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In my opinion, I think that if more consumers were given a choice between auto and manual, and did not have so-called journalists and others posing as independent observers writing in magazines like car and driver (which I don't consider to be independent by any means since they accept advertisements by companies in the car business, but that is for another thread)or on the web, then more people would choose the manual to save money and repair expenses.
Many (most?) people trade in their car or buy another one long before the transmission needs repair (if it even ever does).
My 4 cars (all older than 10 years) have never needed transmission repair. Of course, I do check the fluid level regularly, which is a factor.
If I were buying a new car (which I am not planning to do), I would certainly not let the very slight chance of a transmission repair keep me from buying a car with an automatic trans.
Fun fact, over 60% of current Porsche 911s in Europe are PDK equipped now. Its not just America.
Porsches are performance cars. A PDK transmission that makes the car faster than a manual is a performance upgrade like ABS and traction control and yaw control has been. it's no surprise that ultra performance cars are going for those last few hundredths of a second in ability. Even if that ability rarely gets used...
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Originally Posted by stevebri
In my opinion, I think that if more consumers were given a choice between auto and manual, and did not have so-called journalists and others posing as independent observers writing in magazines like car and driver (which I don't consider to be independent by any means since they accept advertisements by companies in the car business, but that is for another thread)or on the web, then more people would choose the manual to save money and repair expenses.
I don't know. Watching the shift (no pun intended) over the last few decades, and most journalists these days complain about the lack of manuals, too. But the fact is, the take rate on identical cars that have manuals and automatics (or manumatics) shows that manuals are simply losing favor. For the average person, wiggling their left foot occasionally is about as important to them as hand cranking theri car or adjusting their chokes.
On the other hand, Buick JUST brought out another manual transmission equipped car, the Fiat 500 was delivered with the first cars only having a manual (the automatic will be avaialbel later), The Mustang has a great new manual transmission, and it looks like the Challenger AND Charger are getting a 6 speed manual in not just the SRT trim levels.
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I think it is unusual that manual transmissions are not even offered on some mid priced cars. Are the car companies afraid that more people might choose the manual transmission to save a little money?
No, they aren't performance cars or especailly fun cars regardless of the transmission, and enthusiasts arent' buying them, so really why make them with manuals?
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Like someone once told me, $10 dollars is $10 dollars, so even if a customer might only save $1000 on a car with a manual transmission, it is still $1000 dollars and I think many people, especially in today's economy, would take that savings.
But most people buing new are thinking resale still and if the car holds a greater percentage of value with the higher priced automatic, then the total cost is still higher with the manual as you won't get as much out of it when it comes time to sell. It's kind of a false economy to save $1000 on the front end to lose $1500 on the back end.
Many (most?) people trade in their car or buy another one long before the transmission needs repair (if it even ever does).
My 4 cars (all older than 10 years) have never needed transmission repair. Of course, I do check the fluid level regularly, which is a factor.
I can't even check the level of the fluid in my automatic BMW. So it's on it's original fluid now at 185k miles. And no repairs needed yet.
I can't even check the level of the fluid in my automatic BMW. So it's on it's original fluid now at 185k miles. And no repairs needed yet.
It is amazing how many auto transmissions will last even when not checked regularly. If an automatic transmission is built right (and not abused) they will typically last a long time.
My guess is less and less new drivers ever learn how to drive a stick. So I don't think we would ever see a shift back to people buying them to save money. They simply don't know how to drive them.
My son-in-law went to a dealer and bought a new car with a stick. He haggled, picked out options, haggled some more, picked the one that he liked and then told the salesman, "I'll give you x number of dollars for that car, on one condition. You'll have to teach me how to drive a stick, I've never been in one." He was 22 or 23 years old then.
And what's wrong with EXPLAINING the point of view they don't understand, or explaining why the assumptions and facts they used to base THEIR point of view on are flawed? Hmm?
How do you know what assumptions I might have made? Especially based on that post?
And when your example of my "flawed" logic is a Porsche 911, a car you yourself have called a high performance (high cost) vehicle in this very thread, I'm not so sure who's facts are flawed.
The great majority of cars with a manual transmission, available on the market today can be left in 2nd and feathered along in slow moving traffic, including the BMW's both you and I like so much. Those who can't can easily be shifted between 1st, 2nd and 3rd, as I said in that same post.
What part of that do you disagree with? What part of that is flawed?
Or was it my statement that all the people I know, who drive a manual don't think about the "effort" changing gear takes, thus how can it be an "effort" in the first place?
Drivers should not be texting and driving in the 1st place. Too dangerous.
Automatic just makes it easier when doing all this in a school zone..
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Its not just America.
