quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
And those of us who prefer a manual don't care about any of that. I guess some will just never understand.

Yep. Only trucks with manual that you can buy now are Nissan Frontier and the aforementioned Tacoma. Hopefully Nissan will keep the manual with the new model coming out soon.

I will also be teaching my 15 yr old daughter how to drive a manual car soon. Driving auto is so boring to me, like driving a golf cart.

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Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

In addition to that. The new automatics are the wave of the future. They're a lot more efficient, the vehicles are faster, and even better off road and on road than the manuals. It's a lot easier to slowly put power to the wheels without breaking them loose with an automatic when off roading or pulling a heavy load like a boat up a boat ramp.

And those of us who prefer a manual don't care about any of that. I guess some will just never understand.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

Now, intermittent lower back, hip, and knee problems make it difficult at times to use a clutch. That, plus the fact that automatics are now much more reliable and much more efficient than they were twenty or thirty years ago, makes the automatic a practical choice for me.

If I were younger and in good condition, with body parts that have not outlived their warranty, I'd probably go for the manual.

A perfectly valid and good reason why automatics are necessary as an option (or should be an option; not standard).

Anyway, you guys don't need to hear me go on yet another rant about manuals and automatics.

Correct. And when it does go cupput I have no desire for that rebuild bill.

quote:

Originally posted by limblessbiff:
Ugh, what is up with all these short bed yuppy trucks? These 5ft or 5.5ft beds may as well be an suv. Ordinarily I'd say to each his own but it's getting harder and harder to find an extended cab with the half doors and 6 or 8ft bed that's actually useful for something other than groceries

My 5.5' Nissan is extremely useful. I can haul all the dirty stuff I need in the bed, but in a vehicle that still fits in my garage. Enough truck utility to meet my needs, with the passenger compartment clean and comfort of an SUV.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Good looking truck for sure.

Already know they are going to have so much stupid crap be standard.
Keep it simple.
Just give me a stripped down, non-driver assisted, lever activated 4x4, truck with a manual that does not cost 30k.

Yep. One if the many reasons I keep my almost 18 year old Nissan. The rear seat is a little too cramped, but it still runs great, and has none of the crap I don't need. The thing has manual locks and windows! After a couple years I did finally add a cruise control.

wow , might be my first Ford product

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Originally posted by AH.74:
How do these 10-speed trannys work in real-world conditions, when carrying or hauling a load close to or at max weights?

Awesome, since there's more gears than your typical 4-6 speed automatic. The gears are spaced much closer together, so the engine is always right in the sweet spot of the powerband when shifting to each gear.

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Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by AH.74:
How do these 10-speed trannys work in real-world conditions, when carrying or hauling a load close to or at max weights?

Awesome, since there's more gears than your typical 4-6 speed automatic. The gears are spaced much closer together, so the engine is always right in the sweet spot of the powerband when shifting to each gear.

I find that the cars with 6-10 speed auto transmissions are always shifting and are sometimes quite noticeable. Pulled up next to a Mercedes SUV, watched (and heard) the thing shift up then down and then up again, just to come back down one more time before finally gaining enough speed to get it stable. Seemed like a lot of extra wear and tear on something that doesn't need to be overly complicated. One more thought about the new transmission and engine combos: Lugging an engine kills it and these newest 6-10 spd autos tend to lug them quite a bit.


As for the Ranger: Glad they're bringing it back. Not my cup of tea but someone might enjoy it.

I still want a 4x4 Toyota with a diesel/6 speed manual combo where the bumpers don't sit lower than the axles.

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Originally posted by limblessbiff:
Ugh, what is up with all these short bed yuppy trucks?

I don't get it, either. If I'm going to have a pickup truck, I want a freaking pickup truck, not one of these truncated-bed pretend toy pseudo-pickup truck things. Sheesh.

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Originally posted by ensigmatic:

quote:

Originally posted by limblessbiff:
Ugh, what is up with all these short bed yuppy trucks?

I don't get it, either. If I'm going to have a pickup truck, I want a freaking pickup truck, not one of these truncated-bed pretend toy pseudo-pickup truck things. Sheesh.

Maybe you should visit YouTube, search for 'Ford Ranger' and watch some videos of these "truncated-bed pretend toy pseudo-pickup truck things" all over the world in all manner of conditions hauling and towing all sorts of things. The foreign built Ranger is the furthest thing from a toy, and I'm hopeful that same DNA has made its way into the American built Ranger.

Some of us actually have multiple requirements of a truck beyond just towing 25K pounds or hauling two pallets of sod at a time. A Ford F-350 crew cab daully will handle those tasks without breaking a sweat, but try parking it in the parking garage I have a parking pass for the other five days of the week. Different strokes for different folks.

For those belly aching about no manual tranny option (and there won't be one from what I've read), is Ford's decision not to offer that tranny such am unreasonable one? I doubt I could find ten people in everyone I know that could even drive a manual tranny. Society, and the industry in response, have moved away from almost anything manual in new vehicles. When was the last time you saw a new vehicle with crank windows? Even the cheapest econo-box out there has power windows and locks.

Ford is building the Ranger (and the rest of their product line) for the 'majority' of buyers. And that majority demands more and more automatic stuff with each new vehicle. And that majority will very likely push us into fully autonomous cars at some point in the future, at which point I won't be a happy camper either. But its coming, whether I like it or not.

My 16 year old refuses to learn the stick. He says he might as well learn to read a sundial.

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Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by AH.74:
How do these 10-speed trannys work in real-world conditions, when carrying or hauling a load close to or at max weights?

Awesome, since there's more gears than your typical 4-6 speed automatic. The gears are spaced much closer together, so the engine is always right in the sweet spot of the powerband when shifting to each gear.

I find that the cars with 6-10 speed auto transmissions are always shifting and are sometimes quite noticeable. Pulled up next to a Mercedes SUV, watched (and heard) the thing shift up then down and then up again, just to come back down one more time before finally gaining enough speed to get it stable. Seemed like a lot of extra wear and tear on something that doesn't need to be overly complicated. One more thought about the new transmission and engine combos: Lugging an engine kills it and these newest 6-10 spd autos tend to lug them quite a bit.


QUOTE]

I haven't noticed either of these two phenomenons. It must be the brand you've driven. My vehicle is a 6 speed auto, and I've driven a few 10 speed auto's but all Ford brands and they seem to shift really un-noticable at all,and not too often if you were watching the tach, and the engines never seemed to be low on power at any speed, but I think they were all eco-boosts of different sizes....(I rent a lot of rental cars for business). My guess is the Mercedes lady was one of those that pedals the gas pedal instead of keeping an even throttle setting on it......

How much do y’all guess it’ll cost? Starting at 30k, with options up to 45k maybe?

I’m a manual transmission guy anyway. Big old Nope from me.

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Originally posted by chongosuerte:
How much do y’all guess it’ll cost? Starting at 30k, with options up to 45k maybe?

I’m a manual transmission guy anyway. Big old Nope from me.

No, less. Probably $5k less than a f150 in equivalent trim levels.

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Originally posted by jimmy123x:

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Originally posted by AH.74:
How do these 10-speed trannys work in real-world conditions, when carrying or hauling a load close to or at max weights?

Awesome, since there's more gears than your typical 4-6 speed automatic. The gears are spaced much closer together, so the engine is always right in the sweet spot of the powerband when shifting to each gear.

Unless the technology is better, like someone else pointed out, these are just for fuel economy purposes. The computer is constantly trying to find a high gear to dump you in and vehicle responsiveness suffers. I have never driven this setup so I don't know, but I had a 9 speed Chrysler for a work car and it was the worst powertrain I have ever driven.

Its wonderful to save all that money at the pump with this amazing fuel saving technology until the repair bill comes due. I'd gladly sacrifice a few miles per gallon now for the thousands of extra dollars its gonna cost to get that 10 speed transmission fixed.

I have a 2012 Audi with an 8 speed auto, my first automatic vehicle. It is great. Very responsive, does not hunt for gears, AWD, only fair gas mileage in my opinion, but I drive way above the speed limit. I'd get 30 mpg if I was cruising at 65 easy, in an AWD station wagon. The trend towards smaller turbocharged engines and higher numbers of gear ratio automatics is not going away. They offer more power and better economy. I only know of one person in the past 15 years who had an automatic that needed a rebuild - it was a 2002 Excursion with that monstrous V10. I'd bet even the 2.7L ecoboost could smoke that if you could put it in the vehicle.

I love manual transmissions, however, I no longer believe they are viable options for the majority of vehicles. A 6 speed manual can't compete with 8 or 10 ratio autos. Dual clutch setups are faster in sports cars, and I don't believe the reliability differences are that great any longer.

quote:

Originally posted by barndg00:
I only know of one person in the past 15 years who had an automatic that needed a rebuild - it was a 2002 Excursion with that monstrous V10. I'd bet even the 2.7L ecoboost could smoke that if you could put it in the vehicle.

I have one of those "monsters" in an '03. It burns through gas like Sherman cutting through Georgia. I get 7-8 in the city.

Manuals are all but dead in trucks. All of you who say you'll just get a Tacoma instead obviously haven't driven a new one. Still has the same terrible low seats they've had since 1994 and the new 3.5 V6 is gutless compared to the 4.0 it replaced.


The multi speed transmissions are hard to dial in. The 9-speed AirmanJeff posted of above me is used by Chrysler, Honda/Acura and Land Rover and it is horrible in everything they throw it in. My Grand Cherokee has an 8-speed that is used in the Ram, their RWD cars and it is fantastic. This is also used by tons of other brands as well. On the pickups, manual mode for the trans behaves a bit differently than what you find in cars and SUVs- it isn't really made to be a manumatic or whatever you want to call it. It locks out upper gears. So in my last Silverado (a 6-speed), in town I would put it in M4 to lock out 5th and 6th so it wouldn't lug the engine in town. This made it way more responsive.


All that said, as much as I love the gadgets and such if I were to buy a new truck today to keep a long time (I normally ditch stuff after 2-3 years), it would be the Tundra. Proven components and no fancy stuff that will make you cry as you pay for repairs a decade later.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

Some of us actually have multiple requirements of a truck beyond just towing 25K pounds or hauling two pallets of sod at a time. A Ford F-350 crew cab daully will handle those tasks without breaking a sweat, but try parking it in the parking garage I have a parking pass for the other five days of the week. Different strokes for different folks.

You got that right. The last parking garage I was in had a sign that said 7'6" clearance and one of those hanging bars. I'm at about 82" and figured I'd be good so I drove in and banged the hanging bar. There's no way the bar was set at 90", 7'6", so in I went. There were security cameras hanging down that I had to drive around. I also had to look for the right spot to park in as 95% of the spots I just wouldn't fit.