Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While it's certainly true that people rent car with Manual transmissions to teach there kids how to drive, I think if car companies charged a premium for renting manual transmission cars, I think they could make more than enough to cover the higher maintenance costs associated with beginners burning out the clutch. Personally I would love to rent a car with a Manual transmission when traveling for work, I learned on a Manual transmission and would welcome the chance to drive a car again with manual transmission. My Wife however disagrees, since she doesn't know how to drive a manual, she will not let me purchase a car with manual transmission. I'm sure a number of European travelers would prefer to rent manual transmission cars as well. I'm sure there is a market for it, a niche market, but a definite market not being serviced.
Why are manual transmission vehicles unpopular in the USA
Hello Yankees!
I'm a German (male) and live in Munich. But I once lived in the U.S. for a while. In Europe it is unsportive to drive automatic cars. Handicapped People, Taxi Cab Drivers and City Bus Drivers do (it is a Blessing to them). If you make a diving test (Driver's licence) on automatic, your Drivers Licence (in the European Union) will be limited to automatic. Only if you do the test on Manual Transmission it is not. Europeans drive more aggressive (above all Italians and southern french), the streets are narrow in comparison to american streets and so there is much more stress by driving than in North America and we stell prefere Manual Transmission. When I remember America it seems to me Americans want to sleep while driving. Stuffing themselves with Hamburgers while driving they like to do (McDonalds Drive Through). I puzzle over how they treat their health problems without willing to have sufficient public medical insurance.
One of you wrote life standard in big countries in Europe is well beyond the one in the U.S. Do you think the high developped country Germany which is the economical motor of all the E.U. is well beyond U.S. Lifestyle? I never saw so many poor People living in shelters etc. than I did in the U.S.
To avoid wrong Impression, I do not want fo offend anyone of you I just want to express my opinion.
When renting a car in Holland, I got a 4 speed Skoda. It was fun to drive but I kept wishing for an overdrive or 5th gear. Because it ran at such high rpms, mileage wasn't really great on the autobahn. I have had manual trans. cars here in USA and enjoy driving them IF I am not stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. I do like having the "control" and not having the car searching for gears which one of our 4 cyl. automatics did. BTW, I would NEVER rent a manual trans. car in UK. It is hard enough to drive on the opposite side of the road much less shifting gears opposite as well!!
I grew up in Europe and still visit; manual trans cars are still common there.
Another why-aren't-Americans-more-like-Europeans? thread. and just in time for the World Cup, we are about to be bombarded with the quadrennial question: why don't Americans like soccer.
As to the question itself, the answer is simple. AT is a luxury option that Europeans apparently can't afford.
My 1984 Chevette was a manual, as is my 1992 Caravan. Most of my adult life has been spent driving a stick. I have been looking at cars and have had a hard time finding one I like that was not an automatic. I will keep my caravan until the wheels fall off before I would drive an automatic.
Short answer is because Americans drive a lot. Average mileage is approximately 15,000 miles per year, which is about 24,000 KM. That's a lot of stepping on the clutch, especially in stop-and-go traffic.
I had an automatic car one time (Ford Fiesta) here in Southern Germany when I was Livin in the Alps next to the Austrian border. On the mountain streets I felt like a lame duck and you are not able to overtake other cars so I traded it to an Audi A 4 with a Manual. When I was riding the Fiesta after riding a Service car (German Military cars are all manual) I intuitively wanted to step the clutch pedal and so I stepped the break. After this I traded the car to a Manual and I never drove an aut. since then.
Short answer is because Americans drive a lot. Average mileage is approximately 15,000 miles per year, which is about 24,000 KM. That's a lot of stepping on the clutch, especially in stop-and-go traffic.
We have lots of busy traffic over here. Narrow streets, high populated Areas and still prefer to drive Manual even when the Autobahn is constipated (stop-and-go). Some peaple (women, older People and handicapped People prefer Automatic) You can buy both over here. BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes produce for exporting to all over the world.
How can you *** on the cell phone when you have to shift?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why are manual transmission vehicles unpopular in the USA
Why are manual transmission vehicles unpopular
