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Date:         Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:01:38 -0700
Reply-To:     Annie <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Annie <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: .................... and vanagons (friday post with little
              Vanagon)
In-Reply-To:  <6bc66ccf1003191645o81be643va65d97d07aff699b@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Don,

I agree with you. I much, much prefer a stick myself. Unfortunately, life had other plans for me and now I cannot drive a stick shift as my left leg falls asleep when I sit. Makes it incredibly hard to push the clutch in when you can't feel your foot or leg! I tried for a while to just deal with and do it anyway, but then it became a safety issue because sometimes I just have no control over my leg.

I've gotten used to an automatic now but man, I sure do wish I could still drive a stick still! Every now and then I get to drive one and I enjoy it when I can.

~Annie

On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 10:56 AM, Neil2 <vidublu@gmail.com> wrote: > > > My Sprinter has a tiptronic and a Bus feind teased me the day I bought it > > 'cause it didn't have a real stick. I suppose I might like the tip in a > > smaller van but Moby is 600cf inside and 25' long so it's still like > > navigating a ship and I sure my me Westy and its stick! > > > > On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 6:45 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans < > > scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote: > > > > > I will say that a 'good' automatic is a joy to drive. > > > More than a 3 speed slush box like vanagons have. > > > I am way satisfied with the 4 speed auto in my turbo volvo sedan, with > > > electric button shifting in and out of overdrive top gear. > > > > I can't recall ever owning an automatic vehicle. I do not care for them. > I hate the way they are in snow...They suck in soft sand and having some > engineer pre-determine when the vehicle will shift under +his+ conditions, > the one's they simulated on the computer in China, Japan, Germany or where > ever, that is often awkward. It can be fatal, if you're in an emergency > situation right at the limits of traction, and your silly automatic tranny > decides it must shift... You can't really tow them, you can't push start > them and you can't usually "baby" a faulty one back home in whatever gear > remains. They seem to be more expensive to have repaired and most of them > are less effective for fuel economy..maybe brand new ones can match a > manual > trans for MPG..but I doubt I will every buy one until they get really good > or there are no manual tranny vehicles allowed on the highway.. > > I really can't picture myself driving an automatic Vanagon..Mine, I drive > it like a small truck..It's pretty heavy and has a similar power to weight > ratio to a loaded truck, so I like to control where my RPMs are with an eye > on the highway ahead and the traffic I anticipate.. If I'm caught going > slow with a long grade ahead I like to have the option to be in any of 3 > gears in my 5speed manual..depending on how slow and how steep the > road ahead is..Fishing around for a usable gear in a slush box Vanagon just > makes me shudder thinking about it. On mountain or winding roads, as I > brake and enter a corner I can select the proper gear that I will need to > exit the corner effectively and lose no momentum at all nor induce any > stress into the drive line with a shift under load, like an auto does. > > Only if I lived in a big city would I consider an auto-shift...and I will > never willingly live in a big city again. > Don Hanson >


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