Jeff Johnson Interview - Autoline After Hours #347 - 9/16/16

[luckylu15]

With the manual trans you get the extra benefit of an anti theft device. Leave your door unlocked or the window open. Who knows how to drive or even knows anymore what a manual transmission is. So much more fun to drive for me and a must if ever they make a faster sport model.

 

[wizard of ahs]

With the manual trans you get the extra benefit of an anti theft device. Leave your door unlocked or the window open. Who knows how to drive or even knows anymore what a manual transmission is......

ROFLMAO

 

[RonnieB]

With the manual trans you get the extra benefit of an anti theft device. Leave your door unlocked or the window open. Who knows how to drive or even knows anymore what a manual transmission is. So much more fun to drive for me and a must if ever they make a faster sport model.

This is a very good point and you will save a grand as well lol

 

[Coss]

With the manual trans you get the extra benefit of an anti theft device. Leave your door unlocked or the window open. Who knows how to drive or even knows anymore what a manual transmission is. So much more fun to drive for me and a must if ever they make a faster sport model.

I would love to have a manual, but my physical limitations won't let me.

 

[RonnieB]

I would love to have a manual, but my physical limitations won't let me.

I am sorry to hear that Cross and I do understand. I had a bad accident a few years back and could not drive the VW TDI that I had because it was a stick for quite some time. I recovered and can drive one now but have mixed feeling on the manual and automatic. I find the manual more fun to drive under normal driving but a very big drawback when I am stuck on I 77 traffic in Carolina. I still have time to think about it and when the time comes I am sure they will work out any bugs on the AMT

 

[Earl LaSitis]

I was going to get a manual but if it going to be like a paddle shift that works for me the only thing is it worth a thousand dollars more.

 

[airforceguy6]

Thing is, I almost got run over by a semi that was still a whole half mile down the road at the moment I pulled out for the test drive in the AT geo. I was ready to get out and run beside the vehicle and push! I DO NOT want to ever experience THAT again. Let's see if I can describe it a little better. It's like taking a 90cc scooter and trying to pass on the interstate compared to doing the same on a 883 sportster. THAT's how much difference there was. There wasn't anything wrong with the engine in the Geo I test drove, but coupled to that AT, it was a piece of Shhhhhht. I'd rather be able to have full control of my RPMs and shifting and be able to get out of the way with the Elio's slightly underpowered motor when needed for safety's sake. I want to be able to bring all of that available torque to bear at one time instead of having the tranny try to decide if we're in an emergency situation or not.

There have even been situations where I would have been happier having a standard in my Mustang V6 instead of the slight lag time of the Automatic.

As far as my knees, I can always slip it into neutral in stop-n-go traffic... and constant hills are far from the norm in most areas of the continent.

I get what you're saying. One my chevy service vans had an 80lb. clutch in it. I was almost happy when one of my employees hit a deer with it and cracked the frame. But the Elio's standard Tranny's clutch should be no-where near that. My Geo standard's clutches took almost no effort to push to the floor.

Oh Elio Amazed...those Geo Metro Automatic Trannys were terrible! Crappy little 3 speed that in the end got you pretty crappy mileage when compared to the manual 5spd option. I owned a 1994 Suzuki Swift (Suzuki version of the Geo Metro) with a manual and loved that car! I only sold it because of a move to Germany, and my order with the Elio. Bought it from a little old lady with only 96k miles. When I sold it, had a guy drive over 300 miles to come get it, such great basic cars. No A/C in the Swift though...which I will be looking forward to in my Elio for those hot CA days.

 

[airforceguy6]

Great to hear a few more details about the Elio, especially from an engineers standpoint. Could not get this image out of my head though when listening to some of the answers to the questions. Engineers and salesmen have to very different personalities, and you can see Jeff struggle a bit on responding with the "salesmen talk". Paul has had similar struggles at times, but has been getting much better. However its good to see the information and progress get out there!

 

[RonnieB]

Great to hear a few more details about the Elio, especially from an engineers standpoint. Could not get this image out of my head though when listening to some of the answers to the questions. Engineers and salesmen have to very different personalities, and you can see Jeff struggle a bit on responding with the "salesmen talk". Paul has had similar struggles at times, but has been getting much better. However its good to see the information and progress get out there!

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I trust the Engineers....Sales guys tend to tell the customer what they want to hear

 

[Buckeyejake]

I'm a sales engineer. Trained and educated as an engineer and have been in the sales of custom engineered items for the last 30 years. Where do I fit in?