Dumb Criminals of the Day: Carjackers failed to steal Corvette because they couldn't drive stick. - Polidicks

Why is this thread always on the front page.

[QUOTE=*Freezorg*;39467335]That's exactly why it's tedious. It's doing all the work for me. I don't want the car to drive itself.[/quote] I don't find automatics tedius, personally. I drive my mom's automatic Explorer as often as my manual F150. The explorer is actually slightly less tedious to drive, but on the same token, it also bugs the shit out of me. I often find myself asking it why it downshifted for a hill it didn't need to downshift for, or why it can't make its mind up on which gear to be in, and I usually find myself grumbling about how automatics by design refuse to sit still at a light. Very annoying....and that's a mild one. Our out-of-use chrysler minivan is absolutely TERRIBLE about hunting for gears. Hit a 2% incline with cruise on? It kicks down to second gear and absolutely floors it! That minivan has one of the most derptastic automatic transmissions in the history of automobiles. That gearbox is also why we don't use it, sometimes it forgets it even has one or two of the gears. We don't trust it enough to drive it. Now, admittedly, these aren't the most advanced automatics ever made. The explorer is a '97 and the van a '96. Modern boxes hunt for gears a whole lot less. But they still do it, and they still creep around. I've also never understood why automatic cars have fuckhuge brake pedals. I don't get the logic behind the double-wide pedal pads. If it was a safety thing M/T cars would have them too, with the clutch spaced far enough to the left to clear. But they sort of....don't. so why is that, carmakers? you've been doing it for 60+ years, but why? Is it just to troll manual drivers into flooring the brakes when going for the clutch pedal or something? [quote]I have never read such utter nonsense.[/QUOTE] People that say that are usually either A: lazy, B: Tried it and found it too 'hard', or C: Live in San Francisco.

I can't drive a manual car. I can't drive automatic either, but that's because I haven't learnt yet

[QUOTE=Sir M;39470366]I can't drive a manual car. I can't drive automatic either, but that's because I haven't learnt yet[/QUOTE] Push pedal car go vroom.

[QUOTE=Sir M;39470366]I can't drive a manual car. I can't drive automatic either, but that's because I haven't learnt yet[/QUOTE] if it has two pedals, use one for each foot if it has 3 it's a mutant, don't touch it

[QUOTE=TestECull;39450787]I would be absolutely fucked then. My parking brake hasn't worked since I bought my truck in 2006, and fixing it required spending a couple hundred bucks that'd be better spent on more important systems. Yeah. For me, within six months, it was entirely subconcious. I never had to think "Ok, I'm coming to a stop. Clutch in, first gear." My left leg and right hand just did those things automatically, and even to this day they still do. Nowadays, if I notice the clutch at all, it's usually "..is it chattering?..ehh...maybe a bit...silly old truck". Or a large cube gas motor. In America it's very common for the only vehicles that have manuals to also have V8s. These V8s chuck out far more torque at idle than the diesels to which you refer can, so they will effortlessly take off without any throttle input. Older I6s also do this, hell the 4.9L I6 I have has a powerband that would be familiar to any diesel driver. Peak torque is at 1600RPM, for example, and she's out of puff at just 3500. Redline? 4100. It doesn't care that it's lugging 5500 pounds of American iron around on gearing that sees first gear top out at 35MPH, it will happily get things going at idle. I love that engine. Really the only cars that [I]won't[/I] take off at idle without throttle input are the small 4-pot gas commuter cars. Thieves love hondas, bro. [/QUOTE] Oh, you wouldn't have a problem with it. Here, you use the driving school's cars to make the exam and they are always in good shape, so no trouble at all. Although, the first car I used seemed to have an odd clutch that would give an extra revv to the engine without giving any acceleration... Then again, I was nervous as balls, probably did something wrong to make it act like that. To me, I felt like a completely new driver whenever I was having a driving lesson. For starters, I had a really strict driving ed. that wanted everything done flawlessly and would ram 2 minutes of bitchy voice complaints into your head while you are in a busy as fuck place at rush hour while also demanding answers to whatever questions she made, so whatever I did, I was constantly doubtful wether I was doing it right or not which made me tense as fuck. Then you had to go STRICTLY by the rules, which is something that almost 100% of drivers don't do when they aren't being watched by either a cop or someone evaluating their driving, and is probably one of the most nitpicky things you could be asked to do, like doing a roundabout with 2 lanes by the lane on the outside instead of cutting through the lanes like everyone does when its perfectly safe to do so. But weeks after I passed, I was one with the machine. Shifting was already easy, but now, it even feels good, especially on the highway, with higher limits and nothing but cars to watch out for. There you guys are with your everything V8s, and here is most people with, for example, a Corsa that doesn't even gets to 70bhp... It kinda hurts... Somehow, my dad only likes those economic family match boxes of cars, and regards, for example a Honda from more or less the same time period, as "a piece of shit that doesn't gets out of the garage". Says the man with the worst clutch I've ever seen ON a Punto... That isn't reassuring for someone who wants to buy a Del Sol after getting some dosh.

I don't get it, doesn't the DMV driving lessons teach people how to use manual? because back in europe only like one in 20 cars is automatic

[QUOTE=DrBreen;39474893]I don't get it, doesn't the DMV driving lessons teach people how to use manual? because back in europe only like one in 20 cars is automatic[/QUOTE] I've never even seen an automatic. I don't even know if I'd be able to drive one.

[QUOTE=dass;39475168]I've never even seen an automatic. I don't even know if I'd be able to drive one.[/QUOTE] They aren't very hard to drive. Stick it in drive, release brake, apply gas, car goes forwards. From that point it's just "apply gas" until you need to brake or break the speed limit. I don't know many people in the UK with an automatic licence, almost everyone I know has a full one. I don't really see the point in getting the automatic licence unless you are really physically incapable of driving a manual. At least with a full licence I can drive automatic if I really want to.

I've been taught nothing but manual, it made my actual student driving a pain though as that was automatic, because I wasn't thinking about the car itself I felt way less focused on everything. It's to the point I don't like automatic, I feel more engaged in what's going on when I drive manual.

[QUOTE=TestECull;39467704]I don't find automatics tedius, personally. I drive my mom's automatic Explorer as often as my manual F150. The explorer is actually slightly less tedious to drive, but on the same token, it also bugs the shit out of me. I often find myself asking it why it downshifted for a hill it didn't need to downshift for, or why it can't make its mind up on which gear to be in, and I usually find myself grumbling about how automatics by design refuse to sit still at a light. Very annoying....and that's a mild one. Our out-of-use chrysler minivan is absolutely TERRIBLE about hunting for gears. Hit a 2% incline with cruise on? It kicks down to second gear and absolutely floors it! That minivan has one of the most derptastic automatic transmissions in the history of automobiles. That gearbox is also why we don't use it, sometimes it forgets it even has one or two of the gears. We don't trust it enough to drive it. Now, admittedly, these aren't the most advanced automatics ever made. The explorer is a '97 and the van a '96. Modern boxes hunt for gears a whole lot less. But they still do it, and they still creep around. I've also never understood why automatic cars have fuckhuge brake pedals. I don't get the logic behind the double-wide pedal pads. If it was a safety thing M/T cars would have them too, with the clutch spaced far enough to the left to clear. But they sort of....don't. so why is that, carmakers? you've been doing it for 60+ years, but why? Is it just to troll manual drivers into flooring the brakes when going for the clutch pedal or something? People that say that are usually either A: lazy, B: Tried it and found it too 'hard', or C: Live in San Francisco.[/QUOTE] My pickup has an Auto 4 speed with Overdrive and it NEVER hunts for gears. The only time it changes gears is when I slow down, or as I'm accelerating. First up to 25MPH, Second to ~40MPH, and I usually put it in OD if I'm going faster than 55MPH

[QUOTE=DrogenViech;39415725]I've never driven an automatic yet, are manual transmission cars that rare in the US? Manuals are the most common cars in germany :S[/QUOTE] Yep. I drive stick but everyone I meet says "Why? Automatic is easier" bla bla People say stickshift is somewhat of a theft deterrent, case in point

Reminds me of [video=youtube;mKAg4UVnHzQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKAg4UVnHzQ[/video]

[QUOTE=hexpunK;39476473]They aren't very hard to drive. Stick it in drive, release brake, apply gas, car goes forwards. From that point it's just "apply gas" until you need to brake or break the speed limit. I don't know many people in the UK with an automatic licence, almost everyone I know has a full one. I don't really see the point in getting the automatic licence unless you are really physically incapable of driving a manual. At least with a full licence I can drive automatic if I really want to.[/QUOTE] OH, so that's what the D stands for! :v: Theres a guy in my town who's handicapped, has no arms or something, and he drives better than a lot of people. Specially designed car, but still.

In my driving class they said they wouldn't even bother teaching manual. They say it's uncommon and it'd cost them a lot of money due to students breaking the transmission on instructor vehicles.