2010 Explorers
Christopher Guidry
that there line of 2010 Explorers are only automatic is keeping me from
ever considering upgrading my 92.
--
Christopher Guidry
C. E. White
"Christopher Guidry" <cgu...@corp.sonic.net> wrote in message
news:4b6b2f4d$0$2005$742e...@news.sonic.net...
> What gives with Ford no longer offering standard transmissions? The
> fact that there line of 2010 Explorers are only automatic is keeping
> me from ever considering upgrading my 92.
You are in the minority of potential Explorer owners. Safety, fuel
economy rules, and emmision control rules require extensive testing of
individual drive trains. These tessts are expensive. Ford probably
assumes (and are likely correct) that not enough manual transmission
Explorers would be sold to justify the time and expense of qualifying
a manual transmission drive train. Plus in many cases the automatic
transmission drive trains are getting better fuel economy than the
manual transmission drive trains (at least when tested by the EPA).
I guess you will need to get a Toyota 4Runner- oh wait, they don't
offer a manual in that, or Nissan Pathfinder, opps, they don't offer a
manual in that either, or a GM, oh they don't offer a manual in any
SUVs. I guess you'll have to get a Subaru Forester, a Ford Escape, a
Toyota RAV4, or a Toyota FJ Cruiser.
The fact is, it is not just Ford that doesn't offer automatics in mid
and large SUVs. Almost no one does in the US. Given our rules, it
makes no sense to qualify a manu transmission drive train when the
number of potential sales is tiny.
If you like your 92 Exlorer you probably just keep it. Nothing sold
today is that "basic."
Ed
Christopher Guidry
Catering to pansy drivers is basically the summary.
--
Christopher Guidry
Sonic.net Tech Support
Christopher Guidry
Catering to pansy drivers who never learned to drive a real car is the
summary of this post. Lazy drivers who don't appreciate the road, there
car, or anything that a vehicle is about are the leading cause that one
day vehicles will be unmanned. Such a sad, sad way to live.
--
Christopher Guidry
sparky01
As very well informed and knowledgeable Automotive Enthusiast, you may be
right in your opinion. On the other hand, the drivers and manufacturers of
"real cars" may feel differently. Particularly those pansy, lazy,
non-real drivers of new Porsches, Maserattis, Lamborghinis, etc, et al that
have moved to automatic transmissions would be interested in your input.
There are "gear heads" and then there are those that need a lube job!!
Shoe
automatic is rapidly replacing manual transmissions. It looks like
manuals are about to be a thing of the past.
C. E. White
> Catering to pansy drivers who never learned to drive a real car is
> the summary of this post. Lazy drivers who don't appreciate the
> road, there car, or anything that a vehicle is about are the leading
> cause that one day vehicles will be unmanned. Such a sad, sad way to
> live.
Using your logic, shouldn't we all be driving horse drawn wagons? Or
maybe stomping on pedals like the Model T used?
I suppose you'd prefer hand cranks to electric starters and acteleye
lights to electric lights....
Ed
Vic Klein
decline of western civilization...just let somebody else think about the
driving, I'm along for the ride <sigh>
On a more serious vein, I am in total agreement with you. The '97 XLT I have
was the last year you could get any upgraded options with a manual trans,
afterwards they were only available on the base model, and with the next
body style the manual option was dropped altogether, some 10 years back. My
Explorer has been the most useful and reliable vehicle I have ever owned and
I would have upgraded it during that period had Ford still let me do the
driving, but like almost all domestic offerings, they have dumbed down most
of their models now. I now drive an '08 Mustang, where you can get a manual
in any setup, and keep the Explorer for days like today (14" of snow).
There is still one domestic SUV that has a manual transmission offering, the
H3 Hummer. I seriously looked at that to replace the Explorer, but it faired
poorly in comparison to my '97...bigger outside, smaller inside, less power,
same ground clearance (mine has bigger tires than standard), so I just kept
the old beast. Sad thing is everywhere else in the world the manual
transmission is on 80-90% of the vehicles, even those virtually identical to
what is here. If you want to feel bad, look at how the Explorer is equipped
in Australia. Too bad the steering is on the "wrong" side.
=Vic=
Bear Gap, PA
"Christopher Guidry" <cgu...@corp.sonic.net> wrote in message
news:4b6b2f4d$0$2005$742e...@news.sonic.net...
George Csahanin
shouldn't be work. Period.
Even my Vette is automatic.
Get with the program, man. Its transportation.
GeorgeC
"Vic Klein" <vhklei...@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:4b72ae6a$0$31159$ce5e...@news-radius.ptd.net...
Beryl
> Why would you want a manual transmission. Just get in and drive. Driving
> shouldn't be work. Period.
>
> Even my Vette is automatic.
>
> Get with the program, man. Its transportation.
>
> GeorgeC
Automatics usually want to get right into top gear. The dumb things
don't see the hills and corners ahead.
Vic Klein
the joy of making music by playing an instrument is a thing unto itself.
Likewise with cooking, you can buy a frozen dinner, its just food after all,
but many get pleasure out of creating the meal. In a vehicle with automatic,
it is just as you describe...transportation. With that argument, you may as
well take the bus or a cab, then you don't even have to steer. But with a
manual, you are interacting with the car and its environment, and the
pleasure of a good shift is part of the enjoyment of the vehicle. It makes
getting there a significant part of the fun. It is not work.
=Vic=
"George Csahanin" <geo...@lintv.com> wrote in message
news:hl1mj5$5hf$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Jim Warman
is... (to hell with fuel economy, I want to row my truck down the road).
The new crop of electronically controlled transmissions is, for the most
part, working quite well... usually delivering almost unoticeable shifts,
excellent fuel economy (all things considered) a a very high degree of
reliability.
Earlier transmissions were adaptations of valve body controlled deigns where
newer vehicles are getting transmissions designed specifically for
electronic control.
The list of safety and convenience features is growing by leaps and bounds
almost daily... Adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, side object
detection, active park assist... even integrating your personal devices into
the SYNC feature... The future of the automobile is going to be
fascinating..
"Beryl" <fo...@road.net> wrote in message
news:rNWdndyYUsV18unW...@posted.toastnet...
Beryl
> The highest gear appropriate for the speed is where the good fuel economy
> is... (to hell with fuel economy, I want to row my truck down the road).
The highest gear appropriate for the speed works on the flatlands. It
tends to runaway when going downhill.
> The new crop of electronically controlled transmissions is, for the most
> part, working quite well... usually delivering almost unoticeable shifts,
> excellent fuel economy (all things considered) a a very high degree of
> reliability.
Dad's '98 XLT Auto shifts very nicely. There's one particular place,
letting off the gas to slow for a sharp corner while going uphill, where
it *clunks* every time. I think it begins to upshift and immediately
downshifts again. If it would just stay in the gear it's at...
My own truck has a manual. And of course, I screw up plenty of shifts
myself.
> Earlier transmissions were adaptations of valve body controlled deigns where
> newer vehicles are getting transmissions designed specifically for
> electronic control.
>
> The list of safety and convenience features is growing by leaps and bounds
> almost daily... Adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, side object
> detection, active park assist... even integrating your personal devices into
> the SYNC feature... The future of the automobile is going to be
> fascinating..
YUCK!
Beryl
> The list of safety and convenience features is growing by leaps and bounds
> almost daily... Adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, side object
> detection, active park assist... even integrating your personal devices into
> the SYNC feature... The future of the automobile is going to be
> fascinating..
"A 2003 lawsuit revealed that the FBI was able to surreptitiously turn
on the built-in microphones in automotive systems like General Motors'
OnStar to snoop on passengers' conversations."
<http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029_3-6140191.html>
From another thread, in another group, about cell phones. I thought the
line about automotive systems might be fascinating here.
Rufus Leaking
> Automatics usually want to get right into top gear. The dumb things
> don't see the hills and corners ahead.
Of course you can always "Manu-matic" it. A poor substitute for total
maual tranny, but you can hold down
or downshift gears that way
fwiw, our old bulletproof 78 Bronco was a auto tranny's beast and we
never had a lick of trouble running
it in 4 low at 70 mph while chasing pronghorns. Ran it for 230k miles
before the body rusted off. The 400
motor and rest of the drive train was still good, so sold it to my
mechanic buddy who made it his
plow truck....
Dunno as I'll see that kind of durability from our 200 XLS Exploder,
but at 137k she runs fine and is
99% rust free.
Dave
Ashton Crusher
<Davi...@q.com> wrote:
>
>> Automatics usually want to get right into top gear. The dumb things
>> don't see the hills and corners ahead.
>
>Of course you can always "Manu-matic" it. A poor substitute for total
>maual tranny, but you can hold down
>or downshift gears that way
>
>fwiw, our old bulletproof 78 Bronco was a auto tranny's beast and we
>never had a lick of trouble running
>it in 4 low at 70 mph while chasing pronghorns.
are you sure about that. In 4 low even with the transmission itself
in OD my Explorer has the engine at redline by 50 mph.