Automatics changing my view.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I've never seen a stick shift minivan...

[3Cheers4RealGears]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I've never seen a stick shift minivan...

I was misremembering, it was a Caravan, not a Voyager.

They made them up until about 1995. I think mine was the last model year. The dealers would get one so they could advertise a super-low price to get people in the door. They never thought somebody would walk in and just BUY the thing.

The shifter was a pretty smooth 5-speed, actually. I learned on an old Ford panel van with a 3-speed on the column, so the Caravan looked pretty good by comparison.

As recently as 2010, you could get a minivan with a stick. Check the last two items in this:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...ission-feature

I love the guy who amped up his 20-year-old turbo (yes, turbo) Caravan to do a 12-second quarter mile.... Oh, wait, this is a fuel-economy page, isn't it? Sorry, planet.

[Draigflag]

My friend has an old Chrysler Voyager diesel with a manual box. They must have made them with manual boxes here as people hate autos.

[Jcp385]

I had a customer a couple of days ago with a stick shift Mazda MPV. I knew the Chrysler vans came with stick "back then", but had never heard of an MPV so equipped.

I still don't see how I'd prefer an autobox over stick, at least not for the foreseeable future.

[BDC]

Originally Posted by Jcp385

I had a customer a couple of days ago with a stick shift Mazda MPV. I knew the Chrysler vans came with stick "back then", but had never heard of an MPV so equipped.

I still don't see how I'd prefer an autobox over stick, at least not for the foreseeable future.

Wow! My family had an MPV minivan while I was growing up. I can't even imagine them with a stick shift.

[kerwooddr]

I had a MPV with a manual transmission, bought it new in 1989. It was the only stick shift MPV the Mazda mechanics had ever seen in the five years I owned it. Had a great big stick shift, more robust than the thin stalks that VW buses used. Had a straightforward layout - V6 in front, tranny behind that, rear wheel drive. Beefy little van.

[spartybrutus]

I think Mazda 5 minivans still offered with MT. Would have bought one new a few years ago if Wife hadn't protested... she did.

[Vater5]

First vehicle I drove was a 5spd (thanks pop-pop). Then from there I owned mostly automatics; 7 out of the 9 have been auto trans. Ford doesn't make an Expedition in manual. I never liked pedal shifters. I feel like that takes away from the experience, of actual shifting. To each their own.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by GasSavers_Scott

Here is a case of an automatic transmission beating a stick shift. I drive allot of city....

Originally Posted by VetteOwner

id rather have a failproof normal manual tranny, why did automakers pretty much stop making them?

Nine years ago, I got a CVT transmission(after driving manuals all my life) & 2+ years ago I got a nice 6speed automatic. With feather footing & understanding, both trannies delivered excellent mpg, that a manual tranny might not have beaten. As the unwarranted CVT vehicle aged, falling in value & knowing the extreme expense of CVT repair, I saw that CVT repairs to a low valued car wasn't an economy for the future. That's why I got the strongly warranteed 6speed auto. However, my wife's mom's 19 year old car gave up the ghost. Now, she has the auto 6speed, & my wife & I purchased a same make & model, well warranteed 6speed.....manual. My wife loves it.....despite her bad stop & go traffic. At one point, she thought she would have to get an auto tranny because of increasing clutch leg problems. However, she re-balanced her medications & her leg problem went away. So hopefully, any (distant?) future tranny problems will be less expensive......& my wife's medical problems will always be manageable!!