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Geek Culture / manual vs. automatic

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Phaelax
DBPro Master
22
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Joined: 16th Apr 2003
Location: Metropia
Posted: 30th Jun 2010 10:40
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So I was pricing out a Challenger on Dodge's website, and when I selected the manual option($700) it notified me I'd have to pay an additional $300 gas-guzzler tax. Now, I've always been under the impression that a manual transmission has always had slightly improved gas mileage. So what's the deal?


"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" ~ Arthur C. Clarke
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Oolite
19
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Joined: 28th Sep 2005
Location: Middle of the West
Posted: 30th Jun 2010 10:50 Edited at: 30th Jun 2010 10:53
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Here's what my limited knowledge tells me.
Automatics are predictable, they will change gear at a certain time, every time. Manuals are controlled by you, you can either choose to drive your sports car in an eco friendly way, keeping your revs down or drive it like a madman over revving your engine and burning tons of fuel away.
The government, i can only imagine, assumes that everyone owning a manual transmission sports car falls into the latter category...


Although everything i've ever read about Manual Vs Automatics says the opposite, that manuals are infact more fuel efficient. So i can only assume the above, that the government thinks everyone drives around at 30mph in first gear all the time, wheelspinning at traffic lights and tokyo drifting around....tokyo...

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Fallout
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 30th Jun 2010 11:26
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What Oolite said. Manuals can be more efficient, if driven efficiently (obviously). However, if you don't change up quickly, like an automatic will when cruising, you'll sway that balance back to inefficient. Also, autos don't do engine braking. This means you cane break pads on an auto, but you're not constantly forcing your engine into higher revs when down shifting during deceleration. So autos are more fuel efficient decelerating.

To be honest, I think the difference is marginal, and your government is just stealth taxing you.

Manual all the way though (unless you spend your life in traffic jams)!

Insert piccy sig here. Eh? Why didn't that work?!?! Must ring help-a-noob. What was the number again? .... where am I?
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bitJericho
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Joined: 9th Oct 2002
Location: United States
Posted: 30th Jun 2010 12:53 Edited at: 30th Jun 2010 12:54
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According to the IRS website:

Quote: "The IRS is responsible for administering the gas guzzler program and collecting the taxes from car manufacturers or importers. The amount of tax is posted on the window stickers of new cars - the lower the fuel economy, the higher the tax."


So apparently, Dodge is being assessed the tax because the car *is* fuel inefficient. If Dodge could get around this provision they probably would have.

Also, you should not buy a dodge brand new on the build your own car website >.< Save yourself at least 25 percent and buy it second hand!

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HowDo
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Joined: 28th Nov 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 30th Jun 2010 13:12
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However there nothing to stopping you from sticking the automatic in to 1st or 2nd and driving it like that all the time, beats the point of and automatic thou.

then some say that teaspoonful of gas on the ground will give off more pollution than it would begin burned in some cars.

Dark Physics makes any hot drink go cold.
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