Manual vs Automatic

This clown thinks auto cars are a menace because of incompetent drivers and poor driver training- despite them need LESS training and LESS skill than a manual.

I think this whole thing was some weird olde time flex:
When I was your age, we were super skilled and only used manual transmissions because we were so in tune with the machine. Back in our day we were highly trained elite drivers. We needed this ultimate control and engagement as we drove to our fax machine salesman jobs and raced our commercial vehicles bakkies against much nicer cars up slight slopes. We would win because of our mad elite skillz.. I am so special, skilled and unique.
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Please tell us some more stories from ye olde times. Might take the edge off the rage next time I see a vivo driving 80 km/hr on the N1 because they are too engaged to change gear.
 
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SauRoNZA said:
It's become clear however that Ford's Powershift is a little bit **** and not coping well with it for whatever reason.
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Like we stated, Ford's problems are not intrinsic to the concept. Rather their execution, poor materials and software. They also can't cool engines or make manual transmission power trains that work (on the ranger). This does not mean that we need to revert back to air cooling or walking. We just avoid bad fords. Simple. It is a dead end to talk about it.

DSG - is pretty damn good (and I am definitely not a VW/Audi fan at all). Considering the number of them and the intellectual capacity (and their tendency to avoid maintenance because of the $) of the owners, they seem pretty drama free to me.

PDK is also billed as one of the best and fastest transmissions out there. They outperform actual skilled test drivers (not bakkie drivers on slight incline) in similar manual cars on launch and around tracks.

Torque convertor autos are a mature, reliable and proven technology. They now also match manual driving for efficiency. Unless one is pretending that a polo/mommy mobile/shopping cart is engaging sports car and that you are some elite olde time driver, an automatic/DCT is a far better choice for a driving appliance of any size. Even in small cars, one will still be going slow(er) but it is fine, at least one can concentrate on getting out of the way rather than freezing in panic/exhaustion at having to downshift again - especially considering the level of driving skills (excluding the olde timers) in your country.
 
Not to mention that even the manuals aren't all that manual any more.

The fancy sporty ones do all the throttle blipping on downshift for you these days.

All that engagement...may as well just go full auto and save yourself the labour.
 
bratwurst said:
That must usually be switched on. By default auto hold is off.

I've not driven one automatic though that bolts forward once you slip off the brake :D

Depending on the manual car, slip off the clutch and you guruanteed to probably slightly knock into the car infront of you. Then again, this probably only happens to peeps that are used to auto. I always disengage and chill in neutral while at a robot.
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With hill hold in my car if you switch it on once it stays on by default.
SauRoNZA said:
It's the difference between dry clutch DCT's as found in the problematic Ford's we've already covered or the wet clutch DSG which doesn't suffer these problems but has expensive oil that needs replacing.

Conclusion: Ford is just ****, automatics as a whole are just fine.

A DCT is not a DCT is not a DCT, just like a manual isn't a manual isn't a manual.
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With my wet clutch dsg if I sit in heavy traffic I put it in sport normally then it holds gears a bit longer and it doesn't ride the clutch as much. Dsg oil change is a bit of a bitch though as it's a bit expensive. Doing mine in jan/Feb, still waiting for the quote.
 
Craig said:
With hill hold in my car if you switch it on once it stays on by default.


With my wet clutch dsg if I sit in heavy traffic I put it in sport normally then it holds gears a bit longer and it doesn't ride the clutch as much. Dsg oil change is a bit of a bitch though as it's a bit expensive. Doing mine in jan/Feb, still waiting for the quote.
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It’s only every 80,000km though as I recall? May have been a 100,000km.

It’s not like it’s a big deal regular expense.

Small price to pay.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Reminds me of the Android lot with their "but I can tinker" logic.
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These youngsters today are so lazy. They have cars that change gear for you! All this new fangled nonsense. What if it changes gear and you don't want it to? It might crash! I prefer to be in control! Back in my day, I had to do it myself. Back when drivers were highly trained.

Have you heard the rumours what some cars will even use the throttle for you? They call this 'cruise control'. What happens if it goes crazy and drives at a million km/hr? You might get a fine! Back in my day, I had to do it manually. Really helps me race unsuspecting fancy cars up hills.
 
Archer said:
The last few pages on this thread were amazing, thanks for the LOLs everyone :ROFL:
And remember, if you aren't hand cranking your car, you can't truly understanding it's inner spirit. #handcrankmasterrace #autosmustfall
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Don't even get me started on electric starters!

I hear the young 'uns have new fangled things like keyless entry and push-button starters. I was so highly trained that I turned the key like a true driver's bakkie demands. It is about the control.
 
They start them with their PHONES!!!

Those Slabs of glass they can’t remove their eyes from for two seconds.
 
758248
#oldpeoplehumour

This says a lot about society
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Young 'uns today. Ammarite?
758258
 
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SauRoNZA said:
Outside of the dry clutch Fords I have actually not heard of DCT's burning out their clutches pre-maturely.

In my experience, the average clutch on a manual gearbox lasts about 120-150k km and then requires replacement and I've not heard of DCT's getting it replaced by then but instead much later.

So at least from my personal experience with a DSG I can say no special treatment whatsoever is required to make it last other than using the handbrake at inclines like you would on a full manual car...IF you don't have hillstart that does that stuff for you.

DSG/S-Tronics are just fine for urban highway use. It's become clear however that Ford's Powershift is a little bit **** and not coping well with it for whatever reason.
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1957 Morris Minor family hand me down from grand dad to father to sister to me - 1. 3 million km ---- no clutch change.
Vw Beetle --- 700 000 km no clutch change - sold - 2 drivers n our family 2nd hand when purchased.
Vw Kombi - 470 000 km no clutch change - sold - 2 drivers
Mazda with a ford badge on it - 263 000 km no clutch change - written off in an accident by another driver not a family member. 3 drivers
Vw 16 valve Gli Jetta, - two adult drivers, then passed on to two daughters - 770 000 km ---- no clutch change sold after car was recovered after theft.
Most fun car ever had. Highest speed clocked 234 km/hr
4 x 4 - DC - 135 000 km -- no clutch change - current - 2 drivers
Wifes Opel Corsa - 136 000 km - no clutch change - current 2 drivers
Daughter's Hyundai - 470 000 km ---- no clutch change.- current 1 driver

yes, all manuals.
 
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ubercal said:
Will keep driving manuals as i only buy cars in cash :cool:
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What does buying a car cash have to do with MT vs auto? Also, buying a POS Shitty Golf cash does not make you special.

After 22 years of driving only manual transmission I drove my first auto box about 4 months ago when I bought a Nissan Murano (cash BTW so I might have done something wrong). Gave the Murano to my brother and bought a Audi A5 and after about two months of relaxing driving there is way in hell I would ever go back to manual.
 
Geoff.D said:
1957 Morris Minor family hand me down from grand dad to father to sister to me - 1. 3 million km ---- no clutch change.
Vw Beetle --- 700 000 km no clutch change - sold - 2 drivers n our family 2nd hand when purchased.
Vw Kombi - 470 000 km no clutch change - sold - 2 drivers
Mazda with a ford badge on it - 263 000 km no clutch change - written off in an accident by another driver not a family member. 3 drivers
Vw 16 valve Gli Jetta, - two adult drivers, then passed on to two daughters - 770 000 km ---- no clutch change sold after car was recovered after theft.
Most fun car ever had. Highest speed clocked 234 km/hr
4 x 4 - DC - 135 000 km -- no clutch change - current - 2 drivers
Wifes Opel Corsa - 136 000 km - no clutch change - current 2 drivers
Daughter's Hyundai - 470 000 km ---- no clutch change.- current 1 driver

yes, all manuals.
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Yes clutch changes aren't a thing. Spare shops only keep clutch kits for... Who knows. :ROFL:

Maybe that is all the highly skilled training coming in.
 
Crowley said:
What does buying a car cash have to do with MT vs auto? Also, buying a POS Shitty Golf cash does not make you special.

After 22 years of driving only manual transmission I drove my first auto box about 4 months ago when I bought a Nissan Murano (cash BTW so I might have done something wrong). Gave the Murano to my brother and bought a Audi A5 and after about two months of relaxing driving there is way in hell I would ever go back to manual.
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Can guarantee you I won't buy a golf ... Ever.way to many other cool cars to spend my hard earned cash on.
 
funny how its manual fans who keep hammering on about this. I dont have an issue with either. but my hard earned cash will go to a modern fast shifting auto any day. manual's dont make you hardcore.
 
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