No More Gear-Shift Cars

[Hymie]

This DM article surprised me at the lack of new cars available as a manual – already many manufacturers offer no model with a gear shift.

 

Admittedly things have come a long way since the days of 3 speed autos being the norm.  My current car is an auto with six speeds, even so I regularly use the paddle-shift to stop the engine over-revving.

 

By 2035 we will have fully autonomous driving vehicles on our roads, and not long after that people will be banned from having control of a powered vehicle on a public road (it is just too dangerous an activity, allowing humans to control a vehicle weighing over a tonne at 70mph).

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-14613257/New-cars-traditional-feature-disappear.html?ico=mol_desktop_home

[ToraToraTora]

what a load of rot, you should not be driving if you think you need the paddles to keep the revs low. If you are playing anout with the paddles you are causing the problem.

There will not be fully autonomous vehicles on the road by 2135 let alone 2035.

[newmodarmy]

I think there will be well before 2135 TTT. I'm not too confident I'll still be around by 2035 but I think the technology will be there. My car has features like self parking....I can just sit back as it manoeuvres itself into a space. It senses any cars coming up behind or alongside me and nudges me. If I drift out of lane it purs up some slight resistance and slowly edges me back. If I exceed the speed limit or get too close to another car it slightly reduces the power.  If pedestrians are close by it senses them.  It's clear the direction we're heading.

[Hymie]

My car will happily chug along on level surface at 1,800 revs (in 6th gear) – why would I want the engine revving at a higher speed?

[bednobs]

I used to have a smartie which had the choice between tiptronic fully auto or flappy paddles. I HATED auto because it would never change gear when I thought it ought to

[ToraToraTora]

20:49 the tech is not the problem.

[ToraToraTora]

20:50 by car gets in the highest gear it can and stays there as much as poss. What are you driving?

[Hymie]

I’ve also noticed that the auto-box has a tendency to change up at higher revs when cold – I presume this is related to the transmission fluid being cold and therefore more viscous.

[ToraToraTora]

it's all about the right foot me old china. If you drive like there is an egg under your foot you'll find it will be a lot smoother and do what you want.

[Hymie]

No it won’t – with the car on a level surface not accelerating (or decelerating) in 5th gear at just over 2,000 revs, it might not change up to sixth (1,800 revs) with improved fuel economy.

 

It seems like you’ve never driven an auto TTT.

[ToraToraTora]

stop being a wally, I have driven more autos than you've done brexit videos. You are pratting about like an idiot with the paddles and driving with a heavy boot. Simples.

What is the car make and model.

[Hymie]

The car is not accelerating/decelerating (no heavy boot involved) – auto box not in the most economical gear (6th at 1,800 revs – forced to 6th using the paddle).

[ToraToraTora]

what's the car?

[bhg481]

The car manufacturers have all the information required about the car to determine which is the best gear for the car to be in for the optimum fuel efficiency. They also have the means to control a modern auto gearbox, which is done electronically nowadays, not mechanically like earlier auto boxes. With all this information and control available to them it seems that you think you know better than they do what gear the car should be in. OK.

[Cloverjo]

It's good news for me as I can only drive automatics and they used to cost more than manuals. 
People used to say to me 'You're missing out on the enjoyment of going through the gears.' 
?? No, I'm fine thanks.

[douglas9401]

Bludgeoned with yet another area of expertise. Cheers.

[ToraToraTora]

21:46 hymie knows best.

[barry1010]

My automatic doesn't have paddle shifters and goes up and down the gears very well, without over revving. Copes in all sorts of traffic, at all speeds and on all gradients. 

[davebro3]

My RAV4 auto operates pretty seamlessly. Doesn't seem to over-rev. I never have to use the paddles & only notice the gear changes via the rev counter reading.

I did have a 2 litre petrol Vectra back in the day where the auto box was more of a faff.

I don't think we will have only driverless cars in the foreseeable future.

[DTCwordfan]

I'm exhaust-ed from reading this mindless bickering over something so unimportant.

[davebro3]

^^^^ stop reading it then...