3 ms·

You’ll pry my manual transmission from my cold, dead hands. Hopefully not because you’re a paramedic and I’m wrapped round a tree... Joking apart, I’d swap my

You’ll pry my manual transmission from my cold, dead hands. Hopefully not because you’re a paramedic and I’m wrapped round a tree... Joking apart, I’d swap my manual for an ‘automatic’ with paddle-shift manual controls. If I was commuting in a city I’d definitely want an automatic though.

Thlom 8y ago
Doesn’t most automatic transmissions have that? My old VW Touran have paddles on the wheel for changing gears. I only use it when driving down steep hills though.
- sebazzz 8y ago
  Older automatics (my previous Opel/Vauxhall Astra G) had 3 modes, two being for slopes. But not always manually choosing the gear you like, which modern automatic transmissions do appear to have.
  - esaym 8y ago
    Nearly every automatic transmission pre-2000's was a basic double planetary gear system. Which means you got 3 gears. So normally you'd have a gear selector of 'park'-'reverse'-'neutral'-'drive'-'2'-'1' where 2 and 1 were the actual gears that you could force the transmission into for increased engine breaking (for going down mountains so you don't melt your brakes). Or sometimes for low traction, you could leave it in '2' which would make it harder to spin the tires. After 1980, an 'overdrive' gear was added to most transmissions. "Overdrive" in this sense means that for one turn of the input shaft, the output shaft would turn slightly more than one. After the early 2000's, we started to see the introduction of 3 and 4 planetary gear sets bringing the total gears anywhere from 6 to 9.
- NikolaNovak 8y ago
  Yes, but automatics with "paddle shifts" have very soft transition and very soft/delayed gas pedal reaction; whereas dual-clutch/sequential with "paddle shifts" have very fast transition and very straight gas pedal reaction. The true automatics, or CVT, there's limited need (or fun:) in paddle shifts outside of hills, poor traction, etc. For sequential/dual-clutch, paddle shift operation is direct... and fun :)
  - rootusrootus 8y ago
    The only thing going away faster than the manual at this point are dual clutch transmissions. Never really perfected in most instances, and the latest slushboxes actually outperform them. Faster shifts, more reliable, cheaper. I prefer my manual very much, but I have to hand it to the engineers, they've turned what used to be a performance-killing design into the best you can buy.
    - NikolaNovak 8y ago
      Hmm Is there a car in price range of golf gti that has that level of gas pedal responsiveness? I would love to take it for a test drive and see if my skepticism is warranted :)
      - rootusrootus 8y ago
        Well, unless you're looking to actually buy, who says it has to be in the right price range? ;-)
        NikolaNovak 8y ago
        I am though- need to replace my manual wrx with something fun that my wife can drive :)
        rootusrootus 8y ago
        I can't really help, then, I'm not really familiar with what the state of the art in four-cylinder hot hatches are at this point (and in any case, Subaru will not be leading edge in that regard; I have loved all my Subarus, especially my two STIs, but automatics are definitely not something Subaru is any good at). The newer A8 and A10s that GM uses in their performance cars (and Ford in some cases), as well as the latest stuff from MB, are fantastic automatics. Until this latest generation came along, I assumed DCT was the future. Now I'd be surprised to see it hang on much more than a few more years before being phased out.
NikolaNovak 8y ago
Note, paddle shifts alone are not a good signifier, depending what's underneath them. There's a HUGE difference I find between: a) Automatic with paddle shifts: still has a torque converter between engine and wheels, soft response on pedal, and double-guesses everything you do b) Sequential and/or dual-clutch with paddle shifts: still has a clutch, direct connectivity from engine to wheels, same response to gas pedal and more control First one is zero fun to drive (for me). Second can replace my manual easily.
- AshleyGrant 8y ago
  Modern locking torque converters provide direct connectivity from engine to wheels just like a manual transmission. They just also provide the torque multiplication and buttery smooth starts that a torque converter allows for. I drove a BMW with the 7 speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) for a few years. The programming is really good, but every once in a while it would get things wrong and I'd look like a kid just learning how to drive a stick shift. BMW has switched to the ZF 8 speed for the new M5, and I wouldn't be overly surprised to see that happen for the next-gen M3. The purists will wail, but at the end of the day, it won't change anything, and the cars will still be fun to drive.
  - NikolaNovak 8y ago
    I thought locking torque converters were designed for fuel efficiency and are engaged during cruising mode, not heavy acceleration. I have not personally driven an automatic where the rpm and speed (I. E. Wheel and engine) have direct relationship during acceleration. Per above, is there an automatic in gti'd price range that you feel trully has that level of responsiveness and fun (as opposed to twice the price)? If so... I'm very very interested (my wife doesn't drive stick so my WRX days are numbered)

Thlom 8y ago

Doesn’t most automatic transmissions have that? My old VW Touran have paddles on the wheel for changing gears. I only use it when driving down steep hills though.

sebazzz 8y ago
Older automatics (my previous Opel/Vauxhall Astra G) had 3 modes, two being for slopes. But not always manually choosing the gear you like, which modern automatic transmissions do appear to have.
- esaym 8y ago
  Nearly every automatic transmission pre-2000's was a basic double planetary gear system. Which means you got 3 gears. So normally you'd have a gear selector of 'park'-'reverse'-'neutral'-'drive'-'2'-'1' where 2 and 1 were the actual gears that you could force the transmission into for increased engine breaking (for going down mountains so you don't melt your brakes). Or sometimes for low traction, you could leave it in '2' which would make it harder to spin the tires. After 1980, an 'overdrive' gear was added to most transmissions. "Overdrive" in this sense means that for one turn of the input shaft, the output shaft would turn slightly more than one. After the early 2000's, we started to see the introduction of 3 and 4 planetary gear sets bringing the total gears anywhere from 6 to 9.
NikolaNovak 8y ago
Yes, but automatics with "paddle shifts" have very soft transition and very soft/delayed gas pedal reaction; whereas dual-clutch/sequential with "paddle shifts" have very fast transition and very straight gas pedal reaction. The true automatics, or CVT, there's limited need (or fun:) in paddle shifts outside of hills, poor traction, etc. For sequential/dual-clutch, paddle shift operation is direct... and fun :)
- rootusrootus 8y ago
  The only thing going away faster than the manual at this point are dual clutch transmissions. Never really perfected in most instances, and the latest slushboxes actually outperform them. Faster shifts, more reliable, cheaper. I prefer my manual very much, but I have to hand it to the engineers, they've turned what used to be a performance-killing design into the best you can buy.
  - NikolaNovak 8y ago
    Hmm Is there a car in price range of golf gti that has that level of gas pedal responsiveness? I would love to take it for a test drive and see if my skepticism is warranted :)
    - rootusrootus 8y ago
      Well, unless you're looking to actually buy, who says it has to be in the right price range? ;-)
      - NikolaNovak 8y ago
        I am though- need to replace my manual wrx with something fun that my wife can drive :)
        rootusrootus 8y ago
        I can't really help, then, I'm not really familiar with what the state of the art in four-cylinder hot hatches are at this point (and in any case, Subaru will not be leading edge in that regard; I have loved all my Subarus, especially my two STIs, but automatics are definitely not something Subaru is any good at). The newer A8 and A10s that GM uses in their performance cars (and Ford in some cases), as well as the latest stuff from MB, are fantastic automatics. Until this latest generation came along, I assumed DCT was the future. Now I'd be surprised to see it hang on much more than a few more years before being phased out.

NikolaNovak 8y ago

Note, paddle shifts alone are not a good signifier, depending what's underneath them. There's a HUGE difference I find between: a) Automatic with paddle shifts: still has a torque converter between engine and wheels, soft response on pedal, and double-guesses everything you do b) Sequential and/or dual-clutch with paddle shifts: still has a clutch, direct connectivity from engine to wheels, same response to gas pedal and more control First one is zero fun to drive (for me). Second can replace my manual easily.

AshleyGrant 8y ago
Modern locking torque converters provide direct connectivity from engine to wheels just like a manual transmission. They just also provide the torque multiplication and buttery smooth starts that a torque converter allows for. I drove a BMW with the 7 speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) for a few years. The programming is really good, but every once in a while it would get things wrong and I'd look like a kid just learning how to drive a stick shift. BMW has switched to the ZF 8 speed for the new M5, and I wouldn't be overly surprised to see that happen for the next-gen M3. The purists will wail, but at the end of the day, it won't change anything, and the cars will still be fun to drive.
- NikolaNovak 8y ago
  I thought locking torque converters were designed for fuel efficiency and are engaged during cruising mode, not heavy acceleration. I have not personally driven an automatic where the rpm and speed (I. E. Wheel and engine) have direct relationship during acceleration. Per above, is there an automatic in gti'd price range that you feel trully has that level of responsiveness and fun (as opposed to twice the price)? If so... I'm very very interested (my wife doesn't drive stick so my WRX days are numbered)