Driving a MT Mustang is quite different than driving a MT truck loaded or pulling heavy. The Mustang has oodles and gobs of power to allow you to lug it way down in 5th and still come back to speed without touching the shifter.

Since the mid 80's, the F-150's were using the Mazda OD transmissions instead of am ore conventional truck tranny with a granny gear. The Mazda trans is fine but not for heavy work. I had three of them, they sucked.

Wish they had just put the ZF in rather the M5OD. Stronger and can do a lot more than the Mazda.

The old m50d worked well in my old 2wd f150 with the 300-6. Never had to shift out of overdrive on the highway always had plenty of go.

Yes.

I wish not, but yes.

Here is why I believe the manual is all but dead (at least at FMC):

1. Sales. If the amount of manual transmission trucks being sold isn't worth making a manual transmission an option for the truck, you're going to stop. It makes financial sense.

2. Automatics have become stronger and more reliable. The tow rating on an automatic are higher than on a manual these days. If you're going to haul stuff with your truck, and most people do, you're going to want the best tow rating you can get.

3. Fewer people know how to drive a manual. No idea what a clutch is. Some people physically cannot do it. They don't have the coordination, which is sad in it's self. I know people with no desire to learn it. They aren't all standard, which makes it a PITA if you're driving a different brand. If there isn't a diagram on the shifter, and I've never been in the car before, I don't know where first and reverse are. Not to mention some you have to push in to put into reverse, others you pull up on the shifter, and others there's a button.

4. Just about every auto transmission you have now is an auto-stick (that's what we call them at work). So you can put it in a mode where you have to tell the transmission to shift, but it's not as fun as having 5 on the floor. But the option is there if that's what you prefer.

5. Traffic today is a bear. City driving it seems ever 2 seconds you're at a stop light or sign. Bumper-to-bumper traffic jams on the highways. I've driven both types in this...and I prefer the auto to it for the simplicity (and I don't have to worry about stalling it or burning up a clutch).

I'm gonna give you the perspective I have on it as a 19 year old future new truck purchaser. I have been raised on autos. I have been driving since before I was a teenager on the farm. The first thing I drove was an 89 F-150, then I drove the 96 F-150 we have now the most. Both autos. Two years ago was the first time we owned a manual in my life. It was an F-700 dump truck. I never drove that off the farm so never above 2nd and it had a granny first. Then we got the 75' F-350 dump with the 4-speed with granny first. I have driven that many times now. Now my story time is over.

I love driving the manual tons, but I would never drive one daily. It is great on the highway, but after a while on the back roads through the hills my leg was killing me. I despise towing with a manual and I personally feel like I have more control over an automatic vehicle. I know I would prefer a car with a flappy paddle gearbox option, but on trucks I definately prefer the autos.

I feel like this is the way many of us that were raised on the autos feel. We just don't have the relation to manuals the way the older generations do. I think the attachment to manuals is a lot of nostalgia more than anything.

Quality and durability wise, a modern automatic is going to have better fuel economy for the average driver, better performance when towing, hauling, or just commuting. It is a lot less work you have to do on the drive to work as well. We have had many, many autos with high mileage and only had a problem with one. it was a Windstar minivan that had a plastic piece or something break. Took it to a fantastic little transmission shop "Kentucky's Best Trans Co" got it fixed relatively cheap and no more problems. No hint of dying in the 96 Explorer with well over 200000 miles(knock on wood). Every transmission I am talking about that we have is 10+ years old now as well.

I just don't see the point of a manual for actual use anymore, purely for short term fun and plenty of traditional manuals will remain for many many years that can be used for that purpose.

Give these kids today a 3 on the tree and drum brakes ..... That is what I grew up with ! I sold a perfectly good Chevy truck , 78 305 3 speed . Took me almost a year to sell ! No one could drive a column shift ! I ended up advertising the motor for sale , with free truck ! An older gentleman bought it and still drives it today....

Yes, I cut my teeth on a 3-on-the-tree with an non-synchronized first gear. Kids today look at that much like I looked upon an old Model-T Ford.

3 on the tree and many on the floor.

today's auto's are very good and also help with the emissions requirements now as well.

but towing with a manual is rather easy and preferred for the heavy hauls.

I learned on a tractor before I was 8.

I can say with many tie ins to fleets this is rapidly changing. 5 years ago, yes. But the Volvo I-Shift, Eaton Ultra-Shift, and the Allison lineup is turning automatics to the standard fleet order transmission outside of heavy haul and severe service. Almost all city transit and state transport systems are automatics. The most popular semi truck is the 13/13 XE (D13 engine, 13 speed I-shift automatic, Xtra Efficiency programing). Automatics perform far better in hilly terrain on the big trucks, and are better in icy conditions due to their flatter application of toque through the drive train. The only downfall is maintenance. 5k for a clutch service ain't cheap. But seems that 800,000 KM is pretty normal for service life, and the fuel economy increase offsets it. There is also much less driver fatigue for the corridor drivers, especially the ones that run flat beds for coil through the Chicago/Gary route. Less foot work allows the driver to concentrate on the crappy traffic, and the I-Shift delivers gobs of torque when needed for situations.

I feel like more people are less distracted when driving a manual over an automatic. My reasoning for this is, they have to pay more attention to the traffic ahead of them to know when to downshift, plus most will be not be on their phones texting.

Clutch replacement for a manual is what $200-$1000? Fixing up a modern day auto $2000+ add a few more on to that for an Allison or a ZF.

A seasoned driver doesn't think about downshifting or up shifting while driving. It happens without a second thought

Exactly! I never downshifted unless I was towing or hauling heavy. I would always approach my stop and slip it into N as I was stopping.

I grow up with manual learned on old farm truck 3 on the tree. I have learned that most young people don't know what a 3 on the tree is and when I explain it to them say man that is really old fashion.

Took me until I was 7 to know what 3 on the tree meant. Never tried driving one and I've only seen a few in the junkyards. I personally like 4 or more on the floor. Even though I have a little bit of experience driving stick, I am still looking to find a truck with a manual so I can learn a dying art. Sucks that autos are even taking over semi trucks.