They were cheaper when they were offered in the F150 also. Still had a poor take rate (I saw 1%). Not cost effective.

 

Actually, my dad has the Vette (not much left stock) set up for Autocross and i'm running it this year and yes you are correct, it is a blast bombing around an autox course. But sitting in traffic sucks away any of the fun of it. for a pleasure cruiser its fun for a very short period of time after that its just more work..the last thing i want in my life is more "work" so the idea of a daily driver with a manual makes me want to walk, and i do NOT walk anywhere.

I have driven countless other manuals in my life, Jeeps, Subies, hondas...ect and all of them remind me how much i hate them.

 

I had to automatic trucks and after I went to a stick shift truck I cant go back, offroading is a little hard but I have only had this truck for a little over a month, learned it quick because of all the hills I live in, amd traffic doesnt bug me, I put it into neutral and sit for how ever long I need to till the car in front goes, I think it makes it more fun to drive stick, automatics are so boring on the road, so I guess it just depends on what you feel comfortable driving.

 

If paddle shift was cheaper to do I bet a lot more vehicles would have it maybe even trucks...but paddles on a truck might look pretty stupid.

 

shifting gears in rush hour traffic uuummmm no thanks

 

That is One reason I hate city life ! If I am in traffic coming or going to work... A tractor or other machinery that is slow moving is the culprit !

 

What's the worst part shifting or trying to work the clutch to shift?

 

It depends upon whether it's your left leg or your right arm that is atrophied or in use texting, eating, shaving, or picking your nose

If this is a serious question, it's usually the coordination of operating the two of them in concert. I do remember that with my Olds 442 drag car in the early 70's, my left leg developed a bulging quadricep from pushing in the Hayes race clutch in rush hour a bunch. (Heavy traffic when I was commuting to college.)

Now I ride my bicycle a couple thousand miles a year and have big quads on both legs. And I know how to shift bicycles too.

George

 

Just seems like since nearly every clutch I try they vary too much and I can't quite get the feel of it. Shifting I personally have no problem, its that dang clutch in some vehicles with giving it enough engine speed to not kill it is my main problem...which is probably why i may have to stick to autos the rest of my life. Bummer of it all. And I try to ask serious questions even if they seem really dumb. To me the only dumb question is the one you don't ask or you've asked it 5 times.

Long as the automatics work and will not prematurely fail or if they do won't cost an arm, a leg, a lung and your first born, then I guess I'll be happy with it.

 

Clutches vary, just as throttle response, brakes, steering, handling, sight lines, turning circle, etc. vary among different vehicles. Every car will have its own feel and operating efforts and if you've driven a few different stick shift vehicles for a period of time, you tend to adapt to others pretty easily.

It's actually hard to get a vehicle with a stick these days, so you are in luck... I just read this past week that half the people in the US can't swim either. Too much coordination required in moving your legs and your arms at the same time or something....

George

 

This is actually one of the things I enjoy about driving a manual is test driving other peoples cars or trucks with a manual. I always find it interesting to compare the differences. My little ZX2 has to have some revs built up, but my old 93 Ranger 4.0 hardly required any gas to get it moving. My uncle had around an 09 Ram with the Cummins, and that didn't require any throttle to get moving in 2nd (1st was a granny.) It is too bad they seem to be disappearing for those that prefer them, but I doubt we'll see the day when cars such as Vettes, Mustangs, Camaros etc. are automatic only.

 

If anything sports cars will go to paddleshift with an electric clutch like Formula cars and Le Mans cars have in the European circuits.

 

Now there is the correct prediction!

Way back in time. (70's), I grew up in a world where the 4 speed manual cars were seen as the faster, more reliable, and more economical option. There probably was good reason for this as the 3 speed inefficient autos were typically 1/10 slower and 1 mpg less than the manuals. Funny thing happened at the dragstrip as bracket racing became more popular and consistency replaced head to head competition. The autos were superior and as the technology improved, the extra gears and the efficiency improved to the point where the auto equipped cars were actually faster than the manual cars. The classic musclecar still has more value with the 4 speed manual, but that is for nostalgic reasons only. They are not winning at the track today.

As for manuals in trucks, (which is more appropriate for this discussion), I have had my share of heat related automatic transmission failures. I have blown up C4's, E4OD's and A4LD's. I have burnt out clutches with manuals. All are a PITA and expensive to fix. After 40 years of driving, I can appreciate both types of transmission and the driving experience that goes along, but I think the traditional manual transmission has been eclipsed and we will not see it in the future.

 

I would like to point out there are many transmission shops that'll do a auto to manual conversion. Its expensive, but worth it.

 

For new cars and trucks purchased over the past 10 years, the manual transmission take rate has hovered around five percent. That take rate is only headed downward.

Imagine being a manual transmission in this day and age. Imagine how awful it would feel if only five percent of the new-vehicle-buying public wanted you. Who wants to be that unpopular? It's a good thing manual transmissions don't have feelings because if they did, they would cry "nobody loves me!", and then crawl into a dark corner and die. Actually, I'm inclined to believe they do have feelings because, boy oh boy, are the manuals dying.

It's been about four years since an F-250 or F-350 has rolled off the assembly line with a manual. For half-ton trucks it's been a bit longer. Even though you were able to get a five-speed manual transmission in an F-150 up until 2008, you were forced to pair it with the depressing 202-hp 4.2L V6, so for all intents and purposes, rowing your own has been dead in the F-150 since 2003; the last year you could get a V8 with a stick.

"Mvs4th" on the forum asked if there are plans to ever bring back manuals in the upcoming redesigned F-Series trucks. The answer is no ... like "no means no" no. If you want to know why, forum member Frdtrkrul is the answer.

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