DCTs really depend on the company the manufacturer went to. PDK? Great stuff. BMW's DCT? Great stuff. Cheaper Japanese brands? Eh, it's 50/50. MBZ's 7G DCT is pretty good, but not as good as BMW's in my experience, though it could have been the conditions. ZF's 8 speed range is probably the best auto on the market, but their 9 speed is terrible.
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The Car Thread ... !
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Gave up on manuals a long time ago. An easy decision since i've mostly lived in cities my whole life. I remember when i was learning to drive in a manual car, and how tired and irritated i would be after slugging gears through rush hour traffic.
Once i had the choice, i opted for autos without hesitation. Sure its fun being in full control of the gears, especially when drifting and taking corners where some of the early autos were horrible at selecting gears. But they've improved.
I don't even use paddles unless I'm doing some spirited driving with friends.
The downside is i sometimes feel slightly sheepish when i see my gf and other female friends rocking manual shifts like a boss, whilst giving me a disappointed 'sellout' look.
Once i had the choice, i opted for autos without hesitation. Sure its fun being in full control of the gears, especially when drifting and taking corners where some of the early autos were horrible at selecting gears. But they've improved.
I don't even use paddles unless I'm doing some spirited driving with friends.
The downside is i sometimes feel slightly sheepish when i see my gf and other female friends rocking manual shifts like a boss, whilst giving me a disappointed 'sellout' look.
Great 24 Hour race this year, didn't go down, but solid coverage here at the World HQ (and much better beverages 
)
I still *love* my manual - as I've mentioned, my car is not DD, though do have to [very] occasionally mix it up in some traffic. I guess I've driven manuals - and some ornery ones at that - for so long, it's no effort, second nature for me.
)I still *love* my manual - as I've mentioned, my car is not DD, though do have to [very] occasionally mix it up in some traffic. I guess I've driven manuals - and some ornery ones at that - for so long, it's no effort, second nature for me.
I will say that stop and go traffic with some hills involved can make for some interesting driving when you're surrounded by folks who have probably never even been in a manual.
I'm a bad boy(according to some m/t experts) since I control rollback by slipping the clutch but I also can generally start with little to no roll back. I also can throw in some controlled roll back and it can make for a bit of entertainment when the person 3" from your bumper sees you coming backwards.
In any case, like I said I'm not too worried about burning up a clutch at least on the only M/T I have now(the MG). Clutch replacements due to worn disks on MGs are actually pretty uncommon. I think it's a combination of several things-for one the clutch is pretty well overkill for the size/power(and most folks drop in a TR7 disk when they replace it). For another, the throwout bearing usually gives up the ghost before the clutch. Finally, few folks make it 75-100K miles without pulling their engine for some unrelated reason and usually will replace the clutch while the engine is out.
I'm a bad boy(according to some m/t experts) since I control rollback by slipping the clutch but I also can generally start with little to no roll back. I also can throw in some controlled roll back and it can make for a bit of entertainment when the person 3" from your bumper sees you coming backwards.
In any case, like I said I'm not too worried about burning up a clutch at least on the only M/T I have now(the MG). Clutch replacements due to worn disks on MGs are actually pretty uncommon. I think it's a combination of several things-for one the clutch is pretty well overkill for the size/power(and most folks drop in a TR7 disk when they replace it). For another, the throwout bearing usually gives up the ghost before the clutch. Finally, few folks make it 75-100K miles without pulling their engine for some unrelated reason and usually will replace the clutch while the engine is out.
Manual transmission is the norm where I'm from and I've only driven an automatic a few times. I agree they are easier in busy traffic and easier to drive in general. I wouldn't buy an auto though as I enjoy a manual for the most part. Never burnt a clutch out either but that's usually down to experience.
Yeah, I've done the same on various cars, don't think it ever resulted in any notable clutch wear (I think we've had this discussion before, i.e., slip vs. handbrake, etc.) Around here, the only hills are in parking lots, so it's rare to have to even deal with it in traffic - though my car does have that (which I forget about until it engages) neat "anti rollback" feature, where an incline is detected and it holds the brakes for you so you can take your foot completely off the clutch.
Agreed. I've always taken public transit for my jobs downtown but with my current job, public transit would take too long so I've been driving the MINI to save on gas costs (over the E90) and the bumper/bumper traffic for 4-60 minutes+ has made me contemplating trading in the MINI for an automatic 2-Series.
Obscure question. Does a 3M paint protection film cover the whole car like a wrap and does it yellow?
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The LS is slated to have a 0-60 of 4.5s but I imagine Lexus is being conservative, and it'll be more like 4.2s or 4s if we're lucky. That's very quick for a flagship full size sedan.
Late 2017 and 2018 are shaping up to be very nice. I just got done watching the release video for the 2017 or 2018 Golf MK7 R and the digital dash and console with the hand motion activation is impressive. The interior got some minor upgrades and the rear end looks much better, borrowing some traits from big brother Audi. I didn't catch the performance on it, but I suspect the MK8 will offer a much more powerful 5 cyl engine, likely borrowed from the TT RS and detuned or the TT if not the former. I'd read somewhere months ago that the MK8 will feature a minimum HP of 325. A healthy jump from the current 290ish.
Upcoming S5 Sportback looks phenomenal in green.
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Possibly. That's actually clever. It being a 3.5 V6 TT I'd imagine that engine with the FI is built like a rock, and would easily be tuneable by Lexus to deliver more power. But I doubt we'll see that until several years pass by and they can update all their platforms. The new LS is longer, bigger, faster, more powerful all the while being about 200-210 lb lighter. I'm not too crazy about the interior. It's very S class like, but the leather work is much prettier. Plus, no silly LEDs like a discotheque.
The LS is slated to have a 0-60 of 4.5s but I imagine Lexus is being conservative, and it'll be more like 4.2s or 4s if we're lucky. That's very quick for a flagship full size sedan.
Late 2017 and 2018 are shaping up to be very nice. I just got done watching the release video for the 2017 or 2018 Golf MK7 R and the digital dash and console with the hand motion activation is impressive. The interior got some minor upgrades and the rear end looks much better, borrowing some traits from big brother Audi. I didn't catch the performance on it, but I suspect the MK8 will offer a much more powerful 5 cyl engine, likely borrowed from the TT RS and detuned or the TT if not the former. I'd read somewhere months ago that the MK8 will feature a minimum HP of 325. A healthy jump from the current 290ish.
Upcoming S5 Sportback looks phenomenal in green.
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Never driven an automatic car never will. My VW has an electronic hand break so hill starts in traffic are easy.
But took it out on some country roads yesterday and stuck it in sports mode for some fun.
Try doing that with an automatic.
But took it out on some country roads yesterday and stuck it in sports mode for some fun.
Try doing that with an automatic.
Well you can have some fun in some autos in sports mode with manual shifting, but yes I 100% agree a manual is more fun (if slower!) in those situations. I am however not sure the manual will last forever
Stricter fuel economy needs and better performance are pushing the manual out I am a fan of save the manuals for sure, even though I have not owned a manual car for several years, but that is mostly around availability of the models I want more than not wanting a manual. Plus I sit in a LOT of traffic at times, and even with lighter clutch pedals that more modern cars have, an auto is nice in that situation.Given the choice I would have an automatic for my daily driver and then a manual for the weekend fun car or when I want something different to commute in. Most likely something small, lightweight and not really that powerful like a Mazda MX-5/Miata, or at a push (budget wise) a BMW M2/M240i.
It's generally done in small sections, specifically high impact areas (front clip, lower sides behind the fenders). The real product is designed for 5-7 years, not sure if that's a common expectation of it being beat up enough to show, or a chemical breakdown that might change the color. A buddy of mine had it done recently on his new C7 GS convertible, I think it was like $1200 or so for the front, lower sides, that's install (most of the cost) and materials.
My S3 is in the body shop because some jerk wasn't paying attention in a parking garage. I have a rental Sonata but it's just sitting in the garage. This weekend I was driving my girlfriend's 2017 GTI. Forgot how fun manual is; strange since it was only a few months ago that I sold my Golf R (also a manual). The GTI feels much lighter on its feet than my Golf R, but after having 2 cars with nearly 400hp I certainly miss the extra power.
Great choice! I got my Tesla in August of last year and already put almost 10k miles on it and i cant see ever going back to gas. The acceleration is unmatched and paying only $20-$30 a month in electricity over the $700-$800 in gas was the tipping point.
I moved the numbers around, worked the $7500 tax credit and got an insane interest rate that I am not paying much more than my previous SUV.
We love it so much for our family we pre-ordered the 3 for my wife.
Did you look at the Bolt at all?
Here are pics of mine:
Do _not_ like (I was going to 'like', as in, oh yeah, I agree, that's terrible, but clearly I don't like the content
)Is that for the side of the vehicle, too, or just the very lower half where fly back chips are common or mud scratches from wheel arch spray?
You got it, the latter, like the lower 10-12" or so. It's a bit car specific too, I know they like to use natural edges/seams so the edge of the film is hidden.
Cool. What would be the cost to do a full vehicle wrap except the roofline but not the pillars? 3-4K? And this does protect against scratches, right, even on-purpose ones?
That's probably not too far off given the cost of such a relatively small area. I'd find a local installer/shop and get a quote!
I'm not sure how resistant it is vs. purposeful damage, I have seen cars with it after it was removed and it was pretty amazing how pristine the paint was under the film.
I'm not sure how resistant it is vs. purposeful damage, I have seen cars with it after it was removed and it was pretty amazing how pristine the paint was under the film.
Thanks. I was looking into it and getting it done on my next car. I think the only irritating thing then would be the fact that wraps do get swirls and I don't believe you can get them out. But it does beat getting a 15-20K OEM repaint.
That price should cover part of the hood, fender and the rocker panel and maybe lower part of the door/side. That's generally where/how the clear bra/paint protector is applied. At least that's what people usually pay from what I've read on the forums.
Also, I think it depends on which film/company you buy from. There are some films that you can hardly see that don't discolour and ruin the paint after years, some that you can sort of see the edge if you're looking for it and then there's the films that only last a couple of years and turn yellow. It's definitely something to consider if you're anal about paintwork and don't want to repaint an area (hood).