6
6
0
Nowadays the shift stick is not as common as it was before. All the luxury, exotic cars have been transitioning to automatic transmissions with paddle shifters, they say it would be humanly impossible to shift as quick as the car is producing more and more power (they have a point). I love the fun that driving stick is, I think you get the full experience of driving with stick, but that's my opinion. But for daily commute, I would go with an automatic. My last car in PR was stick and, I kid you not, after a 1:30hr traffic jam my left leg was shaking and the clutch was feeling heavier and heavier.
A friend of mine has a Nissan Maxima with Sport Shifter, he tried it with me and you can feel the power even when is an automatic car. Is a good option when you have just one car and want to have some fun every now and then.
What is your choice? What do you drive?
A friend of mine has a Nissan Maxima with Sport Shifter, he tried it with me and you can feel the power even when is an automatic car. Is a good option when you have just one car and want to have some fun every now and then.
What is your choice? What do you drive?
Cars
Driving
Muscle Cars
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 18
3
3
0
Automatic. I drive 9 10 and and 18 speed at work. It's nice to shift once and just go.
(3)
(0)
2
2
0
Both are fun. My fiancé has a 14 STI and it's a blast to get out and rip some gears on a nice windy road, but my 08 charger with its sportronic shifter is a blast as well.
(2)
(0)
SGT(P) (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) I just saw today a late 90s Impreza, 2 doors, I wish Subaru go back to those times. It was stock, with the golden wheels and no visible aftermarket parts, that car still rocks. However, the Charger, with the Mustang and the Camaro going smaller and lighter should start shaving some pounds if they want to keep up the fight.
(0)
(0)
LCDR (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) - The Charger actually handles better than the Challenger. Her butt is too big the SRT guys proved that too me at the first track experience. I was following a Charger driven by an instructor and he took me into a corner the Charger stuck the Challenger ended up in the gravel trap. Went back out in two Chargers no problem but of course it could have been the driver.
(0)
(0)
SFC (Join to see)
LCDR (Join to see) - both cars are badass, but I agree with you, probably the driver lol. I love my baby, but at almost 100,000 miles, she starting to show her age a it
(0)
(0)
2
2
0
I drove a stick for the last 23 years....but now I drive an automatic because it was the car I could afford.
(2)
(0)
1
1
0
1
1
0
I actually waited 6 additional weeks for deliver for a manual transmission in my Jeep.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I drive an automatic now. But I really do miss my manual transmission. I felt more in control of the car. Plus, they are just fun to drive.
(1)
(0)
SGT(P) (Join to see)
CPL JeMario Laurie I do miss it too, my current car is starting to give me some mechanical problems, nothing serious, and I think is a good moment to go back to manual.
(1)
(0)
CPL JeMario Laurie
SGT(P) (Join to see) - I agree. I'm a die hard car enthusiast and have had a few modded cars. I'll be picking up an Evo 8 or 9 soon to play with.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I believe there is a great misconception now. Many people believe that the modern auto is inherently more efficient than the modern stick. Yet, in the examples of the cars I've seen where the auto actually turns out to be more efficient, the gearing favors the auto significantly. This may not matter to most, but as a point of technicality, the type of tranny (manual v. auto) is not the cause. Look at the gearing. Given identical or even close gear ratios, the manuals still dominate the efficiency argument. They'll also put down more power on a chassis dyno. It's just hard to be more efficient with a "slipping" hydraulic transmission/torque converter than one with a solid mechanical linkage directly from the engine to the tire. In terms of performance, the autos do shift more quickly, and they are more consistent. If better geared they can also outperform, i.e. 8-speed auto vs. 6-speed manual. In the hands of an expert who can power shift very quickly and who launches consistently, the identically geared manual still outperforms the auto. In the hands of most, a performance auto will win.
(1)
(0)
LCDR (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) Just saying it is a new era, I have an 8-spd auto and a 6-spd stick, same engine some upgraded electronics. Have raced them on the track and the new 8-spd is significantly faster.
(0)
(0)
LTC (Join to see)
In car shot of a clutchless 5 speed on a 8.77 pass
In car shot of a clutchless 5 speed on a 8.77 pass
Be sure to take into consideration what is happening throughout the rest of the run. You don't have to be as fast as an auto in between shifts. Power shifting is a technique that allows full engine throttle and power production between shifts, and expertly executed the technique can still result in sub- .2 second shifts, whereas extremely crisp autos may get the job done in .1 sec. This is as compared to an average amateur "granny" speed shifting, which is usually in the .4+ range.
Power shifting, on the other hand, means staying on the throttle through the shift and allows energy to be produced in between the shifts, stored in the flywheel, and then transferred back into the vehicle's acceleration in the next gear.
That is still certainly still a disadvantage compared to an auto, but while in gear, the manuals put down more power. They old rule of thumb for the difference between the two is that a performance auto puts down ~80% of net hp at the engine to the tire, whereas a manual puts down ~85%.
Another performance impactor to take into consideration is in the dynamics of the launch. Almost all stock torque converters are run with very tight stall speeds, which prevents a car from launching as hard as is possible with a manual. In a car with loads of HP that can break street tires loose from the line anyway, it's not a big deal. However, the first thing most guys with these 400+ hp performers do is add sticky drag radials or slicks. That's when being able to dump the clutch and keep your tach in the power band can really pay large dividends over the stock auto.
Lastly, and perhaps a tangent, there are race manuals that shift gears without any time between gears. For example, check this fox body mustang out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzG9DXjBQlQ Jump to around 1:10 in that video, and in the next, jump to 2:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zx54zjDU4s. The shifts are so violent that the camera loses a bit of audio on a couple in the first, but you can also hear a couple shifts. This is obviously not a street driven H-pattern shifter, but it is fair game for the fun of the discussion.
So, even if you have a top flight auto with a .1 second shift, it's not as simple as concluding that since it shifts faster, it is faster. I'll avoid the tangent discussion of autos advantages in turbo cars like mine for now.
Power shifting, on the other hand, means staying on the throttle through the shift and allows energy to be produced in between the shifts, stored in the flywheel, and then transferred back into the vehicle's acceleration in the next gear.
That is still certainly still a disadvantage compared to an auto, but while in gear, the manuals put down more power. They old rule of thumb for the difference between the two is that a performance auto puts down ~80% of net hp at the engine to the tire, whereas a manual puts down ~85%.
Another performance impactor to take into consideration is in the dynamics of the launch. Almost all stock torque converters are run with very tight stall speeds, which prevents a car from launching as hard as is possible with a manual. In a car with loads of HP that can break street tires loose from the line anyway, it's not a big deal. However, the first thing most guys with these 400+ hp performers do is add sticky drag radials or slicks. That's when being able to dump the clutch and keep your tach in the power band can really pay large dividends over the stock auto.
Lastly, and perhaps a tangent, there are race manuals that shift gears without any time between gears. For example, check this fox body mustang out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzG9DXjBQlQ Jump to around 1:10 in that video, and in the next, jump to 2:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zx54zjDU4s. The shifts are so violent that the camera loses a bit of audio on a couple in the first, but you can also hear a couple shifts. This is obviously not a street driven H-pattern shifter, but it is fair game for the fun of the discussion.
So, even if you have a top flight auto with a .1 second shift, it's not as simple as concluding that since it shifts faster, it is faster. I'll avoid the tangent discussion of autos advantages in turbo cars like mine for now.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
Every car or truck I have owned was stick shift, until the past five years. Back then I hunted a lot and stick shift was the only way to go in the mud and up hills and mountains. An automatic probably would burn up after a while with so much stress on them. The stick shift was easy to work on and replace parts. But, now, I love automatic. I like the cruise control on long trips. That's what happens when you become a senior citizen, SGT(P) (Join to see). LOL
(1)
(0)
SGT(P) (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) stick cars come with cruise control too, but having an old 219K miles car I'm starting to get worried about the tranny. I just hope it last a couple of hundreds more.
(0)
(0)
Sgt Spencer Sikder
Auto for city and stick for country...... Of course stick for city isn't bad either I suppose. From what I gather many of the car jackers don't know what to do with them.
(0)
(0)
SGT (Join to see)
SGT(P) (Join to see), That shows you how out of touch I am with the new stick shift autos.
Sgt Spencer Sikder, Never thought about that. Modern jackers, old way to shift. Who knew?
Sgt Spencer Sikder, Never thought about that. Modern jackers, old way to shift. Who knew?
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
SGT(P) (Join to see)
LCDR (Join to see) I bet 8 short shifts will develop speed faster than 6 longer ones.
(1)
(0)
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google