Ford to kill Manual?
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
well to an extent, they will now offer a gear selector with the auto so you can choose whichever gear you want to be in for certain situations. Dodge and GM already have this and they work pretty good. Won't be long and Dodge will no longer off the manual either I don't think
My son's 2001 Audi has the wheel buttons for gear shifting and since it is AWD I drive it on skiing trips.
Tried that thing few times and it is hard to get used to. Let's say you will chose gear #3 for going downhill. Than the traffic slows down and you have to come to just rolling. The transmission will shift to 1 and WILL STAY ON IT.
Stupid thing.
Lot of manufacturers are abounding the manuals because inexperienced drivers are burning clutches and want them replaced under the warranty.
I guess we have to pay the price for their stupidity.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2009
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Wont be long till autos come to NASCAR! HA HA HA HA 
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2008
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NASCAR is already talking fuel injection. Automatics can't be far behind if they do adopt fuel injection in place of the carb. Then it'll be a spec motor like ASA used before they went belly up. I think there might be some automatics being used already by some in the Le Mans proto-types in Europe along with their turbo diesels.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2006
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You got it, Skeeter. I know two Ford dealership principals and they confirm that they would not order a stick-shift truck for the lot, and most buyers want to see and feel the vehicle they will buy. Very few customers will order and wait months for delivery, as was once normal. The dealers feel that they can convince anyone to buy an auto. Unfortunately, that’s usually true.
I have owned five stick-shift ¾ tons, and there were buyers waiting for each one when I was ready to move on. No trade-in required. I know a local business that stocks 100+ off-lease pickups at all times. They have had two stickshifts in the past year and they were on the lot for only a few days, before being snapped up. Most trucks are there for weeks, or even months.
I can get a stickshift in a Frontier or Tacoma 4x4, rated to tow 6,500 lbs. I’m just not sure this will be “enough truck”. I know that an F250 and diesel is more truck than I need, but I may have to go that route, or hold my nose and buy an auto F150.
I have owned five stick-shift ¾ tons, and there were buyers waiting for each one when I was ready to move on. No trade-in required. I know a local business that stocks 100+ off-lease pickups at all times. They have had two stickshifts in the past year and they were on the lot for only a few days, before being snapped up. Most trucks are there for weeks, or even months.
I can get a stickshift in a Frontier or Tacoma 4x4, rated to tow 6,500 lbs. I’m just not sure this will be “enough truck”. I know that an F250 and diesel is more truck than I need, but I may have to go that route, or hold my nose and buy an auto F150.
After searching for a few months, I found a reg cab, xlt, psd, 6 spd.
It was used - and it was used as a trade-in in a dealer-lot...
The truck sat in the lot... for... TWO YEARS before I bought it...
The person who drove the truck out to me was having so much trouble driving it toward me that it was actually amusing to watch! (chattering the low gears, almost stalling to stop it, and an un-necessary high rev to inch it forward)
Needless to say... I was driving home in that truck a few hours later!
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2009
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Really???? Are you guys sure? You would not even give the Auto transmission a try? This is going to be bad for FORD.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
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From: CA Bay Area
My ski buddy drives Honda Accord with 4 cylinders and manual transmission.
With 174 HP there is no luck of HP, while he is averaging 32 mpg in mountain driving.
Better than my diesel sedan.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,949
Likes: 1
From: utica il
the point i was making was manual transmissions used to be an option,and a very well liked option, for all trucks mini mid size light duty and heavy duty. now your options are so limited when it comes to any vehicle with a manual tranny that commuter cars are about the only ones and jeeps dont forget worthless jeeps.
New User
Joined: Dec 2003
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2009
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I'll suffer the auto and lousy mileage in my Superduty.
