Farewell to my 6-speed transmission

[ChewChewTrain]

I've owned 7 cars and every one of them had a manual transmission.

I recently found reason to give my 6-speed, Miata a spin on a very winding road along the California coast. Pure joy.

Manual transmission cars have become increasingly less popular. Automatic transmissions can now shift faster than a manual transmission and with 6-speed automatic transmissions the fuel economy is difference is often the same and sometimes better. WTF?

Shifting a car a dying skill. Few people know how to use a manual transmission. Did you catch that story about a carjacker that quickly jumped out of a car when he realized the car had a stick-shift?

With the recent Tesla 3 announcement and the ensuing sales rush, because EVs have no transmission, I believe this is the final nail in the manual transmission coffin.

Yes. ALL my cars have been manual transmissions. I will miss my "dear friend". I will miss the pleasure of being connected and being one with my car.

Thoughts?

[benlovesgoddess]

Likewise, all my cars have been manual, and the last two 6 speed. I have been an anti-automatic snob all that time, citing poor economy and loss of driving connection as the main reasons to dislike them. I have turned down cars both I and the wife wanted as they were autos. This all changed when I test drove the new Prius - found it far more easy and pleasant to use than expected, no whining away in the wrong gear followed by a clunk up or down.
Only downside - we still have our 6 speed Honda CR-V, which I did stall yesterday by pulling up to a junction in second, and depressing just the brake (forgot about the clutch...)
I am still able to use both transmissions, but whereas when I had a little Hyundai for the week and drove the Honda on the weekend as the treat, now I wish I was in the Prius on the weekend too!

[14Corolla]

I lost my love of standard transmissions in So. Cal. , caught in traffic for hours. Gets old, letting that clutch out, over and over again, for hours. One trip took something like six hours. That was for a trip that I had taken in an hour with no traffic in the middle of the night. That trip was on Thanksgiving Eve.
More than once, I remember the radio traffic report saying: Forget it. Everything is jammed. Doesn't matter which route you take. This was Los Angeles.
I had a friend who drove all the way from LA to Las Vegas in a traffic jam. Which isn't all that unusual. But this time he drove his son's car with a standard transmission. He said his knee was swollen by the time he finally got to Vegas. Never again.
Now, with my truck. Interesting you don't use the clutch other than starting out. You just shift. The syncros make it work between gears. The guy who trained me with my first truck. He would catch me habitually lifting my left leg when it was time to shift. He'd yell and laugh at me: No no no!
Now they do have cars that you can shift the auto manually. Give you that option. I'm guessing sportier cars? Just no clutch to push.
I really love my CVT transmission. It's a different kind of connectedness. It sure responds. Can save much fuel driving right. And it has a gear option of an engine brake. I love that. I down shift alot with that brake gear. They call it a seven speed. I'm guessing that is the best description they can give it with what it does.
So I'm happy. Like reminiscing the old days of a clutch. It was fun. But so were bicycles. I'll take my CVT transmission. Got plenty to consider driving for fuel economy.

[Charon]

It doesn't take long to learn to like automatic transmissions. There will probably always be those who maunder on about being "connected" with the car, but most people regard cars as little more than appliances. The easier they are to use, the better.

[Draigflag]

I hate autos, can't think of any reasons why to drive one, it takes very little effort or skill to change gear, unless I was disabled or very elderly, why would you want to take away the enjoyment, control, saftey, fuel economy/emissions and swap it for a dreadful droney, bulky, clumsy, heavy thing that removes any personality or character from a car! To me, a car with an auto box is nothing more than a glorified golf cart, can't stand the things. Alot of enthusiasts are getting sick of car manufacturers putting in duel clutch, F1 autos too, it's just not the same! Sorry for the rant, I know others will disagree, but I enjoy driving.

[ChewChewTrain]

On the other hand, while I eschew automatic transmissions, I REALLY welcome and want a self-driving car. Of course, my self-driving car would be a special model. It would have a 6-speed stick on the floor so I can look down and watch it magically shift itself.

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

I hate autos, can't think of any reasons why to drive one, it takes very little effort or skill to change gear, unless I was disabled or very elderly, why would you want to take away the enjoyment, control, saftey, fuel economy/emissions and swap it for a dreadful droney, bulky, clumsy, heavy thing that removes any personality or character from a car! To me, a car with an auto box is nothing more than a glorified golf cart, can't stand the things. Alot of enthusiasts are getting sick of car manufacturers putting in duel clutch, F1 autos too, it's just not the same! Sorry for the rant, I know others will disagree, but I enjoy driving.

Hey, Paul! Quit beating around the bush. Why don'tcha just say what's really on your mind.

[trollbait]

In the US, the majority of those buying a manual still are doing so for the performance aspect. So the manuals the car companies put in the cars offered here have short gearing, for the most part. Meanwhile the automatic equipped models gets a tall overdrive gear for sipping fuel while cruising.

The friend that taught me to drive a manual finally got tired of driving in the New Jersey traffic. Now the pick up trucks he usually buys for work don't even have a manual option any more.

[Draigflag]

Originally Posted by ChewChewTrain

Hey, Paul! Quit beating around the bush. Why don'tcha just say what's really on your mind.

Sorry I went off on one, I just can't see how anyone can learn anything about driving in a car with a stop pedal and a go pedal. There are plenty of situations when you need gears and the ability to select gears and sometimes disengage gears, if you learn to drive in an auto here you can only drive autos for obvious reasons. I understand why electric cars don't have a clutch or gearbox of course.

[benlovesgoddess]

There is definitely a good feeling accelerating up to 75 with one continuous motion...I can't say I'd never go back to manual, but I really enjoy the CVT - and prevention of that swollen knee! As a top flight Pizza Delivery Executive, I loved thrashing a manual gearbox through the bends, but I guess I'm old enough to prefer the auto now. I only recently grudgingly accepted I may have to stoop to looking at automatics, as every hybrid I saw didn't have the manual option. Only 2 weeks ago Paul, I would have agreed with your rant, backed you up and everything!