Manual vs Automatic

Dude, put away the guns...no one is arguing or trying to discredit you. I don’t get why everyone is so sensitive around here...

I was trying to get and give a frame of reference. If you are used to how a car shifts, you will hate any truck transmission. Like it or not, a huge number of third gen taco owners are getting their first truck and first non-sporty experience with a manual. Your complaints sounded very similar to those and then you listed your credentials that all sounded pretty non truck like.

i really could care less what some dude (not you in specific, anyone) on the internet I’m never going to meet thinks about my perceived driving abilities. I listed my past experiences with manual transmissions to say “coming from this, I don’t think these drive too bad”. I’ve certainly driven better, but the transmission is far from anything I would complain about on here. The lack of low end power? Sure. The numb clutch? Yup. The rest, works great.

I’m guessing you are pushing 40? Stop worrying about what others think about you. Life is short. Oh and props for owning a manual ZJ, they only made what, 1500 of those?

 

Thanks. That was the thing I liked about the red. Its a fully loaded sport. I get lots of comments about how luxurious it looks.

 

Yeah it almost makes me wonder if Barcelona Red varied depending on the batch produced or something lol. It can look so different truck to truck. I had mine ceramic coated which helps show its true potential.

 

Be interesting how that red looks in a few years. I really like red also, and had a number of red toyota 4wd's, but all of them faded badly after several years. Ceramic coatings weren't around back then, just good old canaubra wax's.

 

I wish I could take credit for the passage below, sadly the words are not mine -- I feel they capture many manual drivers passion.

We are the guardians of a dying art. The purveyors of a craft born of necessity, but beloved for its spirit. We travel with purpose regardless of our destination. Every corner an opportunity for the perfect downshift, every stop a new starting line. We find joy in those fleeting moments between ratios; the crescendo of rpm, the gentle click of the gate, the building inertia in our chest as the drivetrain becomes whole again. We are the masters of our machines. We are The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society!

https://tmgps.org/ABOUT

 

Oh my. To each their own, but what a bunch of pretentious hipster-esque nonsense. Like their entire identity is tied to a transmission choice. If I saw anyone wearing a shirt like that, I’d avoid them like the plague.. cause you just know they’re gonna be a talker.
Makes me want to go buy an auto just to spite them.

No one cares that you drive a manual. No one.

 

I care

 

Difficult days ahead for you in that case. What are the sales figures for manuals these days?

 

Already a dinosaur. Sorry my man. I’m surprised Ford put one in the Bronco.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a29732878/electric-cars-sales-manual-transmission/

I drive a manual. But my god, manual transmission owners can be insufferable, as witnessed by that club. Manuals will go down the way of crank start. In the future men with complicated beards will drive them at Goodwood.

 

‘21 right here.

 

I made the mistake of teaching all my friends and family how to drive stick. Sometimes it feels like there’s a waitlist to borrow the truck. No regrets though, makes group road trips way more fun.

 

Sure can!

 

Still hope for MT even with electric vehicles.
Electric Ford Mustang has 900 horsepower and a manual transmission (motorauthority.com)

 

That’s a one off prototype to get people talking though. Did anyone even get to test it out?
Just imagine the liability of that instant monster torque and a human trying to shift properly without blowing the tranny into the atmosphere. What ratio would you even use? And how would the warranty even work?
BMWs remaining manuals are on neutered cars. Porsche still offers manual [to curb used limited manual model values], but their PDK outsells it. Mercs manual is dead. Everything is a trickle down effect.
The day Tesla puts a manual in their car, then we can talk about hope for the manual. They are the trend setters, like it or not [just take Toyotas subscription based services as an example.. where did they get that idea from?]
Hell the Dual Clutch transmission is practically dead now as well.

I love the manual, but people need to face reality in this situation. Hipster clubs and all.

 

I did read an article of people driving and it was pretty cool, if you wanted to drive it as an Automatic you could stick it in 3rd gear and drive away and if you wanted to have fun you could choose Manual Mode and have at it with the clutch and gears.

 

It’s kinda funny that they would show this tech off.. but keep the Bronco manual on the smaller engine. At least they caved and offer the Sasquatch package with the manuals now.
I’d love to see manuals in more cars. Unfortunately the general car buying public dictates those kinda things.

 

I do mostly agree with that I love me an MT transmission, such a joy!

Except for the “dying art” and “manual preservation society” statements. I wouldn’t call it an art, just takes practice, just like everything else.
I do have the “endangered species” sticker in the back though...

 

Zero problems , paint or anything else 2019 with 28 k miles super white MT

 

A little dramatic but I do get the sentiment. I find most younger folk who drive manual (Especially some women) seem to think we should be impressed they have enough neurons firing to be capable of moving a shifter and depressing a clutch pedal at the same time!

 

Any idea where that shift boot or whatever it's called is from? The shifter in the manual I test drove looks so dorky compared to the rest of the interior.

Also interested if anyone knows of someone producing bent shift rods for better driver comfort.