Sign of the times.
- Thread starter 4strokes
- Start date
We've arrived at the scary place.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Why is this sad?
Stick shift vehicles are just a macho-man chest thumping thing now. "I'm so tough cause I can drive a stick" and "kids these days are wussies cause they can't drive a stick" type mentality.
It's the older generation that never taught the younger generation how to drive them. And 1 percent of cars have them, so very low odds a kid's parents have a car with a stick to teach them.
I say farewell to manuals. We live in cities now with traffic and have longer commutes than back in the old days.
Rant over lol.
Stick shift vehicles are just a macho-man chest thumping thing now. "I'm so tough cause I can drive a stick" and "kids these days are wussies cause they can't drive a stick" type mentality.
It's the older generation that never taught the younger generation how to drive them. And 1 percent of cars have them, so very low odds a kid's parents have a car with a stick to teach them.
I say farewell to manuals. We live in cities now with traffic and have longer commutes than back in the old days.
Rant over lol.
JHZR2
Staff member
Actually, some people prefer the simplicity, lighter weight, and until the recent 10 speed automatics, often there was an MPG benefit. Oh, not to forget that an automatic was often a $1000 option as well..
Not much chest thumping when the situation is more gears and mpg, less weight and cost…
The issue wasnt people not teaching their kids… it was people being lazy and not buying manuals, so they didn’t have cars to teach their kids on…
With eV and hybrids it’s all more or less moot anyway.
For me, I’d never park valet, I purposely avoid valet. So I’d gladly drive up in an nt car and then park it where I like.
Manual makes even the mundane car fun for me. Say what you will about manuals, but it is more than just ego. There is some visceral thrill that an automatic optimized robotic substitute cannot replace.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I guess I should rephrase it. It isn't owning a manual transmission that is a macho man thing. It's the nose up in the air that many get at the thought that others may not know how to drive them.
And for the record, I can drive a stick well.
I drive a stick because it’s the only car that maintains a consistent 50-80mpg, repairs and maintenance are also lower. The folks I know with sticks drive Geos, Insights, Saturns, K cars, doubtful these are macho cars.
Add to this a simple stick shift car could be built in unlimited numbers and would be unaffected by the chip shortage.
My old 2010 Cobalt 5mt has a 25 year old chip in the ECU and some inside the radio all common and cheaper than dirt
We wouldn’t need to have shortages if someone would see the hole and stand up
Ford Maverick/ bronco 2-3 year wait or get a stick that uses no chips immediately, sad none of the small guys don’t see the opening
Manuals are so much fun to drive in bumper to bumper traffic.
It's an OK Boomer dog whistle in picture form
L post
L post
I like manual transmissions and know how to use one, be let's be honest what percentage of the valet client vehicles will be manual? Maybe 2% or 3%, it's not sad it's a minor inconvenience for a very small group of folks like a restaurant that takes Mastercard and Visa but not American Express.
That sort of thing might be more about liability than much else. Imagine the possible damage done by someone not familiar with a manual trying to deal with a clutch, inching a car into a tight spot with the lunging, jerking, etc. Could lead to damage on some level, car or property.
Oh please. I see as many old people on their phones as I do the younger gen.
While we are at it, let’s blame the kids with little to no money on the the US auto market having little to no room for manual transmissions.
Also everyone is quick to say Tesla is expensive. I don’t think a kid is getting one of those as a first car. Let’s not forget the driving between the lines tech and auto braking that many new cars come with today.. which would also be geared towards older people.
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Yep, when the world is going to autonomous vehicles, manuals will be like buggy whips. They were fun, sort of like a kid making engine sounds while zooming their toy car around. I have to admit, I don’t know how to run a threshing machine.
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Anyway, thanks for the post.
I commute 80 miles a day and everyone is a glowface, even gramps.
It is not a generational addiction.
I work with boomers who can’t drive a stick. I’m only 30.
