Motors Why do Americans predominantly drive Automatics?

It's really not that much hand work, at least IME. Crusin' around the neighborhood I usually leave it in second, then hold the clutch down when I need to slow down for turns, then let off the clutch on the straights.
Highway driving especially, you can just leave it in fifth and have both hands free.

 

ahh, the duscussion has finally decended into name calling and one country bashing another. At least it took a while to get there.
In reply to automatic drivers being lazy, there are a number of truck drivers that would say you manual drivers are spolied with things like synchros. You don't have to double clutch.

Trying to use this argument to try and feel superior is just silly, but it seems to happen all the time.

 

Ive got an unk who says that actualy. He says syncronised trannys spoil drivers and duble clutches are necesary for longevity......LOL hes a typical trucker.

 

uhh, i'm american, living in california. born and raised. and being honest.

you don't see people putting on makeup ON THEIR CELL PHONES!!! while driving. you also don't have to live with the fact that if they plow into you they have enough money to sue YOU for damages! American drivers as a whole are crazy.

 

no offense, but you do realise this is an incredibly bad driving technique? you should be able to slow down to like a few mph in 2nd with the clutch up without stalling... in fact you never change down to 1st whilst moving (it's difficult or impossible in most cars anyway.) why do you put the clutch down for corners? it gives you much less control of the car and you're more at risk of locking the brakes...

 

is it bad that i can get into fourth while in a residential and let my foot off of the gas?

 

Well, I drive an automatic cause I've lost part of the use of one arm.

I'd rather be safe.

 

nothing bad about that i normally drive around town (which is a 30mph limit) in 3rd 4th or even 5th.

 

As an American.

We are the country of on-the-go soccer moms who drink lots of coffee and are constantly in our cars. So in general people like to be able to multi task when they drive. Manuals make it a little bit harder to hold your cell phone and a cup of coffee at the same time.

I personally driver a Manual BMW and I wouldnt trade it for an automatic unless it was MUCH MUCH nicer.

 

holding a cell phone and drinking coffee whilst driving is pretty much illegal in the rest of the world, because you're not concentrating on your driving which means you're a danger to everybody else.
You're in charge of just over a tonne of metal @ 30mph answering your phone is that really safe and sensible?

 

Most of the turns here have stop signs... I don't know about the laws where you live, but typically, if you're in second, the clutch is up, and the engine hasn't stalled, you probably are going too fast for the stop sign.

 

lazy.

 

perhaps, but you should never actually go around the corner with the clutch down...

 

I was told by my driving instructor many many moons ago that if you do go round a corner with the clutch down it actually alters the centre of gravity of the car, as to slowing down with the clutch depressed, ever heard of engine braking? leave it second until the last possible moment and if its a stop sign /light then stop and change into first is the way i was taught to drive, if its a give way and you're in second you should be able to judge whether you're clear to proceed or not and pull away without changing down to first

 

I was told that brakes are cheaper than clutches, so avoid using the engine to brake.

 

i was told the same as altron

 

This has no impact on the clutch though, maybe on the transmission, but not the clutch.

 

Im an american and can say that i love driving stick. I have owned a 1984 FJ60 toyota LandCruiser with 4 on the floor and now a ford f150 with 5 on the floor.

There is nothing quite like the physical feeling of driving a stick. You have so much more raw control. I belive that most americans dont drive stick because, the car (even though we are seen as a car culture) is a convience item, and most drivers want as little to do as possible with the actual driving experience. They want a car that rides nicely, has all the bells and whistles, flashes their wealth, and is easy to drive. The dont want to have to wory about shifting gears, and they DONT Care about the benifits of driving a standard. They want a car that does all the "hard" work for them.


and lets face it. For most people 3 pedels is just 1 to many. (after all most of us only have 2 legs )

 

It's fun when there's an E-brake pedal too... four pedals makes it really fun.

 

Good. People who do that should be banned from driving IMO. You're in a car.. you should be driving and doing nothing else to distract you from the job of controlling a fast moving machine that has the capability to kill people is misused.