Twenty of the thirty cars I've had over my driving lifetime have been manual transmissions. Four of the five cars my GF has owned since we've been together (30 years) have been manual.

My last car was an automatic - it was a Pontiac G8 GT and it only came that way. I used it for work (on the road) and was often in urban areas or rush hour traffic, so the A/T was just fine.

Retired now and just purchased a new car about 3 months ago. No longer have to worry about city or rush hour driving - being retired means that I can choose when and where to go, so I decided to get back to a M/T as an EDD. Purchased a 2017 Chevrolet SS with the 6-spd M/T and it's a hoot. I enjoy this car as much if not more than my automotive toy, a '90 Z51 Corvette (also a M/T).

I mourn the lack of choice in transmissions in today's offerings and loathe the impending onset of self-driving cars. I don't understand how on one hand people bemoan distracted driving as the primary cause of accidents, but on the other, buy cars with so much tech and clever gadgets, that you can't help but be distracted. With a M/T the driver is more engaged with the actual driving of the car, thus safer in MHO.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

My old neighbor back at home, he's in the 90's now, used to tell me, "if it's an automatic, you're not really driving, you're just along for the ride..."

I enjoy standard myself. My Corvette Z06 and Scion tC were standards. My wife does not know how to drive standard, she went and looked at a Mustang years ago with a 5 speed, salesman was trying to make a sale and said he would teach her. They drove around the perimeter of the auto mall and she loudly proclaimed she knew how to drive standard... This was nearly 10 years ago.

My current car is a 2003 Civic with an automatic, gets great mileage but it's boring as watching paint dry to drive. For my next car I want something with a standard, maybe the Subaru BRZ or Civic Si.

Every run into the guys who pass off their paddle shift cars as manual?

quote:

Originally posted by acidjazz:
Early 30s. Don't remember 3 on the tree.

I've always had a manual. I took driver's ed, and my DMV driving test, in a '57 DeSoto, 3 on the tree. TX used to allow it, and I had my full license at age 14 (in 1960). The one thing I hate about modern manuals is the damn clutch safety switch. On my 2010 Tacoma, you only need to push the clutch pedal about half way down to disengage and shift, but to start, you have to go all the way to the floor to overcome the safety switch. With the help of Tacoma forums, I figured out how to disable that sucker. Now, after a hot day at the range, I can start it without even being in the seat, get the AC running while I load up my gear. I do advise the mechanic about this, though, when I take it in for service (which is not often).
 

My first two cars were both '65 Chevelle SS with 4-speed Muncies. The first had Hurst shifter. The second had the factory shifter and linkage--bad news. The linkage would get hung up between gears, and the only way to fix it would be to crawl under the car, reach up, grab the linkage rods with both hands and yank back into neutral position. Not fun. At a stop light. When there's a line of vehicles behind you. And the exhaust pipes are hot. And you burn the inside of your arm. Badly. Oh well, it was fast

I've had manual transmissions my whole life. But with the medium-size sedans that I like, only the base models have manual transmissions nowadays. So to get a nicer car I opted for an automatic when I bought my 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Its six-speed box is really pretty good, with crisp shifts, and the ability to manually choose the gear, which is nice in some situations.

I think the era of manual transmissions for sedans is nearly ended.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
My first two cars were both '65 Chevelle SS with 4-speed Muncies. The first had Hurst shifter. The second had the factory shifter and linkage--bad news. The linkage would get hung up between gears, and the only way to fix it would be to crawl under the car, reach up, grab the linkage rods with both hands and yank back into neutral position. Not fun. At a stop light. When there's a line of vehicles behind you. And the exhaust pipes are hot. And you burn the inside of your arm. Badly. Oh well, it was fast

That brought back memories of my 66 Chevelle with the same shift linkage issue

quote:

Originally posted by Vanwall:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
My first two cars were both '65 Chevelle SS with 4-speed Muncies. The first had Hurst shifter. The second had the factory shifter and linkage--bad news. The linkage would get hung up between gears, and the only way to fix it would be to crawl under the car, reach up, grab the linkage rods with both hands and yank back into neutral position. Not fun. At a stop light. When there's a line of vehicles behind you. And the exhaust pipes are hot. And you burn the inside of your arm. Badly. Oh well, it was fast

That brought back memories of my 66 Chevelle with the same shift linkage issue

Painful memories, right brother?

I don't either.
My old BIMMER is not an automatic and I even shift my Nissan Titan truck manually now.
Even though the Titan is an auto I get much better performance from shifting and ummm less gas mileage.

Exactly why I got my Mazda 6 with a 6speed. It is an excellent daily/commuter car with a very easy clutch and rather precise transmission.

Despite so many advancements in programming the shift logic of auto trans, I still think that there is still difficulty in getting the calibration just right with 7-10 speed autos being the norm.

I intend to do my best to continue buying 3 pedals.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
You obviously don't spend much time in bumper to bumper stop-and-go traffic.

60 to 90 minutes of shifting between neutral and first (second if you're lucky)??

No thanks!

Speaking of transmissions though... I have driven a couple CVT transmissions in rentals in the last year or so. Now THOSE are really horrible!

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This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am proficient with a manual transmission but I no longer want to use the clutch 500 times just to get to the grocery store.

I have been looking at new Camaro SS and the 8 speed auto transmission is what I would get without a doubt.

I have driven a manual shift for most of my adult life, but I got tired of it as my daily driver. Sitting in some of the worst traffic (mornings and evenings) in the country is not fun with a stick shift. My daily truck is an automatic. My little Honda Civic Si has a stick, and is fun to push into turns and corners, but most of my driving nowadays is not for pleasure. Just want to get from point A to B without too much stress.

All my Mustangs have had a manual transmission. I like them.

I love, I mean LOVE a third pedal!! Lucky enough to marry someone who feel the same, grew up driving manual. Our first car together was a manual CRX, followed by a 5-speed Maxima, a Cobra and an M3. We really struggled with the 6-speed vs PDK option on our last car, but decided to branch out.

It's freaking awesome. But, then again, so is getting into a 414HP 6-speed manual on sunny days... I hope we are always able to have and drive a manual of some sort.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
With an almost 90 mile round trip commute, no way I would have a manual as daily driver.

My 2017 Mustang GT has the 6 speed auto, if I want to have fun I just put it in sport/track mode and paddle shift away.

Best of both worlds and no worries about my wife destroying the clutch.

my Cooper S has the 6 speed auto, with paddle shifts,
works great,

test drove a VW GTI with the DSG auto, very nice as well,


I can easy cruise when traffic sucks, and paddle thru the twisties when I wanna

My wife's TdI had the dsg...pretty good, when we bought her new Subaru I almost had her talked into a WRX and learning a stick. Got the Forrester XT, god the CVT sucks, the car is screaming for a proper 6sp.....and better seats

My Xterra Pro4X, yea I wanted stick but got a great deal on a loaded auto.....as I work from it often it makes more sense, running 2 gps a phone and a tablet .....

and the auto can still be used as a pseudo manual for offroading

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:
You obviously don't spend much time in bumper to bumper stop-and-go traffic.

60 to 90 minutes of shifting between neutral and first (second if you're lucky)??

No thanks!

Speaking of transmissions though... I have driven a couple CVT transmissions in rentals in the last year or so. Now THOSE are really horrible!

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I'm with you. I have no desire to shift 18 million times on the way to and from work. I live in DC Metro area. Top 5 worst traffic cities in America.

Only way I am buying a stick is if it's only a weekend car, and only something with over 300 hp.

I drove manuals for years, it takes a while to get used to not shifting, but eventually it happens. While much more fun to drive on open roads or low population areas, they suck for rush hour.

quote:

Originally posted by EasyFire:
Ah the stick. So much fun to drive when you are alone & just driving. But.... No good when....
1. Your date needs attention!!! - Driving without due care and attention = BIG fine and loss of licence.
2. You are trying to eat a hambuger - Driving without due care and attention = BIG fine and loss of license.
3. You are trying to keep something still in the passenger seat. Driving without due care and attention etc.
4. You want a really fast shift. New performance autos are really fast.
5. You need to call or text - gasp Seriously big fines and loss of license if caught.

tac

Seems like I drive an automatic for awhile, then start thinking how much I like stick. Then I go back to automatic.

Last few cars have been: Infiniti G35 (automatic), then Honda Civic Si (stick) and now my first ever truck, an F-150 with automatic.

Learned on a manual and all the farm equipment, trucks etc. Were manual.

I found driving an automatic strange when I first got one (wife only knows auto).

I'm in tune soundwise with the motor and shifting... however I find this an issue sometimes in certain cars whose cabins are insulated from sound... I don't like looking at the tach. To make these determinations.

Very strange not to be fully engaged in the process on an automatic.

Sometimes I miss it, though at times, I'm glad I don't. Heavy traffic with hills.

I daily drive a Mazda CX5, we do have a 6mt 300hp Mini Cooper too though that I drive occasionally when I want a little more fun.

Our stable:

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - manual
Ram 1500 - auto
BMW M5 - manual
Mazda3 - manual
BMW 550 - auto
Austin Healey - manual