What’s your preferred vehicle transmission?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Loosely based on my fuel mileage thread in MPSIMS, what is your favorite vehicle transmission type?

For me, it’s;
1; conventional clutched manual, the REAL manual transmission, with foot operated clutch pedal, the manual simply rules, it’s the most fun, the most engaging, most reliable and longest lasting, driving a manual takes practice and skill, and gives an unprecedented control over the vehicle

plus it acts as a passive theft deterrent, and gives the ability to pop start a vehicle with a dead battery or starter, the only downside is it’s less convenient in city traffic, but as 90% of my driving is on secondary roads, it’s a non issue to me.

2; the “automated manual”/dual-clutch/DSG, mash two manuals together, give control of the clutch paks to the ECU, and you have the DSG, you get the direct connection and more efficient power delivery of the manual, lighting fast shifts, and the ability to choose if you want to drive in “manual” mode and control the shifts, or be lazy and stuff it into “automatic “ mode, it’s less interactive and less compelling than a true manual, but far, far more engaging than a sludgebox or CVT.

it’s the best compromise between manual and auto, and has its own unique advantages, nearly uninterrupted power delivery, as the shifts take a fraction of a second, and gives you the ability to shift while apexing a tight corner, inadvisable in a clutched manual, and with steering wheel paddles, you can instantly override the transmission in auto mode, giving you nearly full control even in auto mode

The DSG is truly the best choice for anyone other than the militant manual-only crowd

This link shows a HEAVILY modified Mk2 Golf running a “stock” DQ250 wet-clutch 6 speed DSG, it has upgraded transmission software, but apparently the clutch paks and physical gearset are still stock.

Personally, I think the clutch paks are probably also upgraded, but the physical gearset could be stock, either way, Boba has beaten Hypercars like the Veyron and Aventador in his Golf-Shaped-Drag-Car

I don’t like any other transmissions though, the sludgebox is numb and lifeless, and dulls the performance of any car saddled with that horrible excuse for a gearbox, I lived with a sludgebox equipped Honda Element for about a year, and I loved the versatility of the chassis, but LOATHED the horrible, lifeless, sluglike power wasting excuse of a transmission it was saddled with, I could literally FEEL the torque converter wasting power every time I hit the gas, that was, when it wasn’t futilely hunting for the right gear in the first place.

Sludgeboxes suck!

CVT; no, just NO, I know they are technically competent and theoretically very efficient, they’re just soulless and absolutely no fun at all, plus the JATCO crap in Nissans and Subaru’s are a transmission failure waiting to happen, I will NEVER touch a CVT!

2

I used to buy only stick shifters, but with the advent of the “sport” function on automatic floor shifters, I’m liking them more.

3

I voted for manual transmission, mainly because it’s so much more fun to drive…except when one’s commute involves any time spent in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

4

To provide a slight counterweight against the massively asymmetrical interest in this topic, I will chime in to say that like the vast majority of Americans, I’ll take a boring old regular automatic, please. (I’ve never driven a car with a CVT, but the concept sounds perfectly fine too.)

5

Drove nothing but manuals for years. I now prefer automatics. Rented a car with a CVT last year, I would never own a vehicle with one.

6

I prefer driving a manual transmission car, so that’s what I own. When I drive my gf’s car (an automatic) I have trouble keeping my left foot still.

7

I drive a car for transportation, not performance, so my vote is for the automatic. I find having to use a clutch too distracting, so an automatic gives me one less thing to think about and allows me to focus on the traffic.

8

When I bought my Honda Civic 3 years ago, my choices were to get the most basic model possible, which was the only version with a manual transmission, or get a CVT, which was the transmission on every other conceivable trim.

If my decision was based solely on the transmission, I probably would have chosen the manual and saved a few bucks in doing so. However, since a small chance exists that my wife will learn to drive, I chose a version with the “Honda Sensing” option so that it would be safer and easier to drive.

While the transmission is absolutely terrible for acceleration, even with “Sport” mode on and “Econ” mode off, I have been impressed with the gas mileage. I usually get around 35 MPG with most of my driving consisting of Los Angeles Rush-Hour Freeway traffic and other city driving, and it can be over 40 when unimpeded on the highway.

At the same time, I’m not getting any younger, and driving a manual isn’t always as fun as it used to be. Just last weekend, I took my '86 Acura Legend (which is a manual) out to an event that involved a lot of standing, and my legs started cramping as soon as I got back in the car, which made the drive home much more difficult than it would have been if I had only needed to use one foot.

So what I “prefer” is definitely situational. Manual transmission allows for the most enjoyable driving experience when unimpeded, but quickly becomes a chore when dealing with real-life traffic and my less-than-perfect physical condition. I would say that the CVT has served me well for efficiently handling the type of driving I have to do most of the time.

9

I have 3 cars, 2 trucks, and 3 motorcycles. Out of all of those, everything is manual except one of the cars, and it’s an old Cadillac, and a manual Cadillac would just be wrong.

If I’m not driving the Cadillac, I definitely prefer manual.

10

None of the above. I prefer the single gear of my EV to any other transmission system I’ve previously used. Smooth with loads of torque ready anytime.

11

I prefer a manual overall. It’s a stronger preference if the car has a relatively underpowered engine (I detest driving a car with an engine-autotrans combo that shifts gears if I try to accelerate the tiniest bit). If it’s going to be an automatic I like it to shift crisply, the more so if I’m accelerating hard (years ago my vehicle was a '65 Bonneville with a B & M Shift Improver Kit installed in the Turbo Hydro 400; it makes an appreciable difference). I hate automatics that don’t have the option that makes it stay in the lower gear for hills and other purposes (used to be designated “S” and “L” on GM cars, “2” and “1” or “2” and “L” on various other makes). I do like the modern automatic option that lets you do the shifting yourself but not at the expense of a true no-kidding “this is first gear only dammit” setting. Not all manual transmissions are created equal. Naturally a six speed is nicer than a three, and a good synchromesh that includes the low gears beats heck out of a grinder. I like a clutch of in-between stiffness, with a good crisp grab but not so much so that it can’t make a gentle easy start. I like the feel of fluid clutch (the kind with master and slave cylinders) but they aren’t much fun if you blow the hydraulics on them, which I’ve done at times. And yeah, I’m in a major metropolitan region and a manual in bumper to bumper traffic is a fairly miserable experience.

12

I drove manuals until my latest car, and I doubt I’ll ever go back. My Subaru has a CVT but any automatic will do. There’s little benefit left in a manual transmission any more; not gas mileage, not snow performance, not “fun” and I don’t really care about speed. With the traffic I drive in, the stick was a pain but I put up with it for the other benefits. Now those benefits have gone away so there’s no need.

13

Another one for manual, but they’re getting harder and harder to find, especially with what I’m looking for. Trying to get a stick shift, 4 door car with XM always proves difficult since manual shift is usually in the lower trim packages and XM is typically in the upper ones.
My last car was a manual, 4 door, with XM Accord (a car you don’t see often). The one I currently have is a Civic SI.

And, just because I saw some mention of it, I really, really dislike automatic vehicles that have some type of fake, clutchless shifter. Whether it’s paddles on the wheel, or a center mounted gear selecter that rocks back and forth, I always seem to bump it into a random gear. Trying to merge onto the freeway while simultaneously trying to get the car out of second and back to ‘regular’ automatic is a PITA.

14

It depends. I like having an econobox for around town, and a land yacht for long trips. Little four cylinder cars get a manual. The only time a manual transmission becomes a hassle is when I’m stuck in stop-and-go interstate traffic jams. Automatics are a lot easier there so the land yachts get automatics (as if there is a choice). Since 1977, I have had eleven cars with manual transmissions, and ten with automatics.

15

Joey, the DSG in my Golf requires you to move the lever sideways over to the “tiptronic” mode (±) to fully engage “manual” mode, if you hit the paddles on the wheel in either D or S , it will override the transmission, if you don’t want to override, you can either flick the lever between ± and D, or hold the + paddle for 5 seconds to shift back to auto mode, the shifter flick is faster, I also use the shifter flick to see what gear the transmission has chosen.

On my hilly secondary streets, the DSG tends to hold gears longer than necessary in D and S mode, so if I’m in auto mode I tend to use the paddles to override the transmission, thankfully due to the torque of the TDI engine, it has the required grunt to handle the tall hills without the need to constantly hunt for the right gear

16

For primary car or weekend warrior drive?

Really I have noticed the trend on this board that manual is the only true way, but IRL that is as big a fad as Buddha parted the seven seas. As for true skill and a automatic theft deterrent, the first time I drive a manual was a fire truck, and I could get it down the road and get it out of it’s own way as well as the seasoned drivers. So it may make headlines that a thief moved on from a manual, most likely that was the exception that made it news worthy. They are in fact easy to drive, for first timers. Their only plus for theft is that no one wants them, thus no resale value compared to their automatic cozens.

No there is value and fun to a manual and I really like it - on occasion. I am hoping to get one on my upcoming trip to the land of no speed limits, and I am talking the German Autobahn, not the Australian Outback (which i would also be very willing to visit but not for the same reason of no speed limit).

But all and all lets talk common sense and Automatics. To some respect the suck. It is a design issue to when they such and how much. For 90% of the drive they just work. For that last 10 % lets talk

We are talking about acceleration, yes we can mention deceleration but hey brakes are cheaper the clutches, so acceleration it is. They all have their ways to cope with this. And all have their learning curve and advantages and disadvantages. Automatics are a broad range of transmissions (not even to mention CVT’s). There are things you can do to prepare for a passing ‘launch’ on almost all of them. It’s getting to know your beast.

Personally I was very impressed by the scary passing performance of the Nissan CVT using a 4 banger, almost comparable to the Subaru using the 6 with a conventional auto-tranny. It just get’s in it’s torque band and pulls from there. Now the longevity of that is the main issue, but if we are just looking at power to the wheels the CVT out does the conventional CVT. How does the compare to manual, well it depends on how good a driver you are. I could say that for those 3 who thought they were the cats meow, they knew how to run through the torque band and thought they were the cat’s meow, but the pure pulling of the CVT proved superior.

Many people have mentioned about the time delay for a CVT to get into the right band ratio. Sort of winding up a rubber band. Yes it’s there, but also is manual gear shifting and automatic gear shifting. All requires knowing your beast and compensating for it. I have not found it a biggie.

For a occasional fun run, manual is a blast, for torque when you need it CVT’s would rule if they could last more then 100K. For a good ballence a manumatic automatic is the way to go.

17

Voted w/ my checkbook when I bought my 17 Golf GTI 6-speed as my sole car.

18

I prefer the manual.

Seeing how the manual predates all the other transmission types you list, your point is spot on.

19

I grew up in manual land (Norway) and barely even saw an automatic until I vacationed in the US at 21. Didn’t much care for them, but the technology has improved vastly and see no reason to pick a manual today. If a car has a bad automatic I’ll pick a different car, not the manual.

20

Just a regular automatic is fine. I’m not driving for joy, I’m driving to get to work and just want relative comfort and hassle-free commuting.