sb@cvl.UUCP (05/18/84)
Sometime back I posted a query to the net regarding
Automatic Transmission in Japanese cars. I received 6 or 7 replies
and I thank all those who cared to respond. I am posting the original
query along with all the replies I got. I am too lazy to summarize
the replies. I have included the path to all the authors of the replies
incase anyone wants to pursue this topic with them through mail.
*******************************************************************************
Query
*******************************************************************************
I prefer Automatic Transmission over Manual.
This is especially true when there are lots of ups and downs
and lots of STOP signs.
When my friends and I were discussing about
Japanese and American cars all of them concurred on one point.
They said that Americans have perfected? Automatic Transmission
while Japanese have perfected? Manual Transmission.
In other words they said that if you want to buy a Japanese car,
buy one with Manual Transmission.
I would like to know from people who own Jap. cars
equipped with Auto. Transmission (are there any out there?!)
about any problems they had because of that. Will they buy another
Jap. Car with Auto. Transmission ?
I am not worried about the increased gas consumption
in an Auto. Transmission car, nor the $600 or $700 that I have
to pay to get it.
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!knutson Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969
Path: cvl!rlgvax!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!knutson
From: knutson@ut-ngp.UUCP
Organization: Comp. Center, Univ. of Texas at Austin
We bought an '83 Toyota Camry that has a automatic transmission. I have
hated small cars with automatics ever since I can remember but the
ride in the Camry was so good that I couldn't pass it up. It has a
very smooth shift for motoring around, but will snap your neck in
the power shift range when you romp on it. It has an overdrive with
lockup for gas mileage and 3 push button computer controlled shift
ranges (Economy, Normal, and Power). I'm very pleased with the
engineering.
--
Jim Knutson
ARPA: knutson@ut-ngp
UUCP: {ihnp4,seismo,kpno,ctvax}!ut-sally!ut-ngp!knutson
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!seismo!harpo!ihnp4!houxm!hogpc!houxb!hrs Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969
Path: cvl!rlgvax!seismo!harpo!ihnp4!houxm!hogpc!houxb!hrs
From: hrs@houxb.UUCP
Because most Japanese and other small cars use 3-speed automatics
as opposed to 5-speed manuals, they tend to have poorer acceleration,
poorer gas mileage, and be much noisier at highway speeds due
to unnecessarily high engine RPM's.
I have a Mazda 626 '81 which suffers from all of the above.
It's a very comfortable and extremely reliable car otherwise.
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!seismo!harpo!ulysses!mhuxl!abnjh!lute Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969
Path: cvl!rlgvax!seismo!harpo!ulysses!mhuxl!abnjh!lute
From: lute@abnjh.UUCP
Organization: ATTIS, NJ
I am on my third Mazda, a 1984 626 sedan with auto-transmission. My previous
two were Mazda GLC station wagons, also with auto-trans. I have had no
problems with the Mazda A/T at all (knock on wood), and as you can see, I am a
faithful Mazda buyer. If you want to get into a lot of mechanical jargon,
maybe you'll find something to be dissatisfied about in their A/T compared
to American cars. But I am not a mechanic, and I only look for the things
(and learn from experience) that any informed consumer wwould when looking for
new cars'. I have no reservations (at this point) about Japanese cars A/T's.
Also, you should be aware that an A/T on the majority of Japanese imports is
more in the range of $300-$450, not $600-$700. To get a better feel for this
you might want to see if you can still get a copy of the April 1984 Consumer
Reports magazine on the 1984 cars. If you can't find it on newstands, try
your local library.
Jim Collymore
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!seismo!harpo!decvax!mako!tektronix!ariels Fri Apr 27 14:28:12 1984
From: rlgvax!seismo!decvax!mako!ariels (Ariel Shattan)
To: tektronix!decvax!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!sb
I have a Mitsubishi Cordia with Automatic Tranny. I got it because I
was not prepared to learn standard at that time. My previous (and very
first) car was a '72 Datsun 510 wagon with Automatic. I got that
because I didn't want to have to learn to drive and to shift at the
same time. The tranny on the Cordia is MUCH nicer than the one on the
Datsun was, but that can easily be attributed to a) 11 years of use vs
a brand new car, b) 11 years of engineering changes in tranny
technology, c) a bigger engine. I did have to take it in for
a recall to change the gears. They'd discovered that the ratio was
all wrong and that the engine was revving too high before shifting.
[NOTE: '83 was the first year for Cordias, so they hadn't yet
gotten all the bugs out].
As to gas milage, I drive too fast to give you an accurate reading
on that, but the *rated* difference between the Auto and Manual
Cordias was 1 mpg.
Will I get another Auto tranny? Probably not. Not because I don't
like them, but because I think I can get more control of a vehicle
with manual tranny, and besides, the next car I get will probably be
a sports car of some sort, and a sports car with an automatic is
wimp city.
Ariel (hey, maybe I ought to get one of them there Ninjas) Shattan
..!tektronix!orca!ariels
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!ihnp4!houxm!hou2h!an Sat Apr 28 10:38:31 1984
To: houxm!ihnp4!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!sb
My father has an '81 Plymouth Champ (Mitsubishi built) with A/T.
Other than the severe lack of oooomph! the car is fine.
Au
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!ihnp4!ihnss!warren Sat Apr 28 10:38:39 1984
To: ihnp4!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!sb
I own a '72 Toyota with 140K miles on its automatic transmission. I
have never had any significant trouble with it. The car when new
got better mileage than the EPA estimate for a manual on the same
car. It has a 2,000 CC 4 cyl engine, which is much bigger than most
of what is in Japanese cars these days, so power was no problem at
all.
It always has had a tendancy to upshift low (at about 10mph and
20mph without hard acceleration), but does so smoothly and runs just
fine. In the last 2 years, it has developed a tendancy to
occasionally get confused and shift back and forth while going 25-30
at a slow speed while warming up, but no serious inconvenience.
In contrast, I have driven lots of american cars with LOUSY
automatics as rentals. I would avoid those used in the small fords
(escort, exp, lynx, etc.) at all costs. Those cars have always felt
likethere was a big rubber band between the engine and the wheels
carrying all of the power. Even the larger cars these days seem to
have a tendancy to want to shift back and forth with awkward jolts
while climbing hills.
I would be curious to see who else responds, please post a summary
to the net.
*******************************************************************************
>From rlgvax!seismo!harpo!decvax!trwrb!felix!joey Mon Apr 30 14:25:48 1984
From: rlgvax!seismo!decvax!felix!joey (Joey Tamashiro)
To: trwrb!decvax!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!sb
I think what your friend said was true, about 10 years ago.
Since then the Japanese have developed very good automatic transmissions.
I'm from Japan and when I went back two years ago, a lot of the cars
(especially taxis) in Tokyo are equipped with auto transmissions.
I have a Toyota Camry with auto and it gets 26 mpg doing 1/3
highway and 2/3 city driving. Not bad, eh? It has an electronically
controlled transmission with overdrive. It has the torque converter
lock-up feature in second, third, and overdrive gears (hence the good
gas mileage). It has three modes of driveability which I select with
a switch - economy, normal, and power. All it really does is move
the shift points up. Tell about an american car with auto trans
that has all these features.
joey tamashiro
{decvax,ucbvax}!trwrb!felix!joey
*******************************************************************************
END
*******************************************************************************
Babu Srinivasan
May 18, 1984