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It always entertaining when Americans speaking about manual transmissions as something mysterious. It is not, feet on pedal, switch, feet from pedal. Europeans

It always entertaining when Americans speaking about manual transmissions as something mysterious. It is not, feet on pedal, switch, feet from pedal. Europeans are surprised seeing you manipulating the wipers to control the transmission. I consider personally most automatic transmissions horrible. The gear is either to high to overtake or so low that the engine is running with too much RPM. The only exception is the gear-less Multitronic[1] by Audi. Sadly replaced by DSG. Nasty rumors say VW did that because the Multitronic had no more issues and worked well ;) The DSG works somehow and the shifting is somehow acceptable. The automatic transmission Ford uses (e.g. C-Max) is horror for the driver, passengers and the engine. Adventurous people may proceed to double-clutching[2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitronic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitronic [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_clutch_(technique) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_clutch_(technique)

imglorp 5y ago
Sometimes double clutching helps with old American boxes. German ones have always been temperamental, compared to shaking a bag of wrenches. Japanese ones have always been smooth and fun. Source: I taught three teenagers to drive stick recently, and there are still teeth on the gears. Yay me!
BoorishBears 5y ago
Most automatic transmissions are horrible because most cars are horrible. Good cars have good transmissions, regardless of transmission style. The ZF8 is an excellent transmission that's seen everywhere. PDK does justice to the most performant modern Porsches in a way that manuals struggle to keep up with. Even relatively small volume DCTs like the one in the 4C are pretty great these days.
- ho_schi 5y ago
  ZF8 seems to be used by Audi only for cars sold in America? btw. ZF means Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen. Which is owned by the Zeppelin Foundation. Which was founded to support the built of Zeppelin Luftschiffe and social purposes. Weird story. And the Zeppelin Foundation was for a long time owner of Cherry. The company behind most mechanical keyboard switches. They should've kept that, growing business area - mechanical switches ;)
  - theluketaylor 5y ago
    The ZF8 is in plenty of euro Audis as well, but only the big, expensive stuff since it's a longitudinal gearbox. The more common, smaller Audis would be on the MQB transverse platform that can't use the ZF8. And Audi has been using a dual clutch on some of their lower-end MLB cars. Anything A6/Q7 and up is a ZF8 if it's an automatic.
  - prova_modena 5y ago
    It's been used by numerous manufacturers in addition to Audi, including BMW and seemingly every FCA/Stellantis brand. I've driven a BMW 5 series fitted with one and I can confirm it's a great transmission that is smooth and capable during normal driving, but has reasonable sportiness when required. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission
  - BoorishBears 5y ago
    Now would not be a great time to be in that area when "knockoff" switches have pretty much out-innovated Cherry into irrelevance But that aside, as other comments point out the ZF8 is not Audi specific, Plenty of non-M car BMWs use it, and even heavy duty pick up trucks are running with ZF8s now
repiret 5y ago
I'm in the US and prefer manual transmissions, but I have to admit that the 6-8 speed automatic transmissions that have become popular in the last 5-10 years pretty much solves the "always in the wrong gear" problem that the 3-4 speed automatic transmissions of years past had.
vincentmarle 5y ago
Manual transmissions are great for anti-theft protection ;)
systemvoltage 5y ago
> It always entertaining when Americans speaking about manual transmissions as something mysterious. It is always entertaining to see European exceptionalism schooling up people in car forums. Please tell us about diesel engines too!
- ho_schi 5y ago
  Sorry my friend. I'm preferring gasoline ;)
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
masklinn 5y ago
> It always entertaining when Americans speaking about manual transmissions as something mysterious. The car in question is at least 45 years old. That the transmission was never great and has degraded since is not at all odd. At no point did I see ragging on a manual, only the transmission being shot (and having a weird pattern).
foobarian 5y ago
> Europeans are surprised seeing you manipulating the wipers to control the transmission. That is nothing new to a true European. Look up the Renault 4 shifter :-)

imglorp 5y ago

Sometimes double clutching helps with old American boxes. German ones have always been temperamental, compared to shaking a bag of wrenches. Japanese ones have always been smooth and fun. Source: I taught three teenagers to drive stick recently, and there are still teeth on the gears. Yay me!

BoorishBears 5y ago

Most automatic transmissions are horrible because most cars are horrible. Good cars have good transmissions, regardless of transmission style. The ZF8 is an excellent transmission that's seen everywhere. PDK does justice to the most performant modern Porsches in a way that manuals struggle to keep up with. Even relatively small volume DCTs like the one in the 4C are pretty great these days.

ho_schi 5y ago
ZF8 seems to be used by Audi only for cars sold in America? btw. ZF means Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen. Which is owned by the Zeppelin Foundation. Which was founded to support the built of Zeppelin Luftschiffe and social purposes. Weird story. And the Zeppelin Foundation was for a long time owner of Cherry. The company behind most mechanical keyboard switches. They should've kept that, growing business area - mechanical switches ;)
- theluketaylor 5y ago
  The ZF8 is in plenty of euro Audis as well, but only the big, expensive stuff since it's a longitudinal gearbox. The more common, smaller Audis would be on the MQB transverse platform that can't use the ZF8. And Audi has been using a dual clutch on some of their lower-end MLB cars. Anything A6/Q7 and up is a ZF8 if it's an automatic.
- prova_modena 5y ago
  It's been used by numerous manufacturers in addition to Audi, including BMW and seemingly every FCA/Stellantis brand. I've driven a BMW 5 series fitted with one and I can confirm it's a great transmission that is smooth and capable during normal driving, but has reasonable sportiness when required. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZF_8HP_transmission
- BoorishBears 5y ago
  Now would not be a great time to be in that area when "knockoff" switches have pretty much out-innovated Cherry into irrelevance But that aside, as other comments point out the ZF8 is not Audi specific, Plenty of non-M car BMWs use it, and even heavy duty pick up trucks are running with ZF8s now

repiret 5y ago

I'm in the US and prefer manual transmissions, but I have to admit that the 6-8 speed automatic transmissions that have become popular in the last 5-10 years pretty much solves the "always in the wrong gear" problem that the 3-4 speed automatic transmissions of years past had.

vincentmarle 5y ago

Manual transmissions are great for anti-theft protection ;)

systemvoltage 5y ago

> It always entertaining when Americans speaking about manual transmissions as something mysterious. It is always entertaining to see European exceptionalism schooling up people in car forums. Please tell us about diesel engines too!

ho_schi 5y ago
Sorry my friend. I'm preferring gasoline ;)
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

masklinn 5y ago

> It always entertaining when Americans speaking about manual transmissions as something mysterious. The car in question is at least 45 years old. That the transmission was never great and has degraded since is not at all odd. At no point did I see ragging on a manual, only the transmission being shot (and having a weird pattern).

foobarian 5y ago

> Europeans are surprised seeing you manipulating the wipers to control the transmission. That is nothing new to a true European. Look up the Renault 4 shifter :-)