- Moderator
- #21
Say what you want, one of the big advances in transmissions is electronic (computer-controlled) shift management. This is something GM is really good at- drive a recent GM product, and it's pretty hard to get a hydramatic flat-footed in the wrong gear. This isn't because of superior mechanical engineering, just better software development.
I'm about as die-hard a stick-shifter as you'll find (right, Ernie?), largely for the reason mentioned by Old Paint- they're never in the right freakin' gear, and when they are, they always shift out of it at the wrong time.
Having said that, one of the best autos I've ever driven was my work van last summer- '03 Chevy Express 2500. 4-speed (so not too many shifts- I'm patently NOT a believer that more gears is better for slushboxes) that I could control pretty well with my foot, and even better with the lever. Plus the tow/haul mode to change shift feel under a heavy load. Didn't make me want to own one, but I didn't curse it too much in the thousands of miles I put on it, either.