Manual vs Auto

[db_101]

Good day lads and ladies....



Something has come to my attention. Being new to Australia and Melbourne I couldn't help that notice an extensive number of auto cars. This kept me puzzled and confused?? as I started digging deeper into this phenomenon it confused me even more?? big powered cars, v8's, high horse power factory build cars all with no clutch??

Now correct me if im wrong but being an enthusiastic car fan I quiet like to view myself as a "driver" just like all of you guys most probable do to. a sense of actually getting into your car, letting you hands, body and feet mould to the car, become one with the machine, feel every twitch and movement as you go round the bends and accelerate out of them, snap changing into the next gear and feeling the boost kick in....

to me that's what being a driver is about. so my question is why are there all these beautiful cars with heaps of power all in auto, and not just fast cars but just about every car? what's the deal? why does Australia enjoy its auto's so much??

Is it a creature comfort? Are people in Aus lazy drivers or is it because of the traffic?

Kind REgards

[bluey]

I think it's just laziness. Talking to a friend about it some time ago, he said I was old fashioned driving a manual and that most people drive autos.

A DSG is the nearest I've come to an auto I could tolerate owning, since DSG equipped vehicles vs manuals appear to be:
1. faster
2. more fuel efficient
3. just as long-lived with minimal maintenance
4. still more expensive to buy

I just figure they need to get the software bugs out that cause the occasional rough change problems, and prove their longevity.

Are autos dominant in all "wealthy" countries and not just here???? Look at the cars that don't come with manual versions at all.

[AdamD]

Despite the fact that Australia is a big country with a lot of distance and isolation between major metropolitan centres, we still have some of the most congested roads, and longest (and most tedious) commutes in the developed world. As a result, plenty of people who do a lot of commuting in those built-up areas prefer an auto for the stop-start traffic.

When it comes to big powerful V8s, the motoring press tends to recommend autos just at the moment. The manual transmissions available for the Commodore and Falcon are pretty agricultural in their shift quality and speed, and they have fairly heavy clutches to deal with the big power and torque for towing from low speeds etc. This is not a good combination. Whereas the autos in both are much better units overall. So unless you must have a manual for a manual's sake, in those cars, an auto is the way to go.

[Diesel_vert]

In Australia, approximately 89% of us reside in cities, so our population is highly urbanised relative to its land mass. As such, our market has an overwhelming preference for passenger vehicles to be fitted with automatic transmissions.

The price of fuel in Australia is relatively low compared to other advanced OECD countries (though we still complain about it), so traditionally, there has been no real incentive to increase fuel efficiency, but this is slowly changing.

Some of it could be cultural. Generations of people have learnt or are learning to drive in vehicles with automatic transmissions, many of whom will probably never have to deal with a manual transmission in their life.

In addition, our preference for Japanese and American (Ford and Holden) vehicles, who have historically "consumerised" the automatic transmission better than the Europeans, gradually transformed our market and made it friendly to those adverse to the manual transmissions. European marques have historically sold in smaller numbers in Australia until relatively recently.

Essentially, the consumer market in Australia prefers the convenience of an automatic because of the driving conditions, are willing to pay a price premium, can afford the running costs, and won't tolerate (not purchase) a vehicle without one, because most of us live in cities which rival Los Angeles for traffic congestion, such is the state of our infrastructure.

Without mass consumer demand for manual transmissions in Australia (unlike Europe), vehicle manufacturers have no incentive to supply one, especially when they have to send them half way around the world. Economics 101.

[Sharkie]

95% of Aussies only sees cars as appliances to get from A to B reliably and cheaply and don't give a hoot about the experience of driving and enjoying the drive ......

Even amongst the Euro drivers, the number of actual enthusiasts are quite low hence the purchase of the tool (the auto/DSG) that makes driving the easiest possible .....

The purists and those that like to be in control still pick the manual but due to the draconian speeding laws even those numbers are dwindling sadly.

Read the motor reviews in the car mags and you can see the manuals are still the pick from an enjoyment perspective according to the journos. Case in point, latest Wheels article on the Mk7 DSG GTI said, nice .... but give me manual instead .....

[popeclement]

Good day lads and ladies....



Something has come to my attention. Being new to Australia and Melbourne I couldn't help that notice an extensive number of auto cars. This kept me puzzled and confused?? aAre people in Aus lazy drivers or is it because of the traffic?

Kind REgards

Your observations pretty close to the mark. After a serious accident at speed in the WA Outback - tyre blowout, I vowed never to drive autos again - I could not 'wash off' the speed quickly & safely with the auto. I have driven manuals in heavy traffic and its not an issue. Recently purchased the manual Golf and have to say it is enjoyable stirring through the gears - when I had a loan DSG vehicle last week it left me completely uninspired. Also teaching my eldest now to drive a manual and even his observation is how much more control and attention it forces on the driver both consciously and unconsciously.

I will drive one till they carry me off

[mfl]

Despite the fact that Australia is a big country with a lot of distance and isolation between major metropolitan centres, we still have some of the most congested roads, and longest (and most tedious) commutes in the developed world. As a result, plenty of people who do a lot of commuting in those built-up areas prefer an auto for the stop-start traffic.

When it comes to big powerful V8s, the motoring press tends to recommend autos just at the moment. The manual transmissions available for the Commodore and Falcon are pretty agricultural in their shift quality and speed, and they have fairly heavy clutches to deal with the big power and torque for towing from low speeds etc. This is not a good combination. Whereas the autos in both are much better units overall. So unless you must have a manual for a manual's sake, in those cars, an auto is the way to go.

still a significant difference in the driving experience between auto and manual, yes the latest 6 speed auto boxes are much,much better in the v8s than the old slushboxes were, but the manual is still more satisfying to drive, if driving is what you are interested in, not quite just a case of getting a manual for the sake of getting a manual.

[Discodan]

I couldn't get a new manual wagon after looking around for the last 3 months, unless it was the Megane wagon GT. I even considered second hand but as it is going to be a company car I soon discounted that thought.
Holden has dropped the manual across the commondoor range unless you buy the HSV and thats a lot of money for a common door.
So I settled on the DSG, it has paddles so it might keep me entertained.

[wai]

I don't see any real issue here.

In urban areas, you have speed limits that are 40 or 50 or 60 km/h Yes, you can get higher zones, but they are generally on the better roads where once you get into top gear, it stays there, much like on highways.

On highways, it is a case of get into top gear and then stay there. Yes, the occasional drop down of one gear for a steep hill or to overtake (even that is now rare with divided multi-lane highways), but otherwise it is a case of get into top gear and stay there.

Some of the biggest issues with manual cars arise when drivers try and drive them like they were on a race track and get into trouble.

Then there is the commute. Even there, our roads in Sydney are more congested on weekends than during the daily commute, and this includes our urban motorways which are a crawl.

On fuel consumption, I doubt there is very much difference between a manual driven "vigorously" and auto.

In the end, it's a choice. Just because someone does not choose a manual does not mean they don't enjoy driving - a bit like having coffee with a lower caffeine level so that you can enjoy the flavour and aroma of the coffee rather than have it just for the caffeine high

[AdamD]

but the manual is still more satisfying to drive, if driving is what you are interested in

That is entirely down to the perceptions of the driver, and of the gearbox in question. I love driving, and I enjoy both manuals and autos. If I were driving a current Commodore or Falcon V8, there's no question I'd opt for the auto in either for the 99% of circumstances under which I'd perceive it to work better. This isn't the case for all cars and all manual gearboxes of course, but the current Australian V8 product uses some really agricultural manuals, with not much precision or tactile feedback to speak of.