True, that ^^^
But it's asymmetric. Most of the cars still available in stick shift are sport/performance cars, as that is where any consumer demand for stick shift is focused. However, many sport/performance cars are not available in stick shift.
Manual Transmissions Soon Gone
- Thread starter Pablo
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But it's asymmetric. Most of the cars still available in stick shift are sport/performance cars, as that is where any consumer demand for stick shift is focused. However, many sport/performance cars are not available in stick shift.
That's absolutely correct. I went to the Mazda dealer in Victoria to test drive a Mazda 6 M6. Naaah they said we never bring them in.
Which ones? One that comes to mind is the C8 Vette.
Honda made it almost impossible to buy a manual transmission car. Dealers CAN NOT order a car, even from the USA plants. We tried to get a manual Accord or Element from Honda dealers in Houston and New Mexico. NO ORDERS and Honda USA decides where cars are to be shipped. They did tell us a car under production was going to Boston and foe $1800, once there they could “dealer trade” and send it to me…..no thanks!
And both the Fusion/Accord even had cloth sport seats that were heated....love cloth.....
That seems to be a popular question. For example: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g22701534/sports-cars-without-stick-shifts/
PS: from the article page 10: "It has been more than five years since Ferrari offered a manual gearbox in any of its cars."
Ok - 90% of that list...who gives a flip. Supercars that v. few will ever own. The only ones on there I care about are the 3 Porches and you can still get a NA 911 with a manual. For every day Joe sports cars...GTI, R, WRX, BRZ, Civic Type R, Mustang, Camero, etc. all come with a manual.
Well there are 9-10 speed transmissions these days. And the new automatics are better, the old automatics didn't have lock up torque converters so fuel economy was worse. You normally don't see more than 5-6 speed standards. I did have a 5 speed years ago back in the 90s, it did get stolen at one point so people knew how to drive a stick a while ago. It was recovered though so just a joy rider. Also clutch replacement means you spend as much for that as you would have for the automatic option. It's one of those things where everyone claims they're a good stick driver, but I've smoked the clutch before, you could smell it afterwards. Car was a turbo and I dropped the clutch a few times. I did end up replacing the clutch when I swapped engines once and it was almost toast, if the engine didn't die, probably would have had to change the clutch after a few years anyway.
This article has been posted for last 10-15 years at least.
It's hard to DRIVE your CELL PHONE and shift and steer all at the same time and. not spill your coffee.
Really? So it is one of those fake date ******** articles??
wemay
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I miss a driving a manual those 5% of driving situations where it comes into its own. But the rest of the time, I'm glad to have an AT. That excerpt is a little over the top, IMHO.
It ought to remain as an option.
Shoot, I was looking at a Hyundai Venue with a Stick not too long ago.
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They only offered it for one year, the 2020. It was discontinued in 2021
It's supply and demand. I take it you didn't buy it? That doesn't really translate into demand. I'm in the same boat as other people here. Drove one for 5 years. Wouldn't go back to a stick. No point these days. I have paddle shifters in my Mercedes if I wanted to pretend I was driving I stick. I never use it. Driving a stick was fun once in a while, but for everyday driving, it can become tedious.
I got a '17 base trim Mazda6 in the Vancouver BC area, in Feb '17. No one had even test driven it...
If they remove the option you just swap one in.
My 82 diesel suburban had a 5sp stick which gave near a 30mpg experience, well worth it
Modern automatic Xmsn cars scoring better on the EPA test is due to the test being flawed.
The lack of demand is self fulfilling in this country because it can cost millions extra on government crash and certification to offer multiple drivetrains .
I started with automatics but can’t own one anymore, they are too unreliable and offer poor economy. The only exception I would make would be hybrid or EV.
I have always been intrigued about something that Trav mentioned. A bare bones MT Mercedes Benz Diesel is obtainable in Europe.
One of my dream vehicles would have been a Dodge Ram Inline Six Cummins Diesel MT. It was offered without a Turbo, I believe even for a midel year or so right before the first redesign with a "big rig style" front grill.
Maximum durability.
Reminds me. One of my delivery locations is the Gillig bus factory, and there are rows of these familiar red painted engines in crates.
One of my dream vehicles would have been a Dodge Ram Inline Six Cummins Diesel MT. It was offered without a Turbo, I believe even for a midel year or so right before the first redesign with a "big rig style" front grill.
Maximum durability.
Reminds me. One of my delivery locations is the Gillig bus factory, and there are rows of these familiar red painted engines in crates.
The demand just isn't there as much as manual purists like to make it out to be. Average drivers don't want them...it's work they have no interest in to drive to the store.
The test is the same protocol for manuals and automatics. As mentioned earlier, those 9 speed automatics will do better than a 5 speed. I have a 5 speed automatic in my 2008 Mercedes E350 and a 7 speed automatic in my 2011 E350. The gas mileage is about 2mpg better with the 7 speed automatic. It gets even better with the newer 9 speed automatics but that might be due to the direct injection engines. The 5 speed and the 7 speed use the same engine and have the same horsepower rating. Weight is similar but the 2011 with better gas mileage is about 50 pounds heavier. What exactly is the flaw in the testing? It's basically the same flaw as when automatics got worse mileage than the 5 speed mainly because those were 3 speed automatics and didn't have overdrive or lockup torque converters. Technology marches on.
Oh and you also can't do stoplight racing or brake launches with a stick as easily. Not that I really do them, but you can put your left foot on the brake and keep the right on the gas which saves you a half second so you can get the jump when the light turns green. Never really do a brake launch but I suppose you could rev up an automatic a little and then let go of the brake to get a slightly faster jump. Or let up the brake a little and give it a little roll and then punch the gas just as it goes green. Couldn't do it that well with a stick than with the automatic. It's just easy to do in an automatic.
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