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End of the manual transmission?
High Gear Media via Foxnews ^ | May 02, 2012 | By Thomas Bey

Posted on 06/01/2012 7:23:21 AM PDT by US Navy Vet

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Technical
KEYWORDS: manualtransmission; stick
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To: US Navy Vet

Recently bought a 2012 Ford Focus with the manual transmission. Oldest kid purchased a 92 Jetta GTI and learned manual on it. I’ve decided all kids will have a manual as a first car - lessens distractions like eating, drinking, texting.


141 posted on 06/01/2012 8:24:12 AM PDT by Hokie Bird
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To: US Navy Vet
My personal cars have all been stick although as a disclaimer I have had only 2 personal cars. My dad taught me to drive stick in a Nissan 200 SX. I like it for several reasons, most stated:

1: Better mileage

2: More fun

3: Had to replace the clutch on the first car at around 150,000 miles and my current car has 180,000 with no problem with the transmission. It seems people who owned automatics the transmission breaks leading to a very expensive repair.

4: Better control in snow.

142 posted on 06/01/2012 8:26:11 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: cableguymn

-—No seat belt?——

I should have mentioned that was with a seatbelt. Seriously, I was having a hard time staying in. I may have been driving too fast for existing conditions. 8-)

I was a stupid 20-something with a few friends but, surprisingly, no alcohol was involved.


143 posted on 06/01/2012 8:26:42 AM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: trailhkr1

Sure, if the driver of the manual is an idiot.


144 posted on 06/01/2012 8:26:52 AM PDT by bill1952 (Choice is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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To: US Navy Vet

I can, but learned late in life (20’s). Don’t have one now, but have had a couple over the years. I personally think driving tests should have to be on manual transmission vehicles, just so people do know how to drive them.


145 posted on 06/01/2012 8:27:17 AM PDT by mykroar (October race riots bring November martial law.)
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To: US Navy Vet
I drove fire apparatus for about ten years back when you had to double clutch. That is clutch out of gear and clutch into next gear. That was an interesting learning curve.
146 posted on 06/01/2012 8:30:44 AM PDT by Focault's Pendulum (If Obama was any more thin skinned, he'd have a receptacle end: Dennis Miller)
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To: US Navy Vet

I learned how to drive with a manual transmission. I would probably still have my manual Honda CRX if some punk hadn’t totaled the car.


147 posted on 06/01/2012 8:31:27 AM PDT by ELS (Vivat Benedictus XVI!)
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To: Erasmus
#16912. 5 speed was an add-on. PITA.

Just checked, because I couldn't remember... mine has 160MPH on the original speedo. I've only seen 140, with new tires, on a road closed for a rocket launch, somewhere near White Sands, many years ago. ;)

It also has the big throat carbs, gets about 8-12 mpg, but gets it fast. My original owner's manual (I do still have that) doesn't show a 5 speed manual transmission for the Model S30.

/johnny

148 posted on 06/01/2012 8:31:27 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: C19fan

4: Better control in snow.


Compared to traction control?


149 posted on 06/01/2012 8:31:55 AM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Hold My Beer and Watch This!)
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To: Beelzebubba

Never claimed that. Never had a car with that safety feature. :)


150 posted on 06/01/2012 8:33:56 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: fabian

If you use down shifting, saves on the brakes.
I just had the brakes done on my PT Cruzer (yea I know), 126K for the first time last month.
I will be really sad, if my next car has an auto.
(I have to admit that sometimes driving at rush hour in the LA basin, I wish I had an auto.)


151 posted on 06/01/2012 8:34:33 AM PDT by svcw (If one living cell on another planet is life, why isn't it life in the womb?)
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To: AngelesCrestHighway

Yup, we’ll go with the plot. take crawling as a baby, develops right/left brain coordination, so they want us to become brain dead. Anything challenging is a no-go because it makes you a stronger person. Besides, how can you text and shift at the same time?


152 posted on 06/01/2012 8:34:53 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: ELS

Know what you mean. My 13 year old CRX got rear ended and the driver who hit me insurance declared it a total loss and towed it away. What a fun car.


153 posted on 06/01/2012 8:35:47 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: MatD

-—I taught my wife to drive a car with a manual transmission. Don’t I get some sort of award for that?-—

Yes, but we will need some verification.

It’s like claiming to have seen a sasquatch....


154 posted on 06/01/2012 8:37:57 AM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: US Navy Vet

Life’s too short for stick shifts.Many of today’s automatics can be shifted manually...mine included.There are shift paddles on my steering wheel that I never use.


155 posted on 06/01/2012 8:38:08 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Julia: another casualty of the "War on Poverty")
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To: US Navy Vet

My parents did not allow me to get my DL until I learned how to drive one. However, I am getting old enough to prefer the convenience of an automatic.


156 posted on 06/01/2012 8:38:17 AM PDT by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
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To: US Navy Vet

There are other advantages to manual transmission. Last time I bought a car, manual transmission was cheaper.
Manual requires less maintenance.
It is possible to get unstuck in mud and snow with manual transmission, by engaging clutch rhythmically, and rocking the car. I have never seen an automatic transmission which could do that.

With older cars, it was possible to push-start a manual-transmission vehicle if the battery was dead. It is not possible to do that with automatic. For some reason, newer shift cars advise not to do this trick, but they don’t explain the problem.

If you learn manual transmission, it opens up the ability to operate all sorts of other vehicles, like old farm tractors, many trucks, and even tanks. Might come in handy! Many race-cars are manual.


157 posted on 06/01/2012 8:38:33 AM PDT by docbnj
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To: US Navy Vet

I learned to drive in a model A. I always had a stick shift. Automatic transmissions were not too reliable when I started to drive.


158 posted on 06/01/2012 8:39:49 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: whd23
Yup, I forgot about "3 on the tree".

My family always had Studebakers. I remember my mother's Commander having the tree shifter, and the starter button underneath the big round clutch pedal. I remember our Lark being the first automatic transmission car we owned.

159 posted on 06/01/2012 8:41:35 AM PDT by shorty_harris
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To: US Navy Vet
My Dad bought a brand new Super M back in the '50s, still have it, still use it, runs great. It was the second tractor I ever drove, started on a D2 Cat. Easy to reach the clutch when its a hand clutch. Still have his Super H too, but it is blowed up, needs a lot of work.

We also had a couple of 806 tractors back in the '60s. Put straight pipes on them and plowed at night with no headlights, the light of the flames out of the pipes was usually adequate.

Very little wonder I can't hear a damn thing any more.

160 posted on 06/01/2012 8:41:56 AM PDT by BikerTrash
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