Millennial here, on my third manual transmission. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

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quote:

Originally posted by vulrath:
I know my insurance rate dropped from $208/mo in my automatic V6 Mustang to $130/mo in the BOSS 302.

That's right, I went up 2 cylinders, up 130+ horses, and into a limited edition sports car, and my insurance went DOWN by almost $80 because it's a manual. I'm not complaining, I was just kind of baffled.

Are you absolutely certain the rate dropped cuz it was a manual? I've heard rates are based on crash statistics for a particular model. If it's a rare model, it's not going to have a lot of crashes associated with it and will have lower insurance costs.

As a supplemental argument to that, my insurance also dropped when going from a V6 Mustang to a high horsepower car. Only the Mustang was a stick and my Taurus is an automatic. But the Taurus is rare in the consumer market so the rates dropped significantly.

I'm 61 had a least one 3 pedal vehicle around since I was 17 when I bought my 1st car a 1970 Dodge Dart 340 4 speed. When I took my 07 Corvette lS2 6 speed in recently for new tires. I had ask if they had someone that could drive a manual transmission car because not all places that work on cars these days do. Inquired about ordering a new Corvette recently I ask the guy about ordering a manual transmission he looked at me like I was from the moon and told me you can't get a new Corvette with a manual transmission. My world crumbled.

quote:

Originally posted by Tejas421:
A stick is not fun in stop and go traffic.

That sums it up. A stick shift is like a gun. I hope to never use either while I'm stuck in downtown traffic.

I'm old. Not only can I drive a stick, I can also "double-clutch" (or some say "double-declutch"), because there was a time before synchromesh transmissions that you had to.

quote:

Originally posted by ammodotcom:

quote:

Originally posted by Tejas421:
A stick is not fun in stop and go traffic.

That sums it up. A stick shift is like a gun. I hope to never use either while I'm stuck in downtown traffic.

With a modern car, boosted clutches are so light and transmissions so slick that it's no problem at all. At least that's how it's been with Mazdas, Subarus, and Hondas.

Almost all of the cars and trucks I've owned have had manual transmissions, my current 2018 Ridgeline is one of the few exceptions. But my 2019 Corolla HB has a 6-speed manual and it's the slickest, most effortless manual transmission I've every driven. In addition Toyota got the ratios right with first being plenty low and 5th and 6th being tall for relaxed, low rpm, highway cruising.



One of the biggest challenges in teaching a new rider to ride a motorcycle is first having to teach them how to use a clutch, and that includes almost everyone now.

I can drive manual just fine. I first learned to drive with a manual. My first 3 cars were manual. Don't care for it. Nothing "art" about it. Give me auto. I'm lazy.

If you are going to rent a car in Europe you better know how to drive stick...auto might not be available and if it is you'll pay a premium.

Crisp heel-and-toe rev-matched downshifts are one of driving's greatest pleasures. I sure do miss my Miata.

I learned to drive in the 1950s and in a manual transmission car. (My dad taught me, and that is another topic entirely.) All my cars since then were manual until the 1990s when I bought a rebuilt 1966 Mustang that had an automatic transmission, as a "fun" driver--I had asked for a manual, but the automatic became available to me sooner. My current Daily Driver is a 2006 Mustang and I will admit that the automatic transmission is a blessing in heavy traffic (which is common here in DFW). At age 84 I also appreciate the help.

However, I do think that Driver Educattion in schools should be done with manual transmission automobiles, just so every student learns how to work them. Most will never encounter a manual transmission here in the States, but they are still common overseas and the ability to drive with one is very desirable.

My Daily Driver car in 1989 was a 1986 Mustang with a manual transmission. It was bought new in 1986 and driven for 20 years. In 1989 I experienced a very bad accident on my Harley Davidson motorcycle and was laid up for several months, during which time volunteers from the Church Choir used my car to drive me various places. (We used my car because usually theirs did not have enough passenger seat clearance for me to get into the vehicle with a cast on my leg.) Most of those drivers had limited to no ability to handle a manual transmission, and when I was more able to drive myself I had to have the clutch replaced. One never knows when a need to use a manual transmission vehicle might occur.

flashguy

Had manual trans Supra and Porsche, fun driving experience. Not sure I'd opt for one today, the new automatics are simply quicker shifting and better at putting the power down consistently, combined with paddle shifters, better.

Manuals are fun and a PIA, depending on where you drive, get caught in Morning drive traffic and they can be a PIA. Not every drive is a curvy back road. Spending the day in San Francisco with a 5 speed isn't the same as up in the mountains.

As for the youth today not driving manuals joke, most likely the biggest culprit of that is there parents driving automatics, and, few car makers build them anymore.

Most "manuals" are paddle shifters so kids just are not exposed to them unless they have a family member with an older car or affinity for manual shifters.

Heck even motorcycles are coming with automatics now you can get a DCT Honda Goldwing with a 7 speed box..

https://powersports.honda.com/...et/touring/gold-wing

quote:

Originally posted by tigereye313:
Crisp heel-and-toe rev-matched downshifts are one of driving's greatest pleasures.

Yes!

I had a foot injury years ago, couldn't drive my F150 4 speed for 6 months because I couldn't use my left foot for anything requiring more than a couple of pounds of force.

Thank God Mrs. Flash had an automatic and knew how to drive a stick, so we traded for a while.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
If you are going to rent a car in Europe you better know how to drive stick...auto might not be available and if it is you'll pay a premium.

Years ago, we had a big family trip to Italy and my wife and I had to play chauffeur because we were the only ones (out of 13) that could drive a manual.

My first car was a manual 91 Ford Ranger. Im so grateful my dad made me learn a stick and I had that first. Ill tell you were stick shifts suck though- in Los Angeles- where you sit in traffic 90% of the time.

My learner car: 1961 Chevy Biscayne coupe. 6 cylinder, 3 on the tree. No power brakes or steering. My old man told me I wasnt going anywhere until I learned a stick shift.
No fascination for a stick now. If I want the experience, my Challenger has paddle shifters.

We've usually had one of each, at least, for the last thirty-something years.

Presently car are an auto Mercedes - never had a manual since 1978 - and a manual Porsche, never had an auto Porsche. Our 380SL, a second car, was auto and we had that around fifteen years, but all the others were manual.

I really don't understand what the problem is - our cars are usually one each left hand and right hand drive, too. And tbh, driving here in UK you spend as much time in the right-hand lane of a highway that being in continental Europe or North America is no big deal at all.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:

quote:

Originally posted by vulrath:
I know my insurance rate dropped from $208/mo in my automatic V6 Mustang to $130/mo in the BOSS 302.

That's right, I went up 2 cylinders, up 130+ horses, and into a limited edition sports car, and my insurance went DOWN by almost $80 because it's a manual. I'm not complaining, I was just kind of baffled.

Are you absolutely certain the rate dropped cuz it was a manual? I've heard rates are based on crash statistics for a particular model. If it's a rare model, it's not going to have a lot of crashes associated with it and will have lower insurance costs.

As a supplemental argument to that, my insurance also dropped when going from a V6 Mustang to a high horsepower car. Only the Mustang was a stick and my Taurus is an automatic. But the Taurus is rare in the consumer market so the rates dropped significantly.

No, I'm not absolutely certain. It IS a fairly rare car. But it definitely is harder to steal the car because of the third pedal, and I've had increasing suspicions that the VIN of my V6 was on some kind of shit-list because that thing was never inexpensive to insure no matter who the insurance company was.