this is for folks who drive a DCT. knowing what you know now would you go back in time and get a stick instead?
if you could do it over would you get stick instead?
GoldenHour
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I had to get a new car immediately after getting in an accident. getting a stick shift in my next car after the Camry was in the back of my mind but the accident changed things up a bit. I was in a bit of a trauma then with driving so automatic was a good choice; learning a different way of driving was a bit too much then.
The way i'm drooling about the ST right now though is making me wish I at least considered a manual while car shopping lol. Learning wouldn't be so bad since most of my commute right now is in rural roads, and only in Chicago every other week. I wouldn't be in stop and go traffic for many times.
That said, I'm fine with the DCT on mine (granted on warm days when the DCT responds wonderfully). It has a lot of power compared to the CVT on my previous camry. SelectShift also is fun to use when on the highway and overtaking
The way i'm drooling about the ST right now though is making me wish I at least considered a manual while car shopping lol. Learning wouldn't be so bad since most of my commute right now is in rural roads, and only in Chicago every other week. I wouldn't be in stop and go traffic for many times.
That said, I'm fine with the DCT on mine (granted on warm days when the DCT responds wonderfully). It has a lot of power compared to the CVT on my previous camry. SelectShift also is fun to use when on the highway and overtaking
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I don't know how to answer - I can't say that I hate my DCT, and I don't believe that sticks are for kids. In a perfect world, I would drive the heck out of a manual: they are way more fun, cheaper to maintain, and it puts me in greater control, but the reality of my daily commute makes an auto a necessity.
If I ever were to buy a second vehicle, it would definitely be a manual.
So, to answer properly - I like my auto, but I will always prefer a manual.
Cheerio!
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LOL! Given the comments, most being in jest, about those who drive manual vs auto, a little joke about stick isn't that bad. Relax and enjoy your strong left leg!
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Voted.
I am perfectly capable of repairing my own car. I work at a company that will lend me the tools (torque wrenches, Mitchell1, etc.) necessary to do this work.
My only regret was purchasing a $26.5k car with a bad clutch and rattles when I just as easily could have purchased a $2k car with a bad clutch and rattles and fixed it myself in 1 warm-weather weekend.
I am perfectly capable of repairing my own car. I work at a company that will lend me the tools (torque wrenches, Mitchell1, etc.) necessary to do this work.
My only regret was purchasing a $26.5k car with a bad clutch and rattles when I just as easily could have purchased a $2k car with a bad clutch and rattles and fixed it myself in 1 warm-weather weekend.
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I wish I would have given manual some more thought. Although I have never had a manual car to drive, my buddy from work let me practice on his vehicle and it was fun (although it wasn't for the clutch).
The only thing is I do drive through a decent amount of traffic and I have heard about the annoyance regarding that and manual. Besides, a stick shift vehicle is cheaper up front, and by the sound of it, cheaper in the long run.
I would have bought a manual if I could go back (even if I don't know how to drive them very well at all). Although I haven't had any problems with my DCT yet, all of the threads on this forum sure do bother me. I only have about 1700 miles on my car so far...
The only thing is I do drive through a decent amount of traffic and I have heard about the annoyance regarding that and manual. Besides, a stick shift vehicle is cheaper up front, and by the sound of it, cheaper in the long run.
I would have bought a manual if I could go back (even if I don't know how to drive them very well at all). Although I haven't had any problems with my DCT yet, all of the threads on this forum sure do bother me. I only have about 1700 miles on my car so far...
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4,162 Posts
It's getting harder to find new cars with manuals
When I was at Volvo all they had was the c30
Kinda of lame that more cars aren't offered in manuals
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When I was at Volvo all they had was the c30
Kinda of lame that more cars aren't offered in manuals
Sent from jeremy's iPhone using Tapatalk
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14,892 Posts
This was due to a planning error and or a lack of capacity to build their DDCT for the 1.4 L Fiat engine. Its part of why the Dart wasn't selling well, because they had initially reversed the 90/10% split (normally its about 10% manual to 90% automatic) and customers weren't buying the manuals.
The only automatics they would have had on the lot if any in the beginning were the base 2.0L GEMA engine and hyundai sourced 6AT.
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:thumbup:
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[driving][headbang]
I guess technology has come along way and 5 forward gears just isn't enough for the new generation. I'm not that old but my first car was a 83 cougar with a 3 spd auto and I couldn't seriously put annoying or buzzy in the same sentence with how comfortable and quiet that car was. I don't miss not having a 6th gear in this car. It would be nice but I can see 40+ mpg in my car just fine on the highway and this engine doesn't feel like it has the torque to keep this car moving up hill at a lower cruising rpm.
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Well I am taking a Statistics Class in College currently and I feel like an expert in the subject and I just want to say that ur poll suffers from Responce Bias.... (kidding)[]
Anyway, I just want to give my 2 cents. If I could do it again, I would get a Ford Focus with a traditional Automatic Tranny over the DCT, but a definitely a DCT over a manual. The reason, (if you really give a shat) is that a manual in heavy traffic (which is never lacking in the sunny CA) is a bitch. Manuals are fun, commutes are not. If I were to get a manual, I would get a super high MPG car that gets me a Diamond HOV Lane pass which are worth 10 times their weight in diamond crusted gold. Then I could cruise past all that traffic in my sporty manual (Ford Focus ST) with Kate Upton sitting next to me. [driving][bootyshak
but then again.... who wouldn't want that[dunno]
]Anyway, I just want to give my 2 cents. If I could do it again, I would get a Ford Focus with a traditional Automatic Tranny over the DCT, but a definitely a DCT over a manual. The reason, (if you really give a shat) is that a manual in heavy traffic (which is never lacking in the sunny CA) is a bitch. Manuals are fun, commutes are not. If I were to get a manual, I would get a super high MPG car that gets me a Diamond HOV Lane pass which are worth 10 times their weight in diamond crusted gold. Then I could cruise past all that traffic in my sporty manual (Ford Focus ST) with Kate Upton sitting next to me. [driving][bootyshak
but then again.... who wouldn't want that[dunno]
Seriously, suss, you're the first person I've ever heard of that didn't buy a stick because the top gear ratio wasn't tall enough.
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Considering my reasons for buying a new car at all, I would still choose the DCT. I bought the car because of a new job and extended commute. Atlanta area traffic is horrid. If I were buying a car for weekend or recreational use it would be a traditional manual.
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811 Posts
Forget the Focus, I don't think I could get any new car in manual if a DCT was also offered.
Having sampled DSGs, the new S Tronics and PDK I'd have to be a bit of a moron to not consider those.
More capability than a manual, definitely more than I'd ever use in a daily commute but without the stinking clutch pedal to ruin my morning and evening drives to and from work.
Having sampled DSGs, the new S Tronics and PDK I'd have to be a bit of a moron to not consider those.
More capability than a manual, definitely more than I'd ever use in a daily commute but without the stinking clutch pedal to ruin my morning and evening drives to and from work.
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Its not the only reason, but given my last car with a manual was 18 years old and had essentially the same 5th gear and axle ratios the car would be spinning at a similar engine speed at 70 mph as confirmed by running the gear ratio vs vehicle speed calculations factoring in the rolling radius of the tire and the other factors.
I know the Focus would have been quieter at 3000 rpm having a brand new exhaust system and no exhaust manifold leaks, but since the newer car would weigh in at nearly 500 lbs more the city fuel economy would suffer on the low end every time you have to accelerate that additional mass up to speed.
As nice as the MTX-75 is, and I had driven one around a small steering and handling loop in Dearborn at an SAE conference that was held at the Dearborn Development Center, I didn't want to be running the engine at around 3000 rpm all the time just to do 70 mi/hr on the expressway. The DCT does just over 2600 rpm at 70, and is closer to 3000 rpm at 80 mph. That's the advantage of gearing for you.
Had they kept the axle ratio the same but added a 6th gear with a numerically lower (taller) gear ratio to match the DCT the real world fuel economy could have been even better as well.
The MMT6 in the ST has a taller secondary final drive, but a much shorter 6th gear ratio which means that over all it would still not be as efficient as the DCT or have the engine spinning quite as slowly if applied to the NA GDI engine.
I was kind of conflicted about the DCT vs the 5MT at the time, but so far knock on HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy) steel, the DCT has done well so far over the past 11.xK miles.
The 5MT would have been cheaper on the SE, but it would not have been available due to packaging restrictions the way I wanted without changing the paint color from Frosted Glass to either Ingot Silver or Sterling Grey.
I had been going back and forth between getting a lower level S/SE with a manual, possibly in sedan form, or going for the hatchback and getting it equipped a bit nicer than I was initially expecting to be able to get. However the SEL was only ever available with the manual in Canada.
So I could have gone either way initially, although now I'm not sure I would go for a 5 speed manual at the moment. I do however tend to shift the DCT manually quite frequently just because I can.
Yes, many high performance cars, sports cars, exotics, etc. no longer offer a manual transmission as they are now considered inefficient and slow.
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