You can with modern boxes, Chris.
My auto has manual selection, either on the gear selector or on the steering
wheel (“flappy paddles”). And the transmission will change down on hills if
the overrun is strong enough and if you press the brake for a bit less than a
second. It’s a very cool, adaptive, auto box.
And downshifting for the turn is overrated, in my view. It puts unnecessary
stress on the transmission system when braking will cost much less. And much
preferable to all that is anticipating the speed you need a little earlier. :-)
However, I do enjoy driving my wife’s little Audi A2 with its manual
transmission – ab und zu, as the Germans say.
Chris
On 17 Nov 2013, at 13:00, Chris Trask <christrask@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I had a Studebaker a long time ago with an automatic. Not bad, but after
> I experienced the (then) European "four-on-the-floor" fully synchronised
> manual transmission, I was hooked for life. An automatic cannot see ahead
> and downshift for a turn, much the same as a cruise control cannot see ahead
> and anticipate the need to start accelerating before getting to the bottom of
> the grade. Plus you cannot downshift an automatic to use compression
> braking. Saves wear on the brakes, but you have to know how to do it
> properly so as not to add wear to the clutch.
>
--
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