I looked at fords website and saw that the is no option for the manual transmission in the new 04 F150. That is stupid, I have 2 F150 both with manuals, and a F100 with a manual, I will never own a truck with an automatic. These new trucks are becoming sissy trucks. First they got rid of the 300 I6, now this. What does everyone else think of this?

 

The manual has gone the way of the Dodo bird. This isn't new either. A few years back, I heard that one of the big 3 was going to drop the manual altogether in the future. Face it, the auto's are getting more reliable and are stronger transmissions. The manual is just old (while fun to play with).

 

It may be possible to get a Manual later on, once the V6 and lower trim levels are available.

Think of it this way...
Right now, the new book is just coming out, and they are only making it in Hardcover, nicer book, higher price. Maybe next year they will have a paperback edition....
~Paris

 

Well, the manual transmission may have been around longer, but I don't think it's "old". The manual is just a more simple mechanical design. It allows the driver to have more control over the vehicle, it's more durable in many cases, less prone to overheating, and it absorbs less power which results in better fuel economy and more power at the wheels. I've owned a few manuals and a few automatics in my life, and for my new truck I selected the automatic for it's convenience. But I still think that for Ford, or any company, to discontinue the option of a manual tranny would be crazy.

 

I Have a f-250 and a ford ranger, both have manual trans. and I do not think that i could own an automatic. I rather like having beter control of the truck as driving a manual can make you feel.
I hope that ford gets its act together and brings it back, because i would really like to own one

 

I wouldn't make the assumption that because something is not there in the first model year that it will never be there. Give Ford some time to ramp up and move into the specialty vehicles. Who knows it might be just around the corner...

 

i believe ford is keeping the old body style around for this reason. if you need a manual right now check and see if the 03's have it as an option, but if that truck isnt good enough for you then just hold your horses, i believe it will be here within the year for the 04's

 

If you're going to spend all that money to get a new truck you should just throw up another k and get a auto anyway. You don't want a manual in that big ol truck anyway. Doing jobs is just easier with an auto.

 

See, a manual tranny is not a specialty vehicle. They SHOULD offer a manual tranny right now. I like my automatic because I use my truck mostly to commute to work in city traffic. But a truck is a work tool, and it should have the option of a manual transmission.

 

What's sissy about an automatic transmission?

 

right, what is sissy about an auto? look at the new torque shift auto for the superduty. there is nothing sissy about that. also it has the taw/haul mode which lets you control the vehicle when hauling big loads up and down grades. (very similar to a manual)

ive had both a manual, (what i started with), and an auto (what i have now). i loved my manual because it was fun, but i belive that an auto, at least with todays technology, is always improving. just about every truck has a trans cooler on it and if you keep up with scheduled maintanence, i know they will last a long time.

i know that when i off road, i love my auto 100 times more than my manual. there is no clutch to burn up. also, when you put a larger set of tires on your truck, which a lot of people do, with a manual, your clutch life goes down dramatically also. with an auto, tire size doesnt seem to matter at all.

yes people say you can control the vehicle more with the manual, but the automatics pull hard and getting to be very reliable. i have the old e4od and it still pulls hard after 135000 hard miles. my dads work truck, f-250 with the 351 is a manual, has 175,000 miles on it, but the only thing bad about it is he has been through at least 3 clutches.


in my opinion, buy a manual if you want a sports car or a sporty truck, but for offroading, towing, and even less maintanence(no clutch replacements), go with the auto.

just my opinion

 

Hang in there

 

Popular Mechanics says that a five speed manual is available...

 

What's sissy about an auto.? Nothing. But if you work your truck hard, which is what they are made for, I GUARANTEE you that the auto. will fail before the manual. They generate too much heat, absorb too much power before it reaches the rear axle, and there are simply too many mechanical parts in there to last as long as a manual. Not to mention all this new computer software causes them to be screwy sometimes. Just look at the disaster GM had with the Alison tranny. Alison is one of the best names in the business...but you put an automatic in a work truck and bad things sometimes happen.

There's nothing sissy about the auto. It's just that the option of a manual SHOULD be there on any truck...since a truck is really designed to work.

 

If auto's are so frowned upon, why are they rated higher for towing?

I have towed a lot with my truck, and the auto has never given me any problems. I think that on certain years and engine combinations (especially the early PowerStroke and auto), you guys are correct though.

Not to mention, if you let someone borrow your truck, less chance of them grinding your gears...