Understood, I was in the camp one time too. That said, the newer, and especially dual clutch auto transmissions also out perform manual transmissions as well as being more efficient.
The latest Corvette for instance does 0-60 in 2.9 seconds. Top speed,
194 MPH. It is only available with a dual clutch auto trans mission.Today I look at most manual transmission vehicles as being entry level "engineering", regardless of the quality vehicle.
Like a car with manually operated windows vs. electric.
It sounds like a fast thumping sound coming from the corner of the vehicle that is having issues and from the unit under the hood activating the anti lock. And many times the brake pedal seems to be going a little further down than what you are use to feeling when the ABS is not activated. Oh, and the vehicle continues to go where you would expect.
I moved out of NYC 40 years ago. The #1 reason was the traffic. #2 was parking. #3 was the overcrowding.
I remember the early days when I would drive back "home". 5 hours to complete 90% of the ride, another 1.5 hours to complete the last 10%. Reverse that on the way out of town. 40 years ago. I can only imagine what it's like now.
And don't say I just didn't time it right. The majority of the time, night or day, it's bad. Many times it's worse.
I had a Smart ForFour as a rental in Italy for a couple of weeks. All I can say good was, its transportation. Easy to park in the city.
Well timing around here is when it is dark. Talking stop and go on the freeways.
I used to regularly drive from Newark to Springfield Ma without substantial delays; I suppose the Holland Tunnel can get congested, but it wasn't so bad back in the 90's when I was there.
What is substantial? I've been stuck on the GW at 10PM, midnight, many other times. Mostly avoided the Cross Bronx for the same reason. Early Sunday morning was not too bad but Sunday night could be a mess. especially in the summer. Tappan Zee not much better.
As a kid, we'd leave for Jones Beach at 6 AM. Breakfast cooked on the grill at one of the picnic areas then a few hours on the beach until the crowds showed up.
On the way home, we'd head west, back towards the city, on the LIE. We'd look across the divider and see three lanes of bumper to bumper traffic s l o w l y inching its way to the beach. Later in the day, they'd all be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on the way home. Meanwhile, we'd be relaxing and watching the Mets game.
No more of that for me. My 12 minute commute stretches to 20 minutes on the worst of days. The beach (a lake) is a 10 minute drive. Sometimes we walk.
No significant delays across the TZ or up the sawmill pkwy. I usually left Summit NJ mid-afternoon on Fridays.
What is 'significant?'
When I have to drive past Chicago, I try to do it early morning only.
1-3 AM... there is literally traffic any other time of day, including Sundays.
That doesn't sound fun. I hate Pittsburgh traffic, I could only imagine Huston.
I could go on about those horrible "smart cars"... the *BEST* part is, that they take premium fuel! So in practice, that gas mileage is even worse... well, more expensive fuel than other cars. They would have been sportier as a manual, but they didn't offer that in the US. The factory warranty was only 2 yrs/24k miles I believe; Fiat quality... heh. I'll surely take a Cavalier sooner.
I never understood them either, unless you live in a very tiny European city. My Geo Metros get 55 HP with 50 MPG average, maybe 45 in the city. The only thing the "smart car" has on them would be likely holding up better in an accident. That issue is a mute point, however, if you are only driving it around town in a small city.
I can surely agree with you there, old automatics are bad. In it's day, my Dart was quite a small car - but it looks big for today's standards. I've talked to people that drag race these old Darts, and "trick out" the slant 6's... however, with the 3 speed torqueflite, while it is a solid transmission, it's kind of gutless paired with the engine. I have to downshift a lot manually. I'd get better performance with a 3 on the column, and it would be really snappy with a 4 on the floor.
I rarely keep a car long enough to replace a clutch, but I've done it before. It's a project for sure!
That seems to be how the car sector feels; you can only find a standard in the most base model cars, or a select few high-end cars. If I recall correctly, no one in the US makes a truck with a standard transmission anymore. Maybe the Toyota Tacoma; I think that's it. What's left of standards, I'm sure the electric car phase with wipe out.
I must say that if I had a Corvette or sporty car, maximum speed and efficiency be damned, I won't have fun unless it was a standard. I feel like it should be an option for sports car enthusiasts. Then again, I'm sure they'd still offer it enough people bought it... you have to go with what the market demands.
Does it engage often? My first thought would be a flat tire if I head/felt a "fast thumping sound".
When the brake pedal "goes down further than I'd expect", that's when I panic and downshift or get ready for the e-brake... that would take some getting used to. I've had a brake line go out driving down a hill not often, but just enough times... not fun.
The C8 mid engine Corvette comes with a dual clutch auto, which you can paddle shift.
Single-car accident maybe.
Saw an ad once demonstrating the crash-safety of Volkswagens. A Volkswagen was sitting on top of a very flat Cadillac. The Volkswagen was a 40 ton main battle tank.
You can't get a standard in a new Corvette. The dual-clutch auto shifts faster than any manual can.
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