Driving just does not feel like driving without a manual transmission. As a person who loves to drive I see many benefits to a manual transmission aside from just the joy of shifting. Are there any plans to bring the manual transmission back with the 2015 F-Series or are we condemned to the automatic?

 

All autos as far as I know.

 

Hard to say if they will stay or go. Some stats here:

Blog Post | Stick Figures: The Last Days of the Manual Transmission | Car Talk

When I went to look at Rangers in '09, the dealers had automatics only. One Toyota sales a-hole told me I really should buy an automatic. No sale there. GMC and Chev, Nissan and Toyota (other dealers) all had 5 speed trucks with no BS or "upsell" attempts. So I think there are still plenty of folks who see the "value" in the driving and long term ownership experience of a manual trans.

On the other hand, automatics are so much better now, at least for the first 100-150000 miles, and who can row through 8 speeds as fast and smooth as a computer?

 

Emissions, and electronic controls in autos that mimic manuals without the physical shift had made them obsolete. If there isn't sales volume to support it, they won't be offered.

It's an important skill, just not so much for the daily rat races anymore.

 

True manuals are becoming very rare. All the high performance cars are going to the dual clutch electronic clutchless shifting. In those applications, it's much faster than the three-pedal manuals even for trained race drivers.
For trucks and high torque applications, the computer of the trans missin and the comptuer for the engine can talk to each other and plan out how not to break anything. Us dummies with a left foot and a stick in our hands can easily break things if we aren't smart.

The top of the line OTR trucks are being built with automatics nowadays too.

I LOVE driving a manual transmission, but it's going to be a lost art by the time my kids learn to drive.

 

Think the last Ford trucks to roll off the line with a manny was the 2011 Ford Ranger not very many people can drive a manual anymore and nowadays the new autos can tow just as easily as a manual. Unless the need is there, they won't come back.

 

I think 2008 was the last year for a manual in a F150. Still can get one in a Super Duty

 

2009 but I think the V6 was the only one that had it for the F150. 2010 was the final year for the ZF6 in the Super Duty

 

You can get a Ram 2500 with the manual, tow rating is lower than the auto though.

 

I owned three manual shift F-150's........The joy escaped me after the second truck.

 

Typically the tow rating for manual transmission is lower than the same truck with an automatic transmission.

 

I know they de-rated the Cummins to 600 something foot/lbs for the manual. But I didn't think that they still offered the manual.

 

I was completely against auto transmissions, in the mustang world at least, but then I went from a tko500 5 speed to a manual vb c4 and I was in love. My left knee thanked me too. I loved being able to shift how and when I wanted without the hassle or delay of a clutch

 

I wonder when the decline of people wanting a manual started? Or is it that people are just too lazy to learn it? At my job you can at least expect one vehicle a day has a manual that rolls in. My issues is not every clutch engages at the same point or the manufacturer does something really dumb to get into say reverse. VW you have to push the shift down to get in. Saab in order to get the key out it has to be in reverse.

My issues with manuals is they are not very user friendly for new people to drive them. I love manuals to death but my good lord they are a PITA to learn...too many variances in where the clutch grabs or different shift patterns to learn.

 

Considering the points you raise and the seemingly unceasing efforts to improve the automatic since the '70s, is it a surprise most folks don't want to "engage"?

The roll towards automatics goes back to the '50s when they were a welcome alternative to the awkward and poorly ratioed (is that a word?) "3 on the tree" transmissions of the time. Most of those were non-synchro first gear, adding to the hatred on the part of folks like my mom, who got a ticket for rolling a stop sign in 2nd....(My dad's instruction to her btw. The practice led to a similar pinch for him years later)