2010 Explorers

It is sort of like music, sure you can just put on a CD and have sound, but
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" > wrote in message
...
> 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
>
>
>
> "Vic Klein" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Alas, the shift to automatic transmissions in the US is symptomatic of
>> the 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" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> 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.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Christopher Guidry
>>
>>
>
>

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 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" > wrote in message
net...
> George Csahanin wrote:
>> 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.

Jim Warman wrote:
> 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!

Jim Warman wrote:

> 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.

> 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

On Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:59:00 -0800 (PST), Rufus Leaking
> 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.



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