Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 21:20:58 -0700 From: B&D <NO_SPAMnopsamCOM> Subject: Re: GM to increase SAAB lineup
On 4/14/03 7:26 AM, in article b7ege80193lnopsams2.newsguy.com, "Walt Kienzle" <wkienzlenopsam.net> wrote: > I would expect Saabs to be the exception in that more would be bought with > stick shift than many other makes. I would estimate that between 1/3 and > 1/2 the 9000's had stick shift. You might find more automatic 9000's for > sale because the transmission is more likely to break, and these people > might be "dumping" the car because they noticed the transmission was going > bad. Owners of stick shift models may be more willing to just keep them. > > The actual overall statistics indicate that 80% of the US drivers claim that > they can't drive stick shift. To me that indicates that only 20% of the > people licensed to drive actually know how to do so. > > In the US, GM makes very few cars available with stick shift. Generally > only the cheapest or fastest cars have stick shift, and when it is offered, > you typically limit your engine choice to only one (the lowest horsepower > one on cheap cars, or the highest horsepower one on fast cars). Pontiac, > the alleged "performance" division of GM only offers their two smallest cars > with stick shift and then only with 4 cyl. engines. In the larger cars, 6 > cyl. engines, or supercharged models automatic is all that is available. > Chrysler recommends their automatic "Auto-stick" when anyone asks about the > available of stick shift. I consider that to be bull-shift. The Chrysler manumatic is awful, I agree. They are getting better, though, and even high end cars are tending to be sold with at least automatic clutching (Ferrari springs to mind!). The Infiniti G35 with an automatic/manumatic is a very good example, as is the Tiptronic offered by Audi/VW. The other ones on offer that are kind of interesting is the CVT's that are being revived - the same speed as a stick and better mileage than a stick - but no clutching. Dunno. I expect to see a lot more of these things, and not just in North America. As traffic speeds slow down in Europe and congestion increased - watch out!
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