Save the manuals!

[Ramster]

Let's not forget about customizing shift knobs on a manual. You can do it on an automatic, but it doesn't really mean as much...

[Thornley]

Very few people my age drive stick(or even grasp the concept).

[gily25]

For anyone who's done a bit of travelling it manual rentals are almost always cheaper in mexico, the islands etc. I've driven quite a few strange little cars that would most certainly implode or drive off a cliff if they were waiting for an automatic shift sequence. For this reason I love watching mouthy people on "Amazing Race" try to drive.

Point blank most Americans are too lazy to want to shift let alone drive. Also since you can't drink your vanity coffee while texting and driving they're progressively taking the "driving" aspect out of the commute. CES was loaded with automated driving aids.

If you're that worried about mpg that you need to depend on an automatic for fuel economy then you simply can't afford the car you're driving. IMHO taking a manual out of a sports car takes the sport out of driving it.

[dtrop]

Originally Posted by gily25

For anyone who's done a bit of travelling it manual rentals are almost always cheaper in mexico, the islands etc. I've driven quite a few strange little cars that would most certainly implode or drive off a cliff if they were waiting for an automatic shift sequence. For this reason I love watching mouthy people on "Amazing Race" try to drive.

Point blank most Americans are too lazy to want to shift let alone drive. Also since you can't drink your vanity coffee while texting and driving they're progressively taking the "driving" aspect out of the commute. CES was loaded with automated driving aids.

If you're that worried about mpg that you need to depend on an automatic for fuel economy then you simply can't afford the car you're driving. IMHO taking a manual out of a sports car takes the sport out of driving it.

I think you took that middle paragraph a little too far. You have to remember that a large chunk of the population use driving as a means of transportation, not for sport or pleasure. With that in mind, there's not much reason to drive a manual unless it came down to price which isn't that big of a deal.

People drink beverages and text on their phones driving manual too.....

The fuel economy for manuals is "generally" better but it's becoming more noticeable that automatics are receiving higher ratings.

I think you're putting the manual gearbox up on the pedastill a little too high.

[Mad1723]

I learned on my FR-S to drive stick and would not drive it any other way. I'm young (22) and I find it sad that many of my friends have no concept of a manual transmission. Luckily, my mom is a manual transmission aficionado since she started driving and I now understand what she meant when she said that manual is more fun, more engaging. It simply is.

[_______]

Luckily both my mom and dad drove stick shift cars so I grew up around them and observed how they drove so when it came time for me to learn it was easy for me to grasp the concept. I think its important for a kid who's starting to drive to learn in a manual transmission first. It certainly makes things go smoother when they learn from the start instead of getting accustomed to an automatic which then makes learning manual harder than it should.

[zooki]

It's like I told her, manual transmission cars keep you more engaged with the car. It makes you pay attention to actual driving. And you have to be aware of what's happening around you so you'll know how to react.

[nalc]

Originally Posted by _______

I think its important for a kid who's starting to drive to learn in a manual transmission first. It certainly makes things go smoother when they learn from the start instead of getting accustomed to an automatic which then makes learning manual harder than it should.

Meh, I did it the other way around and I disagree. When the whole car is foreign to you, it's more challenging than it needs to be to learn shifting gears. Better to get familiar with the steering, gas, and brake, and then add in the clutch and shifter once you're familiar with those.

[_______]

Originally Posted by nalc

Meh, I did it the other way around and I disagree. When the whole car is foreign to you, it's more challenging than it needs to be to learn shifting gears. Better to get familiar with the steering, gas, and brake, and then add in the clutch and shifter once you're familiar with those.

Good points, I just think that the whole shifting and stuff is not an issue when learning to drive a car from the start because everything is foreign. Its like speaking different languages its usually easier to learn young because everything is new and easier to grasp than for adults because they are accustomed to the language they have spoken for years. I have taught a couple kids who are learning to drive and experienced drivers that drive only automatics and observed that ones that havent driven a car before got on easier because the whole concept was already foreign whereas the automatic only drivers tend to get things wrong more so. Just my opinion from my experience. Of course to some people like yourself its probably easier the way you did it.

[n8dog11914]

I learned by driving my grandfather's truck in the back pasture at age 14 Driving and life in general is just better with the manual trans.

My family is what you would call the poster child for Car and Driver's 'Save the Manuals' campaign' haha.

Mom - 06' Jetta TDI Manual, 95' Honda Civic Manual
Dad - 04' Porsche Boxster Manual, 13' Ford Focus Manual
Brother - 95' BMW Z3 Manual
Me - 13' BRZ Manual

[RedLeader]

I love my manual transmissions as much as the next guy, but sometimes I feel like being lazy, I just want to get to the store and back so I can get back to my lounging. In all honesty, I'd get a DSG/PDK over a manual any day. I hate traditional automatics (slush box), but dual clutch semi-autos are probably the best creation since the internal combustion engine.

[zooki]

Well, I will say that I'm putting an automatic in my '69. But automatics work better with nitrous anyway. And with a transbrake it'll still launch hard...

[Frost]

Originally Posted by RedLeader

I love my manual transmissions as much as the next guy, but sometimes I feel like being lazy, I just want to get to the store and back so I can get back to my lounging. In all honesty, I'd get a DSG/PDK over a manual any day. I hate traditional automatics (slush box), but dual clutch semi-autos are probably the best creation since the internal combustion engine.

I dunno but I like CVTs. All the convenience of an auto without any of the awkward shifting timings.

[Rampage]

I taught all my kids to drive manual and most of them prefer shifting to automatic. Unfortunately, it is just a matter of time before they are a thing of the past. Automatic and dual clutch transmissions can already match manual in gas mileage and now many performance cars are faster with clutchless transmissions than they are with traditional manuals. If most of the supercars are coming with paddles these days then how long before the affordable sporty cars all follow suit?