Have truck manual trannys followed the Dodo bird?

[Klutch9]

I've come to the conclusion recently that I will never again own a manual transmission in a daily-driven vehicle. Modern automatics are more efficient, smoother, and approaching the point of being equally as reliable as their manual counterparts. Don't get me wrong... I am an avid car enthusiast, and have rowed my own gears many times and it's a blast; an artform, really. But now that even traditional torque-converter ATs can shift as fast as some dual-clutch units, and having experienced the awesomeness that is the VW DSG unit, I just don't have a reason to shift my own gears anymore. It's not a matter of laziness - there's just a better way to do it than shifting yourself. Now, if/when I buy another weekend toy, it'll most likely have a manual transmission. Difference is I don't have to live with it everyday.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Present ride is a 95 f150 6 cyl 4x2 with 2.73 gears and the cheezeball mazda transmission. 1st and Reverse are way too tall, meaning lots of clutch slippage.

Nah, 1st and reverse aren't too tall. The problem is your rear end gear ratio is way too tall. Swap in a junkyard axle with 3.73s and you'll be much happier.

 

[Olas]

In your country, maybe. In the rest of the world, not so much..

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
I was listening to one of the auto talk shows on the radio the other day, and the host said you can't buy a Ford F-150 with a manual transmission. I thought...naw...that can't be.

I went online and "chatted" with someone on Fords website and they said..."We're sorry...we do not offer any trucks with a manual transmission. I'll pass your thoughts and suggestions on..."

I then did the same with Chevy and it seems they offer a very few models (of the Colorado) with a manual transmission...you can't even buy a 4x4 with a manual transmission. That's nutty to me.

Wow...have trucks been this way for a while and I'm just now realizing it? I much prefer a manual transmission, but I guess (enough) other people don't!

Ed


The only ones left are the Tacoma, the base-model (4-cyliunder/2WD) Frontier, and the HD Rams with the Cummins diesel.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
They have because very few people want them. Also the ones that make the most noise saying they would buy them generally don't buy them new. Same thing with people like me demanding that GM or Ford bring over their Australian sedans with a V8 and a manual and then when GM does we don't do anything.


I do not buy them because they are not available! I work with a dude that wanted to replace his rotted-out 200,000-mile V6/5-speed Nissan Hardbody with a standard-shift Frontier...admittedly, a weird configuration: crew cab, manual shift. He was told he had to pay for the truck-at full sticker-before the dealer would order it for him!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Present ride is a 95 f150 6 cyl 4x2 with 2.73 gears and the cheezeball mazda transmission. 1st and Reverse are way too tall, meaning lots of clutch slippage.

Nah, 1st and reverse aren't too tall. The problem is your rear end gear ratio is way too tall. Swap in a junkyard axle with 3.73s and you'll be much happier.

No kidding...I would expect 3.55 or even 3.73 with a six.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
They have because very few people want them. Also the ones that make the most noise saying they would buy them generally don't buy them new. Same thing with people like me demanding that GM or Ford bring over their Australian sedans with a V8 and a manual and then when GM does we don't do anything.


I do not buy them because they are not available! I work with a dude that wanted to replace his rotted-out 200,000-mile V6/5-speed Nissan Hardbody with a standard-shift Frontier...admittedly, a weird configuration: crew cab, manual shift. He was told he had to pay for the truck-at full sticker-before the dealer would order it for him!


The only manual cars that really sell at my work are Mustangs. Very rare to get anyone in looking for a manual in anything else.

 

[shanegtr]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Same thing with people like me demanding that GM or Ford bring over their Australian sedans with a V8 and a manual and then when GM does we don't do anything.

Well good luck getting one of those now! Give it less than a year and even us Aussies wont be able to buy one

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
You have women like my wife that prefer driving a stick:



Mine too, though a minivan kind of stopped that.

 

[Shannow]

Diesel Colorado(s) I drove last night (looking for a new car), the manual has 440NM of torque, with the 2.8 derated from it's 500 for the manual trans.

I love the manuals, and the 2.8 6 speed drives very well, but the missing 60NM was very apparent.

Coupling the engine to an old 4L60E would be hopeless...but the new ones are really very nice to drive...I think I'm going Auto

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: andyd
The Rat is a toy, my wife refuses to drive it, because it aggravates her leg and back. It is my first manual shift in 30 yrs. It has 3.27 diffs


I like driving mine around here (outskirts of Birmingham), but going through Atlanta during the day makes me want an A4LD instead.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Diesel Colorado(s) I drove last night (looking for a new car), the manual has 440NM of torque, with the 2.8 derated from it's 500 for the manual trans.

I love the manuals, and the 2.8 6 speed drives very well, but the missing 60NM was very apparent.

Coupling the engine to an old 4L60E would be hopeless...but the new ones are really very nice to drive...I think I'm going Auto


I thought this towing comparison between the gas and Diesel versions of the truck you're contemplating, might be interesting for you. Of course either truck can be equipped with the Diesel or Gas engine. So basically the differences amount to some slight styling and trim changes. Of course your OZ bound vehicles probably have some changes (besides where the driver sits) from these US spec models.

Anyway, I hope it helps you at least see how the Diesel with the Automatic performs.

 

[Shannow]

Thankyou for those vids, watched them through, and very entertaining.

No gas version of the Colorado in Oz, but in that sort of vehicle, I wouldn't go gas anyway.

 

[A_Harman]

The OE manufacturers are making it hard to love manual transmissions in trucks anymore. It used to be that the highest diesel ratings were only available with manual transmissions. Then GM came out with the Duramax/Allison powertrain, and Ford and Chrysler had to get better automatics. I bought my Dodge with the NV4500 manual in 2003 because I was a diehard manual driver. But truck transmissions are different than car transmissions. The long shifter throws and heavy gears make fast shifting impossible, and acceleration times with the truck heavily loaded are much slower than an auto-equipped truck with comparable power. My 1-2 and 2-3 shifts are so slow that the turbo boost drops off between gears, and has to start again in the next gear.

I have had two rebuilds on the NV4500 in my truck in 284,000 miles, and when the second one hit about a year ago, I looked into swapping an Allison T1000. The ballpark price I got was $12,000, with a lot of hemming and hawing about tuning the shift quality in my particular application. I then decided to spend the $1600 on rebuilding the NV4500 with a clear conscience. But now that I'm using the truck in commercial service, I keep in mind at all times that it is a transmission rated for 460 ft*lbs input torque, and my engine is turned up to put out 800. I'm assuming that I'll need a rebuild every year.

 

[Nate1979]

Good ridance. Manuals are junk old technology not needed today in modern trucks or cars.

 

[gfh77665]

Maybe "not needed", but still enjoyed...

 

[DriveHard]

Love the manual in my Miata...and that is where they belong. I would never want a manual in my truck. Offroading, pulling my boat up a slippery ramp, trying to drive carefully across grass, all MUCH easier with an automatic. A nice sports car deserves a manual, and in my opinion a truck deserves an auto.

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
They have because very few people want them. Also the ones that make the most noise saying they would buy them generally don't buy them new. Same thing with people like me demanding that GM or Ford bring over their Australian sedans with a V8 and a manual and then when GM does we don't do anything.


I do not buy them because they are not available! I work with a dude that wanted to replace his rotted-out 200,000-mile V6/5-speed Nissan Hardbody with a standard-shift Frontier...admittedly, a weird configuration: crew cab, manual shift. He was told he had to pay for the truck-at full sticker-before the dealer would order it for him!


The only manual cars that really sell at my work are Mustangs. Very rare to get anyone in looking for a manual in anything else.


Not even small 4 cyl cars like the Focus and Fiesta? I still love driving my 1996 Zetec Contour with the 5 speed manual transmission. It's my poor man's BMW

. It's a blast to drive and so far it's been cheap to keep. The Zetec is not powerful by today's standards but with the 5 speed manual it's a delight when revved and fun to drive. My F-150's with the manual transmissions are not fun to drive and just slow and cumbersome in traffic.

Whimsey

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: Whimsey
Not even small 4 cyl cars like the Focus and Fiesta? I still love driving my 1996 Zetec Contour with the 5 speed manual transmission. It's my poor man's BMW

. It's a blast to drive and so far it's been cheap to keep. The Zetec is not powerful by today's standards but with the 5 speed manual it's a delight when revved and fun to drive. My F-150's with the manual transmissions are not fun to drive and just slow and cumbersome in traffic.

Whimsey


It is very rare to see anyone want one even in the small car segment, at least around here. The only people coming in really wanting manuals are buying Mustangs or MX-5s. One of my mom's friends came in specifically wanting a manual transmission Focus. We actually had one in the color he wanted. I told him who my favorite sales person was and he bought it right then and there.

 

[NDL]

Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
I was listening to one of the auto talk shows on the radio the other day, and the host said you can't buy a Ford F-150 with a manual transmission. I thought...naw...that can't be.

I went online and "chatted" with someone on Fords website and they said..."We're sorry...we do not offer any trucks with a manual transmission. I'll pass your thoughts and suggestions on..."

I then did the same with Chevy and it seems they offer a very few models (of the Colorado) with a manual transmission...you can't even buy a 4x4 with a manual transmission. That's nutty to me.

Wow...have trucks been this way for a while and I'm just now realizing it? I much prefer a manual transmission, but I guess (enough) other people don't!

Ed


I never appreciated manual transmissions, until I owning a Ranger with one: 200k miles; drain and refill the crankcase every so often, and that's it.

And now with the advent of 8-10 speed automatics, (God knows how much they will cost to rebuild), it's unlikely that I will ever own an automatic equipped car again.