Transmission feel
 

Most people know, or have realized that when you accelerate fast in an automatic, your fuel economy is decreased.

Having never driven in a standard, I would like to know, Does the same thing happen in a manual?(fuel economy decreased when you accelerate).

Yes. You're still hitting the gas to make the car go. It doesn't matter which transmission you have. The saving gas part all depends on the driver. You can drive around in a 6spd in 6th gear doing 25 to 30 mph all day long and have no probs what so ever....just reallllly low rpm's but the car still moves. Either way, the engine is still the same and still takes the same amount of gas....it just differes on how fast the car goes when you hit the gas compared to the manual and gear you're in.

Now, I'm curious about the paddle-shifters on cars like the corvette, or the new Malibu-- can you keep the car in, say, sixth all the time like you can in a manual, or will the Auto take over and shift for you if it thinks it's necessary?

In automatic transmissions you can put it in D3 and it will still stay in first if you are going too slow. However, it will not go into overdrive (unless you are about to blow) if you have it in D3 but it can go lower. These "paddle" shifters are new to me though, I would imagine it doesnt shift for you but I dunno. Would kinda defeat the purpose of having a shifter on your steering wheel if it still shifted for you imo.

Probably not a full manual.... if the RPM range becomes too extreme it will probably change gears. I would imagine it would be like my electronic transmission in my truck. I can put it in second or third, but it always starts in first from a stop and will shift to 3rd and up if the RPMs are too high to avoid damage.

All it does is allow you to have better control of your shift points.

this is kinda where I wanted my Corvette thread to go, I really want to know more about the paddle shifters...

I would hope paddles would be like a manual tranny. You would put it not in normal drive, but in paddle mode, and shift through the gears just like a 6spd. At least, that's how I hope the paddles would go....hit too high of rpms and the rev limiter would kick in keeping the rpms from going to high and throwing a rod or something.

They might be like bump shifters. After you get so much HP out of an engine you are wasting alot of it in a drag because it takes time for you to shift gears manually. But you can shift at more opportune points with manual. So it could just be a speedy manual.

Is it true that you can, in a standard, creep forward like you can in an automatic? Something about releasing the brake and clutch at the same time...

In a 6spd, you can release the brake on a flat surface while the clutch is still depressed. With a smooth, slow, and steady release of the clutch, you can go forward. Before the clutch is completely released, the veh will begin to roll forward...you just "feather" the clutch until you are in full forward motion. If you want, when you are rolling forward, you can depress the brake pedal ever so slightly and you will slow but not stall out.

Won't that destroy your clutch though?

Not at idle speeds.... and rpms as low as that...

Dump it and it'll take it's toll on the tranny and clutch. I'm talkin smooth and easy. In my last Z28, I blew the transmission. It was stuck in 4th gear and I just about bent the shifter trying to get it out of 4th. I drove that sucka home 5 miles stopping and going hills and all and still made it. Now, THAT, will burn a clutch....talk about smokin...hehe. But, I made it.

That's another concern of mine...Which type of transmission will last longer in my Camaro? I plan on some pretty heavy driving if you know what I mean.