The Demise of the Manual Transmission

[VictoryAtNight]

Now we come to the year 2010. The ability to drive a car equipped with a manual transmission is becoming a dying art. The sales numbers tell the story: In 1985, according to Ward’s Communications, 22.4% of all vehicles sold in the United States came with a manual transmission. By 2007, the number had plummeted to 7.7%.
A quick check of vehicles for sale on AOL Autos tells a similar story. Of the 4,391,747 vehicles recently listed for sale, only 241,560 -- or 5.5% -- came with a manual.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/26/s...t-love-affair/



There are many articles regarding this subject, but this is the first one that I read many years ago and kept a copy.
I have 2 vehicles that are 5-speeds and would not never consider replacing it with an automatic. If I ever buy another car, a manual transmission is a requirement.

Are there any stick-shift enthusiasts?

[Jett Rink]

I have heard a manual transmission is a pain in the ass to drive in a city. Why get one when you can have the ease and comfort of an automatic transmission? I never learned how to drive manual.

[OI8T12]

I learned how to drive using a stick shift. It was my mother's 1968 VW. I drove it up and down in our driveway, until I backed into the bush on the side of the house. I was only 12 years old at the time. Later, when I was older, I use to borrow,

[Show spoiler](steal )

her 72 Pinto when I was around 15. I used to drive it around the back roads in the small town I grew up in. I could actually get a small chirp from the rear tires banging second gear in that car. It was hella fun. One day my father caught me, that was the end of my borrowing cars from my parents.

During one of my many mid life crisis, I was really into Mustangs. We had 3 of them in the driveway at one point. Mine was the supercharged Cobra, my son had a 5.0 GT, and my wife drove a 5.0 GT convertible. They all had sticks. I had to teach my wife how to drive the stick shift. It wasn't easy, but hey, if she wanted to go somewhere she had to learn how to drive it.

So yeah, I'm ok with a manual transmission. Our present cars are all automatics, but that's because they are grown up cars. No more mid life crisis.

[OI8T12]

Originally Posted by Jett Rink

I have heard a manual transmission is a pain in the ass to drive in a city. Why get one when you can have the ease and comfort of an automatic transmission? I never learned how to drive manual.

Yes, they are a pain to drive in the city. If you're in bumper to bumper traffic all the time can be really bad. I use to drive in and out of Boston all the time in my Mustang. It didn't really bother me too much in the morning, but the commute home was way worse. That's the price you pay for driving a sports car.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by OI8T12

Yes, they are a pain to drive in the city. If you're in bumper to bumper traffic all the time can be really bad. I use to drive in and out of Boston all the time in my Mustang. It didn't really bother me too much in the morning, but the commute home was way worse. That's the price you pay for driving a spots car.

What's a spots car?

[Jett Rink]

Originally Posted by Batman1980

What's a spots car?

I'd imagine it would be one of these.

[Al_The_Strange]

Yep, I learned stick shift and drove a few manual transmission cars. My parents' Ford Contour primarily. I remember driving a stick shift van for work once--I was glad I was able to, because I was the only one present who could do it.

I definitely like the amount of control stick shift gives you. But it's not something I feel is missing or ever felt a need to get back.

With the way technology's progressing, we'll eventually have more articles about "the demise of manual-drive cars" once self-driving vehicles become more of a thing.

[VictoryAtNight]

I learned how to drive stick on my sister's truck.
She learned how to drive on her boyfriend's (who eventually became her husband) Mazda hatchback. Only their oldest son knows how to drive stick, as the other 3 have no interest.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

My work beater is a stick. I ordered a Camaro SS right when I graduated from college and didn't even know how to drive a stick. I knew by the time it came in

[Mike16]

I learned how to drive on a manual...haven't driven one in years though, I actually miss it. I never found it difficult to drive in stop'n go traffic, the trickiest part for me was catching a red light on the top of an incline and not rolling back into the car behind me but also not stalling

[MaCruz]

I've been driving a 6-speed since August 2001.

2002 Acura RSX Type S from 2001 to 2005

2005 Acura TL 2005-present (Car bought new has just over 236,000 miles)


Sad that you don't see many MT cars out there which has been replaced by steering shifters. I do get tired of it sometimes especially now that traffic is getting worse, but I know the day I have to drive an auto is the day I will miss driving a stick.

I'm going to Daytona with my buddy this weekend to check out the races between some Porsche cars and the NSX. We're driving his two cars down. He'll be in his M3, and I'll be driving his Legend.... BOTH manual transmissions.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by MaCruz

I've been driving a 6-speed since August 2001.

2002 Acura RSX Type S from 2001 to 2005

2005 Acura TL 2005-present (Car bought new has just over 236,000 miles)


Sad that you don't see many MT cars out there. I do get tired of it sometimes especially now that traffic is getting worse, but I know the day I have to drive an auto is the day I will miss driving a stick.

Never been able to drive a stick shift so the demise of that gearbox is just fine with me.

[MaCruz]

Originally Posted by Batman1980

Never been able to drive a stick shift so the demise of that gearbox is just fine with me.

It's not hard. My dad taught me, and I'd say it took me an hour to learn, and that was on my brand new RSX back then! I stalled hard on it and the car wasn't even broken in yet.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by MaCruz

It's not hard. My dad taught me, and I'd say it took me an hour to learn, and that was on my brand new RSX back then! I stalled hard on it and the car wasn't even broken in yet.

Well I drive exactly one car - my 2016 EX so I don't see how learning to drive a stick would effect my life that much. The only way I'd see it becoming a necessity is if I started dating and my squeeze drove a stick.

[OI8T12]

Originally Posted by Batman1980

Never been able to drive a stick shift so the demise of that gearbox is just fine with me.

You have not really driven a car, until you have driven a stick. Anyone can drive an automatic, but it takes skill to bang through the gears of a 5 speed manual transmission. Going from first gear to second gear and hearing the rumbling of the engine and exhaust, isn't like anything you've experienced before. Hitting third gear and pulling away from your competition is pure heaven.

You should seek out someone that has a stick shift, and take it for a spin. If the car has any balls, you should have a big smile on your face. You might even get a boner.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by OI8T12

You have not really driven a car, until you have driven a stick. Anyone can drive an automatic, but it takes skill to bang through the gears of a 5 speed manual transmission. Going from first gear to second gear and hearing the rumbling of the engine and exhaust, isn't like anything you've experienced before. Hitting third gear and pulling away from your competition is pure heaven.

You should seek out someone that has a stick shift, and take it for a spin. If the car has any balls, you should have a big smile on your face. You might even get a boner.

Heh sounds like something I may need to do for my birthday, just to get it out of the way. There are people who've told me you don't know how to drive unless you can drive a stick.

[BluRayTim]

Originally Posted by Batman1980

Never been able to drive a stick shift so the demise of that gearbox is just fine with me.

Me, too.

I already have too much trouble with an automatic.

[reaperx187]

It's mainly about the DSG transmission recently the past couple of years i have it in my 2014 VW TDI Jetta and its is so well worth having drives like a stick but is an automatic too there's more coming if not already out there too.

https://www.thoughtco.com/dual-clutc...mission-533860

[wormraper]

I'll take a stick over the slush boxes any day of the week. much more control and options at your finger tips. There's no way I can take an average beater corolla/civic/camry/hyndai automatic and have it out perform the stick in the same categories. Double clutching, snapping down gears to use the tranny to slow and guide your turn and then hopping up to a higher gear to slingshot yourself around... yum. Those of us who have driven motorcycles have never got away from a good shifter.

[jl1rp]

Driving almost 40 years and have only have three pedals on the floor.