Function & Cost Of Amt Vs Manual: Interesting...

[Coss]

The new drivers of today have no idea how to drive a stick; they were all raised on automatics.
That 3rd pedal will make them walk away from the car no matter how cool or fun it is.
The AMT will give them the chance to be "sporty" and tell friends (ok text friends) that they have and can drive a stick; they'll just leave out the fact it isn't really a true "stick". They love to be able to "one up" their friends.
My youngest daughter is 25 and I've tried to teach her how to drive a stick and she wants nothing to do with it.
I grew up driving sticks most of my life. Learned how to change my first clutch in my dad's VW Beetle (don't rest your foot on the clutch dummy ...)

For those of us that can drive stick it will give us the chance to "stretch it out" a bit more than an automatic if we choose to.

 

[LillyMayPatterson #1685 & #5648]

I am proud to say my daughter and her daughter knows how to drive stick. My daughter can shift, drink coffee and smack her son at the same time.

 

[hawg_ryder]

Back in the early 70's the VW Beetle had a transmission called the AutoStik
You had to shift, but there was no clutch pedal
The clutch would engage when you put your hand (or any other body part, like your leg) against it; hence the problem.
People would drive with their hand resting on the gearshift or a leg up against it (it's a Beetle, it's small) and the clutch would "think" you were going to shift so it would disengage. People kept thinking there was a problem with it because the motor would spin up and they weren't going anywhere. It was discontinued soon after. German people knew to use two hands on the wheel to drive, that's why they couldn't understand why Americans had such a problem (same problem they had when they first started exporting high end cars; why do you need cup holders? )

Here's a home video of the AutoStik

Hidy Coss,

I was the not so proud owner of one of those critters in my 69 1500 VW... The accidental activation wasn't the only negative of the system... Performance of the car was significantly worse than the manual version... It was a 3 speed, and unlike the AMT system the Elio is going to use, it had a torque converter... I lived with mine for about a year and then ripped it out and converted to the manual tranny... (did the conversion in a weekend, and had to fabricate the mounts for it!) The Autostick was offered from 68 to 76... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostick Not one of VDubs better ideas... IMHO...

h_r

 

[Elio Amazed]

I once had a chevy van that, I swear, had a 90lb. clutch in it.
After one of my 800 mile work round trips that included multiple metro areas at rush hours...
I'd barely be able to walk and would almost fall down when I got home and got out of the vehicle.
I honestly wasn't completely bummed when one of my subcontractors hit a deer with it and broke it's frame.

I like the idea of being able to go manual when I want, while not having to suffer a manual clutch in prolonged stop and go traffic.

 

[DAVID BROWER]

I LOST ALL LOVE FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS THE DAY I GOT MY FIRST MANUAL .
I TAUGHT MY WIFE & ALL THREE OF MY KIDS TO DRIVE A STICK .
TO THIS DAY THEY ALL PREFER THEM .

AUTO TRANNYS ARE FINE FOR MOST PEOPLE BUT I WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER
AN ELIO UNLESS I COULD GET IT WITH A 5 SPEED .

 

[Lil4X]

I'm a dyed in the wool MT guy, but having owned several automatics, I'll agree they're getting smarter as the control mechanisms migrate from hydraulic to electronic. Under the control of a dedicated computer that communicates with the engine control computer, I've found they can be almost psychic in their gear selection. My Lexus' had these electronic controls - with a switch that selected "Snow" that locked out first gear, then short-shifted the other three to maintain traction; "Normal" allowed the transmission to operate with a standard shift program, and "Power" selected a program with higher shift points that were more throttle-responsive.

These RX's were a little spooky because in cold weather the transmission could also select a "warm-up" shift program that would hold it it lower gears a bit longer to allow the engine to warm up faster. Within a half-mile the temperature gauge would come off the peg and the transmission would default to the shift program you selected. I used to hear a lot of questions from online forums from people in the Great Lakes area and New England who'd wonder why their vehicle wouldn't upshift for several miles in sub-arctic weather. I'd tell 'em, "Thank your heater for that!" It's true, the computers would adjust shift points, even raise the radiator fan thermostat setpoint to pour as much heat as as quickly as possible into the cabin. I always suspected the real purpose of this heat-conservation mode was to get the cats to light off quickly in cold weather rather than provide for the owner's comfort, but what do I know?

Today, that's pretty standard in most new cars - depending on the degree of sophistication built into the software. I can imagine the auto-shift mechanism built on top of the Asin 5-speed will be pretty close to the state-of-the-art, and although I'd rather shift for myself, I'll give it a look. One great advantage of today's engine control and transmission computers - they can be "re-flashed" as fuel-air maps and shift programs mature. You aren't necessarily stuck with the powertrain you bought.

My wife can drive a stick, and did for many years . . . but she much prefers an automatic, not wanting all that mechanical involvement - OK, she's spoiled. If I'm going to sell her on an Elio of her own, it's going to have to be a AMT. . . and have a trailer so she can go "shopping".

 

[WilliamH]

I'm a dyed in the wool MT guy, but having owned several automatics, I'll agree they're getting smarter as the control mechanisms migrate from hydraulic to electronic. Under the control of a dedicated computer that communicates with the engine control computer, I've found they can be almost psychic in their gear selection. My Lexus' had these electronic controls - with a switch that selected "Snow" that locked out first gear, then short-shifted the other three to maintain traction; "Normal" allowed the transmission to operate with a standard shift program, and "Power" selected a program with higher shift points that were more throttle-responsive.

These RX's were a little spooky because in cold weather the transmission could also select a "warm-up" shift program that would hold it it lower gears a bit longer to allow the engine to warm up faster. Within a half-mile the temperature gauge would come off the peg and the transmission would default to the shift program you selected. I used to hear a lot of questions from online forums from people in the Great Lakes area and New England who'd wonder why their vehicle wouldn't upshift for several miles in sub-arctic weather. I'd tell 'em, "Thank your heater for that!" It's true, the computers would adjust shift points, even raise the radiator fan thermostat setpoint to pour as much heat as as quickly as possible into the cabin. I always suspected the real purpose of this heat-conservation mode was to get the cats to light off quickly in cold weather rather than provide for the owner's comfort, but what do I know?

Today, that's pretty standard in most new cars - depending on the degree of sophistication built into the software. I can imagine the auto-shift mechanism built on top of the Asin 5-speed will be pretty close to the state-of-the-art, and although I'd rather shift for myself, I'll give it a look. One great advantage of today's engine control and transmission computers - they can be "re-flashed" as fuel-air maps and shift programs mature. You aren't necessarily stuck with the powertrain you bought.

My wife can drive a stick, and did for many years . . . but she much prefers an automatic, not wanting all that mechanical involvement - OK, she's spoiled. If I'm going to sell her on an Elio of her own, it's going to have to be a AMT. . . and have a trailer so she can go "shopping".

Every time I hear someone sing the praises of computer controlled anything I remember what I learned when I worked at Bell Labs.
To err is human.........
To really screw things up requires a computer !!!!

 

[Coda1]

There are a number of benefits to having a manual. You can push start a manual. I've done it a couple of times and it is really handy. You can skip a gear if you want. Sometimes when pulling out into a small gap in heavy traffic I will run it to near redline in 3rd gear until I get up to speed then I skip 4th gear and go right to 5th. You can coast up to a stop sign/light by stepping on the clutch. I can actually turn my car off about 1/2 mile from work and coast all the way into my parking spot. I've even seen a Jeep Cherokee with a broken clutch mechanism started in first gear and then driven home by shifting without using the pedal. Can't do that with an AMT. I'll take a manual if I can get it.

 

[Reid3400]

There are a number of benefits to having a manual. You can push start a manual. I've done it a couple of times and it is really handy. You can skip a gear if you want. Sometimes when pulling out into a small gap in heavy traffic I will run it to near redline in 3rd gear until I get up to speed then I skip 4th gear and go right to 5th. You can coast up to a stop sign/light by stepping on the clutch. I can actually turn my car off about 1/2 mile from work and coast all the way into my parking spot. I've even seen a Jeep Cherokee with a broken clutch mechanism started in first gear and then driven home by shifting without using the pedal. Can't do that with an AMT. I'll take a manual if I can get it.

One of the problems with modern safety systems is you can not start the manual transmission vehicle in gear if the clutch fails. I encountered this problem with one of our Miata's. The slave cylinder had leaked out all the fluid. I used a bottle of water to get home. You can push start some automatics; the ones with the pump on the output shaft. Old cars, prior to 1964. It seems that most AMT's can be push started. Turning you car off and coasting can lead to a disaster. After several brake applications, your vacuum is gone and your brake booster does not operate. Same for vehicles with hydroboost.

 

[Elio Amazed]

There are quite a few manual transmission modern cars that cannot be push started.
Hell, my V-stars won't even let me push start them.