Kicking and dragging we are drawn into the new world (order) not by choice. CVT is here to stay, get used to it. Computers keep changing, get used to it, life without electricity will be a meltdown, get used to it unless you want to go amish.
LOVED the video Barky! Thanks…
@starman1
I wasn’t too specific but in general, with all the vehiclals I have driven over the years, icy roads brings out the worse perforce charcuterie tics of most cars. Accelerating while maneuvering is what we do a lot on crowded NE roads. That’s just why control while accelerating is so important. When I drove pursuit type vehiclals, safety always required gradual acceleration. My definition of hesitation is different from yours. I don’t need instantaneous and violent acceleration. If I can’t accelerat gradually from behind so I enter the passing lane already at full passing speed, I don’t pass. In a fwd car, you have less steerage while accelerating then at another time except braking. Keep that in mind. I do. That’s why 0 to 60 times are straight line times which is a limited measure. Accelerating while maneuvering is a much better indicator of a cars overall performance. The awd system on your Subaru along with that slight hesitation, still might give you a superior passing vehicle because of the added control ! I would accept it .
@Barkydog
Though the Amish do refrain from using public power, they will use batteries for lamps in their bugges and home lighting and generators for washing machines and businesses to make money. They are not adverse to using electricity, just the “corrupting nature” of pubic power. Still, even with their necessary limited relationship to society in general, they are still “connected” indirectly to public power.
@Whitey the smart has what they call an automated manual transmission that has no clutch pedal so you can drive it like an Automatic but it doesn’t shift nearly as smooth as it should. Manual mode reportedly works much better but there are rumors of an actual Manual Transmission for the next generation. Here’s One Explanation
The Smart features an automated manual transmission without a clutch pedal, 6-speed for the first generation, 5-speed for the second. Input from floor-mounted shifter or optional steering wheel-mounted paddles controls a servo-operated clutch and sequential automated gearbox. The vehicle may be driven in automatic mode, though the shift points are not as smooth as in a traditional automatic transmission. In paddle shifter mode, the operator controls the shift points but cannot feather or adjust the speed of the clutch. Thus some skill, and a slight lifting of the accelerator pedal, is required to achieve a smooth shift.
@dagosa the amish are more prepared than any of us when the power grid fails, Sure I was there when a van load of Amish arrived at the top of wildcat mountain, thinking they might curse her on Sunday but bless her on Monday.
I have only respect for the Amish. Living a life of sacrifice focused on work without play may seem strange to us, but that does not matter. The important thing is that they respect other living things and other humans and abhor violence, bullying, and all the hate, meanness, and unfairness that are so prevalent in society as a whole. I’m sure there are lots of problems not evident to the “outside world”, but they’ve earned my respect for not trying to punish the “outside world” for those problems.
@Barkydog
Just stating fact. The Amish are a respectful peoples because they live the life they choose and I feel they do it with dignity that few others do. But, that does not dismiss the fact that they do use electricity selectively. They are definitely more prepared for hard times because they live in hard times daily in their chosen life. You have to admit, when it comes to transmissions they use just one speed; what ever the horse is asked to do at the time. I doubt many of us would have that kind of patience.
You have to remember there are different groups of Amish in different parts of the country. Also other groups such as the Mennonites. Some use electricity and modern equipment and some do not. The ones around here drive new pretty expensive trucks and shop at Menards same as us but they wear black and the wives wear the old garb. Mostly its a communal life not unlike the Kibutz in Israel. Not for me but they are honorable people.
Yeah, there is “Amish” and there is “tractor Amish.” My uncle explained it to me when I visited his farm.
“I have only respect for the Amish. Living a life of sacrifice focused on work without play may seem strange to us, but that does not matter. The important thing is that they respect other living things…”
Overall, I agree with you mountainbike, but I lost a lot of respect for the Amish when I learned last year that most of the “puppy mills” in my area are run by Amish farmers. Apparently their “respect” of living things does not extend to their female “breeding dogs” who live their entire lives cooped up in cages and kept almost perpetually pregnant–to the great detriment to their health and to the health of the puppies to whom they give birth.
I would never buy a dog from a pet shop, as most of them come from these puppy mills, but apparently enough people do patronize those shops so that the Amish puppy mills (and other puppy mills) remain in business.
To say that I was shocked to learn this information is a major understatement.
It pains me to hear that VDC. I too would not buy a pet from a pet store. It bothers me greatly to see any animal unable to enjoy its life. It’s a disappointment to hear of a culture for whom I have so much respect running “puppy mills”.
Ditto,but some regard animals as “property”( in the same vein,how can some claim so much of what they didnt create?)-Kevin
I didn’t know the Amish were operating puppy mills. I’m disappointed by that, too. Maybe electricity isn’t necessary for that endeavor. Anyhow, this thread certainly took a turn into different territory…
What part of using horses to pull buggies a show of respect for other life form? I’d bet those horses would rather run around in the wilderness. If those horses are destined to pull for the rest of their miserable existence, at least give them CVTs…
I too would not buy a pet from a pet store.
Every cat or dog I’ve ever owned I got from Animal Shelters or the SPCA.
@cdaquila
Maybe you could say, we’re shifting gears.
Now that we have covered ourselves for a few posts, can we go back to talking about chickens and how they are mistreated and yet, because they aren’t furry and cuddly, we might give the Amish a pass on that financial endeavor. But then, they would need electricity and trucks with HD transmissions and no CVTs.
“Every cat or dog I’ve ever owned I got from Animal Shelters or the SPCA”.
@MikeInNH–I’m with you on this one. I have had three rescue dogs over the last thirty-six years. Our present rescue dog, though, has brought great embarrassment to us. We take him to a dog day care two days a week. On a recent visit, he slipped away from the pack, went to the cages where they put the dogs up for a rest period at noon and was able to get his paw between the wires and steal the treats that are placed in the cages for the dogs. On his next trip, a new dog joined the pack and that dog and our dog became instant pals. They both slipped away from the pack. Our dog’s new buddy has paws that were too big to go between the wires, so our dog fetched the treats from the cages and his buddy barked when the attendant came around. It is not good to have your dog charged with “grand theft dog biscuit”.
Have I now added sufficiently to our continuously variable discussion?
I would have preferred to have gotten our pup from the local humane society. as I researched I found that the place had offended many people and had problems with disease. I turned to the classifieds instead and got a nice half lab puppy from a Mennonite family. 100 bucks and an hour and a half drive to see the pup. the only problem was that the pup had lived wwith the horses and had not been exposed to any loud noise or traffic and had some fear issues. she has come along nicely tho