Your current car!

[Max Rockatansky]

Speaking of current cars and low gears, I did have an opportunity to test my low gear selector on my Impreza over the Sierras this past weekend.  Overall I came out pretty pleased, shifting from D to L often had me the correct gear to ride down 5-9% grades without having to touch my brakes.  The vented front discs and rear discs were a massive improvement over the disc/drum set up in my previous Sonic.  I hit roads like; CA 88, CA 89, NV 431, I-80, and CA 20 on this past trip which all has sustained grades.  Coupled with the results I got on CR J37 last month I'm pretty happy with what I have.  The suspension oddly cushions bumping and/or dirt roads in a way that almost felt truck like, way more soft of a ride than I'm used to. 

[jakeroot]

How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

[Max Rockatansky]

How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

Apparently it has 7 speeds and kicks it down to the next lowest when you shift into L.  Some Subaru's also have a multimatic function with the CVT.  I went bargain basement on my car and got the base model.   

[jakeroot]

How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

Apparently it has 7 speeds and kicks it down to the next lowest when you shift into L.  Some Subaru's also have a multimatic function with the CVT.  I went bargain basement on my car and got the base model.

I usually go for the same thing, although usually that means 'manual'.

Is the shifter leather-wrapped? I seem to remember the old Subie auto shifters having a lot of plastic.

[Max Rockatansky]

How does the CVT work with low gears? Emulation?

Apparently it has 7 speeds and kicks it down to the next lowest when you shift into L.  Some Subaru's also have a multimatic function with the CVT.  I went bargain basement on my car and got the base model.

I usually go for the same thing, although usually that means 'manual'.

Is the shifter leather-wrapped? I seem to remember the old Subie auto shifters having a lot of plastic.

Mine is wrapped in vinyl.  I thought about a manual but they had the base car on the lot with the CVT which was fine with me once I was convinced on the test drive the L shift would function adequately for low gear.  I was a little surprised that the Impreza still can be bad with hubcaps.  There are some Subaru oddities still like the car not locking automatically and certain lights having to be switched on/off. 

[7/8]

As of today, I have a 2016 VW Golf GTI! It's my first car purchase and I'm very excited .

Also, I just noticed that my new licence plate matches my area code.

[ozarkman417]

Had I known this thread existed (and if it didn't require a one year bump), I would have simply put some pictures of my hand-me-down car that I put here instead.

[jakeroot]

As of today, I have a 2016 VW Golf GTI! It's my first car purchase and I'm very excited .

Also, I just noticed that my new licence plate matches my area code.

Niiice! 15-year-old me would have compained about the decision to go DSG, but given the lack of interest in small cars generally, I'm happy to see anyone in a Golf (or, hell, any small car), no matter what transmission.

I'm currently very interested in the next GTI (to replace my Mk7 TDI), or perhaps the ID Space Vizzion (an electric wagon), whenever that comes to fruition.

[7/8]

As of today, I have a 2016 VW Golf GTI! It's my first car purchase and I'm very excited .

Also, I just noticed that my new licence plate matches my area code.

Niiice! 15-year-old me would have compained about the decision to go DSG, but given the lack of interest in small cars generally, I'm happy to see anyone in a Golf (or, hell, any small car), no matter what transmission.

I'm currently very interested in the next GTI (to replace my Mk7 TDI), or perhaps the ID Space Vizzion (an electric wagon), whenever that comes to fruition.

Haha, my 23-year old brother is disappointed I didn't go manual. I did think about it, but I know my other family members will need to use it from time to time and only my Dad can drive a stick shift. Also, I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to a manual, since I've only driven my brother's car a few times. At least this has the option to use paddle shifters (though my brother would still say it's not the same lol).

Personally I think the car size is right for what I need, since I usually drive solo anyway, but the back seats are still good for fitting 4 people. It also fits in the garage, which is crucial 

[Henry]

It's now been six months since I bought my 2019 Equinox, and I love it! While I miss my old Tahoe, I'm glad that I made my decision to downsize to something more economic that can still fit my road-trip needs.

[crt08]

A year ago I got a new to me car, which is a 2016 Ford Taurus Limited. Only had 13k miles on it, now it has 21k.

[Takumi]

Well, I've acquired two more project cars since the last time I was here.

First off, I got a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT back in August. It was free...it's been sitting for a long, long time. Inspection sticker was dated 2002.


It's a very long term project, since it needs absolutely everything, but I'm planning to put a supercharged Buick 3800 in it and do track days with it. Someday.

Second project car is a 2004 Lexus GS300, bought in December, which I've recently rebadged under its Japanese identity, the Toyota Aristo.


Plans for it are a little less ambitious than the Fiero, given that it actually runs and drives. Plans are to upgrade the suspension, then go turbo on the engine. I may buy another engine to do that.

Still have my TL and Preludes, though I'm planning on selling the latter.

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

Even a naturally aspirated later Buick 3.8L would be a screamer in that Fiero. 

The new issue of MotorTrend came in a couple days ago, almost all of it is about electrics and hybrids.  I still not finding very much interest personally given the price and limited range but they do seem to be finally edging to the mainstream. 

[Takumi]

Yeah, I just feel like if I'm doing all the work needed to get a 3800 to fit into a Fiero, I might as well get the L67. I could always go a bit simpler and get a 3.4, but that's not as fun and I don't like the sound as much. The GS is kind of me getting my feet wet working on cars again as it's been a good 5 years since I've done that regularly. It has most of the common GS problems, which are all relatively simple but time-consuming fixes. I just wanted an FR Toyota for a few years, and the GS was really the last affordable example aside from the sensory deprivation chamber that is the LS400. Plus those 2JZs will fly...
https://youtu.be/vRKWIpXScPE

[TravelingBethelite]

My last car needed too much work to be worth my while to keep. I've switched now to an '04 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback. Bright blue paint job, which I love (super easy to find in the parking lot). My one gripe is that 2.0 I4 it has under the hood can seem a little under-powered at times. You have to give it a lot of gas to get up to highway speed. That said, I can't complain about its gas mileage. It's averaging 32 to 33 mpg in the month or so I've had it. Currently has about 173.5 k on it and I hope to put a lot more on it. 4-speed automatic does the job, because I can't be arsed to learn stick.

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

[Max Rockatansky]

My last car needed too much work to be worth my while to keep. I've switched now to an '04 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback. Bright blue paint job, which I love (super easy to find in the parking lot). My one gripe is that 2.0 I4 it has under the hood can seem a little under-powered at times. You have to give it a lot of gas to get up to highway speed. That said, I can't complain about its gas mileage. It's averaging 32 to 33 mpg in the month or so I've had it. Currently has about 173.5 k on it and I hope to put a lot more on it. 4-speed automatic does the job, because I can't be arsed to learn stick.

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

Until recent memory cars with manuals were quicker and got better gas mileage.  That largely has gone away with computer controlled transmissions and extra gears.  Manuals for the most part used to be cheaper slightly than automatics but that trend has begun to reverse.  In the driving enthusiast crowd they tend to believe driving a manual makes you a more skilled driver...I find that notion laughable given how many of those people roast clutches. 

[riiga]

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

Traditionally manuals are cheaper (a broken automatic is very expensive to fix) and have better mileage while also giving you more control of the car since you decide what gear to use. Manuals are also better suited for slopes, get unstuck from snow or mud, etc. Now, modern automatics are quite good and when they have more gears than a manual the mileage could be even better than driving stick. With the eventual phase-out of the internal combustion engine in favor of electric cars, the manual will probably go away as electric motors provide linear power and thus don't use gears so all you need is a switch between P/N, D and R.

[J N Winkler]

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

Being able to work a manual is associated with greater fluency in driving.  It also gives you more options for dealing with low-traction conditions (e.g., ice on a hill).  In some jurisdictions, passing a driving test with a manual is necessary to obtain a driving license that is not restricted to automatics only.  A car with a manual is considered harder to steal because potential thieves are less likely to know how to drive it (stick shift = "millennial anti-theft device"), and in many model lines is considered a better candidate for a high-mileage fixer-upper because the clock can be reset on a lot of abuse under previous owners simply by replacing the clutch.

Aside from that, there are few real advantages over automatics now that the latter are more likely to come with higher counts of forward gears.  A well-designed automatic will also last forever if it is well maintained, which typically involves either frequent fluid changes or the use of very shear-stable (usually full-synthetic) fluids to limit viscosity loss in service.

[Max Rockatansky]

I actually did try to find a manual Impreza on the lot when I bought my 2019, all they had was automatics.  I do a lot of driving with big down hill grades in the Sierras which would have made the manual useful.  The emulated low gear function works fine but I have to trick the computer to staying in its lowest ratio by coming to a stop.  Fortunately the roads I tend to frequent really can be driven safely over 10-15 MPH anyways so it hasn't been a big deal.  For reference the automatic Imprezas are CVTs.

Surprisingly my Challenger loves to Coast in lower gears down hill.  The Challenger has a gear selector which gives it just as much functionality on steep downhill grades as a manual. 

[jakeroot]

The Challenger has a gear selector which gives it just as much functionality on steep downhill grades as a manual.

I've always found those manual selectors to be more likely to ignore your inputs and change gear anyway. Those in larger trucks, off-roading vehicles, and relatively-expensive sports cars seem quite happy to lend you full control and will stay in the gear you ask (probably a good thing when towing or rock-climbing). But then again, my manual sure as hell won't change gear on its own, so all they've done is make it "as good" as a manual. Personally, apart from very specific situations, I would never use manual modes on a vehicle, simply because the automatic is good enough for 99% of situations.

A car with a manual is considered harder to steal because potential thieves are less likely to know how to drive it (stick shift = "millennial anti-theft device")

At this point, automatics have been prevalent for so many years that it's not just millennials, but a good chunk of everyone. Manual sales dipped sharply between the early 90s and early 2000s, and declined slowly after that; the earliest millennials (born 1981) had barely left primary school when the trend started. Further, it's not like it's easy for us to find them. Most millennials I know simply drive automatics because manuals are so hard to find. Many of us actually want to know how to drive manual, but where do you learn apart from driving off the lot in one? That's how I ended up learning.

Just to show how much things have changed: when I bought my Golf TDI in the Seattle area in 2015 (nearing the end of regular TDI sales), more than half of the TDIs on the lot (apart from the Touareg) were manual -- it was a very popular combination -- but, returning to look at cars during services, manuals are nowhere near as popular with the gas engine. The only time I really see manuals now are at "urban" dealers (those deep within the city, such as Carter VW or University VW, both in tightly-packed urban areas of Seattle), where they still make up a sizeable chunk (about 1/3, judging by inventory) of Golf Alltrack sales. Even that trend seems limited to "outdoorsy" metro areas, such as Seattle, Portland, or the Northeast.



I would also like to point out that driving is not "fun" for most Americans, but rather a chore. We have to drive for most things, depending on where we live. Never mind traffic. What's the advantage of a manual in traffic, when an average American's wage will pay for the option of an automatic?

[Max Rockatansky]

Regarding manual mode the Challenger seems to be willing to let you hold gear until redline.  I don't know if you can actually push it beyond redline in manual mode but I would speculate without reading the manual that the answer is no.

The Impreza even in low ratio seems pretty willing to staying there until you shift back to drive.  I kind of speculate that probably has something to do with the whole dirt road mission statement that seems to go hand in hand with Subaru more than anything.  My Sonic would fight me to shift to the next gear in manual mode around 3,500-4,000 RPM.  Granted I don't think GM had places like the 24% downhill grade in mind when they were building the Sonic...at least in anything that wasn't an RS. 

[Paulinator66]

EDIT: can someone explain to me the popularity of manuals among the car enthusiast community?

I've had at least one vehicle with a manual transmission in my "fleet" for the last 30 years and I've noticed that, until recently, there were 4 main reasons why people chose a manual over an automatic transmission:

• Manuals were cheaper to purchase.  Automatics were always the more complicated transmission so they cost more to build.
• Manuals were faster.  There was certain amount parasitic loss in an automatic that manuals didn't have.  Once in gear and the clutch out, the manual is direct drive.
• Manuals got better gas mileage. Because of that direct drive the drive train was more efficient.
• Manuals are more fun.  Driving a manual engages you more completely than an automatic.  It connects you with the car in a more personal way. You feel more like a part of the whole mechanism that is propelling the car forward.

The advantages in #1, #2, and #3 have been largely been erased by today's modern automatics.  Which is why automatics are gaining in popularity. However, #4 will never be negated.  It'll always be more engaging to drive a manual than an automatic and, no, paddle shifters aren't good enough. 

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

I'd counter point four in traffic.  "Engaging"  quickly becomes annoying and frustrating in urban traffic.  Driving a manual in urban surface traffic and large hills can be brutalizing in terms of frustration. 

[1995hoo]

^^^

I'd counter point four in traffic.  "Engaging"  quickly becomes annoying and frustrating in urban traffic.  Driving a manual in urban surface traffic and large hills can be brutalizing in terms of frustration. 

Funny, it's never bothered me in the least. I've had a driver's license since 1989 and my "permanent address" has been in the DC area for that entire time ("permanent" denoting I did spend four years attending college in Charlottesville and three attending law school in Durham), and every car I've ever owned has been a manual. Driving a manual in heavy traffic has never bothered me at all. My left leg doesn't get fatigued from the clutch so much as my right leg gets fatigued from being on the brake all the time, but that would happen with an automatic as well.

When I drive my wife's automatic-shift car, I sometimes use the paddle shifters, especially going uphill, and what irks me is that it doesn't hold the gear I just selected for long enough.

[Max Rockatansky]

^^^

I'd counter point four in traffic.  "Engaging"  quickly becomes annoying and frustrating in urban traffic.  Driving a manual in urban surface traffic and large hills can be brutalizing in terms of frustration. 

Funny, it's never bothered me in the least. I've had a driver's license since 1989 and my "permanent address" has been in the DC area for that entire time ("permanent" denoting I did spend four years attending college in Charlottesville and three attending law school in Durham), and every car I've ever owned has been a manual. Driving a manual in heavy traffic has never bothered me at all. My left leg doesn't get fatigued from the clutch so much as my right leg gets fatigued from being on the brake all the time, but that would happen with an automatic as well.

When I drive my wife's automatic-shift car, I sometimes use the paddle shifters, especially going uphill, and what irks me is that it doesn't hold the gear I just selected for long enough.

It's probably just a preference thing...or my overwhelming disdain of commuting and traffic jams.  I mostly drove stick on AZ 101 when it opened and a lot of the luster of a manual was lost slamming through gears on bumper to bumper traffic.  I'm glad that's what I learned on, I do agree with the opinion that learning how to shift manually makes one a better driver.