Motors Why do Americans predominantly drive Automatics?

Actually, its german, and probably spanish built. The last true vauxhall was the viva iirc.

 

laziness is about the easiest way to sum up why most american cars are automatics.

no real other way, actually i get quite annoyed at some automatic vehicles for their poor designs.

Also, I've got about 190k on a honda civic with the original clutch, and around 75k on my bimmer... clutch on the bimmer feels the same as it did day 1, doesn't even feel like its been broken in

 

spend a day in american traffic and youll kill for an automatic tranny. Nothing like 6 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic to end your day.

 

I find it easy in bumper to bumper traffic because I only have to use the clutch and first gear to keep it stopped and to make it go.

 

i agree totally

i live just south of this guy, and its BAD, interstates, back roads, you name it. even some of my friends that are into racing their cars have an automatic beater to get to work in most days.

 

What makes you so sure traffic only exists in the US? have you driven in Rome at 5pm on a friday? Paris? London? Dubai? Traffic exists everywhere you have a city, people, cars and the end of the work day.

I also find stop and go easier with a manual, it allows you to set a steady crawling pace, rather then the constant use of gas-brake-gas-brake that the auto forces you into.

 

i drive a 6 speed manual every day on the beltway... know what you're doing and traffic is nothing with a manual... much easier than the constant gas/brake shuffle

 

I was in London the other day (driving my boss's car, that I'd never driven before, nonetheless), and I had no problems with the fact that it had a manual gearbox - it's so easy to say 'oh an automatic is easier in traffic' but driving a manual is like learning to ride a bike, once you've learnt you no longer have to think about what you're doing with the clutch/gears, you just do it.

I was more worried about the suicidal motorcyclists that seemed to be intent on taking my wing mirrors off.

To anyone who says that they wouldn't be able to drive a manual-transmission car in US traffic, just try it. And if you already have but didn't like it, keep trying until you do. It's really not hard.

 

im not saying traffic is impossible with a manual. but in my opinion auto is much easier for stop and go at least in the dc area where you spend more time stopped than you do in motion. Riding 1st gear and the clutch is the same as gas brake for me. I guess just personal preference.

Auto transmissions are also faster for racing in straight lines because of the shift times. This is one of the reasons that 2/3rds of all vettes sold are automatic.

 

but straight lines aren't fun. weaving around the country roads in a manual that your pilot, not drive, is fun. you are a part of the machine instead of just using a machine.

thats like saying "people who get kicked in the nuts for fun like to use cups because it keeps it from hurting as much." maybe getting kicked in the nuts isn't fun in the first place?

 

Hmm...a strange first post on a comp-tech forum...anyhow.....excluding the driver preference and subjective information, there are some things that have cought my eye;

Yes, they are more complicated, but they are growing more and more reliable then manuals because your removing the human error. ie. Components can be designed more specialized if a computer desides on how to shift and what gears to use depending on the speed, engine output, etc, compared to a person which is really impossible to determine how one person or another might drive. By removing the human element and replace it with todays computers you have just made your transmission more reliable....not less.

Labor wise, they will be more expensive to fix due to being more complicated. What determines the price of the parts to replace it with is the supply. In the US, with many more new vehicles being made in automatic versions the parts to fix those automatic transmissions will be easier to come by and therefore, less expensive.

This is also untrue. Along with that 'remove human element' thing, a computer can act a lot faster then you can....thats why ABS was invented and is now pretty much standard on every vehicle sold here in the US. Just the same, a computer-controled transmission and traction control can better control your vehicle on ANY off-road and low traction terrain then any manual system. Not that there arent manual transmissions with traction control....because there are...but the ability for the traction control to 'communicate' with the engine and transmission make the system more effective.


Just had to clear that stuff up....feel free to bring up counter-points for these.



As for whether I like manual or auto better; I love manual trannys....tons of fun. Ive had even more time spent with manuals off-road.....a hobby of mine. Ive been behind the wheel of manual Jeep CJs and TJs, etc. and they are a blast! The thing is, as a daily driver a auto tranny is much more practical.

Ive got a lightly modified Land Rover Discovery II....and have to say that its also much better off-road to have an auto. At very low crawl speeds on hills, its not uncommon for even an experienced manual driver to keep stalling.....flat out, off-road auto wins. On road....it mostly comes down to preference.