Tiptronic (not "triptronic") is still automatic transmission. You don't actually engage the clutch yourself so how can it possibly be manual?
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Stick or automatic?
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Tiptronic (not "triptronic") is still automatic transmission. You don't actually engage the clutch yourself so how can it possibly be manual?
First of all...what exactly is the entomology of this 'stick' you people seem to otherwise refer to as 'manual'? Sure a manual lever is longer and the auto-shifter but 'stick'? It sounds a little too primitive to say 'I drive stick'.
Anywho, manual all the way. Although having driven a manual in heavy traffic for a while, having an automatic is absolute BLISS compared to the gradual cramping of my left foot from doing 1-2 meter crawls.
So, the sequence is: 'Green, yellow, red, yellow, green'? That would be a nice indicator, but I always peek at the other lights so I know when my light is about to turn green. Keeps me on my toes and makes driving that little less boring
Anywho, manual all the way. Although having driven a manual in heavy traffic for a while, having an automatic is absolute BLISS compared to the gradual cramping of my left foot from doing 1-2 meter crawls.
So, the sequence is: 'Green, yellow, red, yellow, green'? That would be a nice indicator, but I always peek at the other lights so I know when my light is about to turn green. Keeps me on my toes and makes driving that little less boring
And no, the order is Green, Amber, Red, Red & Amber, Green
And importantly it'd amber (as noted by Stepper) not yellow or orange. I think you might well be marked as wrong on the UK tests if you refer to it as anything other than amber
I've only used a stick twice - once in my brother's old Chevy suburban (that he put in himself) and another in a Freightliner FLD120, which I only put in like first or second and moseyed around the parking lot.
I'd like to know how to drive a stick, but meh..
I'd like to know how to drive a stick, but meh..
I drive stick, and while I love my car, my next car will definitely be an automatic. I am in stop and go traffic to and from work and it's really getting old.
I think it really depends on what car you are driving. The only cars IMO that are far better to drive manual are sports cars. The feeling of having complete control is more satisfying. When I was looking for a car, I compared the automatic G37 to the 6MT version, and the auto kinda felt lame. The manual really brought out all the potential in the car.
So, the sequence is: 'Green, yellow, red, yellow, green'? That would be a nice indicator, but I always peek at the other lights so I know when my light is about to turn green. Keeps me on my toes and makes driving that little less boring
In Europe, the traffic signal indicators are:
Green--proceed with caution for cross-traffic
Yellow--be ready to stop
Red--stop
Red combined with Yellow--be ready to proceed
I would love to see the USA adopt the Red combined with Yellow signal indicator. That way, drivers at stop lights won't be startled about needing to proceed, which avoids the type of "jackrabbit" starts that can often cause accidents at intersections. In Hong Kong, where they adopted the European style signals, I don't see that many cross-traffic intersection accidents from sudden starts of drivers when the Green light signal is shown.
By the way, while CVT automatics are a good idea, the only downside is that you can't use them to handle higher-powered engines. Also, the way CVT works results in a somewhat "slipping clutch" feel, which some American drivers don't like.
I was about to say the same thing...
I just drop back 2-3 car lengths on the freeway and I never have to hit the brakes or clutch... Amateurs
Bah! I scoff at your wussy traffic! I understand that in stop and go, I can avoid some of the stops by giving myself more distance between me and the guy in front. But in L.A. there gets to be a point where it's mainly stop, and if you give much more than 1.000001 car lengths in front of you, the person in the lane over will move in.
I guess I just do remedial left turns down here in the states. What's an advanced left turn?
I've got a 6 speed manual gearbox in my car and my only wish is for more gears to shift into! I'm slowly working on getting my wife to love manual transmissions too, but that's one of those multi-year projects.
Automatics (well at least the ones I can afford) are too laggy, heavy and unresponsive compared to the manual counterparts. Stop and go traffic is no problem for me, I don't really know what all the fuss is about (I have to use my left foot now too! Oh Noes!! ) honestly I'm so used to it I don't even think about it.
Then again when I use automatics now I'm constantly searching for the clutch at traffic lights.
It means that you can turn left before oncoming traffic is allowed to proceed into the intersetion.
Automatics (well at least the ones I can afford) are too laggy, heavy and unresponsive compared to the manual counterparts. Stop and go traffic is no problem for me, I don't really know what all the fuss is about (I have to use my left foot now too! Oh Noes!!
) honestly I'm so used to it I don't even think about it. Then again when I use automatics now I'm constantly searching for the clutch at traffic lights.
It means that you can turn left before oncoming traffic is allowed to proceed into the intersetion.
Down here we use a "Left Turn Green Arrow." What's so "Advanced" about turning left?
It was a short-term solution.
We are slowly converting to the green, then amber, arrow, to avoid confusion by "visitors".
We are slowly converting to the green, then amber, arrow, to avoid confusion by "visitors".
I have one of each. After 2.5 years however, I still am not perfect at shifting and maybe once every few months, it will take a second or two to shift into third. It's just me and not the car. I don't drive it enough to be perfect at it, mostly weekends a few times a month.
I drive the automatic more because I use it for my job. Not sure which one I prefer the most.
I drive the automatic more because I use it for my job. Not sure which one I prefer the most.
I almost exclusively drive stick, my car is stick and almost all of my friends' cars are stick, meaning that even on road trips and stuff I get to drive a manual.
The downside (tough in traffic) is completely outdone by the benefits: I heel & toe downshift and smoothly slip in and out of every turn in the windy mountain roads near my house, I can drop a gear on the highway and blow past slow people, I can easily rev a little too much and show off the high-flow exhaust (), the transmission never hunts for the right gear on hills, when passing I never put my foot to the floor and wait what feels like forever for the box to realize that it's in too high of a gear, I can hold a gear all the way to 7500rpm to take advantage of the performance cam....the list goes on.
The downside (tough in traffic) is completely outdone by the benefits: I heel & toe downshift and smoothly slip in and out of every turn in the windy mountain roads near my house, I can drop a gear on the highway and blow past slow people, I can easily rev a little too much and show off the high-flow exhaust (
), the transmission never hunts for the right gear on hills, when passing I never put my foot to the floor and wait what feels like forever for the box to realize that it's in too high of a gear, I can hold a gear all the way to 7500rpm to take advantage of the performance cam....the list goes on. 
Manual...automatics feel weird.
I hate when people refer to manual transmission as sticks.
It's just what they're called over here. Just like they call it a bonnet in the UK and a hood over here.
I'm from America...
I grew up on the West Coast and didn't hear 'stick' until I moved to the Midwest. I hear 'manual' more often than 'stick', still. It's just a pet peeve of mine.
Love driving manual. Yes, traffic jams are a pain, but with the right techniques (previously mentioned) it isn't bad except for the fact of going about 3 mph. I wish my commuter had cruise control, though. A four hour drive with my foot constantly on the pedal gets pretty painful.
To toot my own horn: Once I drove my sister's (manual) SUV and after 15 minutes of stop and go traffic, she said, "I can hardly feel you shift." I know only a few people that can shift through gears and you can't feel the give and go....I like to call it 'shifting smoother than an automatic'. Those with the talent are definitely proud of it, others just don't care (and later wonder why their clutch burns up so fast).
To toot my own horn: Once I drove my sister's (manual) SUV and after 15 minutes of stop and go traffic, she said, "I can hardly feel you shift." I know only a few people that can shift through gears and you can't feel the give and go....I like to call it 'shifting smoother than an automatic'. Those with the talent are definitely proud of it, others just don't care (and later wonder why their clutch burns up so fast).
Automatic here. It pretty much comes down to me not wanting to fuss with the gears... though I'm fine on a manual if I need to be.
Are you talking to me? I have to drive stick, that's the only thing my parents drive. I don't mind.
Ohhh....well then I guess it's the difference between soda and pop
True. My sister was talking about the different phrases people used when she went only as far as Pittsburgh. It's weird how language changes as you go around the country.