Why the automatics in America???

[Lambeau]

This evening I'm walking along a street in Rota Spain and I started to notice that all the vehicles have manual transmissions. So I started counting how many had manual transmissions and how many had automatic transmissions. When I got back to the hotel I counted 128 total cars. Guess how many had Automatic transmissions....3!!! Yes, only 3 out of the 128. Have we become so lazy in America that we would probably have 125 out of 128 vehicles with automatics??? The 3 with the autos were 1 big Audi, 1 larger utility truck, and a Ford Escort. Every BMW (at least 15 of them) had sticks. What is your opinion as to why Americans have to have an automatic? The excuse of city traffic and hills won't fly as the hills and traffic here are pretty bad too. And, if some of you have the X5 with the 3.0 and an automatic, why did you choose an automatic instead of the manual?

[X5 in AK]

My theory is that it goes back to the days of the Rule of the Detroit Dinosaurs, when they were marketing the slushboxes as higher end and luxurious. That sediment has just stuck. Same reason why cars for the US market often feature softer suspensions than their rest-of-the-world counterparts.
Mercedes, and to some extent BMW, are still guilty of this, Merc basically doesn't sell stick shifts in the states because they feel that it would somehow tarnish their image as a "luxury" car.
Go figure.

[Wagner]

To quote my sister, who would equate to an average driver:

"Why use a manual? Do you still use a rotary phone?"

Most people who are not looking for a performance aspect from their vehicle in the US would much rather the simplicity of an automatic. Not to mention they are busy messing with the radio, talking on their phone and eating....driving is about 4th on the responsibility list there.

And now that autos are producing the same "speed" and "mpg" as manuals, you will see even less.

[cbax5]

The question is why didn't the rest of the world go automatic.....

[E61Silver]

Originally Posted by Wagner

To quote my sister, who would equate to an average driver:

"Why use a manual? Do you still use a rotary phone?"

Most people who are not looking for a performance aspect from their vehicle in the US would much rather the simplicity of an automatic. Not to mention they are busy messing with the radio, talking on their phone and eating....driving is about 4th on the responsibility list there.

And now that autos are producing the same "speed" and "mpg" as manuals, you will see even less.

With todays high tech Automatic transmissions you get the performance of a manual and can take manual control when you want to.

[villajoe]

"The question is why didn't the rest of the world go automatic....."


because they have tiny diesels that would be even slower with an auto!

not making fun, i wish we had more diesel choices here!

[Wagner]

Originally Posted by cbax5

The question is why didn't the rest of the world go automatic.....

Rest of the world is not generally over obsessed with doing 300 things, but driving, in a car.

I remember reading an article from a Porsche engineer saying he couldn't believe buyers asked from more cup holders in a 911.

[Lambeau]

If automatics are supposedly equal to manual transmissions for performance why won't you see an auto in the top race cars? Would there ever be a slush-box in an Enzo, Lamborghini, Carerra GT, or any new Ferrari for that matter? Look how performance/image would be viewed if they mandated autos for NASCAR. Man-trans personify performance and to have a slush-box in a perfromance car is destroying the performance & image. I have a man-trans in my 06 X and it just feels more like I'm a part of my X.

[X5 in AK]

Originally Posted by Wagner

Rest of the world is not generally over obsessed with doing 300 things, but driving, in a car.

I remember reading an article from a Porsche engineer saying he couldn't believe buyers asked from more cup holders in a 911.

Same reason the e39 has crappy afterthought cupholders. They didn't think anybody needed them.

[Lambeau]

Speaking of diesels, has anyone heard when we might see a 1 series diesel in America? I did a "build" of a 1 & 3 series on the BMW USA site and did you realize that cruise control is an option on the base 3 series but it's standard on the base 1 series?