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How America lost its love for the stick shift

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Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#111

Post by cuddlecake »

esaym wrote: post #96

Not sure what "audi" (a German company) has to do with America but what ever. For my own tastes, once my 2000 Ford mustang's automatic tranny started acting funny sometimes (after 15 years and 200k miles), I bought a used manual tranny, flywheel, and clutch pedal set from a wrecked mustang of the same year and did a swap. Much happier now. I also feel more "invincible". If my starter goes out, I won't be stranded, I…

> Not sure what "audi" (a German company) has to do with America but what ever

Audi sells cars. Cars are sold in America. Audi sells cars in America.

> Truly nothing can stop me!

I hope stop signs can

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#112

Post by Angostura »

One thing I’ve noticed over the last 10 years is how action films with car chases in have started cutting to shots of the driver shifting gears. It’s as if the manual gear change is becoming an exotic thing, used only by getaway drivers.

As someone who lives in a country where automatics are still in the minority, it’s very odd.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#113

Post by TheGRS »

mulmen wrote: post #50
AWildC182 wrote: post #29

I like manuals because they feel better to me. This is totally anecdotal but to me it seems like the stick keeps me more engaged with what's happening with the car so I find I tend to be less distracted. It also occupies a hand so it definitely prevents a lot of phone usage. If this could actually be proved I'd definitely welcome a return to manual transmissions as sometimes I feel like the only person not on their p…

We should just revoke drivers licenses for people who can't operate cars responsibly. It's way too easy to get a license and keep one in the US today. We don't even re-test.

I get that sentiment, but man would that be an easy thing to abuse systemically. Having a car is very essential to life for most Americans.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#114

Post by ghaff »

nkantar wrote: post #87
S_A_P wrote: post #72

Manuals have been selected out of the marketplace by dealer sales managers. I would love to own at least one manual transmission vehicle. Most that Ive considered in recent history were available with a manual, and the ones that are available as a manual are impossible to find or special order only.

There was a story somewhere (I can't find it now) about how a big part of the lack of car color options in the US is that consumers are used to buying cars directly off dealer lots. According to the article, this makes the consumer into the customer of the dealer, and not the manufacturer. As such, the dealer is the manufacturer's true customer, and their demand is what drives production and availability. The dealer,…

Wait three months and pay list price in all probability if you order custom rather than take a car on the lot. Not always with high demand vehicles but I’ve always bought a car off the lot st a discount.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#115

Post by themark »

nkantar wrote: post #32

> Take the Subaru BRZ. The popular sports car was once sold only with a manual transmission, but sales are now 90 percent automatic, Fiske estimated. I find this a bit difficult to believe. The automatic option has a reputation for being pretty good, but the manual is excellent. It was certainly never even a matter of choice for me, and for the growing number of (BRZ/(GT)86/FR-S) enthusiasts I know. Yes, I'm in a nic…

Surprised me too!

Only reason I can think of is that the real enthusiasts bought them early on. Now, most people buy them because they want a 'sports car'; only 10% are actual enthusiasts.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#116

Post by Fezzik »

That bums me out, but I get it. My first non hand-me-down car was a beat-up Audi A4 (manual) off craigslist that I loved for years and years as a ski bum. I am definitely one of the many "manual transmissions are more fun" people. But once I got that office job, even 15 minutes a day in city traffic with a manual angered me, so I transitioned to an automatic. Now that I am out of the city I would love a manual again, but when most people live in big cities with traffic issues, and drive to and from work every day, it makes sense that manuals are not that popular in the states.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#117

Post by nimbius »

I've been an engine mechanic for 12 years now and the automatic transmission is a mainstay. Most parents and commuter drivers aren't exactly feathering the clutch like Rossi on the way to band practice in their Hyundai. They just want a cheap easy car that works without a lot of expense, and the automatic transmission takes less maintenance over the life of the vehicle than a manual.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#118

Post by FLUX-YOU »

joeblau wrote: post #59

My brother has an R8, Viper, and Vantage (All Manual) and I would rather drive a Tesla over all 3 of them. Manual is fun and you get the feeling of control and I love driving them, but in reality, there is a reason they are on their way out. The main problem is that the replacement, automatic, make driving feel worse. The computers that manage automatic transmissions are so bad that they make automatics feel terrible…

Get a sports car, put it in manual mode, and you get the perks of choosing gears during the drive without stalling your engine.

Re: How America lost its love for the stick shift

#119

Post by aphextron »

joeblau wrote: post #59

My brother has an R8, Viper, and Vantage (All Manual) and I would rather drive a Tesla over all 3 of them. Manual is fun and you get the feeling of control and I love driving them, but in reality, there is a reason they are on their way out. The main problem is that the replacement, automatic, make driving feel worse. The computers that manage automatic transmissions are so bad that they make automatics feel terrible…

> EV > Manual > Automatic

Same here. I drive an EV every day but have a 6 speed Miata for fun.

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