Are manual transmissions really that unpopular?

America is also land of the long distance freeway and fattie sized parking spots. Europe is all about short distance travel often with tight corners and steep ascents off the freeway. The rest of the world has goat paths. It’s easy to guess where manuals would be the most popular lol.

 

Thank you for the clarification!

 

I've done the AT with paddle shift off road. I'll row my own as long as I can. Less stress on the mind when I'm 35 miles away from anything .

 

Yep. Unless things have changed it's only the base trim in a 4cyl for the Colorado

 

I think so. The TRD Sport, TRD OR and TRD pro are available in MT. No other brand offers their top trim Trucks in MT. Very few top-trim vehicles have MT at all.

 

Ignoring effective repair, as well. I just dropped $500 to replace a buried water pump on a Chevy HHR

 

When I was shopping I stopped at the Chevy dealership, the salesman laughed at me when I asked for a manual. He said it would be dam near impossible to get one for me.

 

They're dying out for good reason, the automatics are putting up better performance and MPG numbers across the board more and more. I learned to drive in a manual, my first few vehicles were manual and appreciate them for what they are, but automatics have my vote and will be my preference from now on buying anything, shifting gears in traffic is miserable and loses it's appeal quickly. Even the commercial trucking industry is moving away from manuals, that tells you how much automatics have improved! Tacoma is one of the last pickup trucks you can even get in a manual, Ford and Chevy and even the Tundra are all automatic, and Dodge only offers it in a Cummins diesel that is severely detuned compared to the automatic version.

I suspect in another 10 years or less the automatic transmission will have completely taken over, the only manuals you'll be able to get ahold of are on the used market. The marginal cost to profit ratio of having them in the lineup is making many manufacturers drop them altogether. Face it, nobody wants to shift gears anymore and for good reason, why buy something that's harder to drive and gets less MPG than something that's easy to drive and gets better MPG?

 

Because I like to?

One of those things that makes living the free life that much more enjoyable ya know...having a choice in a matter.

I drive a manual in LA traffic every day and have been for the past 14 years across the span of 4 different vehicles; never once have I wanted to get an auto. I go out of my way to find a manual because I prefer 3 pedals. People like me do exist you know...

...or maybe I don't...maybe I'm just a figment of my own imagination. Damn

 

Well you've met one...first thing I did to my 65 mustang fastback was delete the power steering and I deleted it on my 91 gt vert. And I plan on doing it to my 95 Mustang GTS


Its called MANual for a reason.

 

I see what you did there

 

I’m on my 3rd MT truck. Got rid of all my full size trucks and won’t get another Till I need to tow again. Socal traffic in a MT isn’t an issue. You don’t even realize your shifting as it becomes natural. I’ve known multiple guys who got sports cars in auto just to say their car is “faster” or to have the easier acceleration times. Then they drive a manual of the exact same car and cant believe how much more fun the exact same car is. The next car I want is a c7 Z06 with a MT (unless c8 midengine design comes in MT). I know without a doubt the auto will have faster split times. But after driving both the auto and manual, there no compromising. MPG and performance stats mean nothing to me personally. We spend a nice percentage of our lives in a vehicle. Life’s to short to worry about miles per gallon, drive for smiles per gallon.
Shift on 3pedal brothers.

 

Niche markets. Off roading ect. Probably not enough to justify mass production any more.

But I disagree with no one wants to shift gears anymore. It's cool that they're putting a ton of development into larger gearboxes over the years, but for those of us who aren't flat Landers, they can still leave areas to be desired.

My gfs Jeep Grand Cherokee is a perfect example. I can select a gear whenever I want. When it gets there is a whole different deal. And if I have to go to paddle shift to get the response I want with a delay, why do I care if I have to hit a 3rd pedal? At least then I get engine braking, a transmission that won't overheat the same way an AT does and certain engagement.

You're right, for the masses the AT has been the prevailing choice for a long time. But the MT fans are still there. Thus the MT fans club thread pops up on the main page a couple times every hour.


Or better yet, ask around at how many MT Tacoma owners on this site are unhappy with their truck vs the AT owners. With 3rd gens I'd be as bold to claim it's a landslide in favor of a higher rate of happiness with the MT owners.

 

Less maintenance with an automatic? How you figure? A manual has less moving parts and a quality gear oil will last the life of a vehicle likely.

 

Oh....I forgot to add....I drive manual transmission vehicles.....I test drove probably 50 different vehicles and even though I wanted a six cylinder I got the four because it was a manual....wasn't until later I realized the 4cyl was the engine that had more R&D behind it.

 

No the key is they're never happy, so make the most of it and make yourself happy.

 

VW gti is still 53% MT in new cars as well.

 

I drive my manual in D.C. traffic, prob not quite as bad as L.A. but still pretty bad.
And i enjoy shifting the gears regardless of the 1 mpg difference vs. the AT
As long as the option is there I'll only get the MT. Maybe that means i have to buy used from now on but ill enjoy driving every day while everyone else just has to get from A to B.

 

I'll keep my manual....better control in bad weather, less people to steal it, cheaper to repair/maintain, cheaper to manufacture, more fun to drive (for me at least...and yes I drive in bad traffic).

 

When I was younger they were called standard shift because most cars until the 1980s came as stick shift with auto being maybe an option. You usually progressed up the chain until you got a Buick at 50, which were automatics forever. It's when men were men, women were few and sheep were scared. And yup, the undertaker is gonna have to pry my hand off the gear shift, if for no other reason than I want to tell the powers to be to stick it where the sun don't shine. If they're not gonna give me diesel engines and vinyl floors anymore I'm at least gonna do my little bit to foul up their utopian plan for dull sameness in cars.