Millennial anti-theft device.

[BugI02]

With the exception of having "winter beaters" when I drove an MG as a college student, I have never willingly had an automatic. Wife prefers manual also. Research tells me that Subaru makes an automatic version of my WRX, but I've never seen one in the realz or at a club event

Not aware of any track record held by an automatic or automanual. Even a Formula 1 car isn't an automatic, it's a dry clutch robot transmission where hydraulics manipulate what at heart is a manual racing gearbox

Like others, I have a lot of work done that I used to do myself. I just use a Subaru specialty shop instead of the dealer. They're more worried about the quality of work they turn out because their reputation is fundamental to the health of their business. The dealer, not so much

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'll probably change the oil in my Camaro once my dealer package expires. I'll keep having the dealership do the truck and my wife's car, though. Buying a package from them is cheaper than buying oil and filters to do it myself. I suspect it's a loss leader so they can try and sell other services.

 

[rob63]

The last time I bought a car for myself, I bought a manual for the specific purpose of making sure my kids wouldn't take my car. I hadn't driven one in 20 years, but it was like riding a bike. The best part is that my plan worked, our kids always use one of the other cars, mine is mine.

 

[russc2542]

Won't have anything but. Of course that means (among several other reasons) that I don't buy new cars thus I'm not part of automaker's sales' demographic aka they don't care about me.

Actually haven't driven a genuine slushbox in almost a year (several years if you discount the company van). Wife does have a prius but thats a "torque split device" that doesn't drive me up the wall like most autos and many CVTs. The lasts auto I owned (god... that was over 10 years ago) wasn't available in the states as a manual and was manual swapped after not too long.

While modern autos are vast improvements over what was available even 10 years ago, it's the ability to tune a package that sells it. it isn't that the automatic as a whole is more efficient, it's that they changed the gears to be taller when cruising. example: last I checked the miata could come with a manual or auto 6-speed. same mileage but the auto was something like 20% wider gears... 1st was shorter (for the same acceleration) and 6th was taller (for the same mileage).

It isn't that the trans is that much better, it's that they can take the human out of the equation for 0-anything times. An auto can tune the engine, trans, and traction control by the carmaker to limit throttle opening in 1st to keep from spinning the tires in spite of a shorter 1st. once moving, open her up and use it. Shift point? feather the throttle just enough between gears to maintain traction (and the warranty). The manual trans still transmits more torque to the tires but they can't program the package. That's why so many cars can post phenomenal 0-something times but 5-something is seconds slower: all the programming is based around the number the advertisers use. Kinda like peak power vs a wide, flat, usable torque curve.

CPS be damned, I'll teach my daughter to drive in my 1970 beetle.

 

[HoughMade]

I'll probably change the oil in my Camaro once my dealer package expires. I'll keep having the dealership do the truck and my wife's car, though. Buying a package from them is cheaper than buying oil and filters to do it myself. I suspect it's a loss leader so they can try and sell other services.

I change my trucks oil myself and always have. I also change the oil in the old Saturn the kids drive. My wife's minivan goes to the dealer. I do the brakes on everything.

I replaced one front hub and the anti-roll end links on my truck last Saturday having done the other hub a couple of weeks ago. Regardless of whether I have the money, I just can't see paying someone to do these things when I can do them myself.

 

[T.Lex]

I change my trucks oil myself and always have. I also change the oil in the old Saturn the kids drive. My wife's minivan goes to the dealer. I do the brakes on everything.

I replaced one front hub and the anti-roll end links on my truck last Saturday having done the other hub a couple of weeks ago. Regardless of whether I have the money, I just can't see paying someone to do these things when I can do them myself.

Did you do the math on what your hourly works out to?

Granted, there's a zen to doing the manual labor stuff that has a value. I'm just saying, if I sit in the lobby and use the dealer's wifi, I can get an hour billed (or do the non-billable stuff and maximize my office effectiveness).

 

[HoughMade]

Did you do the math on what your hourly works out to?

So you think I'd be billing files on Saturday if I wasn't doing this? I think not. 2,000+ hours a year is enough for me, especially as a full partner. Those are associate numbers.

Granted, there's a zen to doing the manual labor stuff that has a value. I'm just saying, if I sit in the lobby and use the dealer's wifi, I can get an hour billed (or do the non-billable stuff and maximize my office effectiveness).

I think the last line of my bio from my former firm explains this: "Simply put, whether practicing law or working at home, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty."

Plus, my son likes mechanical stuff and we're doing father/son stuff.

...and I'm cheap.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I tell the kids "It ain't the horsepower, it's the gearing!"

They have no idea what I mean.

I've an 03 s10 with 193k on it. Looks like hammered hell. But, it has the payload and towing package. I guess that's kind of unusual for a five speed and a 2.2 liter four cylinder.

Wifey was a little surprised the day I came home from Liberty pulling a Ferguson on the lawnmower trailer.

 

[Nazgul]

Route 45 [/QUOTE] With the exception of the "fun" factor on sports cars, I see absolutely no use for a manual transmission for my needs.
Pain in the ass. And modern automatics get better gas mileage and are generally faster in muscle/sports cars.[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily. My everyday driver is a Toyota Tacoma with the smallest engine they put in it. Had 2 girls in college at once so had to be cheap to run. It is a standard that gets 4 mpg better than the auto trans model, and was $800 cheaper.

Don

 

[Hexlobular]

I'm still at least 10 years away from my first kid driving, but my plan is to find a beater car with a manual transmission for them to learn to drive on.

It's a heck of a lot tougher to text and drive when you need your right hand free to shift gears.

Make sure the front-end is out of alignment, too. That way, they have to use the other hand all the time to keep it on the road. Paying more for tires beats the alternative...

 

[actaeon277]

Wow, anyone that doesn't want to drive a stick, change their oil, or rotate their tires doesn't care or know what they're doing?

I've been there and done all of that. At this point in my life I have better things to do than change my oil or rotate my tires.

As far as a stick, I've owned a number of cars that had them. Today I have no interest in driving one. My dual-clutch is faster than a manual, and I can control it when I need/want to.

If you want to drive one, knock yourself out. You can keep the condescending opinions though. You are in no way more knowledgeable or superior just because you want to drive one.

I agree.
I have better things to do.
After putting in 60 to 80 hour weeks at work, I really don't feel like dealing with the oil or tires.
And mine goes to the dealer, because the last time I got cheap, someone "helped" me by topping off the fluids, and added something to the brake fluid that wasn't brake fluid.
Totally F'd up the brake system.
This way, I can tell the dealer, they are the only ones doing maint on the car, and they have the records.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I change my trucks oil myself and always have.

My truck has a lifetime warranty. I have the dealer do pretty much everything but wash it. No way to wiggle out of the warranty if they wanted to, either it's broke and covered by the warranty or they broke it and need to fix it.

Plus, like I said, it's cheaper to have them do it. I don't mind changing oil. I'm not going to pay extra to do it.

 

[BigRed]

I think not. 2,000+ hours a year is enough for me, especially as a full partner.

Lightweight.

 

[Hoosierdood]

I have had several manuals and automatics, but I now drive a VW Jetta 5 speed. I love the "power on demand" of the manual. In every automatic that I have owned, I felt that I had to mash the gas pedal to get it to downshift and accelerate. With the manual, I can put it in the gear that I want and it has just the right power for what I need. I feel more in control, and driving is more enjoyable.

When my daughter turned 16, I took her out to the back roads and taught her how to drive a manual. She isn't great at it, but if she needed to take it out, she would be fine. My opinion is that every kid ought to at least know how to drive one.

 

[Bapak2ja]

It is an essential skill, even today. It is like learning to swim. You may not do it everyday, or even every year, but it is good to have the skill when needed.

 

[chemteach]

If you ever plan on traveling to England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales and you want to rent a car, most of your options will be with a manual tranny. And, you will be shifting with your left hand while driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Manuals are really a lot more fun to drive in curvy and hilly conditions.

 

[HoughMade]

Lightweight.

...if only more of my associates were similar lightweights, I could take more vacations.

 

[Route 45]

In this thread.....

 

[femurphy77]

I change my trucks oil myself and always have. I also change the oil in the old Saturn the kids drive. My wife's minivan goes to the dealer. I do the brakes on everything.

I replaced one front hub and the anti-roll end links on my truck last Saturday having done the other hub a couple of weeks ago. Regardless of whether I have the money, I just can't see paying someone to do these things when I can do them myself.

The GF and I were having this discussion this morning, I've gotten to the point where I'm starting to value my time more but I'm having a damned hard time reconciling that with paying for something I can do myself!

 

[Route 45]

The GF and I were having this discussion this morning, I've gotten to the point where I'm starting to value my time more but I'm having a damned hard time reconciling that with paying for something I can do myself!

I take it you never go to a restaurant.