The Dwindling List of Manual Cars You Can Buy New

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Cujet


To some extent, the obsession with manual transmissions is rooted in 75 years of crummy automatics.



Well said.

 

[123Saab]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I don't understand people's obsession with manual transmission cars?



I agree, today's automatics can be incredible.

To some extent, the obsession with manual transmissions is rooted in 75 years of crummy automatics. Comparing a crummy automatic to an S2000 manual clearly illustrates the fun factor and total control in the S2000's slick little 6 speed manual.

However, let's consider the Tesla Model S or Model 3. Both electric cars have no transmission at all, and do exactly what you ask, immediately. An ideal situation, no shifting, no drama, no issues. The modern performance automatic and the better CVT's are much like the Tesla, instant, quick, drama-free. Would we insist on a manual transmission in a Tesla? Of course not.

So why insist that your fun to drive car have a manual? Ferrari no longer offers manual transmissions, with good reason.



Well said +2

I grew up driving manual only cars in Scandinavia. Don't miss it one bit. Drove a fair share of performance cars as well.

Modern automatics like the VW DSG are loads more fun and practical IMO.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: 123Saab
Modern automatics like the VW DSG are loads more fun and practical


I'd still rather have a REAL full-on, mechanical sequential gearbox, whether directly, mechanically shifted with a floor mounted lever, or digitally controlled solenoid shifted with 'flappy slappy paddles' on the steering wheel.

And yes, I KNOW how 'clangy-bangy' they sound on engagement, and how impractical they may be for street use, with frequent rebuilds the norm.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Just checked Honda inventory at the dealer and they have 19 manuals in stock. All well equipped.

3 Accord Sports
4 Civic Sport Hatchbacks
5 Civic Si Sedans
1 Civic Type R
6 Fits


So, out of an inventory of a couple of hundred units, they have all of nineteen sticks?
Thanks for having illustrated my point.
LOL!!


LOL, what was your point again? I must have missed your post again. Thank you.

 

[Cujet]

This discussion brings up cable operated brakes of yesterday. Properly engineered rod or cable operated brakes have some responsive advantages and very firm pedal feel. Think of an inexpensive go-kart with the mechanical brakes that are right there, right now.

The fluid management in the first modern brake systems coupled with cheap expandable rubber hoses added to crummy brake feel in lesser cars. But we've moved on from direct actuation to a technology that can prevent wheel skid, and is immensely more capable. Well engineered cars still provide excellent pedal feel.

I believe the modern performance automatic is similar. We've employed technology and excellent design to maximize capability, while still retaining great feel.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
This discussion brings up cable operated brakes of yesterday. Properly engineered rod or cable operated brakes have some responsive advantages and very firm pedal feel. Think of an inexpensive go-kart with the mechanical brakes that are right there, right now.


I picked up an S10 with manual brakes (err, no power assist) in college, and was worried about at first. Then came to love it (the rest of the truck, not so much). I was dismayed when I got my Saturn and it had power brakes--they didn't feel as good as that ancient truck did. [The Saturn probably had better brakes, but all the same, it didn't need power brakes. Wouldn't want to even think about manual brakes on my 6,000lb truck though.]

Only way I could describe it was to say they had a linear feel to the brake. As opposed to power brakes when at least all the domestics seemed to have a curve to them.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Just checked Honda inventory at the dealer and they have 19 manuals in stock. All well equipped.

3 Accord Sports
4 Civic Sport Hatchbacks
5 Civic Si Sedans
1 Civic Type R
6 Fits


So, out of an inventory of a couple of hundred units, they have all of nineteen sticks?
Thanks for having illustrated my point.
LOL!!


LOL, what was your point again? I must have missed your post again. Thank you.

Sorry that you couldn't do the math and get the point.
My wife bought our first new Honda in 1976 and we've owned nine of them, so I may be a little better qualified than most to comment on matters Honda.
Thank you.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Sorry that you couldn't do the math and get the point.
My wife bought our first new Honda in 1976 and we've owned nine of them, so I may be a little better qualified than most to comment on matters Honda.
Thank you.


I'm sorry for being snippy with you. Please accept my apology. Thank you.

 

[dareo]

I've gone from a "Never Automatic" to at allowing myself to have an automatic if its not available in manual. Its nice to have an auto in a truck on a steep driveway. I had all manuals (including truck) for 10 years.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Sorry that you couldn't do the math and get the point.
My wife bought our first new Honda in 1976 and we've owned nine of them, so I may be a little better qualified than most to comment on matters Honda.
Thank you.


I'm sorry for being snippy with you. Please accept my apology. Thank you.


I was also pretty snarky, so I'll apologize to you as well.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
The last manual f150 I drove was back in the late 80s, the shifter was to stiff imho, but ok , but u could not speed shift it, and such.


My 95 F150 has the light duty mazda transmission and it's mediocre, especially with 2.73 gears. I can't creep around my yard at a speed under 5-6 MPH without slipping the clutch, which hinders pulling up somewhere to unload wood or whatever. First and reverse are both way too tall.

The clutch is lighter than the one in my camry... can't decide if that's good or bad.

For a really good tranmsission chase down a "top loader" New Venture like found in the early 90s dodge Dakotas.

 

[SeaJay]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Cujet
This discussion brings up cable operated brakes of yesterday. Properly engineered rod or cable operated brakes have some responsive advantages and very firm pedal feel. Think of an inexpensive go-kart with the mechanical brakes that are right there, right now.


I picked up an S10 with manual brakes (err, no power assist) in college, and was worried about at first. Then came to love it (the rest of the truck, not so much). I was dismayed when I got my Saturn and it had power brakes--they didn't feel as good as that ancient truck did. [The Saturn probably had better brakes, but all the same, it didn't need power brakes. Wouldn't want to even think about manual brakes on my 6,000lb truck though.]

Only way I could describe it was to say they had a linear feel to the brake. As opposed to power brakes when at least all the domestics seemed to have a curve to them.


I drove several 4,500 pound early 1970's sedans with manual drum brakes, never had a complaint.

 

[CrAlt]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
The last manual f150 I drove was back in the late 80s, the shifter was to stiff imho, but ok , but u could not speed shift it, and such.


My 95 F150 has the light duty mazda transmission and it's mediocre, especially with 2.73 gears. I can't creep around my yard at a speed under 5-6 MPH without slipping the clutch, which hinders pulling up somewhere to unload wood or whatever. First and reverse are both way too tall.



wow 2.73s? I would say that is your biggest issue not the trans. I had a truck with 3.23's and I ended up using 4low with the front hubs unlocked for the slow speed work a lot of times. My old dodge could only be had with 3.55s, 3.92s or 4.10s. Even on the non-OD trans.

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted By: SeaJay


I drove several 4,500 pound early 1970's sedans with manual drum brakes, never had a complaint.


The only time you notice how bad those cars were and they really were is driving something more modern with decent power disc brakes and go back. Even in the 1980's I was well aware how bad a the Triumph TR6 cars were when I drove one for a boss for over an hour out of storage. I thought it was a sports car but really was just a terrible handling and braking car compared to my 1982 Rabbit GTI.

 

[dailydriver]

^^^The GTIs did not start in this country until the 1983 model year, I know as I had one which I bought new, with just a sunroof, and radio 'prep kit' and NO OTHER OPTIONS (NO; A/C, power steering
Unless you are referring to actually buying it in the fall of 1982?

 

[Rmay635703]

Stick shift cars even if they sold one a year cost almost nothing for an auto maker to offer because they have them off the shelf in their global portfolio.

Our tastes have very little to do with them disappearing.

The reason there are few stick shift cars is the same reason you can’t “custom order” your car with whatever motor you want.

Platform laws.

Platform laws make it illegal for the auto maker to offer you a stick or a different motor for that matter
Unless they spend millions of dollars to recrash and recertify the car as if it’s a totally different model.

This is the same reason Toyota can’t glue a 15lb solar panel to the roof of the Prime and sell their Solar Prime in this country but they can put a 50lb roof mounted luggage box without issue.

Don’t like this total ignorance, don’t accept it and start [censored]

Platform laws only serve one purpose, isolation of the US market place,

Demand they repeal this [censored] and most manufacturers could then justify selling low volume options just as they did in the 60’s and 70’s

Platform laws just like Ronald Reagan’s ignorant grey market laws are a waste of money and need to be repealed

 

[Rmay635703]

The funny thing is the long censored phrase makes it look like I used a much more vulgar set of words rather than the PC 3rd grader words I did use.

Amusing

 

[59Rod]

I like stickshift its too bad it is being phased out. It really is alot of fun.

Apparently Milleinials dont want to learn how to drive them. And as men get into their Senior years it becomes less practical to drive a stick.

So the market has dried up. When I sell my stick shift car in 5 years it will be worth some money I believe just due to scarcity. In fact I wouldnt be surprised for them to hold their value above 5000 just due to scarcity since every year more and more models will be unavailable brand new with a stickshift.

So hang on to your stick as memorabilia

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: 59Rod
I like stickshift its too bad it is being phased out. It really is alot of fun.

Apparently Milleinials dont want to learn how to drive them. And as men get into their Senior years it becomes less practical to drive a stick.

So the market has dried up. When I sell my stick shift car in 5 years it will be worth some money I believe just due to scarcity. In fact I wouldnt be surprised for them to hold their value above 5000 just due to scarcity since every year more and more models will be unavailable brand new with a stickshift.

So hang on to your stick as memorabilia


Just because something is rare doesn't make it valuable. It's all about supply and demand. As you said yourself, not too many know how to drive it. If the demand is greater than the supply, then you'll get a premium, if the demand is even worse than supply, then you won't get anything extra and even less than a car with an automatic. If it were too much higher than an automatic, the buyers would just get an automatic.

Although I know how to drive a stick, I wouldn't even consider a stick as the next car. It's hard enough driving these days with an automatic playing with the navigation, music, eating, drinking, texting, phones... etc.

 

[KrisZ]

For regular commuter cars, stick shift equipped ones are harder to sell used. So that's something to keep in mind when getting one and not driving it to the junk yard.