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Fewer than 3% of cars sold in the U.S. have manual transmissions
- Marazan 10y agoThere are so many different types of gearbixes/engines these days and hat ipresume every conversation on here will be talking about a different flavour of 'automatic'. As a rule if the technology comes in a car costing more than my annual salary I don't think it is worth discussing in terms of 'normal'
- Marazan 10y agoThere are so many different types of gearbixes/engines these days and hat ipresume every conversation on here will be talking about a different flavour of 'automatic'. As a rule if the technology comes in a car costing more than my annual salary I don't think it is worth discussing in terms of 'normal'
- MrBlue 10y agoOutside of the US/Canada this stat is most likely the inverse.
- voycey 10y agoCertainly the case in the UK, Australia is probably 60/40 Manual to Auto
- Matthias247 10y agoTrue. I guess in germany it's at least 80% manual. Apart from the more luxury cars (Mercedes E/S-class, ...) which are typically also only built and sold with automatic transmission. I have my eighth car right now and for it's the first one with automatic transmission. I mainly picked this because in combination with the newer assistance systems (ACC) it provides a better experience. However I now also have to admit that the VW DSG that I have feels generally very good.
- voycey 10y agoWell when you are only getting around 30bhp / L from your engines you don't really need a manual do you?
- taneq 10y agoI think times have changed somewhat since squishy 6.7L V8s that made 180hp and got you 5km/L. :P
- ldev 10y agoYeah, american car engineering is mind blowing. I have a 2008 Lexus IS350 - 3.5 liters V6, naturally aspirated and it produces 306 bhp. Friend has 2008 Ford Mustang - 4 liters V6, and it makes 210 bhp. What the hell.
- kbart 10y agoIsn't Lexus a Japanese car company?
- nommm-nommm 10y agoLexus is Toyota's luxury division. So, yes.
- mywittyname 10y agoThe Cologne V6 was a truck engine designed in the 1960s with a 5500rpm redline. Which are all good reasons why it made no power. The reason it was used in the Mustang after so many years was for cost/marketing reasons that had little to do with engineering. If your friend instead had a 2011+ Mustang V6, it would have a modern(ish) engine making 305hp out of 3.7L on 87 octane, where the 2GR in the IS350 needs premium gas to make 306hp.
- kylec 10y agoI'm assuming that's a dig against American cars, but most European and Asian cars sold here are also automatics.
- russdill 10y agoI love driving a manual, but with the rise of CVT, what's the point?
- sliken 10y agoAmusingly subaru simulates gears with their CVT. By default you get 6 "gears", but in sport you get 8.
- ferongr 10y agoAnd that's completely missing a point of a CVT where you can keep the engine at a its most efficient speed and vary the transmission ratio to accelerate or decelerate in response to throttle input.
- sliken 10y agoAgreed, it's sad that in chasing more market share subaru is making multiple decisions based on marketing and not on engineering. Forcing a CVT from the ideal RPM to entertain drivers seems impressively silly. Kind of like the Golf R, which installed a vibrating/unbalanced motor under the winshield to make a more pleasing vibration. Or the Mustang EcoBoost, various BMWs, and other cars that are using speakers to make more vroom noises to hide the less appealing note of their smaller turbo engines. Maybe the automatic folks should install a manual looking stick between the seats and whenever you move it it kills power for 0.5 seconds.
- taneq 10y ago> Many the automatic folks should install a manual looking stick between the seats and whenever you move it it kills power for 0.5 seconds. I don't know what I hate more, this suggestion or the fact that it would probably actually work.
- kampsduac 10y agoBut if you drive in the mountains, wouldn't gear simulation in a CVT help to save brakes while going downhill?
- ChuckMcM 10y agoAnd it isn't all because people don't want to buy them, according to a VP at Subaru it is the cost of taking the car with a manual transmission through the California emissions qualification process, and maintaining records for a car that only 10% of the customers will buy. And they don't offer a non-California model because people were upset about moving to California with a car and then having the state DMV reject it as not qualified! I'm seriously trying to figure out if I can import a car from Germany (where they appreciate a fine manual transmission) and get it licensed here in California.
- Scaevolus 10y agoSimilarly, California's laws on furniture flammability generally mean that upholstery is soaked in carcinogens in an attempt to make it burn slower-- but it doesn't actually have any benefits in a fire.
- tomjakubowski 10y agoWhat's the similarity, other than this is also a California regulation? Sitting on carcinogenic furniture because of a misguided upholstery safety regulation isn't really the same as being "forced" into driving an automatic because of a "misguided" (if you'd call it that) environmental regulation. The potential harm isn't comparable. (Also, FWIW, I drive a legal CA car with a stick shift.)
- scott_karana 10y agoCanada might also be an option, depending on the model.
- kweinber 10y agoManual shifting is neither possible nor even relevant in electric cars or cvt (continuous variable transmission) cars. Their rise will be the true end of the stick shift.
- Animats 10y agoWell, there was the Lotus Evora electric, in 2013.[1] This was a high-performance electric sports car with a fake manual shift and fake engine noises. This feature could be disabled, and was not seen again in later models. [1] http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1081736_fake-shifting-for-electric-cars-dumbest-idea-of-the-year http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1081736_fake-shifting-fo...
- gambiting 10y agoWhy would it not be possible? An electric motor can be hooked up to a normal transmission without any problem - the thing is, that there's no real reason to do that, but it's definitely not impossible.
- pmontra 10y agoActually most Formula E cars do use gears and manual shifting. This is why [1] http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/november/boxing-clever.aspx http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2015/november/boxing-clev... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/FormulaE/comments/2gbika/why_do_formula_e_cars_have_a_five_speed_gearbox/ https://www.reddit.com/r/FormulaE/comments/2gbika/why_do_for... None of that probably matters for road cars. I'm using a car sharing service's single gear electric cars. They have great acceleration and are easy to drive. Better than automatic transmission cars.
- exDM69 10y agoFor this year, the regulations of Formula E were changed to be more flexible and there's more diversity in the drive train. Now there are cars with no transmission and cars with 4 or 5 forward gears. The engines are slightly different to compensate.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- sliken 10y agoI was looking for a nice AWD hatchback. Subaru cancelled the WRX and STI version. Focus RS sadly goes with a manual only. Seems kind of silly to work so hard on performance/acceleration and then waste time on shifting.
- bcook 10y agoDo any performance-focused vehicles use CVT? Answer: No.
- toomuchtodo 10y agohttp://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/why-you-wont-see-another-manual-ferrari-20150916-gjoft8.html http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/why-you-wont-see-another-... (Sept 2015) "Ferrari has emphatically ruled out offering a manual gearbox in its next generation of vehicles, for one simple reason: performance. Speaking at the Frankfurt motor show this week, stakeholders at Ferrari said the manual transmission had become obsolete in a performance sense because modern dual-clutch transmissions were much faster and effective in their shifts." "We never say no, but today we say no," a spokesman said. "We are very convinced with our strategy about the automatic gearbox, it's the fastest gearbox in the market and this is a distinctive component for us. Right now we are not thinking about a manual because the performance is [less]." Not a CVT, but a manual has no benefit. Either go CVT for efficiency or geared automatic for performance. EDIT: astrodust: Let not split hairs; Formula 1 allowed the introduction of CVTs in 1993 and then banned them because they were too good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UpBKXMRto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UpBKXMRto http://jalopnik.com/http-youtu-be-x3upbkxmrto-one-that-goes-unloved-a-lot-1464507675 http://jalopnik.com/http-youtu-be-x3upbkxmrto-one-that-goes-...
- astrodust 10y agoThat's a sequential shifter, which is a different beast than an automatic. They've had paddle-driven shifting on their cars for over a decade now which just triggers gear shifts manually. It's not an automatic transmission in the classic sense, there are still gears. Classic automatic transmission systems use a fluid mechanism to transmit power which is where a lot of the power loss comes from.
- rwbt 10y agoA few years ago I had to learn stick shift because there was a good deal on a car I liked and decided to see if it's worth it. Ever since, all my cars are standard transmission and I wouldn't have it any other way. They're definitely going away, but I'll keep buying as long as they're available. There is something very satisfying about the mechanical nature of a stick shift car. Mind you, I drive in traffic heavy Los Angeles and still prefer it over an automatic transmission.
- civilian 10y agoI delivered pizza one summer in a manual. I can't ever go back. :D I really think that driving manual requires you to be more attentive... and I should look to see if traffic accidents data backs me up.
- dx034 10y agoNot sure if that's the case. While I love manual transmission, I would rather argue that it is more dangerous as you're often forced to have one hand away from the steering wheel, which makes it harder to react quickly.
- ygra 10y agoHow many people keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times (not counting smokers or idiots on their cellphones)? Also quick reactions are usually done with your right foot on the brake, not by swerving wildly around.
- freehunter 10y agoIf I'm driving on slippery roads, both hands are on the wheel so I can counter-steer immediately if I need to. If I have to take my hand off the wheel to shift, I've just decreased my ability to quickly counter-steer, which is especially important if I make a mistake with the shift and accidentally apply too much power to the wheels.
- tempestn 10y ago
- patrickg_zill 10y agoI prefer stick but can't always get it. Even the cheapest Korean manufacturer can make a 5 or 6 speed manual that is close to unbreakable. And you can, in difficult situations at least, shift better than the automatic - especially if you are shifting a certain way because you can see traffic or the lack of it, up ahead.
- sebcat 10y ago> especially if you are shifting a certain way because you can see traffic or the lack of it, up ahead. Downshifting instead of using brakes is more environmentally friendly as well. Though you can do this with an automatic too (or semi-automatic I guess). My mother has a car with paddle shifters which you can use if you want, or you can just keep it in automatic. Best of both worlds. Edit: I drive stick, though. It's what I know.
- sliken 10y agoDownshifting more environmentally friendly? Because burning more gas is better than heating up break pads? Reference?
- toomuchtodo 10y agoUses engine compression to bleed off kinetic energy (no additional fuel use). Not more environmentally friendly, but saves on brake wear. Semis utilize this mode of braking heavily: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_release_engine_brake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_release_engine_bra...
- geon 10y agoActually, it uses a tiny bit less fuel, since it doesn't have to idle.
- sebcat 10y agoWas taught to do it in drivers ed, which features environmental driving here. The point is not to aggressively downshift, but to let go of the gas and then downshift when the RPMs are lower. You still want to keep the RPMs relatively low. This is preferred to a situation where you would keep your speed and use the brakes at a later point in time. I should probably not have called it downshifting.
- RikNieu 10y agoWhere I live manual is the norm, but those I know that did switch to auto all to prefer it. It apparently makes the drudgery of sitting in traffic more bearable. However, as one friend noted, once that fancy automatic gearbox goes legs up(and your car also happens to be out of warranty), the virtues of a manual comes calling again.
- astrodust 10y agoI honestly don't see the problem of using a standard transmission in traffic. Once you've learned how to drive with it the whole thing becomes instinct and you don't even consciously notice.
- bgia 10y agoI do. I've been driving stick shift for most my life and moving to automatic made a huge difference.
- astrodust 10y agoI'm sure it's different for everyone, but I know a lot of people where manual is so ingrained they don't even need to think about it. It's no more difficult than walking on two legs.
- allendoerfer 10y agoMuch like breathing, it is fun when racing but quite annoying, when you have to do it under load, you did not want to be in in the first place.
- astrodust 10y agoWhen racing you'll be paying exacting attention to your shifts, you'll need to time them properly if you're working on shaving time off your laps. When driving normally it's not a big deal.
- viraptor 10y ago
- Yaggo 10y agoI'm from Europe and learnt to drive with manual, but after getting used to my Prius' CVT, would never buy a car with manual for daily use. (Besides, my next car won't have an ICE.) If you occasionally like "sporty" driving with manual shifting, modern automatics will paddle-shift quicker than most people with a real stick & clutch. Manual gearbox is just an artifact from ICE's very limited torque curve.
- jaggederest 10y agoPaddle shifting is in no way equivalent to the level of torque and engine control a manual transmission provides. I drive a car with paddle shifters, coming from a manual, and it's just night and day different. The connection is entirely missing without the feedback provided by the physical linkage of the clutch pedal.
- CamperBob2 10y agoTry a PDK. The idea that it's so important to be able to uncouple the driveline as to warrant a dedicated pedal just for that purpose is completely silly.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- jaggederest 10y agoI actually daily drive a dual clutch gearbox. It's definitely not the same.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- lucaspiller 10y ago> Prius' CVT It should be noted the transmission in a Prius isn't really a CVT. A traditional mechanical-CVT can be slow to respond as it still requires the transmission to mechanically move which means it can feel 'soft'. In the Prius' 'e-CVT' there is no mechanical linkage that needs to move, so it responds instantly. The electric motors can provide their full torque while the ICE is at 0 RPM, so when you push your foot down, you get a good amount of power without waiting for the engine to spin up to higher RPMs, as with a traditional automatic transmission (vs a mechanical transmission, where you can run the engine faster and use the clutch to limit the amount of power delivered to the wheels). This is why the Telsa's ludicrous mode is a thing - unlike an ICE, electric motors provide the highest torque from 0 RPM.
- partycoder 10y agoManual transmission is the best anti theft mechanism in the US.
- kriro 10y agoTrue but it cuts both ways. Imagine you need someone else to drive your car for whatever reason...you could be stuck.
- esturk 10y agoAnother issue with manual transmission that others have not mentioned is the annoyance as a passenger. I can understand the joy for the driver but as a passenger, I always find it quite annoying in older cars. In fact, I would probably cancel my Lyft/Uber ride if I knew the coming car is a manual.
- TomMarius 10y agoManual transmission, no matter how old, is only annoying if the driver doesn't know how to drive it. It's less likely in the US, but with European taxi drivers, it's much less noticeable than an automatic transmission.
- kazinator 10y agoExactly. The ride is completely smooth with a skilled manual transmission driver, much smoother than with an automatic. The small maneuvers of parking, in particular, are smoother with the skilled use of a manual transmission: parallel parking, backing into a spot and adjusting the position, and such.
- mrweasel 10y agoUnless you look at the driver changing gears, how would you even know that a car has a manual transmission?
- smileysteve 10y agoI do hate when a passenger will have their knee next to the shifter and it disrupts my hand.
- rvanmil 10y agoI switched to automatic a year ago and I'm glad I did. Stick shift feels ancient already, and besides it's just annoying once you realize it can be done automatically. I'm from The Netherlands though, so most of my colleagues and friends call me "grandpa" now, because automatic is, as they say, for old people; almost everyone here drives stick shift.
- RyJones 10y agoI rented a car at Schiphol last month and the automatic was cheaper than a stick. I drive a stick in the US, I was expecting a stick there, but I was A OK with an automatic
- exclusiv 10y agoI don't feel it's annoying. If you have a shifter it feels like you're actually driving. People will long for manuals as we move more and more into autopilot. Manual transmission. Double edge razor. Smoker grill. Get off my lawn. It's kind of beautiful.
- clarry 10y agoI use a straight razor, and would love a man tran. But I can't really afford a car and I got this 20-year-old automatic for free so it's what I live with.
- SwellJoe 10y agoI always want a manual transmission, but they're so hard to find. My most recent vehicle purchase was a truck (a big diesel pickup for hauling a travel trailer). They simply don't make big pickup trucks with a manual transmission, anymore, which is a damned shame. My vehicle before that (a Nissan 350Z) had a manual transmission, but I had to insist on it, and wait for it to arrive from another dealer across the state. It makes me sad, because the fun of driving for me is dramatically reduced by an automatic transmission. But, I guess we won't be driving ourselves for too much longer, anyway.
- rgzn 10y agoI think anyone who drives off-road in the mountains knows how much better sticks are then automatics. It's extremely frustrating to take automatic trucks on steep off road terrain.
- gambiting 10y agoActually, it seems that the recent trend for off roading is embracing normal automatics, because you literally can't burn a hydrokinetic clutch. No matter what the terrain - you add some gas, and you move. I think anyone who has driven a modern LR Discovery off road will agree here.
- lb1lf 10y ago-I beg to differ. My current 4x4 fun vehicle is an old Land Cruiser with an auto box. I do not miss manual shift at all. Low 2nd and off I go, for the most part. No need to work my left foot like a drummer in a speed metal band. Having some sort of terrain response system like just about any current 4x4 does makes it even simpler.
- viraptor 10y ago> how much better sticks are then automatics How much better for what? You missed a qualifier there. For exact control over torque-vs-speed - Yes. For the comfort of driving - No.
- zippergz 10y agoI'm a car enthusiast, and I was a manual transmission purist for many, many years. But then I had to be honest with myself, and admit that the VAST majority of my driving is commuting in traffic. And that driving is much less annoying with an automatic. My leisure driving is maybe 5% less fun without a manual, but that's far outweighed by how much better my daily commute is. At this point, I'd only buy a manual for a car that's not a daily driver.
- yoodenvranx 10y agoExactly! For commuting you should get an automatic and for the weekend you should get a manual. I was a fan of manual cars for a long time, but the more time I spent stuck in traffic, the more I love automatic transmissions.
- micaksica 10y agoDisagree. I have been stuck in SV traffic for over a decade, on and off, with a stick shift. Even with the traffic I still don't hate them. When I really hate the traffic, I jump on a shitty motorcycle I bought on Craigslist.
- GordonS 10y agoDepends on your car - especially how heavy the clutch is!
- exclusiv 10y agoWhile I agree regarding traffic I think everyone would be way more courteous and the roads would be safer if everyone drove a manual.
- GFischer 10y agoJust go to Italy or Argentina (100% manual) and you'll be disabused of that idea VERY quickly... that's the worst behaving traffic you'll ever see.
- CalChris 10y agoFirst car was a Civic stick on San Francisco. I speak fluent stick. My last stick was a RAV4. I loved sticks but that was a terrible stick. Switched to a Mercedes C230K and I was instantly a better driver. Now I have a Leaf with a CVT. I don't miss sticks at all.
- kozak 10y agoNissan Leaf doesn't have a CVT (despite that it might feel like one). It's an electric card that doesn't need to switch gears at all.
- jwdunne 10y agoVery interesting. My Mrs asked me if most in the US drive manual after watching Gilmore Girls. Now we know! In the UK, it's quite different. Most I know drive manual. Only 1 swears by auto. I've only ever driven a manual so it's hard to judge. At this point, manual is second nature so it's hard to imagine not doing it. In fact, learning to drive in an auto is considered a fool's game. You are not allowed to drive a manual if so and since everyone pretty much drives manual, your options get limited, especially if buying a used car or driving someone elses.
- mattlondon 10y agoI used to 100% drive manuals and it really was second-nature to think about changing gears - in fact the first few times I drove an automatic it was "interesting" as more than once I accidentally slammed the brakes on 100% with my left foot as my brain was on autopilot for where it was used to changing gears around the roads where I live. The thought process/autopilot my brain was going through was something like "ok, get ready to change down a gear, full clutch please left leg <left leg presses a pedal down>... WHOA! WTF! WFT JUST HAPPENED?! DID I HIT SOMETHING?!" then the realisation that your left leg just stampted on the brake pedal not the clutch pedal :-) I blame the super-wide brake pedals some automatics have! Luckily there were no one behind me, but it is quite an experience to get 100% brake application as a driver when you are NOT expecting it! I can only imagine that this experience will become more common with increasing automation/emergency braking in cars. My daily-drive in the UK these days is a hybrid that is a CVT automatic. I actually really like driving it now around London as its just so so so so much easier and less stressful in traffic. I still keep a manual 2-seat rear-wheel drive car around for fun as I love the feeling of actually driving a car, but the ease of an auto just cannot be beaten. I am a total convert!
- jwdunne 10y agoAt least you didn't stall! I am now petrified of using an auto. Takes a long time for my habits to adjust and I'll be slamming on for ages. Drivers round here like to drive with their noses up your arse...
- sergiotapia 10y agoDriving manual in heavy traffic is a pain in the ass. RIP your calves. I've driven manual in Bolivia since I learned how to drive, but when I moved back to the States I picked automatic because I would kill myself having to press the clutch every 40cm during heavy traffic. People have this romanticized view of manual driving, going through empty hills, warm sun beating on your raybans. In reality you'll be stuck in traffic for 30-50 minutes per day for your commute. It's a shame though, because manual transmissions are much easier to repair than automatics - according to my mechanic "Come Gato", back in Santa Cruz.
- flamedoge 10y agoIt's physically weird. Manual drivers must have left leg bigger than right.
- kozak 10y agoWell, speaking of legs, automatic drivers don't use their left one at all...
- jessaustin 10y agoHaha I've certainly gotten stuck behind left-foot-braking drivers.
- lb1lf 10y ago> It's a shame though, because manual transmissions are much easier to repair than automatics - according to my mechanic "Come Gato", back in Santa Cruz. -I believe that to be correct based on anecdotal experience. However, from what I've been told time and time again - in the long run, autos are much more reliable than manuals; flush the gearbox every now and then and it is just about ever-lasting. So - it is arguably a trade-off. Chances are it will be simpler to find a mechanic who can bring a manual gearbox back up to speed in a faraway location - but having an auto makes it less likely you'll need to find said mechanic in the first place.
- 10y ago
- flexie 10y agoThis is a combustion engine issue. Electric cars don't have gears. Did you see the new jaguar EV: http://www.jaguarusa.com/all-models/i-pace-concept-car/index.html http://www.jaguarusa.com/all-models/i-pace-concept-car/index... Or the new Audi EV: http://www.businessinsider.com/audis-electric-vs-tesla-2016-9?utm_content=buffer9e826&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-ti/ http://www.businessinsider.com/audis-electric-vs-tesla-2016-...
- greglindahl 10y agoSome electric cars have multiple gears. It's an engineering choice, there's a tradeoff between low-speed torque and high-speed torque/maximum speed.
- shaydoc 10y agoI would like to see the stats for UK and Ireland, I imagine only about 3% are automatic... The majority of cars are manual transmission here! And we drive on the left hand side of the road.
- henrikschroder 10y agoI got my driver's license in Sweden, and the official driving handbook completely worships manual transmissions, and makes several untrue claims about how much better they are than automatics. You can choose to do your road test in an automatic, but that'll earn you a restriction on your license, barring you from driving a manual. It's probably fair, but almost everyone (myself included) chooses to practice in manuals, and do the test in a manual to not have that restriction, which further skews the stats in favor of manuals. An obligatory part of the road test is so called "eco-driving", where you have to demonstrate your ability to drive efficiently, and one way of doing that is to skip a gear when shifting in certain situtations. It's absolutely insane to force people to learn this, when automatic transmissions are consistently outperforming humans at fuel efficiency. If the traffic authorities really cared about fuel efficiency, they should instead sing the praises of automatic transmissions, but they don't, because they have an irrational love of manuals. And the final kicker: Road tests are done in official traffic authority cars with double controls, and I did mine in a nice, modern, manual VW Golf, that had a gear-shift indicator in the dash. And since the car is most often better than you at knowing when you should shift gears, why have the manual transmission in the first place? It's a complete farce. The silver lining is that electric cars will just decide this issue once and for all.
- rimantas 10y ago> when automatic transmissions are consistently > outperforming humans at fuel efficiency What? So far each data sheet has shown higher fuel consumption for automatic vehicles.
- trynumber9 10y agoDCTs are typically 3–5% more fuel-efficient than manual transmissions.
- pedrocr 10y agoThat's to be expected as a dual-clutch transmission is a robotically operated manual transmission with an extra degree of freedom. Most automatics are completely different technology that has always been less efficient.
- RandomInteger4 10y agoI wonder how long it will take to get to this point with self-driving cars (Automatic-automatic?) vs. manual-automatic vs. manual-manual.
- Animats 10y agoWell, of course. You need the other hand to hold the cell phone.
- smileysteve 10y agoI'd love to see research on this. I know that if I'm not in the highway, cell phone conversations (or text based applications) receive low priority - such that, my phone has been thrown to the passenger side when I've needed to shift or I regularly have to tell people I'm talking to to wait a minute.
- TallGuyShort 10y agoPlease don't hold your cell phone or use text-based applications while driving at all, regardless of transmission.
- smileysteve 10y agoI must agree! (though we had less knowledge of the dangers it brought in the mid 2000s.)
- allendoerfer 10y agoFor me this is an emotional topic. I want everybody else to use it, but I myself do not want an electric car, an automatic car or a general speed limit. Arguing about stuff like this with (some) Germans is like arguing about guns with (some) Americans. Sure, there is a reasonable position, which is better for society. I don't care, don't take away my [insert toy here]!
- manmal 10y agoHow would it be better for society if everybody had automatic transmission?
- gambiting 10y agoI would call myself a "car enthusiast" and I drive an automatic - I feel like even in dangerous situations, I have full control of the car. Whether it's sudden need to stop or accelerate, I have full control. In a manual car I've had a few near-accidents where the car just stalled because I was so concentrated on braking and avoiding the obstacle - Which was great, except that I found myself in a middle of a dual carriageway, sideways, with my engine off, stressed to hell, so actually moving out of the way was a huge effort. I had a similar situation in an automatic and there's no such problem - you need to brake, you brake. You need to accelerate - you accelerate. I just think that an automatic transmission allows you to concentrate much more on what's going on around you, without having to worry about being in correct gear and using the clutch.
- exclusiv 10y agoNever experienced that but you have way more control in a manual excluding powerful electric cars. You need to stop fast, well you have gears to utilize quickly in a manual. Need a pop to get out of a sticky situation? Drop the gear to get in the power band and pull away. I don't understand your argument other than manuals being more error prone. Certainly you could stall it in an intersection if you aren't experienced as an example. I haven't seen a report on this but I'd wager manuals were safer in practice before the smartphone and became even safer after. You can't be messing around with distractions nearly as much in a manual.
- TadasPaplauskas 10y agowell, here's the ultimate theft protection for ya. Of course driving manual in traffic is pain in the ass, but I would prefer to skip heavy traffic anyways, instead of trying to make it somewhat more bearable. Had some experience driving automatic in Cyprus, which is very mountainous. It was impossible to keep constant speed, as car was constantly trying to find "optimal" gear for every hill and slope, instead of finding optimal gear for the whole trip. Ended up using sport mode, which just kept the engine working at higher RPMs. Not optimal in any way. I'm sure there are great automatics, but unfortunately not in my price range. There's a difference between automatic ferarri and automatic hyundai.
- WalterBright 10y agoA stick is the only way to go for a muscle car. My first muscle car was a '67 Mustang, which had a problematic transmission. The first thing I did was convert it to a 4 speed manual. My '72 Dodge has a Tremec 5 speed manual heavy duty. It's a sweet shifter, indeed.
- Annatar 10y agoFormer 2004 Holden Monaro / Pontiac GTO driver here. Six speed manual transmission, 5.7L LS1 engine. 2nd gear lockout disabled, high RPM range cam. One of the best driving experiences of my life: a V8 and a manual transmission is a match made in heaven.
- WalterBright 10y agoYeah, not much feels as good as running up through the gears with a strong V8! I'll be sad when they finally ban those cars from the road.
- attilak 10y agoMeanwhile in Eastern Europe people still can't afford a car with automatic transmission...
- imjustsaying 10y agoDon't be misled; many in America can't afford any kind of car. Even many who have them go into perpetual debt to do so.
- nommm-nommm 10y ago8 year (96 month) car loans are becoming a "thing" in America. Sure, a car that's cost more than your yearly salary looks "affordable" if you only look at the monthly payments and you can manipulate those payments by stretching out the loan forever. I believe 30 year mortgages being "standard" are also kinda a scam[1] for this reason. Basically the idea everyone having many monthly payments is acceptable. When I bought my car I did finance it but on my own payment schedule because apparently the dealer didn't offer 12 month financing. [1] I'm using "scam" broadly I don't think it's a real scam in the literal sense of the word but I can't think of another word. Misleading?
- fnj 10y agoThe difference is that you can get an honest 3.5% fixed APR on a 30 year mortgage, but nothing close to that for a car loan, unless it is a subsidized scam.
- nommm-nommm 10y agoWhere? In the United States if you have great credit you can get a car loan for under 2% APR in the US for a new car. Under 4% for a used car.
- jfitbsidbfb 10y agoThis is unfortunate given that manufacturers regularly game fuel mileage tests fof automatics to give buyers a sense of better gas mileage(to justify the higher price). Real world tests by consumer reports and others continue to show that manual transmissions get better gas mileage in real world conditions on top of being much more reliable. And before someone mentions it, a clutch wearing out during the working life of a modern manual car is a joke. I've driven multiple manual cars to over 200k miles and never had to replace a clutch. If you wear out a clutch your car is defected or (more likely) you're utterly terrible at driving stick
- gotofritz 10y agoDo you have any data to back up your statement?
- ptaipale 10y agoHuge amount of different tests. Manual gearboxes are generally more efficient, but not in all situations, and the modern dual-clutch automatic boxes outperform manual transmission in many cases. But overall, there are hydraulic losses in classic planetary automatic gearboxes, and they are also heavier. For instance, http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/save-gas-and-money-with-a-manual-transmission/index.htm http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/save-gas-and-mone... Personal experience: I regretted buying a Renault Laguna with automatic box. Horrible fuel economy. Even the torque lock didn't help, also highway economy was quite bad which was very surprising. Other than that, a nice car.
- viraptor 10y ago> a clutch wearing out during the working life of a modern manual car is a joke Could use a reference. The wear will depend a lot on your area - mountain roads will kill it faster than suburban commute. But either way, I tried to find anything more authoritative than a forum post (which say anything between 100k and 300k), and it's pretty hard to do. Have you got a link with an actual survey or producer stats?
- 10y ago
- kriro 10y agoI have a license for manual transmission as that's the default in Germany. My US license is expired now* but I only drove automatics there. I always thought it was curious that the default in the US is automatic and in most other countries I've been to it is manual...in fact there's an ego thing at play here, too. A lot of people in Germany think automatics are for people who can't drive properly. My next car will be an automatic, the convenience is nice and I doubt that I can get any extra performance out of my mediocre shifting habits. Automated or semi-automated driving (lane control and whatnot) is also a lot nicer with automatics (I've seen a manual that had the features and it was a usability nightmare). There's a couple of use cases for manuals most notably driving on icy roads and possibly mountain regions but that's rare here. For everything else I'm assuming automatics are optimized beyound my abilities (saving gas by motor-breaking etc.) *Random sidenote: German licenses don't expire. Not sure if it's different by state in the US but I could renew my US license by paying some money, there's no renewal test AFAIK
- lucaspiller 10y ago> German licenses don't expire. It's effectively this in the U.K. (mine will expire in 50 years), but in Italy they do expire - so it's not an EU wide thing.
- phee 10y ago> but in Italy they do expire They do expire but you don't have to take a new drive test. It's more about periodically checking you're still physically fit to drive (e.g. you need to take a mandatory eyesight test every few years).
- ealexhudson 10y agoExcept that you will be fined if you don't renew your photocard every 10 years in the UK - so for anyone with that style license, it does effectively expire.
- darklajid 10y agoEgo thing? Maybe, but for me it's more of a fun thing. I currently drive an automatic and would love to go back. Random addendum: German licenses do expire for larger classes - I have a license for BCE (aka 'up to 40t/max') that expired a while ago. Legacy licenses in that class expire at the age of 60 I think, current licenses expire every 5 years from the day you got one. And of course there's the whole public transportation license thing (cab, bus).
- sakopov 10y agoI drive a slightly modified 2016 WRX with CVT. I purchased the CVT version because I'm almost always stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, I regret the decision every day. Every once in a while I throw it in manual and use paddle shifters just to experience what an awesome and fast car it is without the horribly slow CVT shifting in the way. It's been a year now and I can't wait to trade for the manual.
- imakesoft 10y agoI just love it how Americans are so proud if they can "drive a stick". :D Anyway I have a Toyota Auris Hybrid and it's pretty awesome. It's really pleasant to drive. I guess I'm lucky to be able to drive both: automatic & manual because at least in Europe the automatic prices are way higher in rental cars.
- vbezhenar 10y agoIn my country (Kazakhstan, and Russia, AFAIK) manual transmissions are popular with cheap cars, where $500 is a huge difference for buyer. With more expensive cars manual transmission are extremely rare (only BMW have them, AFAIK). So it's basically a choice between cheap and expensive options. I personally like manual transmission. It cheaper, it's not hard to use, it's significantly cheaper to repair, car with manual transmission could be towed or could tow another car, etc. So for me is a bit of convenience does not outweight drawbacks and extra cost.
- pmontra 10y agoIn my experience automatic is ok if driving in city traffic or on a highway, much more comfortable than manual. On a highway one is always in 5th anyway, or driving stop and go in a traffic jam. When I drive on some hill or mountain road, I feel safer on manual because I know how much the car can hold the road in a turn given the gear I'm using and the speed I'm carrying into the turn. With an automatic gear it usually feels like it's using a higher gear then it should, so I have to drive unnecessarily slower and use brakes more, which can't be good for them. Anyway, cars with both sequential shifting and automatic transmission are becoming common so one can have both manual and automatic. If I have to buy a car again I'll go with something like that. Some high end cars have paddles on the steering wheel to shift gears up and down, like in Formula 1.
- PeterStuer 10y agoOver here (Belgium) manual transmission (4 forward +1 reverse gear) was the standard for decades. It still dominates the cheaper car bracket, but the luxury segment has gone almost 100% automatic. What is left there is optional manual shifting (by stick or F1 style steer paddles), but always with an automated clutch. This evolution has also gradually allowed increasing the number of gears, now not uncommonly 6, 7 or 9 gears forward. Modern automatics are in practice more fuel efficient
- finchisko 10y agoIn late 90s, when I was young and beautiful :-), I was joking about americans being too unskilful to drive car with manual, so they need automatic. But honestly, now I thing we europeans were just too stubborn not accepting auto transmission and thinking we're kind of superior because of it. And nowadays automatic transmission is becoming so popular, my 65y old dad is willing to have it.
- Annatar 10y agoLogic tells me that if I can do A and B because of A, whereas I can only do B because of B, I'm superior in the A, B data set compared to someone who is in just the B subset, where A, B set is driving.
- finchisko 10y agodon't try to find logic in it. :-) there is none. just high ego.
- craigsmansion 10y agoIt might not just be stubbornness if you take into account the general difference in petrol prices (especially back then with more primitive automatics). I favour automatic transmission, but still usually drive stick because of the mileage.
- AlgorithmicTime 10y agoThe US is richer than Europe, excepting like Switzerland and such. When manuals became available they were a luxury. A luxury Americans could more easily afford. And so, like many other luxuries, they became common over time.
- fnj 10y agoAh yes, 1997. I was a mere lad of 50, driving a 5-speed sports coupe. Funny how at 69 my idea of driving is now a diesel econocar with an automatic transmission.
- ehnto 10y agoHoly crap, I didn't realise it was quite like that. I knew it was rare for people to know manual transmissions but why such a preference for automatic? In Australia pretty much everyone I know can drive manual, most cars come with the option and most cheaper cars are manual. It was somewhat of a masculinity thing too, and still is according to my younger siblings. To be honest I'm surprised the most that America doesn't have that same psuedo masculinity requirement thing happening. I am not saying it's good to have, just that I am surprised it's not there. As far as myself, I have always much preferred manual and find myself utterly disillusioned with automatics. No engine braking so you're constantly between pedals, gearbox never in the best gear because it can't predict your actions, and they make even the nicest motors sound like droning slugs. Even if you don't intend to go racing, a manual is just a bit more interesting and keeps you paying attention the whole trip, in my experience at least.
- alkonaut 10y agoI think part of the masculinity thing might be down to the fact that for the really powerful muscle cars you really want auto again. The US has no big tradition of sports cars (in another sense than muscle cars). On the other hand, Aussie car tradition is pretty Similar to the American one in terms of big engines etc so I can only explain the difference between Europe and the US, not between Australia and the US.
- vanous 10y ago> No engine braking The DSG [1] is quite nice to drive and uses engine braking. Careful feel for the throttle is required, but the same applies to operating clutch... [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-shift_gearbox https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-shift_gearbox
- fl0wenol 10y agoAgreed. And while using the sequential shifter or paddles is engaging for performance driving or screwing around, I've also found that modern TCUs are scary efficient even in automatic mode, able to respond appropriately (fuel-saving in eco mode for example) to hill grade, corner exits, overtakes, red-light crawls from what I'm guessing are the use of accelerometers on top of existing drivetrain telemetry and just some good heuristics.
- westiseast 10y agoI got my first automatic here in China, mostly because it would be really hard to sell an manual transmission car later on. Honestly, I cannot see the point in a manual anymore. It's a part of the mechanism of the car that I have no business dealing in and should be abstracted away. Like the choke in older cars. The idea that I'm somehow a more inattentive driver now because I don't have to worry about the gear I'm in is such complete nonsense.
- krzyk 10y agoInteresting, here in Poland having automatic transmission is something unique and preferred by weaker drivers (and richer ones), some cares even don't have option of automatic transmission (not to mention that you usually have less engine options with automatic).
- geff82 10y agoManual transmission is not somehow cool, it just shows the inefficiencies of a regular gas engine more openly: that the engine has to run in a certain small band of RPM to provide the energy for driving. Automatic transmission covers the deficiency best - and will be the standard on the electric car future ahead. In that way, Americans are already used to the future.
- TeMPOraL 10y agoI don't get why you're downvoted, it's exactly the case - the very need for having a gearbox is a problem of ICEs. Electric engines don't have gears because the RPM/efficiency curve is pretty much flat.
- schwap 10y agoAren't there still benefits to running at lower speeds? Electric motors aren't magic frictionless devices, higher speeds must still produce increased wear and heat.
- tdkl 10y agoLearning to drive on an automatic is like never learning handwriting and going to typing instead.
- kybernetyk 10y agoSounds pretty OK to me ;)
- tdkl 10y agoUntil you're in a position to having to drive one. Being helpless because of technology isn't one of the traits people should look forward to.
- kybernetyk 10y agoI was referring to handwriting. :)
- sidcool 10y agoIn India, it's the opposite. Very few vehicles have automatic transmission, major reason being mileage.
- GFischer 10y agoHere in Uruguay it's also 99% manual, but I suspect it's because it's cheaper. An equivalent automatic transmission adds one or two thousand dollars to the car, which is unaffordable to most (for no perceived gain). We buy lots of Indian-made cars here (mostly Marutis but some Tatas too), the other cheap cars being Chinese.
- pja 10y agoOff-topic, but I opened this page without any tracking or ad-blocking & after about 30 seconds of reading, was treated to two video adverts which were off-screen but playing audio at the same time. One would have been obnoxious enough, but 2 simultaneously was just awful. Online ads do the marketing for ad-blocking all by themselves don't they?
- antirez 10y agoIn Italy the percentage of automatic cars is very small, I've no exact idea but it's like the reverse of U.S. numbers, maybe 5% or 10% are automatic, even if I bet this number is raising. Because of that I always used manual cars in my life, but recently because of family and the realization I mostly drive in city traffic, I got a SUV (that is normally not my preferred car) with automatic transmission. Well... it's a lot less stress honestly if most of your drive happens inside a city. However interestingly, from time to time I use my wife's car which has manual transmission, and for a few minutes is definitely a lot more fun. You also really never lose your practice driving manual cars, even if you don't touch one for many months, it's like driving a bike. So manual is cool but I would suggest people approaching driving cars to learn the manual way to a have a more complete understanding of how a car works and be able to use a manual car in an emergency.
- 0xAA55 10y agoI recently went to the ends of the earth to get a 2016 manual VW sportwagen in the US -- but it was possible after going to dealerships looking at me like I was insane. Shifting around in my BMW e36 5 speed will always be one of my greatest pleasures <3 -- nothing gets me up better for work than knowing I can speed around like an asshole on the way :) People complain about traffic, but I feel the opposite. I mean, in an auto if you see a spot to cut into you are forced to floor it to force the car in a low enough gear -- it feels like the car is suffering vrrrAHHHHHHHHER
- ollie87 10y agoI also find it funny that people prefer autos for stop-start traffic. But every single car I've ever owned can be moved using the clutch alone, zero throttle input, so moving in stop start traffic is easy.
- namaemuta 10y agoThat's only because some manual cars have acceleration on their clutch but many others don't. I've driven some that don't have it and if you don't know how to do it, your engine will stop and you'll have to reignite it (with the annoyance of people honking at you). It's also an annoyance when the traffic moves at different pace in a traffic jam because you have to stop, switch to first gear, move slowly, if the cars are moving fast enough switch to second gear, if they stop back again to first gear... If you are lucky enough and you are in a slope road, you can go without any gear selected and just use the brakes.
- mywittyname 10y agoI also find it more comfortable to hold a clutch than the brake pedal. The ergonomics of brake pedals on cars are awful, they sit really high and they are right in the middle of floor well. Clutch pedals are designed to use your entire leg in a natural motion.
- tomohawk 10y agoThat explains all the brake lights, then. In a manual, you have a lot more control and it is much less necessary to put your foot on the brake to merely slow down a little. When those brake lights fire off, it causes chain reaction braking.
- nepotism2016 10y agoI got to San Francisco last October and was due to pickup my "top class" rental car from AVIS. I got to the parked car and noticed it was automatic. I straight away thought this was a mistake and ran upstairs to ask for a manual transmission car. The two ladies before the counter looked all confused and said I would be very lucky to find such car...something like a sports car. So I spent the next 20 minutes inside the car trying to figure out how I'm going to operate a saloon, automtic (I havent driven before), wrong side of the road on a busy motorway (san fransciso airport is next to the highway)... By the end of my "training" week...I loved the automatic transmission...It even allowed me to roll my window down, hang my arm out while playing California love by Tupac&DR Dre....American dream?
- massysett 10y agoI live in an area (in USA) with a lot of car theft. A police officer said the easiest theft prevention is to buy a stick because the thieves can't drive them. He said they had a really nice bait car, but because it was a stick nobody stole it.
- Broken_Hippo 10y agoThat is a bonus! Similar story: My father (and now, my brother) had a 1963 pickup truck that he always left unlocked. He said he never worried about anyone stealing it because he figured most folks couldn't drive it. Not only was it a manual, but it was a 3-speed manual you shifted from the column, so it looked like an automatic inside but yet very much wasn't.
- beachstartup 10y agothis is called a three-on-the-tree car. as opposed to a four-on-the-floor.
- Broken_Hippo 10y agoYeah, I know, I just wasn't sure how many people would recognize the term. :)
- ionised 10y agoWeird. Passed my test in the UK a couple of weeks ago (I'm 30 years old) it was just assumed that I would be learning manual. In fact I had everybody I know tell me to learn manual (even the people that learned automatic) simply because it means I can drive both with a manual licence. I'd say most cars in the UK are manuals, far fewer automatics. I don't have exact numbers to hand, but from googling I'm seeing ~20% of cars on the roads are automatics.
- emodendroket 10y agoUnlike most other countries I'm aware of, in the US you're allowed to drive a manual car after taking the test in a car with an automatic transmission.
- megablast 10y agoLess than 3% of cars sold in the U.S. have manual controls. - 2036
- chiefalchemist 10y agoYou'll know we're serious about climate change when this changes. Manual gets better gas mileage. Sure it might be a small difference but even just 3 miles per gallon is 10% on 30 mpg. Over hundreds of thousands of cars that adds up. But we can't be bothered. It's an inconvenience. You can't drink your soy latte and drive at the same time if the vehicle is manual. I guess you can say it's a matter of priorities.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- Broken_Hippo 10y ago> You can't drink your soy latte and drive at the same time.. This is simply not true once driving a manual becomes second nature. Cupholders work to hold it when you need both hands. But in general, I agree that most folks (in the US) can't be bothered to drive one.
- dx034 10y agoThe problem is also congestion. Manual trasmission is great when there's not a lot of traffic, but it's a pain on your morning commute in LA/SF/NY/... In Europe you either live on the countryside or use public transport. Comparably few people are stuck every morning on the highway on their way to work (still a few though).
- Accacin 10y agoHow can you make such a ridiculous and broad statement? I'm in the UK and I commute an hour to work down the motorway/highway. With traffic it's an hour and I drive a manual car like just about everyone else. Most people I know still drive to work, even if the city where we live is pretty good for public transport with a lot of buses and trams available.
- fnj 10y agoFor many years I had a 70 minute commute, too, and it was a breeze in a 5-speed, even though it entailed a lot of through-town and traffic lights. On the whole I enjoyed it very much. What wasn't any fun at all were all the 10-20 minute traffic jams when all the idiots were bumper-to-bumper, oscillating between 3 mph and zero every few seconds. First gear, neutral, first, neutral; accelerate, brake, accelerate brake. Especially on an upgrade. My clutch foot was killing me.
- datashovel 10y agoI'm in US, and am always struggling to find new cars when I'm ready to buy because of this probably. Just recently I visited a dealership where the sales guy told me flat out "manual transmissions are extremely rare anymore". It may be a diagnose-able issue :) but I was a wreck (literally) when I first started driving because I would lose focus on the road. Manual transmission, it seems to me, gives me a far better "feel" for the current state of the car. How fast I'm going, and because I have to change gears it keeps me more focused on the monotony of driving. So far in my recent search I've been reluctant to even consider an automatic transmission because of what may or may not be just a psychological crutch.
- Retric 10y agoHave you tried a car with paddle shifters? There is no clutch, but you still select gears. Now they don't provide every advantage of a manual transmission, but you can for example downshift to avoid excessive breaking.
- chronolitus 10y agoDon't they provide none of the advantages of an automatic (ease of mind in traffic), and all the disadvantages (less mechanical and power efficiency, etc..) As far as I know, they're pretty much only useful in racing
- sergiosgc 10y agoIt depends on the technology. Double clutch automatic transmissions are manual transmissions with a robot that changes gears. The double clutch allows for the car to switch gears using clutches, so there is no jerky behavior. They give you as much control as a manual transmission, but only when you want to. Best of both worlds. Some paddle shifters are automatic transmissions and the paddles actuate the torque converter. The worst of both worlds.
- macintux 10y agoI've tried them on rental cars, and never found them remotely satisfying. If I had no other option, maybe, but fortunately I prefer Jeep Wranglers and there are still many, many manuals out there.
- wfunction 10y agoWould anyone happen to know what the accident rate is for drivers who drive manual vs. automatic as a whole? What about among the same drivers who drive both? (This one is to control for distractions that might be present when driving automatic but not manual.)
- bitL 10y agoI never understood how to use automatic transmission in snowy/icy conditions. To me it's basically a lottery. With manual transmission and clutch I can actually recover from a slide almost immediately (the moment you start sliding you disengage transmission right away with clutch and do initial correcting maneuver which you cut short the moment you feel any kind of traction in order not to oversteer; it takes some practice on each car but you can try it on empty parking lots during winter nights). This is not possible with automatic transmission, the neutral gear still drags wheels, driving them to slide. Of course, if you have a 300+hp engine and are a race driver, you might try to correct it using full throttle, but don't try that with a normal car unless you want to massively increase your chance of hitting traffic.
- torrent-of-ions 10y agoDude, many Americans can't drive in rain let alone snow and ice.
- vinay427 10y agoI'm not sure where you're getting that. There are hundreds of thousands in my area that seem to do it for several months every year.
- dpkrjb 10y agoI think they're trying to be flippant. Not worth indulging
- torrent-of-ions 10y agoMany Americans live outside of your area. Anyone who has experienced rain in California knows that people don't know how to drive in the rain. But it's not just there. You see people driving just as close to cars in front, without headlights or sometimes using high beams, unable to demist their windscreens etc.
- mi100hael 10y agoI've lived in northern states where everyone does 10 over in the rain and maintains the speed limit even with 2" of snow on the ground. I've lived in southern states where people refuse to go faster than 40 if the roads are anything less than bone-dry. Totally depends on what people are used to driving in.
- doener 10y agoIn Germany more than 80% still buy cars with manual transmissions: https://presse.adac.de/meldungen/technik/maenner-fahren-automatisch-frauen-mit-hand.html https://presse.adac.de/meldungen/technik/maenner-fahren-auto...
- dep_b 10y agoIn Germany you are even required to drive fast on the Autobahn while taking your drivers' test I heard. I can't find the hard numbers to back it up but probably up to 160 or 180Km/H. This is very different from the sedated "keep your lane", slow speeds and wide roads everywhere traffic in the US.
- leonhandreke 10y agoI got my license in Germany and was never required to go that fast during any driving lessons or my test. My driving instructor told me to go roughly the recommended speed of 130km/h to practice some real-world Autobahn driving. That said, I know of one person who was told to go fast on the Autobahn during their driving lessons by their instructor. Definitely not part of the official test though.
- userbinator 10y ago130km/h is still above much of the speed limits in the US.
- soebbing 10y agoThe official test does not require you to go fast, it is more important to do the proper looks when going on/off the Autobahn and overturning other cars on it. That being said, my instructor told me to "floor it" once in a driving lessons as well, just to see how it feels and how the car behaves. [Edit: Grammar]
- ygra 10y agoYou have to exhibit the ability to drive at speeds that are expected of you. That means around 110–130 on the Autobahn, otherwise the examiner might consider you to be too scared to drive up to the speed limit. I did my driving test in a place where the next Autobahn is about 15–20 minutes away and the speed limit on the roads I had to take was at most 120 km/h. It's definitely not a requirement to drive up to 160 km/h, but going 80 on the Autobahn, or 60 on regional roads (without traffic dictating so) will raise an eyebrow behind you. On the other hand, your instructor may very well encourage you to try out driving fast once, because having done that is much easier with someone next to you who can help or recover from dangerous situations.
- zappo2938 10y agoI was living San Francisco when I got a job in Las Vegas. I needed to buy a car to live in Vegas, I never owned a car before then. This is 1998 and I bought a beautiful late eighties standard transmission Toyota pickup. I already had my license for a few year but I really learned to drive with a standard transmission living on a hill in Cole Valley for two weeks. Fun times.
- ghaff 10y agoWhen I bought a car with a manual transmission quite a few years ago (I also owned a vehicle with an automatic), for the first few weeks I basically planned my commute around not having to be in stop and go traffic on a hill anywhere with the stick. I've said on a number of occasions that I couldn't imagine learning to drive a stick in SF.
- Shivetya 10y agoI guess I am one of those Luddites then, I love manuals and inherited that from my mother of all people. Fortunately they haven't been displaced very much with motorcycles and they may be the last bastion of manual transmissions. regardless of claims, I am very convinced that you can achieve the best mileage with a manual transmission and one reason for that is because you can predict your needs based on what you see and no automatic will do that. of course with EVs this is all out the window but I am always curious as to why so many EVs focus on raw power instead of gearing a lower powered motor ?
- savrajsingh 10y agoDoes that mean my six speed manual car from 2002 is worth more than the KBB price?
- philoye 10y agoRandom data point: In Australia, I've noticed consistently, over the past year or so, that about 25% of used cars are manual transmission. (Carsales.com.au is the leading used car marketplace in Oz and as of this comment there are 55k manuals and 171k autos for sale)
- pn0 10y agoEvery single car or truck I have ever owned has had standard transmissions. Until recently. In the last 2 years, I have purchased a car and a truck and they have automatic transmissions simply because a manual transmission was not available. Like many (most?) people, I purchase used and had to take "stick shift" off of my list of requirements because the selection dropped to near zero. Definitely an end of an era. Related: Though still available, it's getting harder and harder to find a pickup with a full-sized bed (8ft).
- magoon 10y agoIt's harder for a manufacturer to implement an effective stability control system in a manual. The federal mandate of safety features after the Explorer/Firestone problems included that all cars have stability control and TPS. The tire systems are easy, but stability control usually combines ABS with engine cutoff. In order for engine cutoff to work, the transmission must be engaged. This is also why automatics stay in gear when you're going downhill They call a feature "Downhill Assist" where the car attempts to maintain a stable speed relative to the pressure on the accelerator pedal. Combined with uphill assist, this makes for a more consistent driving experience.
- philoye 10y agoThis is so sad to me. Manual transmissions are just more fun, no matter which car you have. I have a 10 year old Subaru Outback and even that (top) heavy PoS gives me joy on a curvy road. Of course I know that a modern auto is _way_ faster than a human, but I don't care in the slightest. My father in law has a Mercedes C63s and holy shit is it fast, but it would be 10x better with a stick. Spending a ton of money on a Porsche 911 but getting an automatic is baffling to me—unless you actually race it. Life is too short, find fun where you can. Don't let the robots win.
- TeMPOraL 10y ago> Life is too short, find fun where you can. Don't let the robots win. Well, the thing is, you've found fun in how ICEs suck. You (like everyone saying the manual is better) have turned a bug into a feature ;). Personally I hope electric cars will win, and there's no manual transmission for electric cars, because electric engines have flat(ter) efficiency curve and don't need gears.
- flyinghamster 10y agoDriving a manual in the US has one major benefit: it foils carjackings. Every now and then, someone tries to steal a car only to find he can't drive stick. Now, though, you basically have three choices if you want a manual: economy cars, sporty cars, or trucks.
- bane 10y agoJust got back from another trip to Europe where I encountered the slightly odd European preference for manuals. I can kind of see why, the car culture is quite different from the States -- where most cars are two or three generations beyond the kind of automatics most Europeans associate with the transmission type. The inverse is that most European diesels are two or three generations beyond what most Americans associate with the type. The cars in Europe seem to be sharply divided between small, efficient feeling manual hatchbacks and powerful autobahn chewing rear wheel drive German luxury/sport sedans that will pass you on the inside lane like you're standing still when you're already going 140kph. I think because Europeans simply don't see most advanced American, Japanese and Korean cars they simply have no idea what we're getting on about and they have virtually no experience with the state of the art in modern transmissions. Having just spent a few weeks driving around in a manual again, it felt pretty absurd and old timey to be honest. For example, the absurdly tiny golfcart/hatchback I was touring around in claimed around 17km/l fuel efficiency, I don't think I ever quite hit that, I was more in the 15-16 km/l range. It was so small, I couldn't fit both my luggage and my friends in it, and it struggled to maintain speed on hills with the aircon on. Coming back home, my very modern, full sized Japanese sedan hits around 19km/l on most daily drives. Plus I can actually put both people and luggage in it at the same time, and it hits highway speeds with absolutely no drama. Most new full-sized cars in the U.S. are getting somewhere around that fuel efficiency, and the cars are closer in size to the autobahn chewers than the econohatches. I couldn't really find any particular advantage to driving a manual, and I drove it for about 3,000km just on this trip. But there were tons of disadvantages. When I asked my friends why the preference, all I got back where vague statements about "being more in touch with the car" and a bunch of outdated old-wives tales about fuel efficiency.
- bshimmin 10y agoThe "German luxury/sport sedans" overtaking you will almost certainly be automatic.
- Colex 10y agoHaving lived in the US, Canada and Europe, I have spent a lot of time driving both manual and automatic transmissions. I would say that the answer "being more in touch with the car" is not far fetched. I enjoy driving, different cars give me a different experience. But I find driving automatic cars very boring, and that's about the only reason (might be a bad reason, but still valid). I can drive both just as well, I never really thought about the fuel efficiency (I have a motorbike for driving around city that will take care of that) nor have I ever heard anyone mentioning that - I have heard that they were more expensive, but I've never tried to buy one in Europe. Regarding the size of the cars. US cities have been well planned and designed for cars, while a lot of European cities haven't really been planned for cars back then. So, when you live in a city like London, most people will go for a smaller sized car rather than an SUV (or other types of big cars common in the US), otherwise going through those small two-way traffic street and find parking can be annoying. Otherwise, I might not mind as much having a big comfortable automatic car.
- lanestp 10y agoI only buy manual transmission cars. The reason is twofold. First it is dramatically cheaper to fix a manual. The transmission also lasts longer. The second reason is that it is more fun! Any time I want I can drop a couple gears and kick out the tail. Even a front wheel drive is more fun as a manual because it takes skill to accelerate fast.
- quantum_state 10y agoI would say a sports car is not a real sports car without stick ...
- tehabe 10y agoFor most people it is not what is better, but what are they used to in daily life. I learned on manual transmission, the care I mostly use has manual transmission and gear up and down because I'm used to do it. One driving instructor warned us, not to hit the break with the left foot when driving automatic. ;-) (of course this never happened to me) Eventually I don't really care.
- emodendroket 10y ago> One driving instructor warned us, not to hit the break with the left foot when driving automatic. ;-) (of course this never happened to me) Yeah, if you go and press the brake down like it's the clutch you will be very viscerally made aware of your mistake.
- fnj 10y agoI drove manual for a long time, but after switching to automatics, I got quite good at left-foot braking without much trouble. You can get a slight advantage on reaction time doing it. The trick, besides not instinctively hitting the brake way too hard, is never to ride the brake pedal. You definitely need to build up your lifting muscles in your left ankle if you want to hold it poised one inch above the brake in stop-and-go traffic for absolutely fastest response time.
- mavhc 10y agoCars with multiple gears, how quaint.
- gerbilly 10y agoI wonder of anyone else here does this. I drive manual[1], but rarely use the clutch. I use it to start moving in 1st gear then can shift between all tho other gears without it. You have to get to know the speed where the engine and drivetrain are matched. It's not that hard after a while. Shifting between 3-4th is easiest, 1st and 2nd the hardest. I can even downshift too without clutch. You have to rev the engine a bit while in neutral to anticipate the higher RPM speed that the lower gear would require, then it slips in easily. I never grind gears doing this. I injured my left leg which made it hard to use the clutch and drove like this for a year. [1] I prefer manuals because of the onboard computer, especially in Toyotas which are suspect to me due to the 'unintended acceleration'[2] problems from a few years back. Even if the computer pegs the gas due to a bug, I can disengage the transmission. Done. Apparently they reviewed the code as a result of the problems, and it is a horrible mass of spaghetti code with hundreds of global variables. [2] The problem may not have been software and might have been driver error + statistical clustering. E.g.: the driver puts his foot on the gas thinking it's the brake, and due to the stress of the situation can't switch pedals because the urge to stop the car overrides any other thinking.
- forgetsusername 10y ago>I wonder of anyone else here does this. I never use the clutch to put the car in neutral when coming to a stop. Blip the throttle and it will fall out of gear.
- fnj 10y agoClutchless shifting is a lot of fun, but hard to do truly properly. With synchromesh, you may not be audibly grinding the gears, but you are going to wear the synchros unless your rev-matching is very good.
- overcast 10y agoFinally, I'm one of the three percent! I bought my first manual transmission car at the end of 2009, a BMW 328. Learned how to drive manual right then and there in the parking lot next to the dealer shit. Been having fun ever since :) I will say, the BMW gearbox is WAAAAAAY easier to learn on then some of those other clunkers I've played with since.
- codingdave 10y agoI'm pretty satisfied with the way my Subaru works -- I leave it in automatic most of the time, but I do have a manual option that I can use when going up/down hills, in icy conditions, or whenever I want. I'm sure other models have the same feature. It seems like the best of both worlds.
- Neliquat 10y agoShopping for a manual now. So few options in awd.
- JoeAltmaier 10y agoAll of mine are manual. Live on a gravel road - can't properly drive on loose gravel with an automatic. Then you have to creep along at 10mph. I can do 55 in my Subaru. Another downside of auto - they have all sorts of 'traction control features' that take over the accelerator. What that really means is, when driving on loose gravel they start to vibrate like one of those old vibrating-football-game toys and the car then drifts uncontrollably in a random direction. Totally dangerous. With a manual I can do a controlled four-wheel drift onto a snow-covered road and end up aligned in any desired lane. Try to do that in an automatic.
- txdv 10y agoI don't think most of us normal people would do that.
- lfowles 10y ago> they have all sorts of 'traction control features' that take over the accelerator. That's not exclusive to automatics, both of my manual cars will take over a bit if I start to lose traction.
- larrik 10y agoIsn't doing 55 on gravel going to destroy your paint? Traction Control, on paved roads, is extremely beneficial, and one of the best safety innovations since seatbelts.
- JoeAltmaier 10y agoOn smooth dry paved roads anyway. I live up here in the Arctic Zone (as my OK brother-in-law calls it) and we have weather. And gravel.
- bigtex 10y agoFor the rest of us who have to deal with traffic, manuals suck. First gear, second gear, first gear is not fun.
- goodcanadian 10y ago
- Glyptodon 10y agoI was kind of gung-ho to learn how to drive a manual back in the day, but now that cars regularly have 6 or 7 forward speeds I have absolutely no desire to drive a manual transmission again, especially in a city.
- SonicSoul 10y agoPorsche is actually bringing back 911 GT3 in manual thanks to popular demand (after their older manual models went up in price). Can't wait for that #MAGA check so I can finally buy one http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/04/porsche-911-gt3-manual-report/ http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/04/porsche-911-gt3-manual-re...
- emodendroket 10y agoThe worst part about driving a manual car is any place where someone else has to drive it (like say the mechanic's) they end up putting the seat like 2 inches away from the wheel.
- aabajian 10y agoI think it's fair to say at this point that people aren't buying manual for the fuel economy, but for the fun and control provided by the interface. I think if you take a look at cars that come only in manual in 2015, they take a distinctly sporty direction: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/g6415/13-manual-only-cars/?slide=5 http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/g6415/13-manual-only...
- mdimec4 10y agoQuote: "And it takes a really patient instructor to teach it." That is bullshit. It is not that hard, everybody can learn it with little guidance and practice. The law here in some parts of Europe (e.g. Slovenia) states, that if you make licence with automatic, then you are licensed only to drive automatic, but if you make it with manual, you can drive everything. So literally everybody here learns manual. Most of them are 18 years old when they start. Most of the cars are manuals here anyway. But trend goes in favour of automatics for high end cars,
- ryandrake 10y agoI learned to drive manual when I bought a manual transmission car and had to drive it home from the previous owner's house. It's really not a difficult skill. But people look at me as though I'm a wizard when I'm driving my own car. It's kind of crazy.
- 6stringmerc 10y agoIt can be picked up rather easily in a modern car, sure, but I'd like to note that not all manual transmissions are the same. As in, to drive many of them well, it does take a patient instructor and diligent student to understand the fundamentals, timing, muscle coordination, etc. To your point, yes, everybody can probably do it, but can they do it well? The test I grew up with was a 1991 Ford Ranger, V6, 5 speed manual. The clutch engagement was extremely narrow and the V6 was kind of underpowered, especially with the A/C on in Texas, so learning how to make smooth take-offs was very difficult. I wasn't allowed to take that truck out on my own until I could drive around a passenger with a cup of coffee, not to the brim but definitely there, and not be rough to cause a spill. It was a high bar in my opinion. Years later, my VW GTi 5 speed and clutch felt like an absolute dream, buttery, easy. Learning on the much harder transmission, in my opinion, was beneficial.
- mdimec4 10y agoYes some older cars are I imagine were rely hard. My mom is totaly non car person, but in old days she had a car with non Non-synchronous 1-st and 2-nd gear. And she managed to figure it out and drive it. This sounds hard to me :)
- vladsanchez 10y agoI'm one of them. I drive a 2001 Hyundai Elantra GT, with 190k miles in it, still in the original clutch kit. I refuse to drive anything else, especially automatic transmission cars. They're BORING!
- hash-set 10y agoIt just goes to show that before we worry about self driving cars we have huge improvements that can be made in driver skill! It's an easy win if only this country had the will to do it.
- intrasight 10y agoI've not owned a stick in like 10 years. Everyone around me drives SUVs or hybrids or big sedans - I assume those aren't even available with manual transmission. One thing I do miss about the stick is that at stop signs I always did come to a full stop in order to shift into first gear.
- kasey_junk 10y agoMy most recent car purchase was a manual transmission Subaru Impreza. Technically, it is the bottom end car that Subaru sell in the USA. I had to get on a wait list and put a deposit on it because of how few were available. I suspect there is higher demand for manual transmission cars in the USA but the distribution costs of them make it just simpler to not drive one.
- Tsarbomb 10y agoTo be fair, Subaru has amazing CVT technology which probably skews the stats even more again manual.
- rizowski 10y agoWooo! I am the 3%. I purchased a 2015 Subaru WRX and it is a huge upgrade from a 1996 Dodge Neon when it comes to using a manual. It isn't jerky when you shift and has features to keep you from rolling back on a hill when you press in the clutch. I learned to drive on a standard, and I feel like I have much more control over the car with a standard transmission.
- andrewvijay 10y agoDisable ad blocker? Fuck you. Don't track me then
- analog31 10y agoIt's an interesting discussion. I've driven both stick and automatic for 35+ years. The choice was usually whatever I could lay my hands on, such as various cast-off, used, and borrowed cars. My family owned a full size Dodge van with a 3-speed automatic that was quite primitive, but we took it on vacations, and drove it under the most absurd conditions -- snow, ice, gravel, dirt, off-road, you name it. There were specialized vehicles for off-road use, but not a lot of people had them. It was before the era of the SUV. I think if you drive an automatic car for a while, especially one as bad as that Dodge van, you develop a feel for when it's going to shift. You can nudge it up and down with the gas pedal. This is just a matter of being an attentive driver. Today, I prefer automatic, but am not in a hurry to get rid of our one car with stick. I just like automation and convenience. Stepping on a pedal and pushing a lever back and forth hundreds of times, just to get from A to B in one piece, seems gratuitous. Hell, my wash machine chooses gears by itself, why shouldn't my car? I definitely made sure my daughter learned to drive stick. She took her drivers test on it. Is fuel economy important? Sure, but I save fuel in many ways: Driving a smaller car, combining / eliminating trips, riding my bike, carpooling, etc. When I see a giant SUV being used for daily commuting, I doubt the automatic tranny is the reason why it's a waste of fuel.
- bosdev 10y agoThe car sales environment makes it particularly hard to buy a manual car these days. Even for cars which are still made in manual like the BMW 340i and the Nissan Juke, it is impossible to find a manual version on a dealership lot. I don't know if it's because they acknowledge they're harder to sell, or because they don't like people test driving manuals, but either way you will be ordering your car if you want it as a stick. That generally corresponds to a 6-10 week wait for your car, which doesn't align well with an American public who want their car today.
- titomc 10y agoAutomatics makes the driver hands free for texting,snapchatting,makeup. A recipe for accidents. No I don't have data to back this claim.
- 40something 10y agoOne of my interview questions is if they prefer manual or automatic transmission. Most of our rockstars drive manual.
- krschultz 10y agoI'm sure this is a joke, but you actually shouldn't ask anyone in an interview if they own a car or how they intend to get to work. http://www.snagajob.com/employers/erc/article/the-top-3-illegal-interview-questions/ http://www.snagajob.com/employers/erc/article/the-top-3-ille...
- taphangum 10y agoAnd all of them are owned by rental companies, it seems.
- sturmeh 10y agoI highly recommend everyone learns to drive a manual before it becomes a dead art, it's truly a lot more fun and engaging experience. That being said there's obvious cause for the shift to all-automatic, just like we'll all be using self-driving cars not long in the future. However what concerns me is that automatic transmissions are not only more expensive in general, but harder to maintain / less reliable. That a trend of laziness has created this demand, to the point where 97% of US consumers choose to pay more to automate the process I find so enjoyable. To be fair a majority use case for driving is daily commute, and it's not nearly as fun to drive a manual in heavy traffic as it is to cruise windy roads on the weekend.
- hx87 10y ago> but harder to maintain I'd have to dispute that--ATF change intervals are about the same as clutch change intervals (disregarding the "lifetime ATF" crap that manufacturers peddle) but cost far less, and otherwise automatic transmissions today last the lifetime of the car.
- jperras 10y agoI think what he was getting at is: if so inclined, you can repair or replace your own clutch (as a hobbyist or someone who is mechanically inclined), but doing the same to a hydraulic-based automatic transmission or a CVT is a tall order unless you are professionally trained.
- fnj 10y agoATF change - 30,000 miles. Clutch service - maybe 300,000 miles if your car body lasts that long before rusting to hell. That's if you know how to drive.
- arprocter 10y agoThe service schedule for a VW DSG is fluid change every 40k and there's also a filter which needs replacing too.
- mhkhung 10y agoAutomatic transmissions are way more reliable, with the computer shifting gears at perfect timing each time. None of my automatic transmission cars (1st hand, sold after 4-8 years) ever need to have its gear box repaired. Manual transmission, on the other hand, more than 1 thing would break for sure after 4 years (right after the warranty expires of course) for sure. Gearbox, clutch cables, ... Cars with auto transmission costs and extra thousand but you get it back when you sell the car, plus you won't rack up expensive repairs and towing.
- martin-adams 10y agoI found that when I drove in LA (lots of traffic lights), and drove from NY to SF, having an automatic was really helpful. I drive a manual every day here in the UK, but when you have to stop/start (traffic, lights, etc), I wish I had an automatic. But then, I love driving around normally with a manual. It's not really something I think about when driving.
- jff 10y ago> Radio host Adam Carolla, who collects and races vintage cars, said with a stick shift, drivers can’t “just lean back and go into autopilot mode.” I think this is an overlooked advantage. Modern cars are ridiculously powerful, yet modern drivers are more less attentive than ever. I feel like the roads would be safer if everyone wasn't just mashing the Go pedal as soon as the light turns green. A manual transmission promotes more mindful driving.
- CWuestefeld 10y agoI intuitively agree, but this is based on my own feelings. I'd love to see an actual scientific study demonstrating the effect.
- bischofs 10y agoOne of the things HN always harps on is automation of work and effort that humans do as to free us up time to work on stuff that we really want to do ( creative efforts, time with family etc). But if in the process of automating everything in life we remove the simple joys that many get out of things like driving then we are moving in the wrong direction. If I didn't have to do the dishes or grocery shop I would probably fill that time driving my various cars because they give me great joy rowing through the gears and connecting with the machinery of the car. We should be hesitant trying to make life too efficient and removing the things people enjoy doing.
- vondur 10y agoNot surprised, if you spend any time in traffic, manual transmissions get to be a pain after a while. Having said that, I learned to drive a manual and my first car was manual, in fact it was really bare bones. (no AC, power steering, power brakes etc...)
- raldi 10y agoI rented an automatic in Greece, and it was the most malfunctioning, poorly-maintained transmission I've ever used. If that's what Europeans think driving an automatic is supposed to be like, it's no wonder manuals are so popular there.
- eeeeeeeeeeeee 10y agoAs someone that bought a VW (in the US) and specifically wanted a manual (after having an automatic previously), this is sad. It was hard to find the car I wanted, I had to make a road trip of it. I prefer my manual transmission to the automatic Volkswagen's. I think the DSG is just not quite ready for primetime. Especially in snow. Having a manual transmission, even on a car without 4WD, is a huge advantage in snow (the DSG won't let the car stall out, so it restricts how much you can downshift).
- daodedickinson 10y agoToo bad that when all the vehicles are hackable, political assassination will be way too easy.
- jakelarkin 10y ago20 years ago automatics were 1) much more expensive 2) had worse gas mileage 3) were slow shifting 4) did not have fast up/down shift controls 5) had sloppy throttle response thanks to economies of scale and new technology, car makers have bridged the gap on all fronts. So while I personally prefer manuals I can see why most people just get automatics, given the high cost of learning manual. teaching people to stop-start manual on steep hills is extremely hard and frustrating for all parties. it's hard on the car too.
- chrisper 10y agoNewer cars (even manual ones) have hill assist which avoids your car rolling back on the hill.
- dfar1 10y agoI grew up in Brazil where most cars are manual. After my first automatic car, I really missed switching gears... and I ended up going back to manual. Some friends ask if I don't ever get tired switching gears, but after you've done it for so long, it becomes second nature, you don't have to think about it. Whether true or false, I feel like I have more control of the car when I'm in control of the gear... specially when going up/down a steep hill, or going through terrains other than asphalt.
- rconti 10y agoI've only owned manual transmission cars since I was old enough to buy my own, including my most recent car, a 2016 Golf R. In fact, I specifically bought the Golf instead of the BMW I wanted to buy, because BMW dropped the manual transmission choice. I enjoy shifting, and even in bay area traffic, I simply don't get what's "hard'" about changing gears. I'm already sitting there in front of the controls. It really takes no additional effort or brainpower, it's second nature. It's like complaining it's too much work to press the brake to avoid colliding with the car in front of you. It's driving.
- legohead 10y agoI loved my manual car when I lived in a state with little traffic. Now that I'm in CA, a manual sounds like a nightmare.
- balls187 10y agoI live in Seattle where traffic sucks, and there are hills. I drive a manual. You get used to it.
- danans 10y agoAn unusual use of a manual transmission (in a motorcycle) is Brammo's Empulse R, which is fully electric, but has a 6 speed manual transmission just to give it a classic ICE motorcycle manual-shifting experience, and to give it a tiny bit more acceleration from a dead stop. This review comparing it to Zero's single-speed electric motorcycle seems to suggest it's mostly not worth the added complexity: http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/10/31/brammo-empulse-r-vs-zero-s-electric-motorcycles-comparison-test-specs-photos http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/10/31/brammo-empulse-r-vs-zer... EDIT: apparenly Brammo sold their motorycle business to Victory: http://www.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/electric/empulse-tt-titanium-silver-havasu-red http://www.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/electric/empulse-tt-...
- rconti 10y agoMost of the systems and network engineers I know drive a manual transmission car. Perhaps it should be an interview question :) I specifically skipped the BMW I wanted to buy in order to buy a 2016 VW that had a manual. "My" first 2 cars were automatics as they were hand-me-downs before I was an adult. All 5 cars and 2 motorcycles I've purchased have been manuals, and I don't see that changing. I'll probably never buy an automatic transmission vehicle in my life. I'll go straight to electrics. I simply hate the feeling of driving an automatic, even a paddle shift dual clutch. Not for me.
- penglish1 10y agoJust one more reason to get a motorcycle. Or two. Maybe three. Did you know you can fit several motorcycles in the same space as just one car in your garage? Also, I feel compelled to point out that you can get a Porsche, or Lotus or whatever and feel pretty cool with your francy sports car. Or you can get _several_ top of the line motorcycles for the same price. Just sayin'
- derptron 10y agoAccording to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2006, 13.10 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 72.34 per 100,000 registered motorcycles. Where do I sign up?
- crims0n 10y agoI agree and have come to the same conclusion. I wanted a nice (manual) sports car here in the states - but for the same price I can get a nice sports bike, ADV bike, AND cruiser. As much fun as it would be to have a sports car, being able to walk out to the garage and pick which bike fits my mood for the day beats it every time. Furthermore, motorcycles are far more engaging, exhilarating, and challenging than a sports car could ever be.
- jinushaun 10y agoBecause you can't actually buy them. I bought a car a few years ago, the option was base trim with manual or all other trims in automatic. It was very frustrating. If the choice is between automatic windows, dual climate control, heated seats, etc or a manual, you'd be a fool to choose the manual no matter how much you prefer it over an automatic. Then of course, the "sales data" feeds back to the manufacturer and everyone keeps buying into the notion that no one wants manuals.
- ptmcc 10y agoExactly this. Plus dealers don't ever stock any, either, so you have to special order as well. I'd be fine special ordering, but seems most people are not willing to wait. I'm a diehard manual enthusiast, but nearly all of the few remaining models out there that even offer a manual transmission only offer it on the base stripped-down model. They seem to think that the manual is the "frugal jerk" option, and only offer it in the trim levels that hardly anyone even buys in the first place regardless of transmission. My current car is a 2004 BMW 330 with a 6-speed manual, but it also has all the options. Leather, power everything, adaptive xenon lights, moonroof, heated seats, etc., etc. Every time I get the urge to buy a new car I'd have to give up most of those nice features to get a manual transmission because you can't option it with the fully loaded packages or engine/drivetrain combos. BMW, for the moment, continues to be the exception by offering manuals in nearly all configurations of the 2/3/4 series, but man the prices on them these days has really gotten up there, plus all the new turbo and electronic stuff likely isn't going to hold up as well as the old N/A straight sixes.
- vcarl 10y agoI recently purchased a Fiesta ST, which (along with the Focus ST) bucks this trend. The Fiesta is a cheap car, but the highest trim package, ST, is exclusively available as a manual and adds 70 HP. The Focus ST is the same, with an even bigger HP bump. Hopefully somebody else decides to compete with Ford for the budget enthusiast market, and we get a bunch of fun manuals :)
- mrchucklepants 10y agoI also own a 2015 Fiesta ST as my daily driver. It's the most fun I've ever had in a car.
- devy 10y agoIn 10 or 20 years from now, perhaps the news article would read "Fewer than 3% of cars sold in the U.S. needs manual drive mode."
- cpncrunch 10y agoIn Canada it is currently $1250 cheaper to buy a manual Ford Focus than one with automatic transmission.
- balls187 10y agoI want an electric car with a fake manual transmission. Like all those racing arcade games. I love my 350 HP 6speed GolfR.
- peterjlee 10y agoI live in a urban city in the US and when I tried to learn how to drive a manual I couldn't find a way. Most of my friends can't drive a manual or even have a car and none of them own a manual. When I contacted a few local driving schools for manual lessons, they replied they don't have any manuals on their fleet but they'll teach me if I somehow bring my own. I might just move on and just settle for a DCT on my next car since knowing how to drive at all will become a lost art in a few decades.
- rr92 10y agoWell, from my point of view this is the main difference between EEUU and Europe. To understand the difference and the 3% you need to read about volkswagen scandal. Better or worse, probably in few years there will not be more cars with manual transmissions on U.S.
- reubenswartz 10y agoI'm one of the holdouts (but I had to special order the car). It's just more fun to drive. Hoping to skip the automatic gearbox and go straight to electric in a few years.
- notadoc 10y agoJudging by some of the comments here, you'd expect Tesla to release a manual... Really, outside of a sports car with plenty of room to enjoy it, they aren't convenient. A manual in typical commuter bumper to bumper traffic is particularly annoying.
- sagarm 10y agoAuto-playing audio? Are you kidding me?