Manual Cars

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Guys
I was reading recently that there will be few Manual Cars made because car makers saying " Nobody want's a manual car any more".

I got my driver's Licence just before i turned 18 years old and i got it in my sisters automatic car.
I returned home that afternoon and my older brother said " you should also learn how to drive a manual car" and he had a manual Company car and he taught me to drive a manual car.

I like manual cars and have had a few, you don't have to use the brakes so much for a start with a manual gearbox.
One of my mates daughters was telling me "she can only drive a automatic and she has no idea how to drive a manual'.

I said to her "what happens if one of your friends need to go to Hospital and they have a manual car'?

I told her " if i was you i would ask your father to teach you to drive a manual car"!

[Ben73]

Yuk manual. Lol nah.
I can drive manual, but I always buy autos. I agree manual is fun when you want to drive it. But I’d prefer auto for normal day to day driving.
I hope manuals are still around for a while, but I can’t complain if they’re not because I’m not helping by buying auto for my daily drive.

[Franco Cozzo]

All my dailies have been small Euro manual cars.

Works alright in my Focus, 210,000km on the clock and she hasn't needed brake pads or rotors yet, still has the ones it rolled off the production line with.

Might be why I chop out a full set of tyres every 20,000km

[Bushbasher]

We always make sure there is a manual vehicle in the fleet and although the daughter hates it, I told her she needs to do her license in a manual because one day she'll be thankful for the knowledge, when everyone around her is stranded because nobody knows what a clutch is for.

[aussiblue]

I was reading recently that there will be few Manual Cars made because car makers saying " Nobody want's a manual car any more".

They have been saying that for the last 40 years but the keep making manual transmission cars albeit in lesser numbers as a proportion of total production. They are also now saying self-driving cars will replace the driver and make driver's licenses redundant but I doubt that will be in my lifetime either.

[fiestaz]

I learnt in an auto mainly, as that is what was most available, did lessons in a manual, first car was manual.
I own a manual now as a fun car but drive an auto for work. No way I’d drive a manual for work (with where I travel anyway).

The old idea of you should know how to drive a manual just in case is largely irrelevant today. If it does not take any interest in the person learning to drive, not worth the effort of sourcing a manual for them to learn in.

edit: bit of a fun fact, Porsche in North America have said 70% of the GT3’s they sell are manual.

[jaydee]

Saw a write up recently about some little 1 litre 3 pot screamer with about 70kw and they said if you wanted to do some spirited driving, get the manual version.

If you want spirited driving you want be getting a 70kw 1 litre 3 cylinder.

[Sabantien]

At my work all our work vehicles are manual, and it's caused some issues with new staff, usually early 20s who have never driven anything but auto. My workplace is on top of a hill, and last year I got a phone call from one of them. He'd stalled on the hill and couldn't do a hill start. I had to grab a workmate and drive down there, and she jumped in to drive him up. He later ran off the road and nearly wrapped a work car around a tree, but suspect that was just him being a bad driver rather than the vehicle being manual.

I prefer an auto these days, but we just purchased a manual, mostly because it was the right car for the right price, and any auto options were going to be 4 speed (blergh).

[roKWiz]

The tinfoil hat on me, gets the feeling the powers that be and auto makers are subliminally conditioning us all for automatic self driving EV boxes.

A manual gearbox would be to hard to work into that conspiracy theory.

[five 7]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

The tinfoil hat on me, gets the feeling the powers that be and auto makers are subliminally conditioning us all for automatic self driving EV boxes.

A manual gearbox would be to hard to work into that conspiracy theory.

Geez mate theres a lot of thinking going with you working solo haha, but your probably not to far from the money shot. Don't think true EVs have a gear box, Porsche i think have a two speed in there one.

[bangm001]

I have always driven manual cars. VS SS 5 speed, VYSS 6 speed, BA typhoon, FG F6 (manual) etc. I still own one of the BA typhoons (manual) but recently purchased an auto FGMK2 335 GT. Although im sure its much faster, and as good as the auto box actually is compared to alot of other cars i have driven, i do wish it was also a manual!

[Vesper Martini]

Think the new 400Z get a traditional manual, GR 86, Mustang etc so they are still around.
the concern would be more about EVs as you wont get a manual in those..

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by mondeomatureguy

I said to her "what happens if one of your friends need to go to Hospital and they have a manual car'?

Call an Ambulance?

[whynot]

I think the "use case" for manual transmissions is long gone.

The current crop of automatic transmissions actually use less fuel than manual transmissions. It is even so in heavy haulage where 94% of Mack trucks are now delivered with mDrive automated manual transmission.

Automatic transmissions change gears faster than humans. Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer offer manual transmission.

Manual transmissions are a pain to operate in heavy traffic. Automatics are far more easier to drive in difficult situations, including recovering from being bogged.

If would have to be a really bad day to be stuck in an emergency with no other vehicle option other than a manual. But, I am sure you will figure it out if you have to. (For the statistically minded, the combined probability is having an emergency e.g. 0.001% times the probably of being stuck with nothing more than a manual e.g. 0.07%.)

No, I am not saying "don't get a manual licence". Nor am I saying "don't get a manual car". What I am saying is don't get guilt tripped into getting a manual licence if you don't feel comfortable. I know of learner drivers who where delayed in getting their licence because of family/peer pressure to get a manual licence first go. This is silly. Better to get an automatic licence first, clock up a few hundred hours behind the wheel, and then transition across if you really need to. (Much the same as how truck licences are done.)

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by whynot

I think the "use case" for manual transmissions is long gone.

The current crop of automatic transmissions actually use less fuel than manual transmissions. It is even so in heavy haulage where 94% of Mack trucks are now delivered with mDrive automated manual transmission.

Automatic transmissions change gears faster than humans. Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer offer manual transmission.

Manual transmissions are a pain to operate in heavy traffic. Automatics are far more easier to drive in difficult situations, including recovering from being bogged.

If would have to be a really bad day to be stuck in an emergency with no other vehicle option other than a manual. But, I am sure you will figure it out if you have to. (For the statistically minded, the combined probability is having an emergency e.g. 0.001% times the probably of being stuck with nothing more than a manual e.g. 0.07%.)

No, I am not saying "don't get a manual licence". Nor am I saying "don't get a manual car". What I am saying is don't get guilt tripped into getting a manual licence if you don't feel comfortable. I know of learner drivers who where delayed in getting their licence because of family/peer pressure to get a manual licence first go. This is silly. Better to get an automatic licence first, clock up a few hundred hours behind the wheel, and then transition across if you really need to. (Much the same as how truck licences are done.)

^^^^^ Great Post , with a lot of valid points.

The Other Thing is; In My Opinion..

Cars are No longer the Aspirational Purchase they Once Were. Cars are now simply a means to an End.

Plus there's a lots of Young People Today who Don't even have a Licence Let alone a Car..I see this trend only increasing.
If only 25% of the Hype attached to Autonomous Vehicles & ride sharing comes to fruition Car ownership in Urban Areas will be redundant.. maybe..

[GT450]

I am an old fart and enjoy my manuals and hopefully always will. I have 3 daughters and whilst they all can drive a manual only one would opt for the auto if given the choice.
I sold my BF GT auto to get back into a manual, love it, it takes me back to my Dads Xa Gt coupe which was much loved and driven hard.. I dove the BF everyday for 5 years in traffic and it served it's purpose well but there was just that something missing.
Another 8 years as a garage queen and a new manual came into my life. Love every minute of driving it, just something autos don't achieve. Not knocking them as I have had a few but to me they were never as much fun. I have a small manual for my daily and it serves the purpose well and I don't mind changing gears, but it is still fun to push at times.
I know the auto in my new car would have been faster , more modern and ticked all the geek boxes but it just wasn't for me as it's not about having the latest or being the fastest it's about the fun, and manual s provide it in spades.

[aussiblue]

Aside from the more engaging driving fun, the other advantage of manual transmissions are that they are usually much cheaper and easier to service and maintain especially if you are a DIY person. They also tend to be much more durable. Automatic transmission seems to be getting increasingly complex and there more difficult and expensive to maintain.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by whynot

I think the "use case" for manual transmissions is long gone.

The current crop of automatic transmissions actually use less fuel than manual transmissions. It is even so in heavy haulage where 94% of Mack trucks are now delivered with mDrive automated manual transmission.

Automatic transmissions change gears faster than humans. Ferrari and Lamborghini no longer offer manual transmission.

Manual transmissions are a pain to operate in heavy traffic. Automatics are far more easier to drive in difficult situations, including recovering from being bogged.

If would have to be a really bad day to be stuck in an emergency with no other vehicle option other than a manual. But, I am sure you will figure it out if you have to. (For the statistically minded, the combined probability is having an emergency e.g. 0.001% times the probably of being stuck with nothing more than a manual e.g. 0.07%.)

No, I am not saying "don't get a manual licence". Nor am I saying "don't get a manual car". What I am saying is don't get guilt tripped into getting a manual licence if you don't feel comfortable. I know of learner drivers who where delayed in getting their licence because of family/peer pressure to get a manual licence first go. This is silly. Better to get an automatic licence first, clock up a few hundred hours behind the wheel, and then transition across if you really need to. (Much the same as how truck licences are done.)

The clutch push start-ability of manual when a starting system fails miles from home, starter or relay frozen when the temp drops to minus figures or 40-50 deg super hot day milkshake problems.
Manual transmissions do have their advantages the further away from a city you go.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by whynot

The current crop of automatic transmissions actually use less fuel than manual transmissions. It is even so in heavy haulage where 94% of Mack trucks are now delivered with mDrive automated manual transmission.

The main reason that auto Trucks are popular with larger companies is that it costs them less in the long run for clutches and box's.

You may be surprised how many 'professional' drivers mash a gearbox.

Auto's are also handy as you can drink coffee when climbing hills or going through towns

[Citroënbender]

Maybe someone will offer a pseudo-manual (with clutch pedal and stick) in an electric vehicle, where if you don’t drive it properly it responds like a poorly shifted manual. Perhaps you could select varying modes from smooth syncro to a muscle car Muncie, even a Brownie.

[.:4:.]

My old work, up untill 2019, all the work cars were manuals. Issue being the majority of apprentices starting coupdnt drive manual. So that annoyed the boss because for pleb jobs like tip runs etc, the boss would have to pay tradesmen to do it. Yeah, i reckon everyone should atleast be able to drive manuals. Its a skill thats not difficult. Same as the basics of towing/reversing trailers.
I do personally prefer autos as i live in a built up area so a lot of stop start traffic, but i had dailied manual work vehicles for a decade. But since then my old work downsized and upgraded the fleet and now everythings autos.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

The main reason that auto Trucks are popular with larger companies is that it costs them less in the long run for clutches and box's.

You may be surprised how many 'professional' drivers mash a gearbox.

Auto's are also handy as you can drink coffee when climbing hills or going through towns

or holding a phone to your ear, I see a lot of that in Melbourne from trucks turning at traffic lights, pretty hard to do if you had to tackle an 18 speed roadranger

[FroudeyBrand]

one of the reasons that I won't buy a new car I know its a petty excuse, but I was going to drop some money on a new forester when i went to the dealer ship and found out only the 86 and wrx/sti have manual boxes everything else is auto up until the last 6 months I never openly brought an auto until i saw a low km auto v8 ute....

"manuals are fun to drive" yeah maybe but in the long run you'll use less fuel or maybe that is a myth too but who knows..

I learnt to drive in a manual Datsun Stanza and a GQ Patrol and I think cause i learnt on a small car and a large car i can drive most things without issues, its a shame kids these days have few choices... when my kids learn to drive ill do my best to put them in manuals...

cause I'll always remember this story my aunt sharon and her kids was home alone and the youngest around toddler age hurt herself that needed medical attention and she owned a manual corrolla or what not and she asked her neighbour to drive her and the kid to the hospitial as Aunty couldn't really drive cause she needed to keep attention on the the toddler cause between her crying a I think it was a large wound. Neighbour came out and "Oh I can't drive a manual" So aunty had to drive to the hospitial about 5kms or what ever the distance is from her house in warners bay while consoling a screaming toddler etc

So yeah I'll teach my kids cause you never know when a sitiation might warrant it.

[fiestaz]

The situations being listed as to why manual should be taught are a serious stretch on whether it will actually happen.

Drive a manual in an emergency? Why? Call an ambulance, call an Uber.
Starter motor issues or relay issues, how often does that really happen to modern cars? If a modern car can’t start, chances are it’s going nowhere. The logbooks/manual in my last few cars have said not to clutch start a car as it could cause damage. In the same way jumper leads are no longer recommended as they fry computers.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

or holding a phone to your ear, I see a lot of that in Melbourne from trucks turning at traffic lights, pretty hard to do if you had to tackle an 18 speed roadranger

Saw truck drivers doing that on the recent "Crawling the Hume". real smart travelling in a close convoy, through towns, blasting airhorns with the general publics eyes on you.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

The main reason that auto Trucks are popular with larger companies is that it costs them less in the long run for clutches and box's.

You may be surprised how many 'professional' drivers mash a gearbox.

Gaso, Is that your excuss.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

The clutch push start-ability of manual when a starting system fails miles from home, starter or relay frozen when the temp drops to minus figures or 40-50 deg super hot day milkshake problems.
Manual transmissions do have their advantages the further away from a city you go.

2 days before Christmas my Focus crapped out it's starter motor, the next morning roll started it in our work carpark and subsequently toasted the alternator and the non replaceable fuse in it's wiring loom - it started though

Not too sure the modern stuff loves a roll start.

Started out with a crapped out starter motor and come into the workshop with a crapped out starter motor, alternator and alternator wiring loom

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by fiestaz

The situations being listed as to why manual should be taught are a serious stretch on whether it will actually happen.


Starter motor issues or relay issues, how often does that really happen to modern cars? If a modern car can’t start, chances are it’s going nowhere.

Happens quite a bit going into the colder month here (new or old cars), battery loosing charge due to cold is common here to.

[DJR-351]

I drive manuals because i prefer them, thats it, nothing else and i don't preach to anyone else that they should to. i don't G-A-F what anyone else does.....but the anti-manual brigade can't accept that and keep telling me I'm wrong!....

[T3rminator]

Less chance of getting car jacked if you drive a manual.

Its the modern anti theft device.