was very reluctant to go to an auto, but my latest car is a CVT--it doesn't exhibit this behavior. While the transmission does seem to do something it gets out of the way at least as well as I could.
I definitely saved my 2005 Miata and probably at least some pain and suffering for myself by just being able to downshift. I was on I-85 in Atlanta when there was suddenly a wreck right in front of me. I downshifted and got over into flying fast traffic in the split second before I went right into the pile of cars. I have no idea how I reacted that quickly, but I made it to work without a scratch. I couldn't have done that in many automatics.
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Old Feb 17, 2017, 8:55 pm
  #49  
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Originally Posted by CPRich
I only drive autos when I have to (rentals), but stomping on the gas of a 6-speed in top gear isn't going to get you much. MrsCPs auto 328 will get out of the way faster then my M5. Even with me downshifting, she'll be further out of danger for the critical first 2-3 seconds as I'm shifting. The days of 1-2 seconds shifts are in the past, IMHO. Maybe cheapo cars are worse, but even my rentals kick down faster than I'd shift (and I spent 5 year racing competitively).

I've come to the conclusion that there's not really an objective/measurable argument anymore for a manual. It's an emotional need for those who enjoy driving.
Stomping on the gas isn't going to be an answer in high gear. I'm talking about things that happen at fairly low speed. Both of the times I'm thinking of is a moron making a left turn without noticing I was there.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 1:57 am
  #50  
 
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
USA cars were right hand drive until about 1910~1915. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-...t-hand_traffic


The opposite of right is wrong. RHD is correct
Mwenenzi, I see you are Australia/NZ based and therefore understandably may have missed my little joke!

FT being mainly a US centric site, the "changeover date" I gave of 4 July 1776 is the changeover date for the way many things are done differently in the former colonies . It is Independance Day.

However, in Australia and NZ you realise that RHD is right. ^
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 7:30 am
  #51  
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Originally Posted by Loren Pechtel
Stomping on the gas isn't going to be an answer in high gear. I'm talking about things that happen at fairly low speed. Both of the times I'm thinking of is a moron making a left turn without noticing I was there.
I would think that those of us who are not Jeff Gordon brake, not accelerate, to avoid a left turner. <shrugs>
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 7:54 am
  #52  
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Originally Posted by DenverBrian
Nor have I ever harnessed the horses and ridden the buckboard. @:-)

(Not sure what this obsession with some guys is with manual transmissions.)
Not just guys... I'm a woman and have yet to own a car without a manual transmission. I love the extra control, including being able to downshift in a hurry or stay in a lower gear when dealing with snow and hilly roads. I learned to drive on a manual transmission, and when I do drive an automatic (rental cars, driving friends' cars), I'm afraid I'm going to punch a hole through their floorboard where the clutch should be.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 8:46 am
  #53  
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Originally Posted by kipper
I learned to drive on a manual transmission, and when I do drive an automatic (rental cars, driving friends' cars), I'm afraid I'm going to punch a hole through their floorboard where the clutch should be.
Worse is attempting to depress the non-existent clutch coming to a stoplight only to hit the left side of the much wider brake pedal commonly found on automatics. Oooops...
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 9:29 am
  #54  
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Not sure why rental firms wouldn't stock automatics though. Simply for business.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 11:33 am
  #55  
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Originally Posted by DenverBrian
I would think that those of us who are not Jeff Gordon brake, not accelerate, to avoid a left turner. <shrugs>
Braking still leaves you in the path of the turner.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 11:38 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by kipper
Not just guys... I'm a woman and have yet to own a car without a manual transmission. I love the extra control, including being able to downshift in a hurry or stay in a lower gear when dealing with snow and hilly roads. I learned to drive on a manual transmission, and when I do drive an automatic (rental cars, driving friends' cars), I'm afraid I'm going to punch a hole through their floorboard where the clutch should be.
I've never had quite that problem. If I push a nonexistent clutch my foot realizes the problem in time, I don't stomp on the floor. The problem is automatics have a wider brake pedal--more than once I've caught that pedal instead of the clutch that isn't there. Of course my left foot tries to push it to the floor. I learned on a car with a [b]very[/b stiff clutch. (My father had a problem with riding the clutch while going up through the gears. A friend who was aware of this did the clutch replacement--and put in parts for a much heavier clutch. Thus my foot is willing to push quite hard to get that clutch to go down.)
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 11:56 am
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer
Not sure why rental firms wouldn't stock automatics though. Simply for business.
They do, you just have to know to reserve one. I've been next to a few surprised travelers at LHR having to upgrade since they didn't pay attention to this fact.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 12:16 pm
  #58  
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer
Not sure why rental firms wouldn't stock automatics though. Simply for business.
In North America they do stock automatics almost entirely. I was very surprised to be able to order a rental with a stick shift in Florida. You can order an automatic in the UK or Europe but at almost double the price.

Originally Posted by MissJ
They do, you just have to know to reserve one. I've been next to a few surprised travelers at LHR having to upgrade since they didn't pay attention to this fact.
I've had the opposite happen. "Sir, I note you are a North American. You do know sir that the vehicle you reserved has a manual transmission? Are you sure you wouldn't like something else?"

I had one agent watch me leave the parking lot at LHR just to make sure I didn't stall.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 3:25 pm
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Originally Posted by Badenoch
You can order an automatic in the UK or Europe but at almost double the price.
While they come at a premium, I've never seen so big differences.

Originally Posted by Badenoch
I had one agent watch me leave the parking lot at LHR just to make sure I didn't stall.
The stalling still reminds me of my driving test. It was a driving school car (i.e. with big bright warning stickers and the extra pedals) and the driving instructor was riding shotgun while the man from the DMV equivalent was sitting in the back. At the end of the test, you're supposed to let him out and then go park the car, while the man fills out the paperwork. The moment the guy got out, I stalled the engine. Still got my driving license that day. Good old times.
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Old Feb 18, 2017, 3:55 pm
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I've only ever owned manual cars which is handy as my current car is (was) only available in manual which is a very rare thing these days. Actually, it might be the only car in the last few years that was manual only.

I'll certainly acknowledge that automatics are a hell of a lot better now than 10 years ago, not just the dual clutch boxes either but transmissions like the ZF 8 speed which goes in pretty much everything semi premium these days is a really imp[ressive transmission. However I simply like the control and involvement that a clutch and gearstick provides and even in serious traffic I don't have any issues/difficulties/frustrations with it - it's second nature and I prefer a manual in traffic as the clutch gives you much finer control at crawling pace.

So while I do acknowledge that autos are getting a lot better these days I still think I'm at least 20 years away from buying one.
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