Not practical here with our crazy terrain. You would never quit shifting.
Dodge Vipers don’t sell well????? Just try to get one. They’re rarer than an honest Democrat.
Until 2003, I have always had a manual transmission. Since then automatic transmissions in daily drivers.
I have a couple of old Jeeps around and the one that runs is still fun to drive. It’s a rickety old Willys. The CJ7 has been on the back burner for a while.
Good Lord I hate manual transmissions.
Snow and ice - no question, manual is far better.
Depends on what kind of driving you do. Stop-and-go city driving lends itself to automatics. Sportier “free-range” driving is more fun with a manual. I like the paddle shifters that give you the best of both worlds without developing hypertrophic “clutch thigh.”
Two of our three vehicles have manuals.
Our 02 Sebring convertible was an automatic, but I got lucky and found a manual trans out of a sedan (very rare) and swapped it. Had to do some electronic tinkering to fool the ECM into thinking the automatic was still there (Chrysler makes module swapping a ginourmous PITA) but it was worth it. Makes it a completely different, and much more fun, vehicle. That’s my DD and I mostly drive city streets. I shift a lot, but I don’t mind a bit.
Also have an ‘87 Ranger I bought with an automatic, but it was originally a stick. Pulled the auto and put in an M5OD out of a later model Explorer. It also has a manual transfer case. Great vehicle in the snow - the manual transfer case lets me drop in and out of 4wd quickly and the manual trans gives me great control.
Our 00 Sierra pickup has pushbutton 4wd and an automatic. I’ve had to rebuild the automatic twice and the transfer case once. If I ever come across a manual 4x4 version in the junkyard, I’ll probably convert it as well but I have yet to see one. I did put a shift kit in it and a Corvette servo. Regular driving is the same, but if you get on it, the shifts are very crisp. I read that’s actually better for the trans as it doesn’t burn up the clutches, but it does stress the drivetrain a bit more. I generally take it easy, and/or keep it in 3rd instead of OD when I’m hauling a trailer.
Given the choice, I would never buy another automatic. I’d even prefer a manual in a luxury car.
I live in Michigan, and have never needed a stick to drive on ice and snow.
I’ve lived off and on in Europe for twenty-odd years. Basically, it’s almost impossible to find a non-shift used vehicle for sale. Even if you asked for one at the car-rental shops in Frankfurt...it’s less than a thirty-percent chance they’d be able to accommodate you.
I will say this...having done three clutch repairs and one transmission repair over my life...the clutch repair is a one-day affair with the mechanic and never fails or has issues. The transmission episode....it just didn’t work the same as before, and I took it back....for another day or two....and never felt it was the same as the original transmission. At some point, I dumped the car.
I don’t believe the gas mileage business is that big of a deal unless you are doing lots of stop and go stuff on crowded roads, and in that case....I would probably go with the transmission.
I got my first manual transmission at 15 1/2 years old. My mom bought me a new Ford Mustang the first year they came out.
The Mustang is gone but I always buy manual transmission.
They are hard to find sometimes, but so worth it!!!
Dodge trucks can still be had with a manual. I have the 6 speed manual in my ram 4500 dump and 5 speed in my VW Jetta TDI.
Manual transmissions are the BEST. Least maintenance. Least expensive to repair. Best in bad weather (especially snow).
If the EPA says they don’t get the best mileage, then they have idiots driving them. An experienced driver can drive a manual and ALWAYS get better mileage with a manual over a slushbox.
I absolutely HATE automatic transmissions. No feel between the driver and the road. Always downshifting way to far to go up the slightest incline.
The best computer to control a transmission is still and will always be between the ears.
Another thing only us old guys can do, like remembering phone numbers, reading maps and striking up a conversation with a stranger.
Kia soul 2.0 litre with 6 speed. Drives like an MG A. Laying rubber in first two gears, working on third gear.
Fun, fun, fun!
Lose an gear in a Manuel,$500 repair. Lose a gear in an Automatic, $2000 minimum repair.
I have drove for over 60 years and never had a manual go out but at least half a dozen automatic`s go out.
I have an auto in the car because it stays on the highway but have a manual in the pickup because if push comes to shove I can push it to start it if I have to, but out in the boondocks with an auto that fails to start with the starter you are walking.
The only reason I gave up the stick was because of rush hour traffic which I had to be in 2 times a day. Mr. GG2 is going to buy me an Elio when they start production next year and its a manual transmission. Can’t wait.
Learned on a Dodge Dart with “Three on the Tree”, still my preferred shifter location. I’ll take auto, but the manual was okay.
I was under the impression that modern manual transmissions aren’t as manual as they appear, that computers are doing things out of sight. Any truth to that?
I’ve always had sticks..Problem is, the manufacturers that still offer them do so ONLY in their base models..you want some upgrades/options..you have to get an automatic
Truck - Dodge 3/4 ton - 5 speed w/ gear splitter
Car - '51 Studebaker - 3 on the tree w/ overdrive
always felt you drive a car that has a stickshift; you point a car with an automatic