how to get over a stick shift

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There are many options. You can buy a used older car in good condition. Go with a smaller car. Whatever it takes. Automatics are a lot of trouble waiting to happen; too complicated; many more things to go wrong; typically don't switch gears the way you want them to. If you like a stick, then stick with a stick. I'll take a beater with a stick shift over a brand new car with an auto. Don't let driving be a chore; get a manual transmission and driving is fun.

Jontattoo.jpg
 
Lots of volvo midsize cars come with stick shifts. I'd get a RWD myself like a 740 or 940, super easy to work on and lots of room for the kids inside.

You can also get a FWD with one, but it's less of a picnic, IMO, despite being newer and slightly more expensive. (but still tantalizingly cheap if you don't know what you're getting into.)

For the record, our obsession with NOx emissions also hurts stick shift sales. If you lug an automatic, it downshifts, and lugging makes ridiculous NOx. So sometimes you'll see an EGR valve on a stick shift car that isn't there on an automatic one. Not worth the trouble for many makers.
 
$4k mid-sized leaves you with some options. Autotrader shows these with a manual within about 300 miles of me, some maybe closer to you across the state.

Contour
Accord
Camry
Legacy
Maxima
Altima
Mazda6 (or 626)
Saab 9-5
Jetta
Optima
Saturn L

Other manual sedans in that price range are smaller (Focus, Civic, etc.)
 
I just got an 05 Camry LE 2.4 stick with just under 100k miles.

...it's got a NEW clutch assembly, master and slave cylinders and accumulator all installed by the dealer prior to sale for $6500

It's a great mid-size sedan and though it's bigger than any of the 10 stick shift cars I've had in the past, it's smaller than midsized sedans being made these days...

I see it going for another 10 years, or more...who knows if there'll still be making sticks then...so I'm going to pamper this puppy...
 
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: TFB1
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Very few people are driving their dream cars. If everyone drove the cars they really wanted, there'd be nothing but Ferraris, Bentleys, and Maybachs on the road. Minivans and Corollas wouldn't exist.


That's a stretch, I'm sure there are plenty of soccer mom's, greenies, etc that would argue that one... If most drivers didn't want what's on the lots they wouldn't be mfg'ered...

Just because someone NEEDS a minivan to haul the kids around, doesn't mean they wouldn't rather be driving a Corvette. Automakers build what people NEED as well as what they want. Then there's the whole money thing, where people can only buy what they can afford. Again, it doesn't mean they wouldn't rather have something else. Yes, there are many people who just want an appliance that goes from A to B and don't really care about anything else, but I'd say the vast majority would want something more. If they didn't, performance/exotic cars wouldn't exist, luxury cars and even whole manufacturers wouldn't exist (BMW, Mercedes, Bentley, etc).


You believe what you want but after driving a stick shift on and off since 1966(and I still own one), I'll take the automatic any day... No I don't want and never have had much use for something like a Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc...
 
I've never owned an automatic car in my life and I don't plan on starting any time soon.
As far as a midsize goes, you could get a manual in a V6 Altima until 2009. Just as an example.
 
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell

Actually the manual has had a revival in the US of late, the reason being that younger folks are increasingly interested in shifting for themselves and like the more involved feel.


Sorry, but that is not the case! I think there is still enough demand for manuals to keep them available in some models, but that's not due to young people unless they are enthusiasts.

Most young people are more concerned with being as distracted as possible while driving. A manual is not conducive to that.

When I was in high school (graduated in '06), I was one of a handful of people with manuals. My truck was a bit of a curiosity and a couple of my friends who were into cars learned the basics of driving a manual on it, but I'd say it was hardly a case of younger folks liking a more involved feel. My friends liked it for the novelty of it mostly.

IIRC, fewer teens than ever (as a %) are are trying to get a license at 16 and there seems to be less interest in cars among young people as electronic devices can fulfill all their entertainment needs. When I was in high school less than a decade ago, gas was way cheaper and we drove around for fun because our phones didn't do much aside from call/text.

IME, sticks are great in the country. In urban areas, not so much. My old Ranger got old real quick in Charlotte rush hour traffic, and automatics suddenly became much more appealing after dealing with that on a day to day basis. I still love rowing through the gears when I have the opportunity, but for day to day use in heavy traffic, autos are great.
 
Ranger....in the 4cyl Kitacam stick, I can drive through traffic in 3rd gear between 10mph and 40mph with rpms high enough to avoid lugging and can stay under 3k rpm to get enough engine brake and eliminate the need for constant braking...

Now, the 05 MT is a 5-speed so I imagine it has a wider torque range in each gear than say a 6-speed would...the 5 speed MT is well matched to the 2.4 4-banger...

When traffic lightens up @ 40+mph I'll glide in 4th...but in stop 'n go driving under 40 I tend to stay in 3rd and don't have to shift much at all...
 
The traffic I was dealing with was truly STOP and go. 1-N-1-N-1-N type of driving. Creeping was not an option as you might be stopped for a few minutes, and if you left a gap to creep along, people would just cut in front of you. My truck would lug in 3rd at low speeds, though you could start off in 2nd and use it until 35 MPH or so. Still, I'm happy with the mindlessness of an auto in those situations.
 
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Since manuals are quickly becoming extinct, you might as well suck it up and get used to an automatic, unless you're ok with driving 20+ year old vehicles for the rest of your life. It's gonna happen sooner or later, might as well start now.

You can't always get what you want and sometimes you just need to compromise and take what you can get. Very few people are driving their dream cars. If everyone drove the cars they really wanted, there'd be nothing but Ferraris, Bentleys, and Maybachs on the road. Minivans and Corollas wouldn't exist.


This is a terrible argument! Fight the good fight! If you would rather drive a stick shift then please, PLEASE do what you can to find one. Too many people compromising on this is only going to help along the extinction. It sounds like you'll enjoy it more anyway, so find a stick and it'll be better on multiple levels.
 
Originally Posted By: yesthatsteve
Fusion, Accord, Camry, Legacy, TSX, TL, Mazda6, Jetta, ATS, CTS-V can all be had with a manual. New, you're looking at about $20k sticker and up.


Camry is auto only.
 
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You have limited time and you're on a paupers budget. Now is not the time to hold out for a stick shift. Find a decent car with an automatic and worry about more important things such as that new kid that's on the way. At your age concern over a manual transmission should not be a priority in your life.

Modern manual transmissions are so easy to shift even my 60-something wife drives a Subaru with a manual in it (we would have been just as happy with an automatic, but this one was available at the right price). The chest thumping that goes on over modern manuals is silly-they're nothing special and it requires no real skill to master and drive one.

Now if you want something that really requires a little skill to master, go find an older truck with a non-synchronized manual, and leave the modern manual transmissions to the ladies and kids who think they're something special.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
A sportscar with an automatic transmission is unacceptable.


Agreed. No less than half of the cars in my garage will always have three pedals.
 
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell

Actually the manual has had a revival in the US of late, the reason being that younger folks are increasingly interested in shifting for themselves and like the more involved feel.


Sorry, but that is not the case! I think there is still enough demand for manuals to keep them available in some models, but that's not due to young people unless they are enthusiasts.


Yes enthusiasts. And a big part of the enthusiasts are those often referred to as "ricers." I think it is time we appreciate that they are just a different school of hot rodders, and the fact is, anyone who drives a stick shift is helping this fight. More power to the ricers who drive manual transmissions!

Automatics weigh more, often shift poorly, never shift when I want them to, are very difficult to change the fluid on, eat extra power to spin slush, etc. Not for me--ever.
 
Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
Originally Posted By: antiqueshell

Actually the manual has had a revival in the US of late, the reason being that younger folks are increasingly interested in shifting for themselves and like the more involved feel.


Sorry, but that is not the case! I think there is still enough demand for manuals to keep them available in some models, but that's not due to young people unless they are enthusiasts.


Yes enthusiasts. And a big part of the enthusiasts are those often referred to as "ricers." I think it is time we appreciate that they are just a different school of hot rodders, and the fact is, anyone who drives a stick shift is helping this fight. More power to the ricers who drive manual transmissions!

Automatics weigh more, often shift poorly, never shift when I want them to, are very difficult to change the fluid on, eat extra power to spin slush, etc. Not for me--ever.




They aren't a ricer unless they have a massive [censored] cannon and a 4ft tall wing. Or maybe a ridiculous body kit. If they are just an Import fan driving a manual Civic with some bolt-ons, they are an automotive enthusiast just like anybody else who appreciates cars.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
The chest thumping that goes on over modern manuals is silly-they're nothing special and it requires no real skill to master and drive one.

Now if you want something that really requires a little skill to master, go find an older truck with a non-synchronized manual, and leave the modern manual transmissions to the ladies and kids who think they're something special.



IMO you are misinterpreting this argument again. It's not about chest thumping or skill. It's about the driving experience which, orthogonal to skill, is simply different between MTs and ATs in general. This applies both to the physical actions and the different behavioral characteristics between the two (e.g. MTs tend have more engine braking, better ability to accelerate even at low RPM due to lack of kick-down).

I don't think anyone's saying that the OP should hold out forever until he finds an MT, or spend way over budget. Even if the vehicle isn't the first priority, no harm in setting your sights on what you'll enjoy, within reason...
 
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