can u get a 2004-up F150 with a manual tranny?
my dad wont by an auto and i agree he says if he cant get one he'll just move up to the 250's
but can you get one?

 

No not the new body style at this time.

Mike

 

thanks do you think they will in the future?

 

VERY unlikely, unless Dodge and GM suddenly start selling a lot of half-ton pickups with manual transmissions. Unless that happens, I doubt you'll see a manual tranny in a Ford half-ton.

Go order your Super-Duty!

 

Yes they will have a manual tranny. I believe the Ford guy at the auto show told me either 2005 or 2006.

-Matt

 

Complain to Ford about not offering a manual transmission. I did and told them I was going to shopping for a Chevy or GMC. Ford replied back to me saying that in recent years. Manual transmission orders have been dropping. So that is why they did not bother with one in the 04. They did tell me however that they are getting requests for a manuals and may offer one in the next year or so. Another intresting thing. The base price of the 150's are higher than base price of the 250s. So, if you don't mind the larger truck. Go with a 250 and you can get a 6 spd manual.

 

I think it's nuts for Ford to not even offer the manual tranny anymore. If it was me, I would buy a new Chevy or Dodge, whichever you like the best. Then I would send a photo of it with a note to Ford explaining to them how you looked at F-150s but couldn't get what you wanted to buy with your hard earned money, so the other company got your cash. No joke, that's what I'd do.

 

Why won't your dad buy an automatic? The reality is that in 1/2 ton pickups the manual tranmissions aren't very heavy duty. This comes from them typcially needing to be easy to shift. Also, there aren't very many cars or trucks now a days that are desired to have manuals. I've seen a lot of cars drop carrying them. Seems its only enthusiast cars, or econo cars that have them anymore.

 

Exactly. And do you know why enthusiast cars and econo cars still have them? Because manual trannys don't absorb as much power being transmitted through the driveline, and in turn produce better gas mileage. More power, better gas mileage, and YOU get to decide when to shift. ALL vehicles need manual trannys in my opinion. The auto. should be an option like it always used to be.

 

I agree with you WXboy. I have 2 ford trucks both with manual transmissions. My uncle has a F150 with a auto and that thing is so boring to drive. I love my manual transmission. I don't do alot of heavy towing. I sure hope ford comes out with a manual tranny in the new body style.

 

In 1994 when I bought my Ranger at a small dealer in Del Rio, TX, 80% of the F-150s and all 6 Rangers on the lot were manual transmissions. It's a good thing I wanted a manual, that's all they had.

This year I bought at a large dealership in Austin, TX. When I mentioned I was willing to consider an automatic, the salesman said "Good, that's all we have".

I guess manual transmissions have gone from the American buying public's radar screens.

 

Guys...it ain't much better out here in GM land. I searched for months for a manual 1 ton. I finally found one with an a granny AND overdrive. Let me tell you the thing was awesome.

Some time later, I wanted to trade down to something smaller in the form of a 2500 (my wife said she just couldn't drive a truck with "hips"...my 1 ton was a dually). I searched and searched and searched and searched...never found a 2500 with a manual. So...now I'm stuck with an auto. Bummer...I'd trade it in an minute for a manual.

It seems all the automaker's are going automatic. I think this has a lot more to do with cost than anything else. Automatic parts can be produced in mass very cheaply while manuals require higher dollar, higher precision parts. Thus...none of the big 3 are willing to put much money into the "soccer mom" majority of truck buyers these days (no offense to soccer mom's of course.)

 

Automatics = Work of the Devil.

Seriously, though - I will be ordering a 250 or a 350 early next year when I don't need that much truck. The reason: only way to get a decent manual transmission.

 

Actually, the automatics cost a lot more to produce - and use more precise parts than the manuals.

The reason that you see so many automatics is primarily because that's what the average buyer prefers - so that's what the dealerships order. I've talked to a few dealerships about this, and basically they told me that they didn't order trucks with manual trannys because they had a tough time selling them - and dealerships aren't going to order trucks they can't sell.

Also, while I prefer manuals the modern heavy-duty truck automatics certainly have advantages - you no longer have the mileage penalty or the power loss of the older auto trannys, and the top-end autos are just as strong as the manual units. In fact, when one of the truck mags tested diesel pickups they found that the auto-equipped trucks outperformed the manual trucks on virtually every test - unloaded, pulling a 12,000+ pound trailer, and pulling the trailer up a 15% grade.

The only decent manual trannys are in the 3/4-ton and up trucks - the half-ton manual trannys lack a granny gear, reverse is geared too high, and they are not really built strong enough to tow trailers with (especially the Mazda unit in most late-model Fords). Perhaps if/when Ford does offer a manual tranny in the new-style F150 they'll put in a 6-speed with a granny low, but I highly doubt it - it'll probably be a modified Mazda tranny. Basically, the manual trannys in half-tons (and Rangers) are built as cheaply as possible, with as cheap of parts as possible in order to be able to advertise a low purchase price - they aren't built as well as they used to be. Heck, some of the parts nowadays are made of plastic - and most production moved to Mexico in order to further cut costs.

LK