Goodbye To The Left Pedal

Geezer tale here, but in driver ed at my high school ( late 60's) you had to be basically proficient with a manual trans to pass. Only one of their 3 or 4 cars was a manual. A full size Ford I think, with a 3 speed. A favorite cousin had already instructed me at age 15 in his new '67 Corvette. I'm sure that requirement went away a very long time ago. Actually, I suppose that driver ed is likely long gone?

My only remaining manual trans vehicle is my hoopty '82 Dodge truck. Personally I would not welcome going to a CVT. Then again, a clutch replacement on a FWD vehicle is no picnic.
 
Hunted for and bought a manual for my older son in January this year. He's 16 and been driving on his own since June. He drives the CX-5 with the manual 6 speed. I think if you poll a site with greater European audience you'll get very different answers than you are getting in this discussion. I had a manual golf in Milan a few years ago and a Manual Vauxhall hatch in London as rentals. A bit of adjustment shifting with my left hand, but got it done.
 
In the UK, I would suggest 75%+ of all new cars purchased are manuals and I would assume that goes for the rest of Europe too.

It's all supply and demand, and the demand just isn't there in the US for manafacturers to be offering manuals on most models like they do in Europe.

I recently had to sell my 2020 BMW 520d M-Sport Touring due to my Wife having quit work and replaced it with a Vauxhall Insignia (Buick Regal) with a 1.5 3 cylinder diesel engine and a manual box. I thought I would miss having the ZF 8HP but it's really not bothered me too much. Infact I would suggest in some ways I prefer having the manual, it's certainly more involved and it's nice to make that decision where you want the engine to run.

At this moment in time, all my cars are manuals. :cool:
 
I enjoy the manual coupled to 540 HP at wheels 2008 Mustang Shelby my brother in law has me drive when he drinks a few.

Everyday driver not sure I care either way.
 
I've owned plenty of manuals, and even bought a brand-new one earlier this year. But my daily drivers - the ones I keep to 300,000 miles - have been automatics (my 2021 WRX won't be a daily).

I had a 5-speed S-10 pickup for a couple years as a daily drive and hated it. Much too slow and finicky.
 
Pretty well the only reason I picked up my civic was cause I missed shifting. So much more engaging. I’ll die before I own a CVT. I rented a car with a cvt once and nearly died of boredom. That would be a miserable way to go.
 
Warlord said:
Pretty well the only reason I picked up my civic was cause I missed shifting. So much more engaging. I’ll die before I own a CVT. I rented a car with a cvt once and nearly died of boredom. That would be a miserable way to go.
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Isn't it sad to think that they're becoming so common because a majority of drivers LIKE it, or don't care at all as long as it gets them from A to B?
 
Passport1 said:
Driving a manual transmission car is (almost always) a joy. Learned to drive on a 'standard'. It was a badge of honor to be in control of the mechanical parts of a vehicle. Have replaced plenty of clutches and TO bearings. Don't have one now but am inclined to get one soon before they are gone forever.

Your experiences?

https://www.ericpetersautos.com/2021/11/09/the-last-manual-and-when/
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My first vehicle was a ‘95 Tacoma extended cab w/ 5spd purchased brand new. My second was a ’05 Tacoma extended cab w/ 5spd purchased used. Both times I specifically seeked out a manual transmission. No problems with performing regular maintenance or nuisance from driving in congested highways. Maybe I was brought up riding motorcycles and didn’t mind shifting? I believe manuals had their place way back in time and just gotta roll with whatever is offered now. I’m glad I made those decisions with those trucks.
 
PimTac said:
Exactly. If the demand was there for manual transmissions the lots would be full of them.
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It's a bit of a Catch-22, IMO. The manufacturers will stock their lots with automatics because that's what sells the most. Those who want a manual are told they have to special order it, and it'll take 8 weeks. So then most of those who originally wanted a manual will just settle for an automatic because they don't want to wait that long. As a result, very few manuals get sold, and the manufacturer then concludes that "manuals don't sell."
 
Kira said:
b1974 said above, "What type of bike are you riding? Shifting a bike is as easy as it can get."

I think Skyactiv was referring to motorcycles.
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Almost all motorcycles have a sequential dog box which doesn't even really need the clutch for upshifts. I had a few years of dirt bike experience before driving my first manual car, and going to a H pattern trans with a single plate dry clutch activated with your foot kind of sucked... No slipping the clutch a bit on corner exit to get into the "power band" sooner with a car! I got used to it though and we'll have atleast one manual car for a while yet I think.
I think if you really like engines and their characteristics, a manual is the way to go. All the rev range is available at any throttle position, and obviously the trans isn't trying to "know better" than you what gear you should be in. Sure if you are stuck in traffic alot then you've got other priorities, but I'm not, and for cheap commuter cars, a manual makes driving them more interesting.
 
I sold my manual transmission 1994 Honda Accord EX Wagon in 2011. There was a bidding war for the car with one buyer wanting to fly from Arizona to pick it up in PA and drive it back. I paid about $16,000 for it and sold it 17 years later for $7,000 with 140k miles. I still have my 2007 6 cylinder 6 speed Accord coupe. Every time I buy parts for it, the guy at the parts counter says he wants to buy it. The mechanic that does the annual PA inspection also says he wants to buy it.

Reminds me of a John Cleese video I saw where he says: "I'm sick and tired of telling people that we don't make the product be cause there is no demand for it!"
 
rvsarch said:
I sold my manual transmission 1994 Honda Accord EX Wagon in 2011. There was a bidding war for the car with one buyer wanting to fly from Arizona to pick it up in PA and drive it back. I paid about $16,000 for it and sold it 17 years later for $7,000 with 140k miles. I still have my 2007 6 cylinder 6 speed Accord coupe. Every time I buy parts for it, the guy at the parts counter says he wants to buy it. The mechanic that does the annual PA inspection also says he wants to buy it.

Reminds me of a John Cleese video I saw where he says: "I'm sick and tired of telling people that we don't make the product be cause there is no demand for it!"
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I flew from CO to DC to buy my BMW stick.
Called dealership to “negotiate.” The guy said: “dude, it is stick, either pay deposit or stop bugging me.”
I pay deposit get there and the guy is asking salesperson to void deposit bcs. he will pay $2,000 over. While I was finishing paperwork there were 3-4 people asking for a car until manager said to some kid working there to slap big sign: sold.
 
I only owned two cars with automatic transmissions between 1971 and 2019. When I traded in my 2009 Nissan 370Z on a Mazda CX 5 with the turbo out of the practical need for a larger vehicle and one with AWD, a manual transmission was not an option on that vehicle.
When I bought a Jaguar F Type a few months ago, the manual transmission had been discontinued a few model years prior. They had offered a 450 HP V8 with a 6 speed manual and rear wheel drive only for a while which seemed like a good combination. The new 2022 model only is available in AWD, with a ZF 8 speed auto and a detuned 450 HP V8 or the full performance 575 HP V8.

So in many cases, your choice of transmissions will have been made in advance for you. That being said, the ZF 8 speed auto with paddle shifters and a manual mode combined with a switchable Dynamic mode that changes the throttle response, shift points and shift quickness plus steering boost and suspension settings makes for a pretty impressive sports car. The ZF transmission is very rugged and while not a dual clutch, in the Dynamic mode it will chirp the tires in the first three gear changes from a standing start under full throttle. And it is a pleasant car to drive just out cruising if I leave it in the auto mode.

I thought I would miss a manual transmission after driving them daily for all of those years but I have to say that many of today's automatics are quite good and I have come to like the one in the Jag.
 
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