Posted on 05/02/2012 1:50:24 PM PDT by Sopater
Go to any given dealership with 100 new cars.
On average, just four of the 2012 models will have manual gearboxes.
The trend of the vanishing third pedal is nothing new, notes The Detroit News.
Even a decade ago, just 8.5 percent of 2002 models were manuals. The paper’s own automotive reporter even confesses she never learned to drive a stick shift until it essentially became a job requirement.
It’s more than a little contradictory to automotive reviews (including many you’ll read here) extolling the pleasure of enthusiastic driving with a true manual gearbox. Likewise, purists gravitate to manuals for tackling their favorite twisting road or occasional track day. It’s the original form of in-car connectivity.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Depends on the gearing for each vehicle. I've always found I get better than EPA mileage on a manual and worse on an auto. YMMV.
We had a couple of 60s Mercedes diesels that were both equipped with a four on the tree.
I worked in HS and saved enough to buy a new, 1967 Mustang in my senior year - $2500. When I picked-up the car, the salesman gave me a 5-minute lesson on how to drive the 3-speed stick...and I never looked back.
Of all the cars i have owned, my favorite was a MGB - kinda of an orange color with a dark navy blue vinyl/leather interior. It was like a slightly oversized go-cart. I bought it new in early 70’s and, mechanically, it was totally junk but it was a blast to drive. Sold it less than 2 years later to a guy who never drove a stick.
Glad to see another MGB owner here!
Never owned an auto either, likely never will. Just got to keep my little WRX wagon running until I croak....
They need to eliminate transmissions, clutches, axles, and drive shafts all together and use hydrostatic drive systems that are manual or automatic.
since 1981 my cars have always been manual. I’ve been planning for a Nissan 370z manual 6 speed (or equiv) in a few years, they sure better still be making manuals or I won’t be buying it.
meh.. my wife drives a five-speed and it’s a pain in the butt in traffic. I owned a few and I don’t miss it but she’s under the illusion that EVERYONE knows how to drive one.
I like it but I’d rather have the automatic, especially in dense traffic.
We used to have a Mazda Spyder with a supercharger, rear end engine, H pattern 5 speed. Loved driving that car and it was great in the snow and ice because you could really gear down. Would buy another one in a minute if they still made them. Always drove barefooted though, real high heels and all those pedals didn’t get along well.
Guess it depends on the make and model. A VW Jetta S the manual does better on the highway, the auto in the city. For a Jetta TDI manual wins both.
If you’re not driving a stick, you’re not really driving. I’ve had - let’s see here - seven cars, and six were stick-shifts. I actually held out on my Saturn dealership to have them find the model / color combo I wanted in manual; I wasn’t settling for an automatic when a stick was available somewhere.
They do screw around with the gearing between m/t and a/t, typically to make the manual “faster” rather than more efficient.
Cars with stick shifts are almost “theft proof”. The young thugs never learned to drive a standard transmission.
The thing with stick shifts is that its difficult to drink and drive.
An example (6 yr old) among other cases that turned out better
Depends on your basic skill set....
Automatics need to be banned....for the children.
They’ve been saying manuals are dead for a long time. But there’s enough of us that won’t drive automatics to keep them going, we just get to be more selective. The good news is most of the brands that don’t make manuals also don’t make cars worth buying.
My first car was an MGA. Boy did I have fun with that car!
Never owned an automatic, probably never will. The kind of cars I like will always be offered with a stick, unless our friends in DC outlaw them.
As it stands now, a stick might very well be a theft deterrent, as so few people can drive them any more.
“Since manuals are more fuel efficient you would think there would be more.”
Exactly, my C5 Corvette with a 6 speed manual transmission routinely gets 32 to 34 MPG at 70 mph on my “commute’” from the SF Bay Area down to Monterey. FYI most, if not all of the new Corvettes do not have a gas guzzler tax, and several models have between 500 and 640 Hp.
I had an 86 F-250 with 460 and a Borg Warner T-19 manual. I did several things to improve performance including dual exhausts, pre 1967 valve timing gear and since the carb always gave trouble, replaced it with an Edelbrock performance carb.
I am not sure the Edelbrock gave any more horsepower but it sure was smoother running.
The only problem was the gear ratios were awful. First was so low that it ran out of RPM’s before you got any speed at all. Second was nearly as low. When you finally got it into 3rd it would really go then high was about right. It had an extremely good high end.
I would much rather have had an automatic but didn’t realize it until I had already bought it.
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