Motors Why do Americans predominantly drive Automatics?

People all over the world have one thing in common. Stupidity. More drivers are bad than are good. So far the French drivers on Martinique are the worst I've personally seen.

If I had 3 hands I'd drive a manual...as it is I use one hand for throttle/brake and the other to steer. I'm working on a steering quickener so that I can put the throttle/brake on the wheel and put a clutch lever on the shifter.

 

do you have one of those hand-control automatics? may I ask what your disability is? just curious

 

Wells-Engberg I have the CT-100. I've got muscular dystrophy. It weakens your muscles but if you exercise a lot you can counteract it. I've got a fews ideas for my own vehicle but I intend to market it at some point. Unfortuneatly I'd have to keep the airbag working in order to sell it. The DOT can shove it when it comes to my personal vehicle, though. I'd prefer a 5-point harness.

 

Try driving a manual into LA and back everyday...

You guys have to remember that the US is freaking huge compared to most European nations. We have more of everything: automatic transmissions, idiots, traffic, road rules.

Roundabouts are about the dumbest thing I've ever seen on the roads in the US. It's just a traffic jam going around in a circle, especially since no one is used to them. We have a lot of straightaways since we have a very well established freeway/highway system...but then again we also have backroads in the sierras, cascades, and rockies...the "long" way, that is about as winding as you'll every want to go, especially when the other side of the curve is literally a sheer drop off of 2,000ft.

People are people. It doesn't make a difference if you are American, English, German, Chinese. American people aren't lazy...some are, but so are some europeans. History has taught us that people who think they are the best often come up short. Americans thought the Japanese were a joke until Pearl Harbor, Neville Chamberlain probably initially thought Hitler was a joke. Stereotypes aren't your best friend. Just when you think you rock, reality bites you in the ass.

(I'm not being pro-US or pro-European...I'm just trying to be pro-not-ignorant.)

 

It takes a bit of getting used to, but you can only stall the thing so many times before it "clicks". It's only a real problem if you're frequently switching between the two for whatever reason.

 

I'm from Texas (US), and I love driving my manual F-150. It's nice to be able to downshift on hills or use the engine to slow down or leave it in a lower gear until you redline. However, driving it in stop and go traffic is annoying, since my clutching leg gets worn out (shifting isn't a problem).

My dad's VW Touareg is great to drive because you can change from automatic to semi-automatic (Tiptronic), which is basically manual without a clutch. I think it's the best way to go, but it is more expensive and usually found in more high-end cars (Porsche, Ferrari, etc).

 

LA operates by a different set of traffic rules than the rest of the universe. Of course, looking at some of the women there, I think it also operates by some different laws of physics.

They want to put roundabouts on one of the major roads here, which is going to cause all sorts of hate and discontent. This is especially true because that road sees a tremendous amount of truck traffic and I seriously doubt that a ginormous sleeper-cab semi pulling a 53' trailer is going to get around the circle without taking at least both lanes and maybe taking out the roundabout.

Let me chime in as another American vote for the lazy and stupid theory (and yes, I have driven in NYC). You wouldn't believe some of the wrecks I've been on that were caused by acts pof incrediable stuidity. People here drive drunk, fall asleep at the wheel, think that they can drive 70 MPH on solid ice because they have 4 wheel drive, etc. I was even at a wreck once where the guy was getting a hand job while going down the road at 80 on a MOTORCYCLE! Unfortunatly for him and the chick he picked up at the bar,he didn't see that tree. Oops.

I've driven a lot in Canada and while they have some pretty screwy street systems, the drivers are a lot more aware of what's going on around them. The only problem with Canadian drivers is that they get down here and they're the only ones who obey the speed limit, which screws everyone else up.

For me, I'd prefer to drive a stick, but they are pretty hard to come by here.

And for the record, it is possible to eat a cheeseburger while driving a stick in traffic, it just takes practice

 

I'm curious, I thought roundabouts were a non-entity in the US and Canada, have they recently started to be introduced, or have there always just been tiny numbers of them with one or two built here and there?

 

They are pretty uncommon, but they're out there. I guess it is accurate to say that they're randomly scattered. Most of the ones I've seen are at the entrances to large campuses or facilities/centers.

 

I've got it! I think I've figured out why Americans drive autos.

"Stickshifts and safetybelts,
bucketseats have all got to go.
When we're driving in the car,
it makes my baby seem so far.
I need you here with me not way over in a bucketseat
I need you to be here with me not way over in a bucketseat.

But when we're driving in my Malibo,
it's easy to get right next to you.
I say baby, scoot over please,
and then she's right there next to me.
I need you here with me not way over in a bucketseat
I need you to be here with me not way over in a bucketseat.

Well a lot of good cars are Japanese,
yeah but when we're driving far
I need my baby, I need my baby next to me.

Well stickshifts and safetybelts,
bucketseats have all got to go.
When we're driving in the car,
it makes my baby seem so far.
I need you here with me not way over in a bucketseat
I need you to be here with me not way over in a bucketseat."

Anyone care to guess the band?

 

1) What is a Malibo?
2) Few American cars come with bench seats these days.
3) Cake.


EDIT: Corrected typeo from bucket to bench.

 

1. Alright, so I got my u mixed up with o. Trying to type with a song isn't that easy and get it right.
2. Everyone's a critic these days
3. Bingo!

 

i've got to admit that it would be nice to have one of those cars with a huge front seat that goes all the way across.

when me and the gf are driving in my Escort it's impossible to have a cuddle at the same time

 

Ah, someone who got the point! Woohoo!!!

 

still wouldn't give up my 5-speed 1.3 that does 40MPG just to have a bench seat in the front though

bed is for ****ing, car is for driving.

 

The opposite is true. Even trucks are moving away from bench seats.

 

Woops... that's what I meant. I'll go fix...

 

Hmmm the back of my truck is also called a bed.

With my tempo If I had the radio, the fan, and it in drive at a light, it would die.

Its harder to find a manual over here, much harder, but the payoff is worth it.

For the engine braking arguement, I have glasspacks, think straightpipe, when you dont have backpressure you dont engine brake.

I think the idea of roundabouts is that you dont have to stop, they work good in rural areas as opposed to a 4 way stop, if your on a bike you dont have to even drop your speed, 75mph all the way through.

I agree that the fat lazy stupid group has become the majority, I have an "aftermarket" bumper on my truck because of this. I stopped at a stop sign instead of running it, stupid me, so after I drove off her hood she told me "Oh, I guess I wasnt paying attention."

 

no. engine braking comes from having a throttle plate.

 

Compression braking is a more accurate term. A gas engine with a manual trans will have compression braking even with open headers. Diesel engines will need an exhaust brake to take advantage of it.