Are stick shifts on the way out?
12-09-2004, 03:54 AM
#21
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Originally Posted by potfish,Dec 9 2004, 02:42 AM
I'd like to be the first non-US resident to comment on this thread 
In Europe automatic cars are very much the exception and I believe that's mostly because automatics are more expensive to buy but also because they are less fuel efficient, which is a big deal over here (around $5.50/US gallon and France is one of the cheaper European countries).
There are also people like me who just don't like driving automatics because as yet I haven't found one that wants to change gear at the same time I would, and also the performance loss is unacceptable to me.
I don't know whether the proportion of automatic:manual is increasing over time, but manual is certainly WAY off extinct over here.
In Europe automatic cars are very much the exception and I believe that's mostly because automatics are more expensive to buy but also because they are less fuel efficient, which is a big deal over here (around $5.50/US gallon and France is one of the cheaper European countries).
There are also people like me who just don't like driving automatics because as yet I haven't found one that wants to change gear at the same time I would, and also the performance loss is unacceptable to me.
I don't know whether the proportion of automatic:manual is increasing over time, but manual is certainly WAY off extinct over here.
12-09-2004, 07:46 AM
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Speaking of San Diego and stick shifts...
My parents (while I was still a glint in my father's eye) used to live on Banker's Hill, just up the hill from Northrop. My dad, a mechanical engineer, was working on the the flying wing there among other things.
He used to car pool to work and my mother would COAST their car down the hill to pick up my dad--she hadn't learned to use stick yet.
What kind of car? A Porsche Speedster.
My parents (while I was still a glint in my father's eye) used to live on Banker's Hill, just up the hill from Northrop. My dad, a mechanical engineer, was working on the the flying wing there among other things.
He used to car pool to work and my mother would COAST their car down the hill to pick up my dad--she hadn't learned to use stick yet.
What kind of car? A Porsche Speedster.
12-09-2004, 08:01 AM
#24
Manual Trannies are also have a relatively stable market in the Econobox models. The most economical way to get around is with a stick. It runs roughly $800.00 less to purchase, uses less gas, and over the entire life of the car is typically more reliable and less expensive to maintain (assuming that you're not hard on your clutch).
Wait until gas prices skyrocket in America. You'll see more manual trannies sold. The people in Europe figured this out a long time ago.
Wait until gas prices skyrocket in America. You'll see more manual trannies sold. The people in Europe figured this out a long time ago.
12-09-2004, 11:20 AM
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Way back in 1993, I had to search real hard to buy an Accord with a manual transmission, and the salesman tried to convince me that I have to pay a premium for it because the manual Accords are so rare. 
But back I also posted a similar thread 2 years ago n this board when our local paper ran an article that autostick is catching on and concluded with if you buy a car with a stickshift, it may be exceedingly difficult to sell later on.
Should we unload our stickshift cars now?
Someone pointed out: "There was probably a similar article back in the 50's when the first automatic transmissions started to show up too."
But back I also posted a similar thread 2 years ago n this board when our local paper ran an article that autostick is catching on and concluded with if you buy a car with a stickshift, it may be exceedingly difficult to sell later on.
Should we unload our stickshift cars now?
Someone pointed out: "There was probably a similar article back in the 50's when the first automatic transmissions started to show up too."
12-09-2004, 11:25 AM
#26
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Originally Posted by WhiteS2k,Dec 9 2004, 03:20 PM
Way back in 1993, I had to search real hard to buy an Accord with a manual transmission, and the salesman tried to convince me that I have to pay a premium for it because the manual Accords are so rare.
But back I also posted a similar thread 2 years ago n this board when our local paper ran an article that autostick is catching on and concluded with if you buy a car with a stickshift, it may be exceedingly difficult to sell later on.
Should we unload our stickshift cars now?
Someone pointed out: "There was probably a similar article back in the 50's when the first automatic transmissions started to show up too."
But back I also posted a similar thread 2 years ago n this board when our local paper ran an article that autostick is catching on and concluded with if you buy a car with a stickshift, it may be exceedingly difficult to sell later on.
Should we unload our stickshift cars now?
Someone pointed out: "There was probably a similar article back in the 50's when the first automatic transmissions started to show up too."
12-09-2004, 12:01 PM
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My other car is a stick-shift Volvo V70 T5 with 250 horses
We couldn't find any manuals on the dealer lots when we were buying it so we had to order one. It will be interesting to see if it is a problem to sell.
We couldn't find any manuals on the dealer lots when we were buying it so we had to order one. It will be interesting to see if it is a problem to sell.
12-09-2004, 12:23 PM
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Originally Posted by ralper,Dec 9 2004, 12:25 PM
...my father wanted to know why I'd buy anything as old fashioned and backwards as a car with a manual transmission.
02-03-2005, 04:02 PM
#30
So, apparently, back in December, I was advocating the spread of the sequential, manual transmission with a servo-controlled clutch. This month, Car and Driver magazine panned the BMW Z-4's SMG tranny.
I'm going to have to drive one of these. I still think this is the future, but perhaps it's not the present.
Road and Track just had their feature article this month pitting 10 sports cars against each other (the S came in an incredibly respectable 5th, beat only by the Lotus Elise, Porsche 911S, Porsche Boxster S, and Chevy Corvette). The definition included a manual transmission.
I think this is all very interesting. I know, personally, I think I'd like to have an S2000 with a fast-acting SMG, but perhaps it's premature.
I'm going to have to drive one of these. I still think this is the future, but perhaps it's not the present.
Road and Track just had their feature article this month pitting 10 sports cars against each other (the S came in an incredibly respectable 5th, beat only by the Lotus Elise, Porsche 911S, Porsche Boxster S, and Chevy Corvette). The definition included a manual transmission.
I think this is all very interesting. I know, personally, I think I'd like to have an S2000 with a fast-acting SMG, but perhaps it's premature.