Recommending automatics? Wtf?

General Discussion
21

In defense of the transmissions of Tauruses (Tauri?), please allow me to share my positive experience with the one in my '86 model:

While driving on very congested Route 22 in NJ, I was unable to avoid driving over part of a load of rebar that had apparently been dropped on the roadway by a truck. I heard a couple of those rods hit the underside of the car, but I hoped for the best–especially in view of the reality that there was no shoulder on that highway for me to pull over. However, a few minutes later, the car was still driving normally.

Then, I connected with The Garden State Parkway, where–at even higher speeds–the car continued to drive normally.

Finally, I exited the Parkway in order to get to my home, and as soon as I slowed down on the exit ramp, I felt an extremely hard downshift. Gulp!

However, since I was only about 1/2 mile from my home, I decided to just keep going. When I parked the car and looked underneath, I was able to see trans fluid dripping on the ground, and–all told–the puddle never became very big, thus indicating that the trans was almost completely dry when I pulled into my parking area. Not good!

The next day, I had the car towed to the Ford dealership, and they reported (naturally) that it needed a new trans pan. They replaced the pan, refilled it with fluid, and sent me on my way.

The bottom line of this tale is that I drove the car for another 3+ years, and put another 35k miles on it, with no trans problems whatsoever. If the trans had been a really bad design, I would think that driving it on very low fluid for about 20 miles–and then on almost no fluid at all–would have ruined it, but–luckily–that was not the case.

Perhaps the transmissions of Tauruses in later years were badly designed, but I had no complaints about the one in my '86 Taurus.

22

Oh dont get me started on Taurus Auto failures… Some would fail if you looked at them wrong…while others somehow used to survive. However…failure was their usual “mode”

http://www.aa1car.com/library/transmission_ford_ax4s.htm

Blackbird

23

The transmission, auto or manual is just a machine.
It can be overbuilt, bullet proof. Or the bean counters can have their way.

The manual 5-speed in the 2000(?)-04 Corolla/Matrix is prone to early bearing failure.
'05+ are allegedly better, but I changed the oil in my '06 at 21k miles just to see what’s what.
The oil was pretty “dirty”, more than the oil from my older Hondas looked after 30k.
The next change at 50k looked much better, so I’m hoping it stays healthy.

24

@VDCdriver said, “By contrast with your 1990 Taurus, I have never had a transmission failure on any of my automatic transmission cars, and that included…a 1986 Ford Taurus, a '71 Dodge Charger, a '74 Volvo, a '92 Honda Accord, and three Subaru Outbacks, most of which were driven for well over 100k miles. Then again, I maintain them properly, with trans fluid and filter changes every 30k miles…”

I completely agree. I would argue that in case automatics have been more reliable than manual transmissions.

I won’t even try and list all the cars I’ve owned (and currently own 7 of them) in over half century of owning and driving, but it’s a big number. The list would include mainly GM and Chryslers and a couple Volkswagens).

I generally run cars to 1/4 million miles and I have never had a transmission problem with any of the automatics (the vast majority of vehicles I’ve owned), except on one Dodge that needed new input and output speed sensors at around 260,000 miles (inexpensive and installed DIY in a few minutes). I do minimal maintenance (almost none on transmissions because I haven’t need to do it).

However, I have had clutch and throw-out bearing, fork and synchronizer issues (costly repairs) with the manuals.

@pstemari
No offense, but in my opinion, your opinion of automatics compared with manuals is bass ackwards.
CSA

25

@Texases was the first to mention. Now days most cars come with an automatic and is hard to find many people that even know how to drive a car with a standard tranny.

Of course we will see more complaints about automatic’s.!!!

I think that it is more a lack of maintenance that causes either to end up being replaced.

Personally I’ve had at least 10 cars with automatic’s and have never had one go south on me.
I’ve had at least another 10 cars that had standards, and other than replacing a clutch because an engine was being replaced…I can only remember one that a release bearing went bad. I also had one that the slave cylinder failed and I replaced everything because it was a slave inside the housing and it made no sense to not replace everything if the tranny /bell housing, was coming out.

Though I have heard of a lot of trouble with the new CVT’s that have been on the market.

Yosemite

26

I’ve had automatics since 1965 and have only incurred one repair ($186 in 1976) on a Mercury Comet with a Ford C-4 transmission. Like many here, I have always had transmission oil coolers when towing and applied planned maintenance on all of them.

Automatics are complex and without proper care they won’t last long.

27

Only had 1 automatic trans failure. It was a 1972 Delta 88, and we admittedly abused it with lots of towing, well over anything we should have been towing.

28

@VDCdriver the first and second generation Taurus/Sable were known for having less than reliable automatic transmissions the AXOD/AXOD-E/AX4S models especially so.

29

^
Well, then I guess that I really lucked out, given that I ran the transmission almost dry in my first-generation Taurus!

30

Most posters here will not have problems with any transmission because we take care of our cars.

31

I thought one couldn’t push-start an automatic. I can push-start my '87 Toyota pickup alone, and have often needed to. I’ve also pushed a lot of other vehicles to start, including when I was just passing by.
Weakened by age, I have a booster battery that does the job.

Mr jtsanders makes a wise observation about the participants in this forum. It may be that most drivers are better off being prevented from making the additional mistakes one can make with a manual transmission. ‘Grind a pound for me!’

32

@FoDaddy writes …

Automatics ... get the same or slightly better fuel economy than a comparable manual in the same vehicle, and they are often just as fast or faster than a manual in terms of performance

I’ve heard this claim many times. But I’ve never once seen specs for the same make/model/year car, same engine, configured manual vs (conventional) automatic where the automatic-equipped version has equal or better overall (highway and around town) mpg and equal or better 0-60 times.

33

@GeorgeSanJose Challenge accepted


vs.

Fuel economy is virtually the same
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=35662&id=35663

Also

vs.

The automatic gets little better fuel economy
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=37073&id=37137

34

For the first car , the Ford Ecoboost with that particular configuration, the numbers say

Manual 0-60 5.5 seconds
Automatic 5.2 seconds.

Ok, but the overall EPA mpg figures are

Manual 26
Automatic 25

So that one doesn’t pass my challenge. It’s easy to design a car with faster 0-60 if you’re willing to compromise with lower mpg.

What does the independent acceleration & EPA mpg tests of the same camero configuration, manual vs automatic say? I’m still looking for a mass-produced gasoline powered car, conventionally configured, no hybrids, etc, with exactly the same configuration except for a conventional manual vs a conventional automatic transmission where the automatic has equal or better 0-60 times and equal or better mpg.

35

George - you think those Mustang differences are significant? And why don’t the Camaro’s better numbers matter to you?

36

On the Ford Focus the 5 speed manual would get worse gas mileage because the auto has 6 speed and while cruising on the fwy the engine rpm’s are lower.

As much as I like the manual, one issue with them is that the cars around you are not used to it. So when the light turns green, they expect you to start moving in less than a second and when you are on the hill in stop and go traffic, they still ride your bumper not leaving the smallest room for roll back. I do fine with these situations, but still a bit annoying.

37

The stick mustang scored 22 mpg when driven by car and driver whereas the slushbox got 19. If a manual is endowed with 8 or more speeds, someone out there can make the most out of the gears and drive it as efficiently as possible. Personally, the 5 speeds in my car is way too few and the ratio spread is too narrow.

Regarding durability, an automatic that is shifting all the time in city traffic will slip its clutches a lot by default and will have a shorter life, just like the clutch in a manual. The difference is how you would replace the worn out parts.

As much as I enjoy driving a manual and the sound and feel of a perfectly rev matched shifts, I’m counting the days until my wife wear out those shift forks as she can’t keep her hand off of the stick. When that day comes, I’d be looking for a car with an automated manual. Spousal harmony trumps mechanical failures

38

@GeorgeSanJose

The figures for the Camaro were

0-60 Automatic : 5.1 seconds
0-60 Manual : 5.4 seconds

Fuel Economy

Automatic: 19 MPG City, 28 MPG Highway , 23 MPG overall
Manual : 18 MPG city, 27 MPG Highway, 21 MPG overall

The Camaros have the same V6 engine, and are of the same model year. They are not hybrids or anything.

The Ecoboost Mustangs also have the same engine, and are of the same model year. Again not bybrids. All Ecoboost is, is Ford’s branding for their line of gas engines with direct injection and turbocharging, nothing particularly exotic. In the case of the Ecoboost. the automatic gets a little better highway fuel economy, and slightly worse city fuel economy vs. the manual, in the real world it’s wash, but the automatic is bit quicker.

39

For those who seem to have a large dislike for automatic transmissions here are two things I hope you never have to deal with: 1. Rotator cuff surgery 2. Complete knee replacement

40

…3. Constant stop & go traffic congestion.

I used to have to drive into NYC very frequently during the time when I had one of my stick shift cars. Not pleasant at all!