Who else wishes that Ford would offer a stick shift. They are giving dodge a lot of business because of this. Dodge only used to sell because of the cummins, but now they sell because of manual transmissions. Like for tow trucks, everyone around here gets a stick in the tow trucks. Ford having no sticks turns people to buy dodges or keep the old ones running. There is no problem with keeping the old ones going, but Ford is not making sales off of those people. A truck should have a stick shift. In my eyes its not a real truck without a stick. Automatics are for girls.

 

Well you are entitled to your opinion, but the sales numbers don't back you up. If it is happening it is such a small percentage of total sales that it does not show up in the statistics. I have logged my share of miles in class 8 trucks with 8, 10, 13 or 18 speed transmissions to not be considered a "girl" and I guarantee you that today's auto transmissions are superior to a 6 spd manual in 95% of real world situations.

I have a friend that upgraded from a 2005 6.0 w/6 spd to a 2011 last year. He was the one guy that gave me the most grief about the auto in my 2006 6.0. He told me at the hp level I was running that the auto would be dead by 50k miles. That trans never had a hiccup in 88,000 hard miles. After one year of driving the 2011, you couldn't pay him to go back to the manual now!

Heck maybe you are right. Maybe the only reason Dodge sells any trucks at all is because Ford and Chevy don't offer hillbilly handshakers!

 

After years of shifting, I will keep my auto. thanks.

 

I row the gears in my performance car, not my truck.



and manuals are for poor people???

Both comments sound pretty ignorant

 

All 3 SD's I've run miles in have been automatics (6.0, 6.4, and now the 6.7). The 6.0 I ran long haul for a year at 20-25,000lbs. I don't have any complaints about the autos. The 6 speed in my '11 is even better.

 

Here's the old poll, in case anyone reading this thread hasn't voted:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...sion-vote.html

My bad left knee and I will stick with an automatic for the daily driver.

The odds of Ford and Gvmt Motors offering manual transmissions ever again are pretty long, and sooner or later Dodge will probably drop them too.


Joe

 

Dodge is already moving to all automatic transmissions. Why do I say this? The new HO Cummins with 800 lb ft of torque is only available with an automatic transmission. Why, because the current manual transmission is not up to the task. Once the HO Cummins has been around awhile, does anyone think Dodge will continue to offer the lower powered version?

To the OP, the take rate for manual transmissions was less than 1.5%. Must be a terribly high ratio of girls to men in that number. I also have over a million miles behind the wheel of big trucks with real manual transmissions...I am keeping my automatic transmission

Regards

 

Red Rocket- it might be ignorant. I don't get how you say manuals are for poor people. I guess your middle class with your "Performance" car and truck. I just like stick shifts. I perfectly understand the guy with a bed knee, but the guy that drives 18 speeds I don't. A pickup with a 6 speed should be like an auto for a truck driver like you. You said they are better in 95% situations. I don't think so but what about the other 5%. It's your trucks and you can get an automatic but people like you are the reason why they don't offer sticks anymore.

 

They put manual shift and gear lockout features in for those 5%.

Sam

 

manual shift features are not true manual shifts.

 

I would agree with that, pushing buttons is not working a clutch and a stick but it still allows you manual control over what gear you're in, to a point.

I think another reason behind the autos is emissions. The systems have total control over the operation of the truck and you can't get the systems out of those parameters. For example - manual mode won't allow you to shift beyond certain limits. It will sit there and flash the gear number at you and not allow it to go.

 

Well thanks for giving me way more credit than I deserve, but the shift to auto has nothing to do with me or people like me. The manual transmission has become a liability to truck manufacturers. They can control how the power is laid down with the auto trans and the computer systems that they have today. The more powerful that they make these trucks the more of an issue it becomes when you have testosterone overdosed rednecks sidestepping the clutch at 4000 rpm.

If a manual transmission is so superior and more efficient than why doesn't John Force have a manual transmission in his car? Surely a properly trained non-girly type guy could shift 5 times in 4 seconds. I would also look around the world and pay attention if I were you. The class 8 world has been steadily moving towards automatics for more than 10 years and it only gains momentum every year.

In 1893 mechanical injection was a great idea. It hung around for over 100 years, but it's getting harder and harder to find these days. I guess it's a shame that technology doesn't stand still or else we could all be living in a cave and dragging our woman around by the hair!

By the way, it's not your ideas that I disagree with so much as it is your attitude.

 

For me it makes little to no difference which transmission when driving on pavement.
In big city traffic jams an auto is nice.
In offroad situations a manual offers much better control and feel.

 

I feel basically the same. Although doing rock climbing with a manual does get interesting (I had a Popeye right arm from yanking on the e-brake all the time).

Also have done my fair share of snow plowing with a manual and an automatic. There are advantages to both and it comes down to preference.

Bottom line: if this truck was solely a work truck, I MIGHT consider it. But with the mix driving and purpose the vehicle has, there is no way I would consider it.

 

I used to prefer manual transmissions, and then I got my CDL and drove heavy trucks for a few years. I enjoy the manual in my Mustang, but some days I would prefer an auto. In a modern turbodiesel pickup there's no question about it...only an auto can maintain boost through a shift!