I know!!! I hate that. Why do they do that? Those things are for people like us, why not take that into account?
My theory is that it was a Friday in October when Porsche execs decided to go with that setup.
Either that or some dumbass focus group thought it was a good idea.
I disagree that a standard four speed in a regular economy car will give you an un-enjoyable experience in corners. I think you are putting way to much into it. My best friend had a 2000 Mazda Protege DX automatic (with a blazing 105hp) as a loner car for about a week while his Ranger was being fixed by his uncle. His uncle said as long as we didn't destroy it he didn't care if we had fun with it, but we had to use common sense. We tossed it about (this was back in my slightly more reckless days) and I never once didn't have any fun with it. We threw it through corners, over hills, sideways through dirt turns, etc.
Fun it what you make of it, a manual or an auto do not determine this. I do agree that not all autos are equal though. The transmission in the Blazer was awful, mainly because it was broken and slipped really bad. However, as I've said the 6-speed auto in the MINI is awesome and I love, but I will agree it's not a standard auto...although more and more companies are moving towards larger range gearboxes now.
There are things in life that are "user preferences". Vanilla or chocolate. Blondes or Brunettes. There's not any right or wrong there and there's no need to justify what amounts to a personal choice. If you
had fun in a Protoge auto, I'm not going to argue with you. What's fun is your business.
But there are many more things in life that are not subject to personal interpretation or preference. A 500 hp car makes more power than a 400 hp car. End of story. How it makes you feel is irrelevant.
So saying you had fun in a basic car with a slushbox does not prove anything, because the real issue here is the degree of control a driver can exercise over gear selection. This is less an issue of subjective preference and more one of an objective, measurable thing that is bound by empirical observation.
Most non-car people can't discern the difference between a 350 hp, 13-second car and a 450 hp, 12-second car. To them, it's just
fast.
But just because they don't observe a difference doesn't mean a difference doesn't exist.
It sounds like I simply expect more out of a car before I can start having fun than you do. That's not a slam or anything, just the facts.
My auto fits this criteria perfectly as long as I engage the "sport" button. I'm sure there are many other autos out there that fit this as well.
Well you car is a MINI and is sold in limited numbers to a specific market niche. It is a 'specialty car'. I've never driven one, but I'm sure BMW went through a lot of effort to make the tranny suit the car. But for every MINI on the road, there are hundreds of Camrys and the like.
You agree with me that not all automatics are the same. But yet it sounds like you want to use your MINI as an example that all automatics are as good as the one BMW put in your car.
...like when you made the following statement.
You are just as in control with an auto as you are with a manual, as said by others you are wishing to say you feel you are more involved.
With
any auto?? A bog standard, non-performance auto with your only inputs being a throttle, "D" in the center console (with a possible "L" for low gear) and a little kick-down solenoid that tells the car to downshift?
I think that is
false statement.
What if I want to change gears without going full throttle?
Or go full throttle, but stay in the same gear?
In a regular, plain-jane, non-performance automatic transmission (like the one I described above), there is no way for you to select a different gear WITHOUT changing the throttle position. This
objectively limits your control choices. With a manual, gear choice is independent of throttle position.
You might want to say, "well some autos have 'L' or '2' with which you can select 1st or 2nd." To which my reply is "what happens when you want 3rd?"
Furthermore, plain-jane autos will upshift
all by themselves when you lift off the throttle. A car that shifts gears on it's own accord is,
by definition, a car that offers less control to it's driver.
I haven't and probably won't be in a situation where I'm pushing my car that hard. It's still a daily driver and if I screw up, because lets face it I'm not a driving god, I'm boned. For the amount of driving I do that could even remotely be considered "spirited" I will never get anywhere near the limit.
Sounds to me like you are confusing your personal limits with the car's limits.
It's perfectly okay to say "I'll never be able to use a 500 hp car, so I have no need for one".
It's another thing entirely to say "I'll never be able to use a 500 hp car, therefore a 200 hp car is just as fast".
Joey, I'm not calling you down because you chose to drive an auto. I have one too (wife's car is technically mine since my name is on it) and I enjoy it because of the things it can do that a manual can't. But I think you've gone overboard in defending your personal choice (which is perfectly justifiable) and have taken a position that is, in my mind, indefensible.
I have a MASSIVE driving resume compared to most of you guys. It makes me feel somewhat special.
Hmm... Do I need to check the batteries in my sarcasm meter? Or are you being serious?
I think I can answer that. If you forget that you know about racing style gearboxes for a second and pretend to be the average customer being in the market for a car, you will get this. When you accelerate, it is likely you will shift up. Thus, the average person will push the gear lever towards the direction of acceleration: to the front. If you brake and thus shift down, you go backwards relative to your previous speed (sounds a bit odd, but bear with me). That means that you want to pull the lever backwards. It's an intuition thing. Other than knowing that race cars have it differently, I am sure that the majority of people would have it this way if they were to choose. Acceleration = going forward = positive = pushing the lever / deceleration = going backwards = negative = pulling the lever.
As far as I know, the only reason why racing cars have it the other way around is simple: the forces acting on the driver. It's easier for him to pull when he's accelerating, and easier to push when he's braking. Therefore, the upshift means you pull and the downshift means you push.
Everything you posted makes logical sense to me.
However, I resent that a company like Porsche has chosen to cater to the average casual buyer rather than the enthusiast. I know
why they made that decision. But I still resent it.
M