Goodbye To The Left Pedal

IMO modern 6+ speed automatic transmissions really do an awesome job. Even CVTs for city use are so much better than a 5 speed manual in a small vehicle. They also seem to last a lot longer than older 4 and 3 speed automatics. For the first time in 10 years I'm DD'ing an automatic and I don't mind it one bit.

Even in my hobby of going off roading - rock crawling, trails and (unfortunately) mud - the automatic works so much better. The only down side is I cant kill it in low gear to stop should I lose the brakes.

Depends on if it has a "manumatic" mode of some kind. I've borrowed my parents' Nissan Rogue, and it has a CVT with both paddle shifters and an a Tiptronic-style up/down notch on the gear selector. They kind of approximate 1-6, although it simply won't bog if one is in 6 going up a hill.

Kind of reminds me of the requirements to go up (or really down) Pikes Peak. They mandate that any car has to have some sort of way to get into 1st gear manually. I'm not sure how one might manage in some rental cars or other vehicles. My wife's Civic 4AT has a D3 and 2nd, but no 1st. And they don't say anything about EVs, although I'm sure they're pretty good going downhill just using regenerative braking. I haven't seen an L in years.

1. Cars and Non-Commercial Truck Restrictions​
a. Automatic Transmissions: Must have a "1" or "L" on the shifter to be allowed on the highway. Hybrid Transmissions may have a "B" which is also acceptable. Transmissions showing an "S" or "M" must demonstrate that this shifter will allow the transmission to be locked into 1st gear.​
 
This is one of the main points the terrible article posted by @Passport1 failed to mention... The auto manufactures only install manuals in cars that most people dont want. The bare bones entry level models.

Depends on the manufacturer. Porsche still has manual transmissions in some of their most desirable models like some 911 models. Honda still has manual only in their high-performance versions of the Civic such as the Si, and the Type-R, although there are rumors that the new Type-R might include an optional DCT. With Subaru, the WRX and BRZ are mostly sold with manual transmissions.
 
What I don't get is most new motorcycles still have a manual transmission. Shifting a bike sucks but shifting something like a GTI or a Miata is much better. To me anyways.
For some fun try an old English bike or early Sportster with shifting on the right and brake on the left, for a real bag of laughs try an old tank mounted hand shifter with a foot clutch, right hand throttle and left hand timing advance. HD had the shifter on the left and Indian on the right clutch was on the right on both. I have ridden them all at one time or another.
Nothing difficult about shifting later models. I wouldn't even consider an automatic, CVT or electric, I rather take the friggin bus.
 
If manuals die (I don't think so from a global viewpoint) it's not my fault
- I do own three of them and no auto currently.



I'd love to drive a Beetle or a Type 3 again. Had two 1303 and one Notch.
There's something about a Beetle, or I expect also a Type 3, that just is a happy drive. From my personal experience with my 2 litre Type 2, VW perfected the feel and accuracy of their 4MT's on their air-cooled rear engined chassis'. Similar, I'm told, to their 5 and 6MT transaxles' feel and accuracy.
 
Unfortunately, I didn't buy a manual until just before I moved to a large metro area and had to drive in rush hour traffic for 30-60 minutes every day. I traded that car in on a Taurus. 😁
 
I prefer manual transmissions. I was recently in the market for a new car with a manual transmission that had a spare tire, an engine oil dip stick and that could seat 4. A GTI would have worked but they don't have a great repair record. A couple of BMWs would have worked but I like to keep my cars forever and BMWs aren't so good for that. (I forgot about a Subaru WRX which could have worked.)

So I bought a Tesla instead. If the auto makers don't make cars that buyers are looking for, they will branch out and buy something completely different. I did anyway.
I sold my 2000 BMW 528i M-Sport with a 5 speed manual to my nephew. [I often sell my good vehicles to friends or relatives at fire sale prices.] Both of his teenage sons have now learned to drive it. On a recent road trip a stranger was admiring that now 22 year car, which left his sons beaming. It really is a lovely car.

Too bad you can't buy a new one just like it.
 
My daily driver, an underpowered 2.5L V6 Jaguar X-Type has a 5 speed manual.

And like so many posts above, it's a joy to drive. The engine is throttle by wire, but it does exactly what you ask, no lag, no delay, and it sounds good too. Shifting is by cable, so it's not perfect. I put brass bushings on the cables and that cleaned it up a bit.

It's now a nearly a junk car, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of something I like so much. I wrap that engine up to the 7200 RPM redline all the time, shifting as smoothly as I can, and 225,000 miles later, it still sings and is truly fun to drive.
 
Im another guy with a manual DD. Honestly, I love driving it everyday. 40-120 miles, highway, country, city. When I had just moved I borrowed my parents auto crossover to get to work for about a month and commuting was awful. Now it puts me in a good mood in the morning and perks me up after work.
 
Im another guy with a manual DD. Honestly, I love driving it everyday. 40-120 miles, highway, country, city. When I had just moved I borrowed my parents auto crossover to get to work for about a month and commuting was awful. Now it puts me in a good mood in the morning and perks me up after work.
Sadly I haven't owned a manual in 4-5 years-- my 1985 F250 was a 4 speed (3 speed if you don't count the granny gear which was next to useless for everyday driving) and that's the last one I owned, sold in 2018-ish. That vehicle was practically an automatic though, 3 gears to row through isn't enough to make it fun, and a 460 under the hood with 4.11 rear end meant you were shifting into 4th at 25-30 mph unless you like sucking extra fuel for no reason.

The wife refuses to own a manual for any type of family car (not that they're available anyways) and my current commuter car was all but given to me, so that made an auto hard to pass up.

It's terribly hard to find a vehicle equipped with a manual that has the right combination of size, performance, aesthetics, and practicality. I already put my foot down with the wife, that when my commuter car ('96 Maxima) goes belly up, some sort of performance oriented car with a manual will take its place. Problem is the current car won't die, so no telling how long I'll have to wait this out.
 
Sadly I haven't owned a manual in 4-5 years-- my 1985 F250 was a 4 speed (3 speed if you don't count the granny gear which was next to useless for everyday driving) and that's the last one I owned, sold in 2018-ish. That vehicle was practically an automatic though, 3 gears to row through isn't enough to make it fun, and a 460 under the hood with 4.11 rear end meant you were shifting into 4th at 25-30 mph unless you like sucking extra fuel for no reason.

The wife refuses to own a manual for any type of family car (not that they're available anyways) and my current commuter car was all but given to me, so that made an auto hard to pass up.

It's terribly hard to find a vehicle equipped with a manual that has the right combination of size, performance, aesthetics, and practicality. I already put my foot down with the wife, that when my commuter car ('96 Maxima) goes belly up, some sort of performance oriented car with a manual will take its place. Problem is the current car won't die, so no telling how long I'll have to wait this out.

My current car is a Scion Tc, I needed a car on somewhat short notice, but the one provision I left myself is it has to be manual. Its unspectacular on paper and not fast but its much more fun to drive than I anticipated. My only regret with my current car is I didnt get a full out RWD sports oriented car(EDIT: with a manual transmission of course!). I thought it'd be too impractical/stupid to to get something like a 86/BRZ/3xxZ as a daily, but I realized I never lug around much crap(even with a construction adjacent job) and Ive driven plenty of RWD cars through the winter in the past with no issue. I really do like my current car, but in hindsight I compromised my own fulfillment because I was really just considering the generally agreed upon definition of vehicle practicality instead of my own.

So, get the car you REALLY want when the time comes! Dont think about what the general conventions on practicality or reasonableness are, get something based on your own criteria.

I completely understand that for 99% of people a car is just an appliance and comfort and space is top priority. But if you love cars, life is too short to be driving stuff you dont really like, whatever that may be.
 
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I no longer have an automatic car on the road. All vehicles are now 5MT

What I find funny is that people in a single country “not wanting something “ the rest of the world does want
means nobody wants a manual

And 100% of the reason you can’t get a manual in the US are due to legal costs, flawed testing regiments and taxation.

Pretty stupid argument
 
I no longer have an automatic car on the road. All vehicles are now 5MT

...

And 100% of the reason you can’t get a manual in the US are due to legal costs, flawed testing regiments and taxation.

...
The EPA testing regimen is downright stupid, in my opinion. Fuel mileage testing calls for shifting gear at abnormally high revs or roadspeeds, not sure which, whereby if you drive the car yourself, shifting gears for normal driving for normal economy, you'd shift 'way earlier. As a result, EPA tests of manuals 'way underestimates their actual fuel economy in real person use.
 
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