Are manual transmissions really that unpopular?

When I was searching for my ideal Tacoma, I had one hell of a time finding one in a manual, much less with the options I wanted. I was planning on going with an auto for no other reason than because the manuals just weren't there. I could have ordered one, but I had recently watched my buddy go through a lot of back and fourth for 8 months to get his manual sport Civic. Between all of the lots I combed, over 330 Tacomas, I found TWO that were equipped with a manual. Luck was on my side that day and one of them just happened to be a QS OR DCSB which was exactly what I wanted. I know a lot of people who weren't so lucky and despite being lifelong MT drivers, bought an AT because, well, there were no MT's for them to buy.

So, it's no question at this point, that the manual trans has been slowly dying and the time when we start seeing the option omitted all-together seems to be approaching at a rapid pace. According to manufacturers, less than 3% of US consumers want a stick shift.

But, I question that 3% figure. From what I've read, it's based entirely off of sales. In other countries MTs are the overwhelming favorite, so I find it hard to believe that the statistics change that much when you step foot in the US.

For a while, I've felt like manufacturers have been trying to steer consumers away from the MT. This would be in the form of limiting features and options available on manual equipped vehicles as well as overall availability. I've also watched some videos of Toyota/GM/Ford reps being asked about newer model AT's putting out better fuel economy (a longtime trump card for MT vehicles) than the MT option. They praise new AT technology that has allowed for this with no mention of changes in the gearing that ultimately make up the difference in fuel economy. Am I just delusional, or are manufacturers the culprit behind the decreasing popularity of the manual transmission in the US?

I fully admit these may just be the ramblings of a sore MT fan, but this theory does have some logic behind it. Manufacturers could stand to save a lot by eliminating costly, less popular configurations. They've been slowly stabbing away at the features they offer on MT vehicles to the point you can only get them in a small handful of configurations anymore. It kinda irks me that I got an Off-Road model and the list of available features looked more like a base model spread sheet than one of the upper trim levels.

Anyway, this post ended up being much longer than I anticipated, so have at it!

 

Depends on age I guess. When I was younger I would only drive a MT. Now that I am an old fud I would rather drive an auto

 

Of course manufacturers dont want to have to make 2 different transmissions, ecus, and a bunch of other supporting things like wiring, sensors, etc... Its all about money and if they could corner the US market into buying only A/Ts then they will, whether it means straight up lying to us about the numbers and actively discouraging people from buying/learning to drive manual vehicles or not. They don't really care about telling people the truth about it because they just dont want to spend the money to develop, produce, and install both transmissions so they are trying to find a way out of it. Convincing people based on made up statistics that they would be 'different' for wanting to learn to drive a manual, and having this actually affect buying patterns is just convenient for car manufacturers..

I think its really messed up that it works that way, but I don't believe its only 3% of people that drive manuals.. I see other people driving manual cars all the time and I just don't buy that only 3% of people want an MT.

If there IS any truth in that then blame driver's ed not requiring people to at least be able to get into/change gears in an MT.

 

Idk if you’ve noticed or not... but Americans are lazy!!! They don’t want to change gears!! He want to be able to to just sit there and drive. All my friends give me a bad time for not having a auto... but I’m a hyper person I need something to keep me occupied when I’m driving and a third pedal does the trick

 

Ferrari hasn't produced a manual transmission for some time now. That should tell you something.

It's a dying breed. That's just the truth. Auto manufacturers, like any company, are in the business of making money. If there were money in manuals, you can rest assured they would produce them.

 

^^ agreed. It's all about catering to the consumers, and people want ease of use, better performance, and better fuel economy. All of these are offered by modern AT's.

I'm someone who likes tech, but not in cars. I hate touchscreens, Bluetooth, driving aids, cellular connectivity . . . but like MTs, when it comes time to replace my current vehicles I really doubt I'm going to find anything available without all that junk because it's what manufacturers think consumers want.

 

Less maintenance on an auto. Didn't used to be this way.

 

I had a '98 Dakota MT bought new and put over 400,000 miles on it.
I just bought this 2015 2WD with less than 13,000 on it.
It has MT and will be rolling on family car tires soon
Those are Terra Grappler G2's on all 4 corners and maybe a lift kit.
What were they thinking?

 

The Gov't? I think you mean Facebook or Google. The gov'ts been shirking it's duties for years and private corporations are taking over. Here in DC we have toll Lanes built and paid for by private, foreign companies. And VDOT can't improve traffic on I95 because it's written into the contract with the corporation they can't divert too much traffic off the toll lanes.
Biggest name in space right now? SpaceX
Who's developing all the self driving cars? Tesla, Google, to a lesser extent Uber.
Who's filling your pot holes? Freakin Domino's Pizza
I'm sure all these corporations have the public's best interests in mind too

That's my different kind of anti-govt rant

 

As far as manuals go, when I was looking for my DCLB, I couldnt find a single one. Im a bit of a manual purist, and we have two manual cars, but i gotta admit there are some days where traffic sucks so bad I take the truck to work because I don't want to deal with a clutch. Traffic always flows in between gears

 

Ferrari is not even in the same realm as trucks. It has nothing to do with the market, it is about speed and the truth is.... a computer with paddle shifters is so much quicker when driving or really pushing the limits (i.e. racing). Most people trying to buy super ads are actually pissed when they realize that sticks are rare nowadays. Its about efficiency and performance.

Next, manual transmissions will never go anywhere. Maybe here in the US, but step into another country and you may not even be able to find an automatic. In many countries it’s the manual that is the norm. We are just in a country that is slowly getting away from manuals. Most of the world is the exact opposite.

 

DCLB was not offered in a manual transmission.

 

... What exactly is your post supposed to mean? Manufacturers still make plenty of manuals, just not primarily for US customers. This means that plenty are being made and will continue to be produced just maybe not as much as here in good ol Merica.

 

Here in the US, EPA required mpgs with manufactures and the auto transmission ability to get better mpgs has a big factor on this. Not to mention the lazy Americans just do it for me attitude. Then we have the crazy traffic that folks ar dealing with now, many folks refuse a manual because they feel it's more difficult to drive in congested traffic.

Oh and now we have the automatic/manual transmissions or so some will try to convince the public they are the same.

 

Doesn't anyone care about preference anymore? You can show me statistics all day long but that will never change my desire to drive a manual. I like driving them more than I like driving auto, it's as simple as that. I like them AND THERES NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.

 

I think the AT has come a long way in the past 20 years. It used to be that they were expensive to repair and would often need a rebuild or major maintenance before 150,000 miles. They’re still expensive to repair, but need less maintenance and are more efficient.

My last 3 vehicles have been manuals, but this will probably be my last given the modern efficiency and durability.

 

For me it depends on the applications, my Tacoma is my "fun" truck I don't really tow with it of anything. I drive it to work on occasion or to hit a trail or if I just feel like shifting gears. My Silverado is an auto, I tow often and it sits on a boat ramp a lot. Sport's cars manual for me. ...

 

It’s certainly more fun in some situations but driving in traffic everyday isn’t one of them.

 

The only repair needed on my 400,000 miles of Dakota MT was the throw-out bearing. The clutch plate had plenty of life left in it.