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.
I grew up in Europe and still visit; manual trans cars are still common there. In fact, last time I was in the UK, it was cheaper to rent a manual trans car than an automatic - do US rental agencies even rent manual vehicles, exotics excepted?
Anyhow - to this day I vastly prefer them. For many reasons:
More power and performance. (More fun!)
Better control in adverse or hilly conditions.
Cheaper - better gas mileage, less brake wear, much cheaper to replace - my 1995 Nissan beater pick-up with almost 250,000 miles still has the original clutch.
When my Chevy Venture needed a new transmission at 160,000 miles, the cost of having it done at a shop almost exceeded the value of the van; I sold it.
I've also owned a Saab Viggen and a Porsche 944S - both very nice sports cars and I cannot imagine them being nearly as much FUN to drive with an automatic! I adore driving, though.
"There is no question that manual transmissions "resonate with customers who still enjoy the act of driving," said Marie. ...To many people, driving is just getting from Point A to Point B. ... In recent years, consumers have been willing to pay more, get fewer miles per gallon and have less control of the vehicle — all for the sake of convenience."
I've asked people I know and the most common reason they prefer automatics is because they're "easier to drive in traffic." Maybe it's because I'm used to driving a standard, I don't put any conscious thought into it; in fact it's automatic. LOL.
Is it a convenience factor? Are newer automatics better, cost-wise? (I haven't owned anything newer than ten years old in several years but the article I linked to suggests they are.)
An aside - I think driving a standard makes a person a better driver, because it's a bit more interactive. For several years back in the 1980s I drove a semi over the road; having 18 speeds does make you more conscious, especially when how you drive impacts fuel economy and your bottom line! (I was a company driver but got fuel bonuses.) Maybe I am an old fogey, but I also prefer stiffer steering and brakes and guages instead of warning lights; because it seems to me I pay more attention to the act of driving generally. I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles on several continents and different countries without an accident and I wonder if learning to drive in a more conscious, interactive way makes people more attentive drivers in general?
I live in the DC area. Traffic here SUCKS and is so congested that my husband would drive from DC to our home (all of 8 miles) and never get out of first gear some days, hard on the clutch, hard on the hips.
I don't recall any rental agencies that'd rent a car with a manual transmission. You know how folks treat rental cars? Look up "rental car abuse" on YouTube. Yeah ... can you imagine how many clutch jobs the car will need before it even hits 10k miles?
I live in SoCal. My daily driver is a manual. My station wagon is a manual. And if I could have 6-on-the-tree, my Buick would be a manual too.
The more options a vehicle has the more profit for the manufacturer/dealers.
This is why most cars are automatic, have power windows,A/C, power seats, GPS, 1000Watt stereo C/D players.
A lot of Americans don't know how or don't care to drive manual trans cars.
My best guess is that in the US in general we have bigger vehicles than in other parts of the world. The clutch/tranny of a truck like vehicle is just not very popular. I have long preferred manual transmissions, but I have to admit the 5 speed in our 1990 Ford Explorer wasn't much fun.
Compare to the beautiful 5 speed in our 1990 Miata which just snicks from gear to gear.
Now - 6, 7, and 8 speed automatics are very efficient and with electronic control can produce both better fuel economy and acceleration than manuals. High end sports cars now have very sophisticated autos - a trend I think began years ago in F1.
My best guess is that in the US in general we have bigger vehicles than in other parts of the world. The clutch/tranny of a truck like vehicle is just not very popular.
Well, as I pointed out, I drove an 80,000 lb semi all over the US - 18 speeds plus overdrive; I am not sure why size makes a difference here? Except for, as you point out, people value convenience and push-button driving over economy, fun and utility?
City driving with a manual would be a pain.
See above. It's not a pain for everyone. In general I find driving a manual a pain but I realise I am in the great minority. So most people would rather sacrifice cost, control and the fun of driving for convenience, I guess?
I'm sure I could get used to a manual, but I bought my first car as a automatic since I was used to it. I think it all depends on what transmission your first car was.
I could be wrong but, doesn't Kelley's Blue Book "knock off" some value for manual transmissions (in passenger cars)?
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.