Stupid (probably) question

kaeloch, Mar 18, 7:55pm
I took a ute for a drive the other day and it was a 6 speed diesel. I never got to 6th at any point on the drive but guess that on a really long straight open road you would.
Is there a reason they've gone to 6 speed manuals over 5! It didn't seem particularly low geared.
Thinking it would drive me insane around town after a while. (yes probably been in an auto too long)

hatchback, Mar 18, 7:57pm
Was it an Aussie ute.good for the outback Digger, go really fast out there

skin1235, Mar 18, 8:10pm
dam these new fangled ideas, why do they keep doing this, the old 4 spd g/box managed to scream it's way along the street, then they put a 5th gear in there, no more revs and nearly 10% more economic to drive
now the begga's have tossed yet another slot in the box with another 10% gain in economy but I have to check the rev counter to make sure then engine is actually running, the cheek of them putting a ratio in there that requires me to be doing 80km hr before selecting it, almost like a cheaters overdrive or something
it's just not right, give me the old guzzlin screaming 4 spd, at least I could feel the engine straining to get to 85km hr

skin1235, Mar 18, 8:13pm
if there is a stupid part to your question perhaps it is the stupidity of thinking that all g/boxes should be built so that 100 km hr is maximum engine revs in top gear
and that somehow there is a mental limit that the vehicle cannot be driven in any gear less than top gear

hpaul, Mar 18, 8:26pm
Some of the auto's are now 8 SPEED!
It's all about fuel use and emissions - more gears means less of both.

jason18, Mar 18, 10:04pm
Mazda we have is 6 speed manual. I quite often flicked it into 6th gear. Still had good pull!

kaeloch, Mar 18, 10:06pm
Thanks - now that makes sense :-)

smac, Mar 18, 10:25pm
You sure it wasn't because you were treating the change points the same as a petrol.what vehicle!

kaeloch, Mar 18, 10:54pm
Probably!
Took a bit to get used to - was a Navara - just different I guess.
Its been a few years since I drove a diesel manual.

skin1235, Mar 19, 12:46am
then you'll love the traction control - that you don't get a choice to turn off - and means you cannot reverse up a very slight slope with atrailer on, or move away from a set of lights with a trailer on if you are on a slope
most other makers at least include an overide system for when you need to ignore the traction control for your own safety - but nissan know better

but when you do get used to driving it, albeit in 4th around town, you'll actually like what they can do and the economy you get from them

mrfxit, Mar 19, 3:48am
AARRhhhhhh yes traction control .
many a time been driving a non TC vehicle to later hope in the wifes Bluebird Atessa & go to POP in to a tight line of traffic from a side road to fine that . . . . . . .it won't give me any power . almost like trying to take off in 3rd gear on a 4 speed box

skin1235, Mar 19, 3:55am
lol, dam frustrating on a gravel drive with a pack of 4x2 on the trailer behind, much stalling and cursing modern know it all systems designers, almost like they specifically designed them to be unable to be used as a ute, gotta back off down until you can find a flat or slope the other way ( which it won't let you back up), til I learnt the art of max and drop the clutch then quickly drop back the revs without dropping too far, there were a few moments when I thought I was gonna be caste in the bottom of a few dips, no fun when you're building a shed out the back of the farm

mrfxit, Mar 19, 4:02am
NO blimin fun doing that POP in to traffic either with "them" bearing down on you as you craw in to the fast flow of traffic & ya boot right up the throttle

clark20, Mar 19, 6:54am
GM and Ford are working on 10 speeds now

a18a, Mar 19, 7:06am
might as well just be a cvt then lol