[s-cars] "The Aluminum Crowd"/Tip vs. Manual Musings

[Taka Mizutani]

Scott-
I prefer manual to automatic until you get into trucks and SUVs where towing
becomes an issue- I would rather drive an automatic pickup than a stick just
because I'm more worried about burning up the clutch and the moving parts of
the trans become so large that it starts to become work just to shift gears.
(Big diesel pickups, medium-duty trucks, stuff like that- anything from a
F-250 size or larger)

I would rather drive a stick SUV if I'm not towing. I learned how to drive
with a stick and have not owned any cars with an automatic (although the
current V70R is quasi-mine- inherited it).

Only thing I'm looking to buy with a slushbox is a pickup or full-size SUV
for towing and an E500 4Matic wagon. Can't get the Benz with a stick and no
one makes anything comparable unless I find an unobtanium 530xiT or 535xiT.

I don't agree with your assessment of the A8/S8- I've driven a D3 A8 SWB
_hard_ and the slushbox lets the car down. Otherwise, I love it, but I'm
never in the right gear and it takes forever to switch gears. I don't buck
the car shifting gears, either. :-)

Taka

On 4/19/07, QSHIPQ at aol.com <QSHIPQ at aol.com> wrote:
>
>  I actually find exploring autobox handling to be tougher than manuals.
> The days of 'lazy' autoboxes has given way to some pretty neat toys.  I
> enjoy the v8 (I built Ingo's to some wild specs for the previous owner)
> 5spd, but I don't miss it when I give it back and hop into our slushbox.  As
> I've aged, big cars with sticks, just don't do much for me.  Rocking shifts
> of all that weight, and working to make it do what the sport mode auto does
> with aplumb, makes me think I'm missing something.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I can't imagine a slushbox in my urq, or even an A4.
> But as they hit the 4000lb mark, I lose interest and benefit.  Part of what
> makes the S8/A8/V8 flagships unique IMO, is audis target of making the trans
> do what you can't well with a stick.  Smooth to redline, good gear ratios,
> and a pretty decent shift program in sport mode.
>
> The one that really put this in perspective for me was the 928S4 in manual
> vs autobox mode.  I say put the trans that matches the chassis and character
> of the machine, and my own opinion proposes mainly that desire is
> proportional to weight.  The S car being one of the few exceptions, but I
> suspect with a v8 in it instead of the I5 turbo, it would fall into line as
> well.
>
> Never an autobox?  I don't agree at all.  Even my TRD supercharged
> landcruiser will whack redline effortlessly by pushing the sport mode
> button.  On the S8, I don't get it frankly, that machine is meant to drive
> hard, and the autobox allows you to do that without the desire to work the
> suspension over to take the manual trans bucking.
>
> Add in these massive dual mass flywheels added to address the shift
> smoothness problem, you start to lose all the goodness and desire to manual
> shift.
>
> IMO
>
> Scott J
> In a message dated 4/19/2007 9:14:28 A.M. Central Standard Time,
> t44tqtro at gmail.com writes:
>
> Scott-
> Kind of like what Bill said- it's not that the manual is faster, but that
> it
> feels better.
>
> Personally, I really hate automatic transmissions (except in heavy-duty
> trucks). I won't buy a
> car with an automatic unless I have no other choice. Given the disposable
> income, I'd choose
> a traditional manual over F1/SMG/DSG in pretty much any car unless I was
> buying a track toy.
>
> I've had enough seat time in DSG and slushbox tiptronic cars that the
> novelty of shifting gears
> really wears off and it's not involving to drive. I always end up putting
> the car in automatic mode.
>
> That never happens with a manual (of course, it can't happen). I prefer
> shifting gears myself, with
> 3 pedals and a stick.
>
> Automatic with turbos doesn't work for me at all- A4, S4, RS6, allroad,
> V70R, Legacy turbo, WRX- I don't like how
> any of them drive.
>
> Taka
>
>
>
>
>
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