Would Like the Manual Transmission to Make a Comeback?

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Nah, a properly tuned automatic is plenty good. My Crown Vic with the police tune shifts just fine. I'm happy with what gear it's in 95% of the time, and a whole lot less effort for me to drive while eating or sitting in Bay Area traffic. Now the Escape, don't get me started on the stupid, stupid 6F35. That thing would be better with a manual.
 
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I love manuals but where I live is heavily traffic congested and all the miles I drive it would be no good. Plus the newer generation isn't interested in manual it seems so I would imagine in North America it will be a dying trend.
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Sad because these newer transmissions with 8,9,10 speeds and the CVT's leave a lot to be desired.
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Nope. Today's automatics are just as good.

Besides, having a manual in stop and go traffic is a pain. The traffic today is not the same as 30 years ago or more.
 
I expected them to be dead by now. Thats why i bought two brand new daily driver type manual vehicles in the past 5 years. We love to drive manual but its also nice to take a break and drive an auto from time to time.
 
they never left for me, thats ALL i buy. that said manufacturers love slush boxes as they can + do totally control your driving, CVT's are the worse IMO!!!! typical lazy + overweight americans want everything done for them!!!
 
I like manuals but I think I'm done actively seeking them out. They are fun but there's no reason an automatic can't outlive them now. Even CVTs (bar Nissan) have become reliable enough that i would get one.

My next DD will likely have a CVT in it.
 
I tossed back and forth between ordering my new Jeep JL Wrangler with a manual or the really nice 8 speed auto. My wife said it wouldn't be a "real" Jeep if it had an auto, plus I saw the new manual transmission was going to be made by Aisin, so I went for it. I know the 8 speed is exceptional, but boy am I glad I went with the manual! It has by far the nicest clutch and shifting feel of any I've ever driven. It is silky smooth and very well matched to the new Pentastar. I've since gone to 35" tires and it still feels perfectly matched. Lots of people thought Jeep wouldn't offer a manual, but I'm happy they were wrong. They seem to be selling alright, too. One of the best side benefits is that most thieves could never drive it and woudn't even try. I've parked it in downtown Indianapolis a number of times with no doors and had no fear. A police officer who works for me said he's never seen a case of a stolen car with a manual transmission in his 10 years on the force. I'm sure it can happen, but the odds are so low, I just don't give it a worry.

I also drove my brother's new Camaro ZL1 1LE last week. 650hp and a wonderful 6 speed manual. The fun of going through the gears in that car is simply mind blowing. I worked him over pretty good to go with the 1LE, which only comes with a manual. He was hesitant, but now thanks me every time I see him.

There is a connection with the vehicle that just can't be duplicated with an automatic or even a paddle shift semi-auto, in my humble opinion.
 
By the way, traffic is no fun in a manual or an automatic. That said, the clutch in the new JL is light and easy, so it really isn't as big an issue as it has been in some vehicles requiring more clutch effort.
 
Unless it's a car strictly for fun, it's just a novelty.

I don't want to sit and row through gears constantly in traffic and have to screw around.
 
Thanks IndyFan for making me want a JLU manual. I've spent enough on vehicles in the past few years.
 
My cars have paddle shifters. I never use them even though I drove a manual for 5 years. They were fun, but they were also work sometimes. Don't miss it. No point these days. There's a reason manufacturers got rid of them, people didn't buy them. There's always a die hard group that likes them, but not enough of them buying new cars with manuals to make it worth while.
 
I've owned and driven nothing but manual transmission vehicles since 1980 and will hold out as long as I can. While I think the total demise of manuals might be a bit overstated, there's no denying that the take rate and manufacture could be in the 1% range....but some models won't eliminate them. Maybe the question is where and at what level the bleeding stops versus a comeback.
 
In my opinion the demise of the manual transmission has been accelerated with the influx of safety systems like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

Consumers want these systems in new cars. Anything that translates into a safer driving experience is worth it.
 
I had never owned a daily driven auto until my Frontier. I look for the 3rd peddle every time I drive it. I have to "shift" it with the selector most of the time because if I don't, it's just constantly changing back and forth from O/D to 3rd and 4th. Never will stay in a practical gear. Constant shifting in the mountains can't be good for the longevity of the transmission.

I love the auto in my wife's CR-V. It shifts wonderfully. Downshifts when going downhill, holds a gear going uphill until you level off at the top. Won't shift into overdrive unless you reach a certain speed.

I wouldn't mind a CVT if they didn't put the stupid fake shift points that completely negate all benefits of having a CVT in the first place.

So yeah, I wish manuals were still as available as they used to be.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
In my opinion the demise of the manual transmission has been accelerated with the influx of safety systems like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

Consumers want these systems in new cars. Anything that translates into a safer driving experience is worth it.



Subaru has already stated their manual trans's are short for this world, as EyeSight is not compatible with a manual, and their overriding corporate goal is to produce the safest cars available. In a few short years, even the manual WRX STIs will be no more
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Originally Posted by csandste
Certainly would have said this twenty years ago, but new automatics give better gas mileage. ...
Conventional automatics yield better gas mileage than a manual only if the manual in question is handicapped by inappropriate ratios, or is ineptly driven.

I still guilty for buying a sort of automatic when I shopped for a replacement car about 4 years ago. There was nothing available with a manual that didn't have major drawbacks.
 
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