I’m not a Mitsubishi fan, they’ve been declining in market share (and, to me, invehicle interest) for a number of years.
WHITEY said “I’ve never seen driving as a chore” . Well, I think if he ever drove a downtown delivery route for 8-9 hours a day, he might. My main objection of a manual is this, I prefer a torque converter over a clutch. I wouldn’t mind selecting what gear to drive in, but I don’t like using a (antiquated) clutch. The Caravan I now have has the - + shifting transmission, so I can pretty well choose the gear.
Here is an interesting reason to buy an automatic: The father of a friend of mine was the minister for visitation for a large church and his job involved a lot of city driving. He had owned two DeSotos with the fluid drive “lift and clunk” semi-automatic transmission. The next car was a 1955 Oldsmobile with the Hydramatic automatic transmission. These cars were purchased as used cars. In 1960, my friend’s father purchased his first new car–a Rambler. To save cost, the car had manual transmission. About 6 months later, my friend’s father developed a terrible pain in his right shoulder. The doctors couldn’t figure out the cause. The pain continued for 6 years and then disappeared. They finally figured out the reason–the 1960 Rambler was replaced with a new 1966 Rambler with an automatic transmission. The shoulder problem was caused by the constant shifting gears. In those days, the shifter was on the steering column and to shift to second gear, the shifter was moved to the top right position.
Most city buses made after WW II are equipped with automatic transmissions. Automatic transmissions became common in taxicabs in the mid1950s. Even Chrysler corporation offered as an option on its Dodge delivery vans, the fluid drive “lift and clunk” semi-automatic transmission in the early 1950s. Ford and GMC offered the automatic transmission in their 1953 half ton pickup trucks and Chevrolet followed suit in 1954.
I grew up with manual transmissions, but the type of transmssion, manual or automatic, is the last thing I worry about when buying a car. I purchase what fits my needs and budget and purchase whatever vehicle that meets these conditions.
An antiquated clutch? Clutch material went from leather to carcinogenic asbestos to safer organic to battle field approved kevlar. If there’s an advancement in manufacturing automation, I expect to see carbon ceramic, like those brakes used in the Boeing 777. The antiquated dry clutch is a tried and true power transfer device that’s chosen to serve in the new Focus’s dual clutch automatic.
The development of torque converter has been evolutionary compared to clutch material advancement. They are still inefficient considering that it pump out an obscene amount of heat. That atf cooler isn’t for decoration.
I’d drive an automatic if it is one of those single clutch automated manual variety, as it is the simplest, most efficient machine. These transmissions are used in all kinds of economy cars in China, where gas is about $5/gal. I’m still waiting for the control engineers to get their algorithm right, as the last time I drove one it was bucking between the lower gears.
Dry clutches are obselete,wet clutches are much better,the old style dry clutch on a dozer required much more frequent adjustment then a wet clutch.The improvement was so vast that Kubota offered a 10000 hr guarentee on their wet disc multi pack clutch.Matter of fact dont think modern dozers use steering clutchs nowadays-Kevin
Chunky, you wrote " I’d drive an automatic if it is one of those single clutch automated manual variety". Just how does that work? does the clutch you speak of replace the torque converter? An automatic clutch?
In the late 60s Volkswagen offered an automatic stick shift which had an electrically controlled vacuum operated manual clutch and a torque converter driving a manual transmission. It was a poor effort at making the car more popular to drivers who had no experience with manual transmissions but were drawn to the popularity of the car. Few people appreciated the effort.
Just how does that work? does the clutch you speak of replace the torque converter? An automatic clutch?
Just put it in drive and push the gas. The computer modulates the clutch. When it is time to shift(the computer decides when), it automatically releases the gas, disengages the clutch, moves the shift forks, reengages the clutch, and reapply the gas without the driver having to lift a finger.
Having had similar cars in our family, I’m not convinced that autos are more efficient than a manual, at least not the slushy type.
With all that mickey mouse things going on, you are really asking for trouble, and you think you would like to have one?
Yes. Because there’s more mickey mouse stuff going on in a slush box. Once those rubber seals inside a regular auto transmission dry up, it can’t hold pressure and the transmission begins to slip, burning up clutches and bands, requiring a rebuild.
The clutch only generate some heat to get going. It doesn’t have to dump heat to the radiator. When was the last time you saw a manual with a fluid cooler?
And if you cook the clutch, it is only a few hundred bucks to replace, and some people here can take a clutch to the moon and back. With electronic control, I’d expect less tear and wear. Cook an automatic and the repair can total an otherwise fine car.
I like the thought of the simplicity of a manual again, till the thought of recovering from another shoulder surgery while trying to drive one crosses my mind.
What kind of car has this “auto” transmission, a Yugo??
I like the thought of the simplicity of a manual again, till the thought of recovering from another shoulder surgery while trying to drive one crosses my mind.
@dagosa–my wife had had two rotator cuff surgeries as well as foot surgery. There is no way with her rotator cuff surgeries would I own a manual transmission car that she would have to drive.
She also likes to mow the yard and I hate mowing, but there is no way that, with her surgeries I will let her near the lawnmower. I have told her that a lawnmower is a delicate, expensive piece of equipment and there is no way that I will have her tear up a lawnmower that cost me $100 back in 1988.
I like driving stick but no doubt automatics with paddle shifters do a better job.
Why don’t you guys who like driving a stick, get an automatic and then get a broomstick about a foot and a half long and play with it as you drive. You coulld even move your lleft foot up and down as if you were using the clutch.
$100 WAS a lot of money back in 1988
I think
I was only 8 at the time so even $20 seemed like a lot to me
@bscar2–I wish that I was only 8 years old back in 1988. I was 47 at that time. However, even now, $20 seems like a lot of money to me. In my last years before retirement in May of 2011, my wife would give me $2.50 for the week to join my colleagues for a coffee break. She priced coffee at 50 cents a cup. One of my colleagues in our “Geezer’s club” found we could get a senior citizens’ discount at McDonalds and that our coffee was only 25 cents a cup. I thought I had struck it rich–this savings allowed me to buy a cinamon roll to go with my coffee on Friday.
When I think about how the value of a dollar has changed, my dad bought his first car, a brand new Chevrolet for $650 in 1938. A year later, the car was hit when it was parked on the street by a drunk and the car was pushed into a light pole. My dad had it towed to the Chevrolet dealer. He was greeted by the owner of the dealership, the body shop mechanic and his insurance agent. The car was repairable, but the frame was bent. However, if my dad would surrender the title, sign over the insurance check and pay an additional $50, he could drive away in a brand new 1939 Chevrolet. My dad did take the deal and bought the 1939 Chevrolet, but he had to think about it for a while. $50 was a lot of money in 1939.
I do remember in the 1950s when my dad was looking at a new car and the automatic transmission was a $100 option. My dad’s comment to the salesman was “I can shift a lot of gears for $100”.
Bscar2…$100 now won’t even get you a decent American made putter.
I can imagine watching your pennies back in the late 30s. The great depression fresh in everyone’s minds; I imagine some were still trying to recover when your dad bought his new car(s)
It is all on how we deem we spend our money on our hobbies. I felt I got a good deal last week when I bought 2 guns and spent about $900 after taxes. The reloaded ammo I bought for one I didn’t feel I got that great a deal on(maybe $2/box), but the other I saved $6 a box over the cheapest of that ammo I could find new.
Many people will pay $200 or more for a new phone, then “jailbreak” it so they don’t have to pay 99 cents for an app for the phone.
http://theoatmeal.com/blog/apps <-- cartoon summary
If that App was billed out in 4 “painless” monthly payments with a 1.5% kick back and half a sky mile for using a credit card there wouldn’t be any hesitation in jumping on it.