The all new sporty 2015 Focus ST is going to be announced later in the summer. I'm just worried because they never released an AT version of the hot hatch. Only the manual transmission. I LOVE THE CAR, but im not good enough on manual transmission to handle such a beast. What are your thoughts about this ? Will Ford offer enthusiasts like me the chance to drive such an amazing car by releasing an AT version or not ?
Will they offer one?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No, because enthusiasts don't want them. There's also the little fact that their DCTs can't handle the torque the engine puts out. On top of it, the DCTs are unreliable. Very few true performance-oriented cars come with automatics, with the exception of DCTs, but DCTs are more expensive, complex, and require a lot more maintenance.
My thoughts: Buy or borrow an older manual car and learn to drive it. If you get a little instruction and drive one for a while, you should pick it right up. It's very easy and will make you a better driver. I don't know whether it is the chicken or the egg, but I've driven cars all over the world and the worst drivers are invariably in countries where vehicles with automatics are the majority. These countries also have far more people that simply decide they won't drive or that start driving well into adulthood.
That works in a good and bad way. The bad drivers focus more on shifting and less on things like possibly someone switching lanes. Add that to stalling, people screaming about warranties because they burned out their clutch, and the nice rolling backwards we see on our hills here.... And I still don't think everyone should drive stick.
If they can't drive it properly, they shouldn't be driving. We're talking about a large machine that can easily kill someone. Even ATs roll backward on hills if they don't have hill assist (in fact, they're worse, since most don't have a handbrake)...
Nobody sane screams about a warranty on a clutch. A clutch is a wear item like a brake pad.
I agree, but also disagree. In city traffic or in the mountains, it would be a nightmare. I think everyone should have to learn how though.
And oddly enough, my car only has 1 gear, so there isn't even an AT in it (Its a CVT).
Manual is far better in the mountains. Engine braking is the key to not smoking your (friction) brakes. The most dangerous vehicles in the mountains are automatics that won't stay in a gear.
The only problem with a manual in the city is that you're surrounded by people in cars with automatics and for some reason US road rules focus on stopping instead of yielding. Traffic circles are brilliant, but wasteful.